In this episode, Cory and Brian explore the paradigm shift of embracing discovery-based learning in the context of disciple-making instead of the traditional lecture-based teaching of the Western Church. Jesus is of course the model for this, but our own experiences in disciple-making are a testament to the necessity of this way of thinking. We will also explore the challenges and pushback faced when implementing discovery-based methods and address some of the concerns we regularly hear about heresy and shallowness. Our encouragement to you, if you’re longing to see movement, is to embrace a discovery-based paradigm.

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore the paradigm shift of thinking about obedience over knowledge in disciple-making. It’s not that we want to ignore knowledge. We just want to emphasize that transformation does not come from knowledge alone. True maturity in Jesus involves not only knowing about Jesus, but doing as Jesus did. We’ve rooted so much of our disciple-making in the West in classroom environments. Jesus rooted disciple-making in lived experiences where his followers learned to do what He called them to do as they ushered in the Kingdom of God.

In this episode, Cory and Brian explore the concept of planting the gospel within existing networks of relationships rather than extracting individuals to “bring them to church.” Jesus gives us the model for this way of making disciples and the rest of the New Testament follows his pattern. We share a few practical strategies for engaging in disciple-making in this way and talk about some of the challenges to this way of living. If movement is what we’re longing for, we have to think about making disciples within already existing relational networks.

In this episode Brian and Cory interview two of the directors of the Serve Hub, Sara Jackaway and Morgan Greer. This is the second interview featuring one of the ten Hubs that currently make up the Kansas City Underground. Sara and Morgan discuss their roles in disciple-making and community-building in Kansas City. They share personal stories, their transition from a predominant model church plant to becoming a Hub in the Underground, and the importance of collaboration and relationships in their mission.

In this episode, Brian interviews Alex Sons, one of the leaders of the Rock Island Hub. We’ve done a lot of work around telling individual stories, but we want to include some more storytelling around the equipping teams that support every day disciple-makers in Kansas City. You’ll hear a bit of Alex’s personal journey in ministry, but you’ll also hear the unique mission of the Rock Island Hub as he shares stories of transformation within the community, the importance of family and entrepreneurship, and some of the rhythms and structure of their weekly gatherings, a unique component for this team. Alex gets to share a bit of the highlights he’s experienced as he’s found a family that understands the unique call God has on his life.

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore the significance of shift number one in moving toward a disciple-making culture: extraordinary prayer. We discuss the importance of frequency, focus, and fervor in prayer and how these elements can transform ordinary prayer into extraordinary experiences. We talk about a few of the tools that have helped us and consider some of the barriers that work against us as we lean into extraordinary prayer.

In this episode, Cory and Brian walk through next steps after the Missionary Pathway. We primarily focus on the building teams, but we also mention the importance of reproducing the Pathway with other leaders, joining a network, and engaging ongoing coaching. We also share some real-life stories of what we've seen as leaders take these steps. Ready to facilitate a huddle? Head to missionarypathway.com and register. Or, join our next training huddle. "Commitment to the mission requires ongoing engagement and support."

In this conversation, Brian and Cory talk about microchurches, emphasizing their identity as spiritual families rather than programs or buildings. We want to offer some answers around the question, "What does a microchurch look like?" and "What are their rhythms?" So we'll get into the conversation of our ecclesial minimums of worship, community, and mission. And we'll give you an overview of a couple of tools we use to coach leaders on facilitating the "worship" component of a microchurch. The conversation also highlights the need to demystify traditional church structures and focus on simple, relational discipleship.

In this episode, Cory Ozbun and Upashaker Gurung explore the significance of extraordinary prayer and fasting in both personal and communal contexts. Upas shares his inspiring journey from Nepal to Kansas City, highlighting the transformative power of prayer in his life and community. Cory and Upas emphasize the need for desperation in prayer, the impact of unified prayer efforts, and the importance of maintaining a deep dependence on God in ministry. We believe prayer precedes movements, and if we want to see movement, we must embrace a lifestyle of prayer and seek unity in our efforts to spread the gospel.

