Conversations as you Go

In this episode, Dave shares a recent message he gave to the Crossway Online Church community, reflecting on Luke 10 and the surprising power of ordinary people in God’s mission.

In Luke 10, Jesus sends out 72 others — because 12 were not enough. When the 72 return, full of joyful testimonies of God at work, Jesus Himself is described as “full of joy through the Holy Spirit.”

“I praise you, Father… because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children… Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”

— Luke 10:21, 23–24

Dave reminds us that Jesus transferred the kingdom of God into the hands of ordinary disciples — people who pray, listen, obey, and go.

Story 1 — Aisha in South East Asia

Among a large unreached people groups, Aisha was a simple housewife trained in disciple-making. As she prayed, God gave her a heart to reach her community around her. With no previous experience, she simply started where she was — in the marketplace.

Partnering with a street trader named Fani, they began selling a local delicacy — fried chicken heads — and the business grew rapidly. Immersed in the community, Misha began offering:

• Micro-loans to struggling traders

• Literacy classes for teenagers

• Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) with new friends

What began as prayerful availability has now become multiplying disciple-making groups.

Jesus leaped for joy because God reveals His kingdom through the unexpected and overlooked — the “little children.”

Story 2 — The Chicken Shop Disciple Maker

In a region of South Asia experiencing high persecution, Dave describes how one of the teams has seen over 40,000 new disciples and 2,200+ churches planted.

In the midst of this movement was a man who simply ran a local chicken shop. He learned to start Discovery Bible Studies with his neighbours.

Disciple-making is simple and reproducible. Ordinary people. Everyday places.

Story 3 — James in Africa

James is seeing a movement among Muslim university lecturers, Muslim students, their families and the wider community. In the last 12 months alone:

• 161 new Discovery Groups have been birthed

• 99 new churches have been planted

• 11 unreached people groups have been engaged

• Groups are multiplying to the 4th generation and beyond

There is real joy and freedom from darkness, with many baptisms among those previously far from Jesus.

Photo: James' first house church

Photo: Discovery Bible Group on an Islamic University campus

Recent baptisms through James' ministry in Africa

Response

Key Characteristics of Ordinary Disciple Makers

• The Power of the Ordinary — Don’t compare yourself.

• The Power of Availability — Simply be available to God.

• The Power of Obedience — Listen and follow what God says.

• Birth Everything in Prayer — Movements start on our knees.

Dave ends with a call to:

• Pray

• Give to missions

• Go and participate in the Great Commission

Because the Gospel spreads not through the extraordinary, but through ordinary people who say ‘yes’ to Jesus.

You can watch Dave sharing at Crossway here

Featuring: Dave Coles, author of God on the Move: Making Disciples Among the Nations📖 Book on Amazon💡 Related reading: Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations

This episode begins with a reading from the foreword of Dave Coles’ new book God on the Move and a conversation with the author. Dave shares his passion to give a voice to majority world movement leaders and make their stories accessible to the global church.

Some Key Features of Disciple Making Movements (DMM)

Prayer & miraculous signs, empowerment of ordinary people, holistic transformation, disciples making disciples and courage & sacrifice — all hallmarks of movements God is using across the nations.

The Challenge of the Unreached

The world is becoming more unreached, yet movements are multiplying faster than population growth among key groups. Multiplying movements bring real hope for reaching the nations.

Hope for the West

Encouraging signs of growth in unexpected places like the UK and France. God’s promise in Amos 9:13 reminds us that the harvest will overtake the sowing — even in the West.

Church in Movements

Simple, Spirit-led expressions of church — not dependent on buildings or programs — empower ordinary disciples to gather, obey, and multiply.

Community Learning Centres

From India’s Bhojpuri movement to urban hubs, meeting community needs holistically opens doors for the gospel and creates spaces for discovery and multiplication.

What Brings Dave Coles Hope?

God’s promises and presence — and seeing Muslims and others coming to faith in miraculous ways — points to the nearness of Christ’s return (Matthew 24:14).

A Word of Encouragement

We serve an amazing God! Ask Him, “What do You want me to do this week to show Your love and advance Your kingdom?” — and step out in faith.

We continue our series from the Thailand 25 Gathering, hearing from a leader from South East Asia who is catalysing disciple-making movements among a large unreached people group, and from Dave, who shares practical insights on how to catalyse movements with stories from Fiji and England.

From the South East Asian Leader

He shared about three key roles in disciple-making movements (DMM):

1. Disciple – doing DBS (Discovery Bible Study) together.

2. Facilitator – helping others become disciple-makers.

3. Catalyst – multiplying movement through others.

He described his personal calling as that of a Catalyst—someone Jesus sends into new places to find people of peace, help them discover Jesus, and train others to do the same.

