This is the final post in the series, Making Disciples through Discovery Community.
A Discovery Community is a developing group of people following Jesus Christ outside the walls of a church building who are discovering Him as the way, the truth, and the life.
You can read the series here:
Part 1: What Is a Discovery Community?
Part 2: Discovery Community – Suitable Name
Part 3: Discovery Community – Strategic Environment
Part 4: Discovery Community – Simple Meeting Format
Part 5: Discovery Community – Repeatable Rhythms
Frameworks for meetings are needed, but they should be simple and reproducible. Dave DeVries writes in Six Word Lessons to Discover Missional Living, “Habits and practices embodied together in community with other Christians will be replicated.”
In our last post, we examined using the five corporate rhythms of linking, loving, listening, looking, and leaving in a Discovery Community meeting. The repetition of the 5 Ls and conversation questions is intentional. They are repeatable and contribute to disciple-making in several ways.
Repeatable Rhythms for Everyday Life
The 5Ls of a discovery community meeting should not end when the meeting is over but should be repeated in everyday living.
Rhythms for following Christ into the world
As members leave discovery community meetings, they are encouraged to allow the rhythms to flow throughout the week as they follow Christ in the world. They will discover opportunities to link with others. They can practice listening by asking questions and paying attention to what is said. They will discover ways to practice love in practical ways. They will develop eyes that look to see where God is working. (See 5 Everyday Missional Rhythms)
Rhythms for individual Bible reading and discovery
The practice of the 5Ls in community is easily transferred to individual Bible reading and study. Through these rhythms members will develop the skill of examining scripture personally, leading to mature Christ-followers who are not dependent upon others for insights into God’s word.
Repeatable Rhythms for Communal Life
In addition to a weekly format, the rhythms of linking, loving, listening, looking, and leaving can be repeated communally in at least three ways.
Rhythms that pursue the mission of Christ
A Discovery Community is more than a meeting. It is a community on mission together and should look for ways to repeat the rhythms corporately. People will be drawn to a group of people who demonstrate and declare the good news of God’s kingdom.
Rhythms that produce new leaders
One of the roles of a Discovery Community facilitator is to develop new leaders. The goal is that after only a few sessions, anyone could replicate the rhythms. Meetings should be simple enough that group members could say, “I can do that.” Individual rhythms can be assigned to members to prepare and lead. It’s easier to conduct just one of the rhythms than it is to facilitate an entire meeting.
Rhythms that expand into new discovery communities
Members who have learned to repeat the 5Ls when spending time in God’s Word and who have been practicing the rhythms when leading meetings will be able to facilitate new discovery communities. The goal is that anyone in the group can reproduce the 5Ls and make disciples anywhere they find a person of peace and a pocket of people.
Simple things reproduce more easily
Discovery communities are a simple, reproducible method of disciple-making. The intentional consistency of practicing the 5Ls becomes predictable, reliable, and repeatable. A little repetition will multiply disciples, leaders, discovery communities and movements.
Contact Called to the Journey if you want to know more about Discovery Communities.