We are a part of Christ’s local ekklesia/church in Rockford, Illinois, and we are included in Christ’s universal ekklesia. We are a network of disciples making disciple makers, a reproducing discipleship movement that owns no property or buildings and has no central governing leadership. We are not a denomination or organization. Our emphasis is being and making disciples, not planting churches. If you plant churches, you might make disciples. But if you make disciples, you have planted the ekklesia in that area.

The process of discipleship is not a curriculum or a class; it is a lifestyle of life-long discipleship. It is obedience-based discipleship, obeying the commands of Jesus given to His disciples. It is based on the authority of the Scripture, and every time you read the Scripture (with a focus on Jesus’ commands), you must obey what the Spirit reveals to you in everyday circumstances. This is how people become conformed to the image of Christ and sanctified. It is not reading for information or knowledge, but reading the Bible to become transformed from the inside out.

We set out on this journey of simple discipleship in 2013, although one of our core disciples received this vision many years ago: an underground network of believers that could not be seen or contained as it spread. We began this journey in Rockford, Illinois. As of 2019, this discipleship movement has spread throughout Illinois, and to Washington, South Africa, Uganda, and China. There are disciple makers in all walks of life: home-school moms, inmates in jail and prison, factory workers, teachers, and students that we know of. There are disciples of all ages: children, 20s – 30s, middle-age, and senior citizens.

In 2013, the Holy Spirit began to reveal the key to simple lifestyle discipleship laid out by Jesus in His great commission: “…having gone, disciple the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). He tells us HOW we make disciples – by baptizing them (publically identifying themselves as followers of Jesus) and teaching them (new disciples) to observe (practice, guard, keep) all that I (Jesus) commanded you (His disciples).

The Spirit also told us to focus on each individual’s relationship with Jesus as the first priority, then small groups of 2-4 as the second priority, then larger groups as the third priority. So, we each focus on abiding in Jesus, daily sitting at His feet, listening to hear what He tells us and how He leads us to keep this command at this time. Then we get together weekly in discipleship/ accountability groups to share how the Lord has spoken and how we are going to keep the command that week. When possible, groups of disciples gather together as the ekkelsia, the Body of Christ for encouragement and ministry as King Jesus through His Holy Spirit in each one leads.

For more information about why and how we do this, see the Step 3 DNA Basics page for resources and more detailed explanations.