Some key principles he highlighted:

• Follow Jesus’ plan to be sent into places where you know no one, trusting Him to lead you to people with open hearts.

• Gather and train those who respond—equip them with simple tools and resources.

• Model and multiply—invite those who have seen fruit to share at trainings and train others by example.

• Form teams from those trained—pray together, stay together, and go back to Scripture and DBS regularly.

• Coach and mentor ongoingly, repeating the process to see multiplication continue.

From Dave: How to Catalyse Movements

Dave shared how catalysing begins with our relationship with God—hearing His call and being led by the Spirit.

He described five levels or roles in movement growth:

1. Disciple (groups of 2s and 3s)

2. Group leader (People of Peace, often church leaders)

3. Leader of groups and streams of churches that are multiplying

4. Regional leaders (those carrying a vision across nations or regions)

5. Catalysts who help multiple movements grow

Key insights from Dave’s experience:

• Everything begins in prayer—listening to God and watching for new things He is doing.

• Find catalytic leaders—local, Spirit-led people whom God is already using.

• Serve others by asking, “What does this person need?” rather than pushing your own agenda.

• Movement work is highly relational and Spirit-dependent, not just about strategy or training.

Dave reminds us that God is the one who catalyses the work—and sometimes He turns the question back to us:

“How much do you want?”

We continue our series from our international gathering in Thailand with part two of The Inner Life of a leader. In this episode, Graham (a pastor from New Zealand with over 50 years of ministry experience) and a leader from South Asia share how they nurture and sustain their inner lives as disciples and leaders.

Part 1: Graham (New Zealand) – Dealing with our questions and thoughts

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Graham reflects on how leaders can deal with questions and negative thought patterns. He highlights the importance of bringing our questions honestly to the cross. He also shares the need for accountability in relationships and discerning God’s voice by taking every thought captive.

“We have to learn how to deal with the questions.”

Part 2: South Asian Leader – The rhythms of a disciple in the midst of persecution

“You have to face these things [persecution]. These things will come.”

Speaking from his context of persecution, this fruitful leader describes how rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and fellowship sustain him. He emphasises that obedience to God’s Word is central, since we can only share with others what we are living out ourselves. He explains the MAWL principle (Model, Assist, Watch, Launch) as the way he disciples others.

Even in persecution, he testifies that the Word of God brings hope and courage. Since Jesus prepares us as his disciples for suffering from the beginning, the promise of eternal life gives hope and strength. For this leader, it is a deep source of joy to see the church multiplying under persecution—he shares that they have recently recorded 2,100 churches in their network.

Final Encouragement

Once again, we see how our inner lives are the most vital part of who we are as disciples and leaders. Be encouraged by these leaders’ words to:

Guard your heart and let God’s truth shape your inner life.

Live out rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and obedience that sustain faith—even in hardship.

Graham has written a book called ‘Demon Speak: Recognising and Overcoming the Enemy Voices in Your Life’.

We continue our series from our international gathering in Thailand.

What will take us out of the race as leaders in movements? Over the next two podcasts, we’ll be hearing  from four practitioning leaders share from their perspective of what helps them go the distance as disciple makers and leaders. In this episode, we hear two powerful insights from two experienced practitioners about the inner life of a disciple and leader—the part of us that shapes everything we do. Be encouraged by the walk of others as we look at our own lives as disciples and leaders. 

Part 1: Roger (New Zealand) – Personality and Leadership

“Often we underestimate how much our personalities can influence our leadership.” 

Roger shares how our soul or personalities and tendencies can both strengthen and slow us down as leaders. If we’re not aware, our personality can even take us out of the race.

Looking at the lives of Jesus’ disciples, Roger highlights how their different temperaments shaped their strengths—and their struggles: 

• Peter – impulsive, bold and ambitious. 

• James & John – ambitious, strong leadership, destructive (controlling and angry) at times, but full of zeal (can lead to burnout for some). 

• Thomas – skeptical, analytical, cautious (wise but can be paralysed by doubt and overthinking) yet also deeply loyal (slow to trust). 

• Philip – practical, analytical, sometimes too pragmatic. 

• Andrew – quiet and relational (but can be people pleasing and compromise with shallow connections rather than speaking the truth and lifting one another up).  

• Judas – calculated, controlling, desiring power (the prestige of Jesus’ movement), and ultimately led astray.

