Conversations as you Go

In this concluding episode, Dave and Andrew Pyman reflect on Aila Tasse’s input throughout the series. Andrew shares how Aila’s reminder that we are not called to go alone is shaping his work among university students and in Melbourne’s north. The vision is not simply to disciple individuals, but to develop leaders and see Discovery Bible Studies grow into connected, multiplying communities—communities shaped by prayer, dependence on the Spirit and a shared commitment to the Great Commission.

Aila concludes with a short prophetic encouragement for the Praxeis community:

“Do not despise the day of small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10). Big things do not start big; they always start small. The Kingdom of God is expressed as a small seed that grows—good seed in good soil.”

In this last episode of our series with Aila Tasse, he explores why disciple makers must also become network builders—helping disciples grow together as a community rather than as isolated individuals.

Aila leads the gathered leaders through a Discovery Bible Study on Luke 5:17–26, drawing out lessons from the friends who worked together to bring the paralysed man to Jesus. Listen to Aila’s experience of building networks across East Africa, where organisations collaborate around a shared vision, common language and simple disciple-making practices.

Reaching the lost requires collaboration: friends working together for those who are yet to encounter Jesus.

How could you strengthen relationships and build greater collaboration with others in reaching the harvest?

In this episode, Aila Tasse explores why movements need a tribe—a community united around Jesus, his mission and a shared vision for the unreached.

Drawing on the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” Aila reminds us that we were never meant to pursue movements alone. Sharing both our breakthroughs and failures helps us recognise that we belong to a global movement—from everywhere to everywhere.

Aila also challenges us to distinguish following Jesus from simply defending Christianity as a religion. Jesus did not come to establish a religious institution, but a movement of people whose lives reflect his way.

What might need to change if we saw ourselves first as people of “the Way”?

In this episode, Aila Tasse explores how Jesus modelled leadership and developed ordinary disciples into movement leaders.

Jesus invested in different levels of leadership—from his inner three, to the twelve, the seventy-two, the 120 and the multitudes. Likewise, DMM leadership grows from people of peace and DBS facilitators through to movement leaders and catalysts who can be sent cross-culturally to catalyse new movements.

Drawing on Matthew 4:19, Aila explains how Jesus developed leaders through life-on-life relationships. He modelled leadership, trained and equipped his disciples, empowered them, mentored them and eventually released them to lead.

Aila shares how releasing leaders especially involves risk. Yet disciples are learners, so leaders must be free to attempt new things, make mistakes and “fail forward.”

Acts shows the danger of growing internally (adding) while losing sight of the Great Commission (multiplying). God’s intention was always for the gospel to move from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

With people from many nations now living in our cities, Aila challenges us to recognise the opportunity before us: find people of peace, develop them as leaders and release them to reach their own communities—and potentially back into their nations!

Movement leaders are marked by passion for God and the lost, vision for the Great Commission, commitment to DMM and their team, and a willingness to remain “learnable.”

Takeaway question: How are you keeping your eyes on the multipliers God has already placed around you? 

In this episode Aila Tasse explores how to find and develop the multipliers who will guard the DNA and multiply a movement.

Finding Multipliers

Aila explains that movement leaders catalyse, multiply and sustain movements. Although only a few people may become multipliers, everyone is still encouraged to become a disciple who makes disciples.

These leaders also guard the movement’s DNA, ensuring that simple and reproducible practices—such as the Discovery Bible Study questions—remain unchanged as they are passed on.

Two hands: ‘Becoming’ and ‘Making’ Disciples

Drawing on Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 4:19, Aila describes becoming a disciple and making disciples through two hands: “Follow me” is becoming, while “I will make you fishers of people” is making disciples.

The five fingers of one hand represent becoming a disciple:

The other hand represents making disciples:

Aila shares how Margaret, an oral learner, taught him to train others through stories, hand signs like these and simple ideas they could easily remember and pass on.

What we are becoming, we are making. We can’t make unless we are becoming. And we also can’t become unless we are making. 

Takeaway question: How could these two hands help you guard and multiply the DNA of disciple-making movements?

In this episode, Aila Tasse explores what defines a leader in a Disciple-Making Movement (DMM). While leadership is often understood through titles and positions, movement leaders are recognised by action, fruit and multiplication. This can be challenging when multiplication is not yet happening, but Dave encourages listeners not to disqualify themselves. Leadership begins with obeying God and helping others do the same—whether leading one person or many.

Movement leaders have learned and practised the principles of DMMs and are helping others multiply. Like Jesus, we need to intentionally identify, equip and mentor people who desire to multiply.

