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Dear friend and partner, Can you believe it? 40 years. Someone recently asked, “40 years ago, when you were kneeling on that world map, praying in a college dorm room in eastern Kentucky, did you have any idea what God was about to do?” I must admit, as we gathered to pray on that October night in 1978, we weren’t really thinking about organizations or future anniversaries. It was more about seeing a global need, billions of people without access to the Gospel, then believing that God was powerful enough to “qualify the called.” We sure didn’t feel qualified enough to embark upon a 40-year journey. Perhaps that very perspective – perceiving one’s self as a learner rather than presuming to have arrived – has come to describe all of us on this global faith-walk that we call Team Expansion. If we felt that everything depended on us, we would be crushed under the weight of it all. But thankfully, we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, while resting in the power of the one who sends all of us. That knowledge empowers us to take bold steps, like forming unexpected partnerships and launching global initiatives. We’re excited to share new projects with you, like beginning sending bases around the world that will equip indigenous workers to go into previously unreached fields. Thank you for joining us in celebrating what He’s done and praying for what He will do to reach the entire world with the Gospel. ,
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Doug Lucas President
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It’s sobering to realize that over 70,000 people die every day without ever hearing the Gospel. We are acutely aware of the urgency of our mission and often evaluate how we can multiply the Gospel faster and more effectively.
DiscipleMovem
What is a Disciple-Making Movement (DMM)? We define a DMM as 4 streams of churches that have grown to the 4th generation. On the surface, the process is simple. First, a missionary finds a Person In 2012 we began emphasizing a new tactic called of Peace. In Luke 10, Jesus describes this person disciple-making movements. Six years later, we have as someone who receives the messenger and the seen the beginning of these movements among several message of the Gospel, opens his or her home and unreached people groups and relational network, and is faithful to obey and share an exponential increase in It’s sobering to realize that over whatever he or she receives. new groups, attendance, and 70,000 people die every day baptisms. For this reason, we Once the missionary finds without ever hearing the Gospel. the Person of Peace, they believe that DMMs are the most strategic and effective assemble a three-thirds way to spread the Gospel among the unreached. group (essentially a simple church) from the person’s own household or network of friends. This group allows That’s why we are committed to the vision of 24 them to discover Scripture for themselves, rather than disciple-making movements by 2024. being taught what to believe by someone else.
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-Making ments
This strategy has made it possible for disciple-making movements to take off in areas where there’s little direction available from a missionary or pastor. More importantly, this approach equips believers to multiply in such a way that it can merge into a movement driven by the Holy Spirit. After the missionary leads the group (with the Person This approach of Peace) through the equips believers process, the missionary trains the new leader to multiply in find another Person such a way that it to of Peace and begin the can merge into a process again. They train movement driven the next Person of Peace by the Holy Spirit. to do the same and the stream continues until all their people group has been reached!
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How do you get started? While the process is simple, it can be a challenge to know how and where to begin. We strive to equip each of our missionaries in effective disciple-making practices. We provide extensive training and ongoing support. But DMMs aren’t just for missionaries overseas! We’ve worked with local churches, pastors, and individuals all around the world to begin practicing DMM principles, right where they live. We can help you, too! If you’d like to become a disciple maker that changes the world for Christ, we’ve partnered with other great organizations to create a free resource at www.ZumeProject.com. If you’d like to talk about a custom training for your church, contact us at partner@teamexpansion.org. Learn more about disciple-making movements at www.TeamExpansion.org/DMM. 7
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Purpose
Multiplying disciples and churches among the unreached
Vision
24 disciple-making movements by 2024* *We’re defining a disciple-making movement or DMM as being 4 streams of churches that have grown to the 4th generation.
Mission
Born out of extraordinary prayer, we partner with the global church to mobilize, train, and coach qualified workers in the implementation of the fruitful practices of church planting movements
www.teamexpansion.org · 4112 Old Routt Rd. · Louisville, KY 40299 · 800.447.0800