Roger challenges us with Romans 12: are we functioning out of our true spiritual gifts—or just our personality? Many leaders let their personality take over, but God calls us to live and lead from the Spirit alongside others in community and teams. 

Part 2: Gabi (Eastern Europe) – Testing: God Working in the Dark

“The lack of trusting is actually the lack of love.” 

Gabi speaks vulnerably about walking through valley seasons as a leader. Instead of asking “why me?” she encourages us to ask: “God, what are You doing in this situation?”

Drawing from her journey, including seasons of suffering and difficulty, Gabi reminds us of Psalm 23. God meets us in the valley - in the dark. And he leads us through and encourages us to grow as people.

She encourages leaders not to give in to bitterness or fear, but to embrace the Spirit of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). Even in the darkest moments, God is at work shaping our hearts and preparing us to lead with greater depth.

Takeaway

Your inner life is the most important part of who you are as a leader. Be encouraged by Roger and Gabi’s words to:

• Pay attention to your personality and how it influences your leadership.

• Allow God to meet you in the valleys, shaping your spirit rather than letting fear or bitterness take hold.

This episode will help you grow deeper as a disciple and leader who leads from the inside out.

As we continue our Thailand25 series, many of you will remember Rey from Hong Kong and how God used him to see movement among Filipina maids. In this episode, Rey continues to share the journey of seeing movement in and from Hong Kong. In July 2022, Rey pioneered Discovery Obedience Bible Studies (DOBS) in Hong Kong parks with Pilipino maids. What began as one small step of faith has now grown into multiplying disciple-making communities (DMCs) in Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, and even Japan. Rey’s obedience to the Holy Spirit has opened the door to multiplication down to third and fourth generations of disciples. His passion is clear: “We are not in the business of making believers but disciples.” You’ll be encouraged as Rey explains how God is using simple obedience, a clear disciple-making vision, and a commitment to multiplication to bring transformation from Hong Kong to the nations.

Highlights from Rey’s Journey

Early Exposure to Movements

Since 2016, Rey was exposed to disciple-making movements through experiences in Israel, India, and Myanmar, which grew into a deep passion and became the focus of his Master’s thesis in Hong Kong.

From Pastor to Movement Pioneer

His church in Hong Kong adopted DMM principles—but only as a growth strategy, not a true disciple-making movement. The spark eventually faded.

2022: Rey resigned from traditional church ministry, rejecting offers from large churches. 

During quarantine, while fasting and praying, God’s answer surprised him: not to join another church, but to start doing DMM himself.

July 2, 2022: Rey launched the first DOBS group in a Hong Kong park.

Multiplication Across Nations

Hong Kong:

Now 110 active disciples.

3 DMCs (up to 4th generation).

201 baptisms over the last three years—monthly beach baptisms with new believers.

20 women in training to become “DMM pastors,” preparing to return to the Philippines.

Macau: 1 group, 8 active disciples, 3 disciple-makers.

Philippines: Communities in the north, central, and the Muslim south (Mindanao). Over 100 active disciples in multiple generations.

Japan (Yokosuka, near Tokyo): Filipina women reaching out to bar owners and families. Baptisms and new groups forming into a multiplying community.

Disciple-Making Process

Rey uses DOBS (Discovery Obedience Bible Studies): Discover, Obey, Bible, Share.

He has developed different levels of scripture sets:

Seekers – discovering Jesus.

Disciples – going deeper.

Leaders – training for multiplication.

Vision & Tools

Rey always gives the vision upfront: everyone is called to be a disciple-maker.

He even draws people a simple path: Seeker → Believer → Disciple → Disciple-Maker → Leader.

Anchors everything in key Scriptures: Matthew 28:18-20 (Great Commission), Matthew 22:36-39 (Great Commandment), Acts 1:8 (Need for Holy Spirit to be witnesses) and 2 Timothy 2:2 (Multiplication of disciples).

DBS format follows the 4Ws:

Worship

Watch (share stresses)

Word (Head, Heart, Hands)

Work (commitments & sharing).

Why Listen?

Rey’s story is one of courage, obedience, and multiplication. From humble beginnings in a park in Hong Kong to movements multiplying in the Philippines and Japan, Rey’s testimony challenges us to rethink church, embrace disciple-making, and trust God’s Spirit to lead.

In this first episode from our Thailand25 gathering with movement leaders and teams from nine nations, we hear from Mike, who has seen hundreds of groups multiply in Hong Kong. He shares about modelling what you want to see multiply as a disciple maker. After all, we model what we love.

1. John 15:5–17

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (verse 8)

How does modelling work in John 15?The Father models love → Jesus → disciples → others.That’s four generations of reproduction—love expressed through obedience.