Aila challenges us not to focus on those who talk much but do little. The task is urgent, and movement leaders are always doers.

Grassroots and regional equipping hubs allow leaders to learn, share and network together. They also help movement leaders identify gaps—including unreached people groups, diaspora communities in our cities and increasingly unreached Western populations.

Rather than merely collecting “data,” Aila describes measuring movement health as ‘shepherding’. Like a shepherd caring for sheep, leaders need to know whether a movement is healthy, struggling or declining—and understand why.

Movements can grow rapidly through their early generations but often plateau between the fifth and seventh generations. Without new leaders and intentional action, momentum may decline and movements can eventually die.

Movement leaders are therefore needed at every generational level to guard the movement’s DNA and help it continue multiplying. One leader cannot do everything. Movements are sustained when many leaders are developed, equipped and released.

As the African saying reminds us:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with someone.”

How can you intentionally identify, equip and release movement leaders who will multiply in your context?

In this episode, Aila Tasse explores why finding, developing and releasing leaders is essential for seeing movements multiply. Drawing on his experience of establishing a training institute on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya in the early 1990s, Aila shares how some of the first leaders developed there were sent to engage 14 unreached tribes across the region. Faced with a harvest far beyond the capacity of any one person, Aila began praying not only for the harvest, but also for the workers needed to reach it.

Jesus instructed his disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest field (Luke 10:2). But while prayer is foundational, developing leaders also involves intentionally finding, raising, coaching, equipping and releasing people into the harvest.

In this episode, Dave and Aila Tasse explore one of the great missional challenges of the 21st century: how followers of Jesus engage with the growth of Islam. Drawing on his own journey from Islam to Christ and his experience across Africa, Aila shares remarkable stories of how God is drawing Muslims to Jesus through dreams, visions and ordinary disciple-makers.

As Islam (as well as Hinduism and Buddhism) continue to grow and spread across national boundaries, what will it take for the good news of Jesus to reach people on a global scale?

Dave and Aila discuss:

Aila reminds us that behind the clothing, beliefs and religious identity are people—souls who need Jesus. He encourages focused prayer for Muslim communities, asking God to reveal people of peace, including those who may remain within their existing culture.

The Lausanne Movement’s State of the Great Commission Report highlights how church-planting movements are contributing to the growth of the global body of Christ. This offers hope that God is using movements to bring change where traditional churches are declining.

Read more: Are we still fulfilling the Great Commission? Six key findings by the Lausanne Movement

Aila also shares remarkable stories of God at work:

These stories remind us that God cannot be confined to our expectations. He is using dreams, visions and overlooked, ordinary people to reach families and communities and begin movements.

As you listen, ask God:

“What are you doing, and how do you want me to engage with Islam?”

211. Aila Tasse – Casting Vision

In this episode, Aila shares practical insights on how to cast vision for Disciple Making Movements (DMM). You’ll also hear from practitioners in the room who share different ways they inspire others to join God’s mission of making disciples.

Takeaway: As you listen, ask yourself: What is one simple next step I could use, even this week, to help others catch God’s vision for making disciples?

Several people mention the book ’21 Days to Become a Disciple Maker’ by Jim Britts and others. You can find the book here. You can also access Jim Britts’ short training videos he shared with us at one of our recent Praxeis launch gatherings here.

In this episode, Aila Tasse draws from Scripture and his own leadership experience to explore how we can build disciple-making teams following the examples of Jesus and Paul.

Jesus prayed his team into existence, invited people into relationship, trained them through modelling and apprenticeship, sent them out together, and coached them as they learned through experience. His example reminds us that the workers, leaders and resources needed for the harvest are often already within the communities we are seeking to reach.

Aila also explores the multicultural, multi-gifted team in Acts 13. As they prayed, fasted and listened, the Holy Spirit set apart and sent Paul and Barnabas. Throughout Acts, teams were formed and redirected through dependence on the Spirit—not simply through human plans or strategies.

Building multiplying teams means inviting people into relationship, modelling disciple-making, releasing responsibility early and coaching people as they learn by doing. It also requires leaders to get out of the way and create a culture in which everybody counts, contributes and thrives. Shared vision leads to shared ownership, shared effort and shared celebration.

Finally, Aila reflects on the humility of Jesus in Philippians 2 and the importance of honouring people across cultures. God’s Kingdom celebrates diversity, bringing together people from every nation, language and background into one body.

As you listen, be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit: What will you take away from this episode and apply immediately as you build disciple-making teams in your context?