Important DMM Insights from a Successful Movement Leader in Asia

If someone was raised from the dead would it launch a movement? Most of us, as DMM practitioners, would absolutely love to see that kind of a miracle happen in our area! “If only we could see more signs and wonders,” we think. These supernatural interventions are definitely catalysts for much abundant gospel sowing. When combined with quality disciple-making and prayer, they can bear much fruit. It can lead to a dramatic transformation of communities.

In today’s blog I share what I learned from a movement leader who has seen someone raised from the dead. You can read the full story about that miracle here.

It was more than miracles that launched the movement. Quality discipleship, prayer, and other factors led to the movement’s rapid growth. Let’s hear what Dan* has to say.

Interview with a Movement Leader in Asia

C. Anderson: It’s amazing that so many miracles have happened in your area. What do you do to teach the Word of God? Or are people only coming for the miracles?

Dan: For most people, it is a combination. It is not only the miracle, but the Word of God that touches their hearts.

C. Anderson: Tell me about your discipleship process.

Dan: Every Sunday after the service finishes, I teach a group of leaders. I give them T4T training and input into their lives. More than me, they are making many disciples. I raised up eight people, but they have raised up many more people. I teach them the T4T Baby Lessons as well as how to share their testimony. Then I teach them how to do Discovery Bible Study and story telling.

Dan: The miracles often help us start new groups though. One disciple had a father who was very sick. He prayed and his father was healed. Now he started a new house church there.

Personal Evangelism Training and Fruit

C. Anderson: How do you train your people in personal evangelism?

Dan: We have trained many people about how to share their testimony using the three parts; Before, How and After. This has been very effective.

C. Anderson: Tell me more about the kind of fruit you are seeing.

Dan: We have about 440 baptized believers right now. About 1,200 people attend the house churches and Bible studies. We are focusing on 58 villages and have reached seven generations of growth now.

C. Anderson: Wow! That is incredible. How do you choose which villages to focus on?

Dan: Where we already have a house church and believers, we ask them to go and reach the neighboring villages. They choose the villages to focus on, not me.

From Child-Slaves to Engineers

C. Anderson: I can see how that would develop ownership. Have you seen much transformation? How is the Kingdom of God coming there as people are getting saved?

Dan: We first started working among a people group that had a lot of child trafficking going on. There was so much child labor. When children reached the age of 13 or 14, the people there sold their kids to rich people for 50,000 ruppees ($725 USD) . Then the child would work for them for several years as a laborer/slave.

Dan: I started visiting them and sharing the gospel among them. One lady accepted Christ. Her name was Selvi. She began to worship God and understand His plan for her children. She understood that they needed to stop this practice.

Dan: The rich people who bought these children tried to stop her from coming to worship. One day she brought 150 teenagers, child laborers to my house. The owners of these children threatened me and for several months I could not go back to that place again. But then I secretly began to go again and continued to disciple Selvi.

Dan: Slowly transformation began. Now most of the families have stopped selling their children. The kids who were previously slaves have gotten an education. Now many of them are engineers and doctors. They have come out of that life and now provide for their families.

C. Anderson: That is incredible! I love hearing about how a DMM has led to Kingdom transformation. I believe that is what God wants.

The Role of Prayer

C. Anderson: I know, Dan, that you are a man of prayer. Tell me about your prayer life and how that has impacted the movement.

Dan: There are three ways we pray. Personal prayer, prayer with our leaders, special times of fasting. My wife and I pray together every day for one hour for our movement. Every Friday we pray for two and a half hours together with all the leaders we are training. We ask God to help the movement grow. Then usually every one or two months (depending on our schedule), we take 3 days of special fasting. I do this together with my wife. We ask God to move.

Dan: Lastly, I also have been training a team of four women as intercessors. I give them prayer points and they pray for those.

Any Advice?

C. Anderson: This has been very helpful. Thanks for giving me (and my readers) an inside look at your growing movement! Is there any advice you would give to a new disciple-maker who is wanting to start a DMM?

Dan: Come and see what we are doing and learn!

C. Anderson: That’s a great invitation! I’m sure many would love to come. If they are not able, what would you say to them.

Dan: I recommend you take the T4T training. Especially use the 3 parts (Look Back, Look Up, Look Forward) in your disciple-making groups. Take a few minutes to share what happened last week. Get a report on the application of what was studied before. Then take five minutes to pray for each other and have a short and simple time of worship. For the Look Up, use a simple story they can learn quickly. Discuss it and pray together. Then set new goals. The three-part meeting has really helped us to reproduce and grow more.

Put It In Practice

What did you learn from listening in on my talk with Dan? What will you apply to your context? Let me know in the comments below or on the DMM Facebook page or group.

*not his real name.