“They will not follow and imitate what you know but what you love.” (Mike)

2. Mike asks AI

Mike asks ChatGPT how to start a DMM that will flourish and spread. Chat gives a great answer—but will Chat’s answer actually start a movement? No. Because ChatGPT doesn’t love anything!

“Movements are based on love that is modelled, observed, and imitated!” (Mike)

We must learn to love God and love the lost. DMM isn’t about strategies or ideas—it flows from love. And love is nurtured through prayer. Without prayer of sacrifice, there is no love for the lost. Prayer and modelling go hand in hand: modelling how much we love God and how much we love the lost.

3. Stories (Man in Wheelchair and Mike's daughters)

Man in Wheelchair: Mike and Steve share Jesus with a man in a wheelchair. Soon the community around him begins to grow in faith. He invites his wider network to hear more about Jesus. Mike doesn’t think he’s doing DMM the “right way,” yet multiplication happens. One man begins a Discovery Bible Study with another new believer—and has a vision to see him become a disciple maker too. All of this starts simply because he observed and imitated Mike’s love.

Mike’s daughters: Mike's extroverted daughter shares Jesus with someone using the beaded bracelet, just like her dad. She is imitating his love. Another time, Mike’s extremely shy daughter tells him that a “little voice” in her head is urging her to go to the park to meet a family. She obeys, meets the family, and boldly shares about Jesus with her bracelet. Love reproduces through generations.

4. Final Encouragement

“If we are going to multiply, we have to keep praying. We have to keep loving the lost. Our modelling is not just for the people we are modelling to—it’s about them seeing how much we love God, how much we love the people around us, and how much we love sharing Jesus. They will see it. And they will not do what you know—they will do what they see you love.” (Mike)

In this episode of the Praxeis Podcast, we talk with Harvey Bishop from Melbourne, who has spent decades helping people follow Jesus and multiply disciples. He challenges us to be intentional about making disciples who are filled with the Spirit and equipped to multiply.

Harvey’s StoryAt 21, Harvey cried out to God and experienced an instant transformation. Soon after, mentors showed him how to live as a disciple and make disciples. Harvey went on to serve 41 years in full-time ministry, with Power to Change and in disciple-making.

Why Disciple-Making MattersHarvey saw many new believers fall away, which led him to focus on helping disciples grow strong and multiply. Influenced by 2 Timothy 2:2, he embraced Jesus’ call to make disciples who make disciples, training young people and international students to do the same.

How Harvey Makes DisciplesHarvey prays for people, shares his testimony, shows the cost of following Jesus, and uses Discovery Bible Studies to help people walk in the Spirit and form multiplying groups. He challenges us as disciples to be intentional, Spirit-filled, and accountable so we can pass on our faith effectively.

"Being filled with the Spirit is living the Spirit filled life. It's about letting Jesus control everything I do."

The Challenge“Every Spirit-filled Christian can make disciples if they’re willing to be trained and let the Spirit guide them. There is nothing more meaningful than bringing glory to God by discipling others.”

Websites and books referred to in the podcast:

'First Steps With God' website: https://firststepswithgod.com

📖 'The Man God Uses' (Osward J Smith)

In this episode of the DMM Podcast, we hear from Sam Turner of Northland, New Zealand, as he shares at the DMM Connect gathering. Sam tells his story of moving from traditional church leadership to embracing Disciple Making Movements (DMM). His journey leads to a deep shift—from extracting people into church programs to empowering believers to reach their own communities. In the second half, two leaders from Sam’s team, Roland and Jim, share how they are using Discovery Bible Study (DBS) in their own contexts to see multiplication.

Sam’s Journey into DMM

When Sam arrived in New Zealand, he was struck by God’s heart for a “fatherless nation.” While serving at a local church in Paparoa, Sam felt a deep dissatisfaction comparing the book of Acts with his church’s reality. This led him to a year of daily prayer, seeking breakthrough.

During this season, God gave Sam a vision of a match striking a box, igniting a fire that spread across New Zealand and beyond. The match represented a people who would stand unapologetically on God’s Word and not limit the work of the Holy Spirit.

This only deepened Sam’s longing—until he encountered the DBS tool and the book Contagious Disciple Making (Dave and Paul Watson). Applying DBS first to a men’s group, Sam saw it multiply quickly. Other groups followed, and soon the church was learning principles of simplicity, modeling, and multiplication. This marked the beginning of their transition from traditional church models to a disciple-making movement mindset.

Rethinking Church and Leadership

Over time, big questions emerged: How does DMM relate to church? What about teaching if no one person is “leading” a DBS?

