Persons of Peace
Disciple-Making Among Networks of Relationships
One of the core convictions of the Kansas City Underground is this:
Think disciple-making among groups of people.
Don’t primarily think that discipleship means one-on-one.
In the West, we have often leaned toward the latter rather than the former. Discipleship has frequently been imagined as something that happens mainly in individual, one-on-one settings. And to be clear, we are not saying that disciple-making never happens one-on-one. Apprenticeship surely includes these moments. Jesus invested deeply in individuals.
But if we want to see a movement of disciple-making, we must also embrace disciple-making that happens within networks of relationships, something we see happening throughout the world today and throughout the Scriptures.
When we explore the Gospels carefully, we discover that Jesus not only proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom, but he also modeled how that good news spreads.
One of the clearest places we see this is in Luke 10.
Jesus’ Strategy in Luke 10
Jesus Sends the Seventy-Two (Luke 10:1–9)
Jesus sends his disciples on mission in this passage and gives them very specific instructions:
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
(Luke 10:1–9, NIV)
It's important to note that Jesus did not teach his disciples to extract people from their network of relationships. He sent them in teams to enter into networks of relationships. He says to stay there among them, receiving their hospitality, while demonstrating and proclaiming the Gospel. In this passage, Jesus teaches his disciples how to find persons of peace.
What Is a Person of Peace?
Simply put, a Person of Peace is someone who:
Receives you
Receives the good news you bring
Serves you and the mission
Opens their network of relationships to you
This isn’t just a “tool” Jesus gave his disciples. It’s a way of seeing how the gospel moves through the world. The pattern is remarkably consistent:
Enter a place.
Look for peace or receptivity
Stay there.
Receive hospitality.
Let the Kingdom spread relationally from there.
We see Jesus living this out himself. Read through this narrative from Mark about how Jesus engages Levi.
13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners. (Mark 2:13-17 New Living Translation)
In this passage, Jesus does not say, "Peace be with you," but he does reach out to a tax collector named Levi. Levi received the invitation to follow. Levi invites Jesus and his disciples to his home.
Notice that the other guests that night are many other tax collectors. Jesus didn't have to engage each tax collector individually. Matthew was a person of peace. He received Jesus. He received the Good News Jesus was bringing. He served Jesus and his disciples. He opened his network of relationships to Jesus, and the Gospel spread naturally.
Persons of Peace in the Book of Acts
If we jump ahead to Acts we can see another example of the pattern Jesus was teaching his disciples in Luke 10.
13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. (Acts 16:13-15 New Living Translation)
Paul and his companions went to the riverbank, knowing that there might be people whom God was already preparing to receive the message. Again, we see a similar pattern. Lydia received Paul and his message. Her whole household was baptized. She opened her home to Paul and his companions.
Later, Paul writes a letter to the church in Philippi. We know this letter as the book of Philippians. It's hard to miss the importance of a church emerging in Philippi after the conversion of an entire household of a prominent businesswoman.
What We Are (and Aren't) Doing
In our western context, we can sometimes see tools like this and feel that if we just "work the tool," we'll see movement. That's not why we encourage disciple-makers today to pay attention to finding persons of peace.
We do not want to manufacture outcomes, force spiritual conversations, target people as "projects," or chase results.
We do want to remember that we don't just need Jesus's message, we also need his methods.
We do want to pay attention to where Jesus is already at work ahead of us, preparing people's hearts. We do want to show up with our presence and the message that Jesus has given us to carry into the world about the good news of the Kingdom. We do want to find out where Jesus is already at work and join him.
When we look for persons of peace in our contexts, we discover that mission becomes lighter, disciple-making relational, and microchurches emerge within existing networks.
Multiplication becomes more natural and happens without coercion.
How to Find Persons of Peace in Your Context
Begin by considering the relational spaces where you believe Jesus has sent you where you live, work, learn, and play.
Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight people who may already be demonstrating peace.
As you pay attention over time, look for simple “peace signals”:
Do they consistently welcome you?
Are they open to spiritual conversations?
Are they hospitable?
Do they introduce you to others in their life?
As clarity grows, begin praying for a faithful next step.
Then write a simple “I will…” statement—a concrete action you will take with this person as you continue to walk with Jesus on mission.
A Final Word on Joining Jesus’ Work
This is one of the primary ways microchurches emerge. Persons of peace open relational pathways where the Gospel takes root, disciples are formed together, and the Kingdom spreads through networks of relationships.
You don’t manufacture the harvest.
You find where Jesus is already at work and you join him there.