God on the Move

God on the Move is a field guide we've been waiting for--clear, compelling, and grounded in real movement leadership. I know and trust several of the contributors--Samuel Kebreab, Aila Tasse, Victor John--and their voices carry both spiritual weight and lived credibility. This book isn't just insightful, it's essential. If you care about multiplying disciples among the unreached, read this now. It will reshape how you pray, lead, and engage in God's global mission.-John Becker, Africa Inland Mission; Activate Global; 3P Ministries God on the Move is a readable, biblically based analytical masterpiece. It contains vital snippets from an array of proven missiologists and practitioners concerning the DMM paradigm of multiplication. The book highlights the basic features of DMM with amazing simplicity and practical field relevance drawn from globally acclaimed movements. It also includes convincingly clear responses to objections to the movement paradigm. This book will inspire and equip DMM trainers, practitioners, coaches, movement catalysts, missiologists, and theologians. It is a must-read for those passionate about bringing the fame of God's name to the least reached peoples of the world. I highly and heartily recommend it.-Mike Adegbile, Movement Catalyst, Go-North Initiative, FCM Country Director for Nigeria, 24:14 Global Strategy Team Moving with God is a primer on movement missiology for everyone--easily readable, refreshingly free of academic jargon, and presented in accessible, bite-sized portions. Yet it overflows with profound insight on the ancient-rediscovered ways God is bringing his kingdom to earth through movements. The stories will stir your spirit. The paradigms will offer you fresh lenses to view the world. After reading it, you may find yourself seeing the kingdom in entirely new ways and feeling, deep in your gut, a desire to step into these stories or live out your own moving with God. I just love it!-Emanuel Prinz, DMin, PhD candidate, Affiliate Professor, Telos Moving with God offers a compelling exploration into the essential rediscovery of the church as a dynamic movement rather than a static institution. Drawing on insights from leading thinkers and practitioners, this book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to lead transformative Jesus-centered movements in today's world. -Alan Hirsch, Founder of Movement Leaders Collective, Forge Missional Training Network, and the 5Q Collective, Author of several books on missional spirituality, leadership, and organization Moving with God provides a clear description of the dynamics involved when Christ's church multiplies deep and wide in simple, reproducible, and sustainable ways around the world. Are you curious about movements? Start here.-Bruce Wilson, DMin, Director of the Center for Church Multiplication at Asbury Theological Seminary A leading modernizing country experienced a convulsive revolution that resulted in the introduction of a government subject to a severe form of a compulsive, authoritarian, anti-Christian religion. Initial national euphoria was soon replaced by despair as the country slid into international isolation and social disintegration. Sixty-six percent of the dominant religion's worship centers emptied out. The national birth rate plunged to 30 percent below population sustainability. Initially Christianity flourished as an alternative to the repressive form of the national religion until the authorities ordered a crackdown to protect ""national security."" Traditional churches were compelled to close immediately. House churches numbered in many thousands were reduced to hundreds. Networking leaders urgently prayed and fasted. The Lord's response? ""You were making converts not disciples. Converts run away during persecution but disciples are willing to die for me."" Changes were made. Accelerated growth returned. Wherever the focus shifts from ""decision making"" to ""disciple making,"" unprecedented kingdom growth is occurring, especially in the most inhospitable environments. Missiologists calculate there are presently two thousand such movements underway. But a problem for busy practitioners in less fruitful or remote fields is accessing, adapting, and prioritizing their activities to benefit from this emerging information. Dave Coles, in Moving with God: Expanding our Horizons, has done us all a great favor by summarizing and simplifying the more conceptually complex book Motus Dei. This distillation is pure gold for those lacking the luxuries of time, money, or access to digital libraries. Read this book. Be encouraged. Then dive into the swifter flowing current of disciple makers worldwide.-Dr. Stuart Robinson, Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Theology As an adjunct professor, missiologist, practitioner, and church-planting trainer, I wholeheartedly endorse God on the Move. This simplified edition of the groundbreaking Motus Dei work continues in the pioneering spirit that skillfully bridges academic depth with practical application. Given my passion for equipping leaders and exploring Disciple Making Movements, I am inspired by how this book integrates biblical principles, case studies, and methodologies to empower practitioners and leaders across diverse contexts. Don't bury this one on your bookshelf; it makes a great field application guide.-Rev. Matt Fretwell, DMin, Adjunct Professor, Regent University School of Divinity As an insider to this history, I am elated that what I know can now be public knowledge and more accessible. The record of God's move over the last two decades is nothing short of unbelievable. These writers chronicle a must-read book if you are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission.-Roy Moran, Chairman, Board of Directors, and Global Platform Team Leader, New Generations Disciple making is the test of our evangelistic and church planting faithfulness. This book offers a hopeful critique of disciple-making models and offers wisdom grounded in Scripture, rooted in practical experience, and filled with amazing stories of conversion--of which God is the explanation. In this book, we have a picture of the ""wheels"" on which gospel breakthroughs are happening.