Sam shares that Jesus often taught through questions—over 300 in the Gospels. Their team learned to respond with Scripture and good questions rather than top-down answers.

A major paradigm shift also occurred around evangelism. Rather than extracting people into church programs, Sam’s team began empowering believers to go, serve, and invest in others. Like Jesus in John 13:3–5, leaders are called to wash feet—not gather followers to make them “like us,” but to release them to reach their own communities.

Roland and Jim: Using DBS in Their Contexts

Roland, from a Tuvaluan background, opened his home for Bible study. What started as two families soon grew to over 40 people—so many that everyone couldn’t share. When his wife gave birth, the large meeting stopped, but what seemed like an ending actually multiplied. The big group naturally broke into 15 DBS groups meeting in homes across the community.

Jim first encountered DBS in a men’s group at Paparoa. He shares how the Holy Spirit became the true teacher, and how he wished he had this tool earlier while discipling at-risk youth with his wife. Now, Jim facilitates DBS among men, often through ManUp groups—a 10-week program for men dealing with family dysfunction, trauma, and addiction. Many of these men take DBS and pass it on to others, finding it far more effective than traditional street evangelism.

Final Encouragement for Church Leaders

Sam closes by urging church leaders to notice who God has placed on the hearts of the people they lead. For Roland, its forming communities that can multiply. For Jim, it’s reaching men who are struggling. For others, it will look different. The role of leaders is to serve, empower, and call people to see God’s bigger picture.

Watch this episode as a video here:

https://vimeo.com/1099328633?share=copy#t=2353.336

Paradigm Shifts, the Power of the Holy Spirit, and How to Pray for Movements

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Vijay, co-author of Bhojpuri Breakthrough. Vijay shares paradigm-shifting insights into what leadership looks like in the context of disciple-making movements—and how the Holy Spirit and obedience to God’s Word are essential for genuine transformation in any cultural context, including the West.

🔑 Key Themes:

Breakthrough leadership is upside-down.Vijay reflects on how he learned movement leadership not from titles, but from Jesus’ own example: humble, redemptive, servant-hearted. Jesus’ approach to money, gender, the marginalized, and power becomes the pattern for movement leaders today.

Empowering others is the goal.Leadership is not about hierarchy but about helping others grow and take responsibility."You have many teachers but not many fathers." – 1 Corinthians 4:15

‘Active theology’ leads to transformation.Leaders must ask: “How does God’s Word apply to my context?” As people obey what they learn, the Holy Spirit humbles, convicts, and transforms.

Jesus is relevant in the West.While many may reject church, people are still drawn to Jesus. Vijay challenges leaders to slow down, be transformed by Jesus' words, and internalise His message.Jesus gave the Be-attitudes, not just "do-attitudes" – Matthew 5–7

The Bible is practical and powerful.Movements grow when people apply what they learn.“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” – Philippians 2:12

Humility and vulnerability are leadership strengths.Rather than hiding struggles, Vijay encourages honesty and authenticity in leadership.Jesus’ Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector – Luke 18:9–14

The Holy Spirit shapes leaders from day one.Self-awareness, forgiveness, mentorship, and avoiding dependency are all vital. Leaders live in daily transformation, empowered by the Spirit, even amid spiritual warfare.

Graveyards of mission can become vineyards of revival.The Bhojpuri movement shows God can move in the darkest places. Today, over 2,000 movements globally reflect God’s hand—not man’s strategy.

🙏 How Can We Pray?

For humility and Christ-likeness under pressureIn India, persecution is intensifying. Pray believers would resist retaliation and stay centred on Christ, glorifying Him even in suffering.

For courage and enduranceMillions still need to hear the gospel. Pray for boldness amid political, financial, and family pressures.

For purity and simplicity in the ChurchWherever tradition takes over, corruption often follows. Pray that both the Indian and Australian churches return to Scripture and live it out.

For multiplication“The fruit of the harvest becomes the seed of the next harvest.” Pray that every disciple would become a disciple-maker.

For open doors through prayerAsk people, “What are you praying for?” It opens a conversation. Jesus taught us that God answers prayer and does far more than we imagine.

🎧 Tune in for this deeply personal and powerful conversation about how the Spirit-led obedience of everyday people is fuelling global movements—and how you can be part of it.

📚 Resources Mentioned

Bhojpuri BreakthroughThe Movement that Keeps Multiplying📖 Available on Amazon AU. Also available as an audiobook

Breakthrough LeadershipInsights from an Asian Movement Leader📖 Available on Amazon AU. Also available as an e-book.