By Dr. Adam Grill
The American Church is facing a $40 billion reality check.
Every year, over $40 billion is given to more than 300,000 churches across the Northern Hemisphere. Yet, the vast majority of these congregations are not growing through new disciples. Instead, they are essentially managing a plateau, locked in an inward-focused "maintenance mode" while the world around them experiences a spiritual drought.
The future of the Church isn’t addition. It’s multiplication.
While the West has struggled to move the needle, we are witnessing an unprecedented explosion of faith in other parts of the world. In the 1990s, there were only six trackable Disciple Making Movements (DMM) globally. By 2018, that number grew to 700. Today, we are tracking nearly 2,000 movements primarily across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
The shift is simple but profound: we must move from gathering crowds to sending disciple-makers.
This guide is your roadmap to transitioning from a traditional church model to a movement-minded culture that prioritizes the Great Commission over the status quo.
Explore: Catching the Vision for Multiplication
Before you can lead a movement, you have to see it.
Most church leaders are trained to build programs that attract people to a building. We call this the "come and see" model. But the "Jesus Model" is fundamentally different. It is a "go and catalyze" strategy that enters the spaces where people already live, work, and play.
In The Real Jesus: Disciple-making Series, Book 1, we see that Jesus didn't just invite people to a weekend service; He invited them into a way of life that was inherently reproductive. He spent His energy on a few to reach the many.
As the Great Commission states: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV).
Notice the emphasis: teaching them to obey.
Movement Christianity is not about knowledge transfer; it’s about obedience-based discipleship. It’s the difference between a classroom and an apprenticeship. When we focus on information alone, we create consumers. When we focus on obedience, we catalyze movements.
Multiply: The Framework of a Movement
Once you’ve captured the vision, the next tier is shifting your culture toward multiplication. This requires a move away from complexity and back toward the high-impact simplicity of the early church.
To succeed in a Disciple Making Movement, you need a reproducible pathway that any believer can follow.
1. The Person of Peace
Jesus taught His disciples to look for a "Person of Peace": someone who is spiritually open, has a natural relational network, and is willing to welcome the message into their household. Instead of trying to reach individuals in isolation, we reach households through their natural leaders.
2. Discovery Bible Study (DBS)
The primary engine of DMM is the Discovery Bible Study. Using the NIV as our foundation, we ask four simple questions of any text:
- What does it say?
- What does it mean in my own words?
- What will I do to obey this week?
- Who will I tell?
This model ensures that the Bible: not the leader: remains the primary teacher. It removes the "expert" barrier and allows the movement to scale because anyone can facilitate a DBS.
3. The M.A.W.L. Principle
To ensure sustainability, we follow the pattern of Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave. As outlined in The Real Jesus: Disciple-making Series, Book 2, the goal is to empower local leaders as quickly as possible.
✔ Model the practice for them.
✔ Assist them as they lead.
✔ Watch and provide coaching.
✔ Leave (or transition to a coaching role) so they can lead the next generation.
Strengthen: Building Systems That Support Growth
Multiplication without structure can lead to chaos, but structure without life leads to stagnation. To sustain a movement, you must strengthen your ministry systems to support a growing family of disciples.
At Family Network, we provide five interconnected ministry pathways to help churches at any stage. Whether you are looking to Explore the vision at a conference, Multiply through intensive coaching, or Strengthen your existing systems, the goal is strategic alignment.
The FC Multisite Playbook teaches us that the key to healthy expansion is maintaining a shared mission while empowering local leadership. This allows a church to operate in multiple locations without losing the intimacy of a small, disciple-making community.
As you strengthen your church, consider these essential pillars:
- Simple Worship Systems: Can your worship be replicated in a living room as easily as a sanctuary?
- Intergenerational Engagement: Are you equipping parents to be the primary disciple-makers in their homes?
- Leadership Pipelines: Is there a clear path for a new convert to become a church planter?
In The Real Jesus: Disciple-making Series, Book 3, the focus shifts to the resilience of the community. A movement must be able to withstand pressure and continue to multiply even in difficult environments.
Integrate: The Future of the Movement
The final stage is full integration: where the DNA of multiplication is woven into every fiber of your church. This is where "church" stops being a place you go and becomes a movement you are a part of.
The early church in Acts 2:42-47 provides the ultimate blueprint: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (NIV). They weren't just attending; they were integrating their lives for the sake of the Gospel.
When we reach the point of Integration, we see:
✔ Fully aligned leadership teams.
✔ Shared resources that fuel new church plants.
✔ A culture where "every member is a minister."
In The Real Jesus: Disciple-making Series, Book 4, we conclude with the ultimate goal: the glorification of Jesus through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Your Next Step: Start the Conversation
The $40 billion problem won't be solved by better programs. It will be solved by a shift in heart and strategy.
You don’t have to do this alone. Family Network exists to come alongside you, providing the coaching, tools, and relational partnership needed to move from maintenance to mission. Whether you are a lead pastor or a passionate volunteer, the call to make disciples is for you.
Are you ready to see your church move from addition to exponential multiplication?