-Fred Dimado, Associate International Director, Pioneers During my forty-five years of involvement in church planting efforts among Muslims, the Holy Spirit has used my many mistakes to shift my focus--from a traditional gathered-church model to a dynamic movement of multiplying discipleship groups. However, I still had many questions--about how movements are structured, how leaders are developed, and how they relate to other churches. Motus Dei gave me many of the answers I was looking for, equipping me with greater understanding to be a better trainer and catalyst. I am delighted that God on the Move now makes these vital lessons accessible to a wider audience. I am sure it will result in a greater harvest for the glory of God.-Julyan Lidstone, Church Planter and Trainer, Operation Mobilisation God is moving in unprecedented ways to start and grow over 2,000 movements to Christ around the world. The ongoing scholarly research of the Motus Dei network has been a gift to the global body of Christ. The initial book, Motus Dei, was focused on communicating primarily to academics and has been well received by many. However, the case studies and insights are too valuable to only share with academic communities. This book is a helpful adaptation of the original book that makes it more accessible to every reader (and will hopefully make it more feasible to translate into multiple languages). I strongly encourage you to read and pass on these stories of the amazing works of God in our generation.-Stan Parks, PhD, Global Facilitation Team, 24:14, VP of Global Strategies, BEYOND I am very thankful for the publication of God on the Move. It is written by some of the world's most outstanding disciple making practitioners, researchers, and scholars. I hope it is translated into many languages. It will inspire and provide insight to frontline workers and accelerate the multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches around the world.-Jim Egli, PhD, Curriculum Coordinator, New Generations I've recommended Motus Dei to more people than I can count. Its academic treatment of movements by reputable scholars and practitioners makes a unique contribution to movement literature. This simpler version, Moving with God, will be even easier to recommend. It will serve as an excellent guide for all readers--ranging from movement skeptics to those fully committed to movement approaches. The chapter on answering objections to CPM/DMM is incredibly valuable! I've referred to my copy of Motus Dei over and over again. I think you'll find yourself doing the same with this book!-Chris Galanos, Pastor, Experience Life, Author, From Megachurch to Multiplication Movements move; they tell a progressive story. Each link in a movement's chain reaction writes a new chapter of the Holy Spirit's work on the earth. The best way to understand why movements move is to listen to those who observe them. God on the Move helps you do that. Dave Coles has taken some of the best material in Motus Dei and made it more accessible--so those on a movement journey can get the benefit of those who have gone before.-Harry Brown, CEO, New Generations Movements to Jesus from other religious backgrounds are not a fad; they are a fact. We are seeing this fact of history unfold before our very eyes. Those who refuse to see God's purposes through contextual lenses and are quick to critique these emergent movements merely reveal their ignorance of Scripture, history, and contemporary world Christianity. Moving with God presents a highly accessible introduction to movements today that represent millions of new Jesus-followers in some of the most hostile contexts around the world. I cannot recommend it highly enough. As you read, listen to the local leaders and global experts. Their testimonies will reshape the lenses you use to see what God is doing in our world today. -Jay Mātenga, DIS, Executive Director, World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission This abridged version of Motus Dei is appropriate for those who want a broad introduction to the world of CPM/DMM without the deeper detail of the original version. Both versions are intended to take a more scholastic outsider's view. Most writing on the subject is either from the perspective of enthusiastic insiders or harsh critics who are reacting to what they have heard or perceived without much actual investigation. Motus Dei is an attempt at a more neutral consideration of the phenomenon. -Curtis Sergeant, Disciple This book is compelling. Careful case studies illustrating that God is making millions of multiplying disciples globally can help skeptics and practitioners better understand that movements exist and are biblically sound. Thoughtful historical, biblical, and sociological analyses of disciple-making and the true nature of ekklēsia can help people be more effective. Challenging questions requiring careful consideration can help one avoid simplistic and formulaic approaches. The excellent final chapter responding to eight major objections to movements provides a great deal of detail and depth on how to both understand and answer these concerns.-S. Kent Parks, PhD, President and CEO, BEYOND This is a highly practical book, and the world needs more practical application of clear kingdom principles. It is filled with rare insights and applicable truths about church planting. The concepts have been tested on the ground and analyzed, making this an incredible resource for the body of Christ. I recommend you dive in and read it.-Neil Hart, Executive Head, Mergon Foundation, Author, The Magnificent Exit When I read an advance copy of Moving with God, I instantly wished it was already published so I could start using it on the very same day. The case studies of real movements are both compelling and encouraging. The biblical backgrounds for movement thinking are convicting and motivating. The application of honesty and accountability in measuring and improving multiplication is, by itself, worth the price of admission. Taken as a whole, this book stands tall for both implementers and catalysts, as well as critics and naysayers. If you have an opinion about movements (either way), you need to read this book. I need to order a copy for each of the DMMers in our organization--seriously. -Doug Lucas, DBA, Author of More Disciples, Editor of Brigada, President of Team Expansion