In this blog series, we’re pulling back the curtain on the heart behind Movement-Ready Church, now available for pre-order. You’ll get exclusive author insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and a sneak peek at the content before the book releases. Plus, we’re offering a FREE resource for you.
Over the last decade, I’ve had the privilege of sitting across tables, walking hallways, and praying alongside thousands of pastors who deeply long to see disciple-making take root in their churches. And as Robby and I have listened, learned, and labored with these leaders, the Lord has opened our eyes to patterns - encouraging ones, painful ones, and clarifying ones. Movement-Ready Church was born out of those real conversations and the real challenges churches face when trying to move from activity to transformation.
Below are three out of five of the most significant lessons we learned - refinements that reshaped how we train, consult, and walk with churches today. To read about the first two lessons, click here. My prayer is that as you read them, you’ll find clarity, relief, and fresh courage for the movement God is building through you.
Advancement 3: D-groups are the means; disciple-makers are the end.
Though we never said it explicitly, we often thought of the establishment of D-groups as being the main purpose behind our entire process, and we unintentionally trained people that way. It’s easy to see why. We always sensed a palpable enthusiasm each time we introduced the D-group concept to churches and pastors because they saw it as we did, as the missing piece for their church’s disciple-making movement. But while it may be the missing piece, it is not its purpose.
The goal of your disciple-making movement is not to make more and better D-groups; it is to make more and better disciple-makers. D-groups are just a vehicle for making disciples, not the vision. We fell victim to the engagement myth (chapter 5 in the book, but you can learn more today by clicking here) and focused too much on program activity instead of personal transformation.
The result is that we over-elevated D-groups. We now intentionally focus our vision and strategy first and foremost around the disciples your church is developing (chapter 11 in the book) and the Kingdom Circles they are reaching. That’s the vision of the movement, and D-groups are a strategic vehicle to accomplish that vision.
Advancement 4: Disciple-making happens in many contexts.
In the first years of ministry, we defined discipleship too narrowly because we didn’t leave room for contextualizing principles. Though we may not have said it in so many words, our actions and expectations communicated the idea that “discipleship only happens in D-groups.”
This had an unintentional impact in two ways.
First, churches would often neglect their other ministries and see them as inferior to D-groups. While D-groups are a crucial part of your disciple-making strategy, they aren’t the only part. Your church’s disciple-making strategy is your entire discipleship pathway, of which D-groups are simply a key component. It is imperative that churches see the contribution that each ministry plays to the development of its people and that they appreciate the complementing strengths of each ministry.
Second, when we defined discipleship as only happening in D-groups, we unintentionally diminished the leadership opportunities found in small groups and volunteer teams. Without saying so, we gave the impression that to be a disciple-maker in the church, you must lead a D-group. While D-groups are a great place to make disciples, they aren’t the only place. We now represent disciple-making opportunities by using the term Kingdom Circle (chapter 7 in the book). The church identifies the roles where disciple-making leadership happens and celebrates the strengths of each of those ministries.
Advancement 5: Coaching is necessary for churches to execute well.
Just as we train churches in disciple-making, pastors don’t need more information but better application. In the early years of Replicate, we focused primarily on resources and training events. Over the last five years, however, we’ve realized churches don’t need more content but better coaching.
As the leader goes, so goes the church’s movement. Many churches, we noticed, would consume all of our books and attend all of our events, but they would struggle to navigate the complex world of ministry. The mistakes they made weren’t with their vision and strategy but their implementation of it, primarily because they didn’t have a guide walking alongside them.
More than half of pastors have not been personally discipled. Most church staff have not been a part of a multiplication-focused disciple-making environment. Without this crucial experience, creating and leading something you’ve never received is nearly impossible.
While this book’s content is incredibly helpful for a church’s movement, the real impact comes when you join a community or have a coach who can hold you accountable and guide you on how to best implement what you are learning. That’s why we’ve repositioned our entire ministry so that we primarily equip churches through coaching and consulting.
Start the Journey Early
These posts capture just a fraction of the lessons woven into Movement-Ready Church. They represent years of real stories, real churches, and real transformation.
I believe this book will help you build not just better programs but a better culture, a clearer vision, and a healthier, more Spirit-led movement.
And I can’t wait for you to read it.
The book releases in March 2026, but you don’t have to wait to begin strengthening your disciple-making culture.
When you pre-order, you’ll receive exclusive early-access resources:
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A personal video series of Robby and I walking through the heart behind the book.
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Tools and assessments to begin shaping your church’s disciple-making future.
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Insider content designed to prepare your team for real, lasting movement.
Pre-order Movement-Ready Church and get everything you need to start building momentum now.
