Start Here: Our Approach
Making Disciples for Generations to Come
Many believers sense God has more for their lives—more than simply attending worship services, gaining knowledge, and trying to live as faithful Christians on their own. They want their lives to make an eternal difference, but many are not sure how to move forward.
Jesus calls Christians to faithfully make disciples who make disciples for the glory of God and the good of others. Following Jesus includes helping other people know him, obey him, and grow toward spiritual maturity.
By God's grace, God can use you to raise up generation after generation of new disciples. As disciples help others follow Jesus and teach them to do the same, the influence of one faithful believer extends far beyond a single family, church, or lifetime. Few investments in life have that kind of lasting and eternal impact.
The five points below explain the mission Jesus has given to every believer, why your part matters, what often keeps believers stuck, how we help people move forward together, and where you can begin.
1. Jesus Has Given Every Believer a Mission
Jesus commands his followers: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19–20).
This mission is not only for pastors, missionaries, or unusually gifted leaders. Jesus calls every believer to help other people follow him, be shaped by his teaching, and live in obedience to his commands.
2. You Are Part of That Mission
This mission passes from one believer to another: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful people who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Paul describes four generations of gospel transmission: from himself, to Timothy, to faithful people, and then to others.
You stand in that same line of faithful witnesses. God has already placed people around you—family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and other relationships in your daily life. Jesus calls you to help those people know him, follow him, and help others follow him as well.
3. Many Believers Feel Stuck, Underused, or Unequipped
Many Christians genuinely want to be more effective at making disciples. They want to help other people follow Jesus, but they do not know where to begin or how to build a consistent lifestyle of disciple-making.
They may love God and care deeply about the mission, yet still feel spiritually passive, underdirected, isolated, or uncertain about how to move forward. Many believers lack a clear pathway, practical training, supportive relationships, and ongoing encouragement. As a result, disciple-making often remains a good intention rather than a consistent way of life.
4. We Provide a Clear Pathway and Walk with You Along the Way
Jesus never intended believers to carry out this mission alone. The Gathering Network exists to help believers move from good intentions to faithful practice.
We provide a clear pathway, practical tools, coaching relationships, supportive community, and ongoing encouragement so believers can grow and multiply over time. We walk alongside believers as they learn to share the gospel, disciple others, strengthen churches, develop new leaders, and help start new churches in everyday life.
Our goal is to help disciple-making become simple, relational, repeatable, and sustainable. As disciples make disciples, leaders are developed, churches are strengthened, new churches are started, and the gospel spreads through families, neighborhoods, and future generations.
5. You Can Begin Where God Has Already Placed You
You do not need to be a pastor, missionary, or highly trained leader to begin making disciples. Start with the people God has already placed in your life—your spouse, children, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other relationships.
Pick a time and place to meet with one person or a small group, and make a clear invitation to them. Make copies of a lesson from The Discipleship Series (see below), read it together, discuss it, pray together, and encourage one another to obey Jesus. Join a house church gathering and consider receiving coaching as you continue to grow.
As people mature, encourage them to help others follow Jesus as well. Start with one person. Help them follow Jesus. Then help them do the same for someone else.
Equipping You to Make Disciples
Below are key tools to help you carry out Jesus’s mission in the places God has already put you—your private life, your family, your church, and your relationships with non-Christians. Our network provides biblical guidance, practical training, and ongoing encouragement so you can grow in evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.
Learn the Mission
Our Approach to Making Disciples: Our holistic approach to reaching our networks for Christ, building believers up in the faith, and developing them to multiply as leaders.
Making Disciples Who Make Disciples: A step-by-step pathway for helping believers follow Jesus, make disciples, develop leaders, and form simple, biblical churches.
Grow in Community
The Gathering of the Church: A practical and biblical vision for simple gatherings of believers centered on fellowship, shared meals, the Word, prayer, mutual ministry, and singing.
The Discipleship Series: A structured pathway of biblical instruction and discussion that helps believers become established in the faith and follow Jesus within their families, churches, and neighborhoods.
Share the Gospel
Starting an Evangelistic Study: Two approaches to starting a study with the non-Christians in your natural networks of relationships.
The Path to God: An introductory lesson that summarizes the Christian message—easy to use and faithful to the way the apostles summarized the Christian message.
Get Equipped and Lead Others
Individual Coaching: A relational process that strengthens the believer in four key areas: character, key relationships, evangelism, and discipleship.
Group Coaching: A supportive environment where leaders pray together, learn together, and encourage one another to live out their mission.
The Leadership Training Program: Training disciples to start, strengthen, and multiply churches.
Where to Go Next
If you’re new, Start Here is your front door. From here, you can explore our framework in more detail and begin walking the simple, biblical path of making disciples in your network.