In this conversation, Brian and Cory explore the tool of Discovery Bible Studies and talk about the significance of DBS in disciple-making movements. We cannot overemphasize the simplicity and reproducibility of this tool as we think about movement. We also highlight dbsgroups.com as a valuable tool for facilitating DBS. This site is easy to access and can be used to facilitate discovery groups or used by microchurches to facilitate their gatherings. We'll show you how to use the site and coach you through a general overview of discovery Bible studies. "DBS is simple, reproducible, and does not require an expert. The goal is to help people discover Jesus through scripture."

In this episode, Cory McElvain and Cory Ozbun discuss the significance of gospel conversations and the tools available for effective disciple-making. We emphasize the importance of initiating spiritual discussions and the dynamics of casual, meaningful, and spiritual conversations, and we introduce the 'FROG' acrostic as a practical tool for engaging in deeper dialogues. We also cover the value of sharing personal stories and how to invite others to explore their spiritual questions in a natural and relational manner.

In this episode, Brian and Cory discusses the BLESS Rhythms as a practical approach to living out one's faith in everyday life. This acrostic is a helpful tool to remind us of the five incarnational rhythms of Jesus: Begin in Prayer, Listen and Engage, Eat, Serve and Story. We'll give you a biblical foundation for the BLESS Rhythms, an overview of how we integrate them into every day life and encourage you to adopt these rhythms intentionally to enhance and accelerate mission in your context.

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore the concept of the 'Person of Peace' within the context of the Missionary Pathway. We emphasize the importance of finding individuals who are spiritually open and relationally connected to facilitate the spread of the gospel. We talk about practical steps for identifying and engaging with these individuals, the role of miracles in this process, and how to effectively communicate the message of Jesus.

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore the themes of collaboration and community building in our city, drawing parallels to NASA's successful model of teamwork and goal-oriented projects as documented in the monograph "The Flat Org Chart" by Dan Pallotta. This is part tow of the conversation we started last week, talking about the importance of restoring the spiritual soil of cities, overcoming barriers to collaboration, and practical steps for fostering unity among various organizations and individuals. This isn't just for high level leaders. It's also for everyday leaders making disciples and leading microchurches as well. We have to think about collaboration at every level if we're going to see the gospel flourish in our city.

In this episode, Brian and Cory explore the idea of cultivating kingdom ecosystems. The truth is, this is a random one-off episode that we felt pressed to record after discussing the film The Biggest Little Farm, a documentary about sustainable farming. This film, that was all about the significance of biodiversity in restoration, provided so many affirmations that pursuing the smaller way through disciple-making and microchurches is how Jesus will bring the Kingdom in a city to restore the soil. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed processing this one.

In this episode, Cory and Brian will walk through the tool of prayer walking. This is another important tool in Phase 1 of the Missionary Pathway of prayer and fasting. We use prayer walking as a tool for community engagement and spiritual authority. We'll explore the concept of intercession, the significance of understanding one's mission field, and the balance between spiritual warfare and relational outreach. Prayer walking helps us to engage both spiritually and physically in our communities to foster disciple-making and spiritual growth.

In this episode, Brian and Cory discuss the importance of effective prayer tools in disciple-making movements by highlighting a tool we've found very helpful in our training in Kansas City. We call it the Bless Five tool. Most of us have been taught intercessory prayer and that's primarily the way we pray. We haven't been taught declarative prayer, emphasizing the authority believers have in prayer as agents of the Kingdom of God. While you can find this tool in the Missionary Pathway training, we wanted to walk you though it as a practical tool you can begin using if you're not already.

In this episode, Cory and Brian walk through a tool called "Moving from a Discovery Group to a Microchurch." This has been a helpful tool for groups of people as they identify and affirm themselves as a church based on the activities and characteristics described in Acts 2:36-47. We want to emphasize that church is not a program, but an identity, and that this tool helps groups understand what it means to live into that identity. We also discuss how this tool can be used with different group sizes and contexts, and how it can help groups think through multiplication as well.