Points of Engagement in CPM Process; DBS: Discovery Bible Study Facilitated in the Fear of the Lord

Critical Elements in DMM

1. Vision-God’s Glory

2. Extraordinary Prayer

3. Word of God Foundation. Holy Spirit dependence

4. Evangelism: Finding the POP and oikos

5. Discipleship: DBS style, Oikos

healthy House Fellowships

6. Baptism of followers

7. Leadership: equip indigenous leaders

8. Rapid reproduction of House Fellowships

9. Persecution Preparation

10. Ruthless Evaluation

DBS: Discovery Bible Study facilitated in the Fear of the Lord

 Transformational Discomfort, Greater Holy Spirit Reliance

"So, what this says to me for application or obedience is that Hagar was willing to be a second wife to Ibraham (Abraham) and so therefore I need to be open handed with my husband's pursuit of other women as well?" ventured Amina. Amina and Ratna, two SaSumBi Muslim women, and I had just completed one of the Discovery Bible Stories (DBS) together. My challenge to them was to take this story back to their oikos (household/affinity group) and repeat the transferable process with their group. As we discussed personal applications for obedience related to the story of Hagar, Amina had made this interesting observation regarding Hagar's plight and God's sovereign plans. These two women were some of the Persons of Peace as laid out in Luke 10/Matthew 10. 

How would you respond to her expressed point of personal obedience? How does the Discovery Bible Study process work out when error seeps in?  

I pointed them back to the text and asked them to read again. I then asked again what this story reveals of God's character and asked them to share their observations of the tendency of man. They reviewed the text only from the story and this brought the self correct in line with God's heart and purposes, though they both are not yet believers in Christ. 

John 6:44-45 The Message  declares, "This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me."

In no way am I suggesting that we throw great exegetical processes to the wind. However, what begs of our hearts and minds in this Discovery process is the unmitigated dependence upon the Holy Spirit to draw others to Christ, in combination with the sufficiency of the inerrant Word of God. Soli Deo in all efforts, fear of the Lord in all applications, and non-self-reliant dependence upon the work of the Holy Spirit is the battle cry in the process of our trust that God is about bringing Disciple Making Movements for His glory. 

Sometimes like clockwork this approach multiplies out with indigenous oikos (households/affinity groups), as the Holy Spirit moves. And then, other times, there are reminders of how face down one needs to be to trust God to see a movement of God’s Spirit break out.

2 Key Transitions for DMM implementers 

1. Transition from spiritual conversations with potential POPs into starting a Discovery Group with DBS stories.

Transitioning from initial contact with potential POP’s to inviting them into studying with their oikos is one of the most challenging steps in the CPM processes.

For Muslim UPG focus: After initial contact, offer to study the stories of the prophets from OT and NT (Taurat, Zabur, Injil) with their family members/or close friends whom they think would also desire to study.

For other UPG foci; After initial contact with potential POP, transition into DBS with offer of studying through the thread of God’s expression in relating to man which transforms one’s life.

2. Transition out of the DG, to coach the facilitators of the DG
Recent comparison of DMM practices finds a common effective component; the DMM practitioner stays no more than one to max of 4 times (MAWL) in the oikos DBS pattern. From then on, they train the selected indigenous oikos facilitator in DBS. Then, the leader takes the DBS and is facilitating the oikos with ongoing equipping/accountability.

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