A

Living Legacy: Discipling Church P lanters

Copyright ( c) 2012 by Chris Wienand

ISBN No. 978-0-9887250-0-3

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Foreword
In an era of all too many clever, marketable ideas about the church, I have found myself
increasingly desperate to see theory and theologies actually take on flesh and blood in real lives
and communities. As a visionary leader, Im always game for white board conversation
dreaming and strategizing towards the next. But there is sometimes a greater gift in discovering a
Kingdom story where things we have longed and prayed for are already in motion often for
many years and the pendulum has truly swung from seasonal experimentation to sustained
transformation. Such has been the case in my friendship with Chris and Meryl Wienand.
I first met Chris over lunch as a fellow SoCal pastor, comparing notes and celebrating Gods move
in our two churches. But sometime around my fifth refill of Diet Coke, it became clear that beneath
the guise of local pastor was a global adventurer who had led his family through three faith-filled
decades of breaking new Kingdom ground and building up new Kingdom leaders. In the wake of
their unfolding story, scores of young church planters have been called out, raised up and
empowered towards God-sized journeys of their own.
Perhaps the most telling moment of that first meeting came when Chris pulled a dated photo of his
former staff team out of his wallet. With fatherly pride and passion, he described in detail how each
of these raw recruits had been trained and released towards leading communities across the
world. Where conventional church wisdom seems to be keeping the best at home, again and again
Chris has taken joy in giving his best away.
I stand with many in the growing conviction that the church in our day desperately needs to shift its
gaze from bigger buildings and video venues to the slower, costlier, yet biblical mandate of church
planting. We need answer the call to raise up Spirit-led pastors and communities who can with
bold humility showcase the gospel in unique geographical, cultural and generational contexts. And
far more than curriculum and conferences, we need seasoned apostolic pioneers who not only point
in the right direction, but choose to walk alongside future leaders to help cheer them on, share the
load, and show the way.
This is the very call Chris and Meryl have given their lives to and their investment continues to
be multiplied in lives, marriages and churches across the world. As their whirlwind of life and
ministry continues to land them in catalytic moments across many time zones, I am grateful he has
taken the time to share this honest and intimate glimpse into their story thus far. I trust its telling
will bring inspiration and courage to many fathers and sons to come.
Todd Proctor
Lead Pastor - ROCKHARBOR CHURCH

Introduction
This is a short book about discipleship. When Todd Wilson asked me if I was interested
in writing this book, my mind immediately raced to the last 38 years of my life. The angle
he asked for was the story of how we discipled folks with church planting in mind.
I knew this would not be a book of principles, programs and curriculum. This is a book
about people ordinary people like you and me. This had to be about those same
ordinary people, for they are the ones who took the call seriously, laying down their lives
often without regard for what was best for them or even their family. They saw a dream
and they bought in to its unfolding. They embraced the vision and left nothing in the
change room but poured themselves out in a great God-adventure of discipling the
nations by planting churches.
This is not a book about any one organization, movement or church. There is no desire
in my heart to promote a brand or particular ministry style. This is neither a book about
ecclesiological architecture, nor is it a book about classroom monologues. It is far less a
reflection on instruction than about a way of doing life together.
Coming from Africa, it is easier to understand life through relational lenses. I am so
persuaded that the heart of the Christian culture is relational and not programmatic. Of
course, that does not mean that there cannot be programs. Sure, these have some value
and an effective church will have an effective administration. However, the clear thread
throughout the Scripture is the unfolding story of a relational God who set his humanity
on a relational journey, and after sin, the redemption story of reconciliation began. All
that flows from this personal, intimate, communicating God makes so much more sense
for discipleship to be personal and relational. This is our evolving story.
As I sit in Los Angeles writing, my mind slips with great affection to the men and women
who journeyed with Meryl and me, trusting us to disciple them, readying them to church
plant/lead in various capacities. I think of Rory and Mel and their remarkable love for
Glenridge Church, which allowed her to grow into a beautiful megachurch that has
remained so committed to church planting; Nick and Katie, dear friends who loved

RedPoint Church into a weighty model bride that others have benefitted from so richly;
Nigel and Melita, who pioneered a radical plant into London, then availed themselves to
another God-assignment in Liverpool. I think of Leon and Sonia, who poured themselves
out in Brisbane; Terry and Sandy, who have done it twice; and Terry and Linda, who
planted twice, once in South Africa and again in the United States. I think of Kevin and
Debi, who left the safety of their suburban life to plant into Botswana before returning to
do it again in Pietermaritzburg; Andrew and Fiona, who faced several very tough years
before they saw the wonderful and joyous breakthrough in Cape Town; and Ty and Nicole,
who loved a community in Adelaide before planting in Denver whilst leading New
Covenant Ministries International. I think of Ash and Nadine, who planted a remarkable
church in Pretoria before finding love for another community in Johannesburg; or Jay and
Karen, who left Los Angeles for Brazil to plant, sending their kids to the local Portuguese
speaking school to immerse themselves fully in the culture.
I think of Dave and Lea in Tyler, Texas; Brian and Rachel in Houston; Donnie and Jill in
Moorhead City, North Carolina; Mark and Nasia in Perth; Mark and Collette in Ballito;
Alan and Rynelle, who took over the leadership of Southlands Church and are doing an
outstanding job taking her on. There is Frikkie and Liesel, who have planted two
communities even though they were immigrants to the United States. Then there are the
unsung heroes like Carlos and Carmel, who planted in Mexico as well as in Los Angeles;
Graham and Kay, who labored in India before they planted in Durban; Loys and Sharon,
who planted in Toronto having never been there; Chris and Cheryl, who labored with love
while they were by necessity bivocational; and Steve and Teri, who accepted a more rural
setting when they were urban folks and have built a most delightful, global-thinking
community.
Then I would love to add leaders we met who planted without having walked with us in
the training but met us as planting orphans and we began the journey with them while
they were planting people like Phil and Jen in Costa Mesa, California; Andy and Jacky
in San Diego; Darren and Alex in Long Beach; Nathan and Michelle in Raleigh and the
list goes on. Simply ordinary folks who are doing extraordinary things for the Father. I
love these precious people. They are remarkable, wanting very little self-acclaim, only
what brings him glory.

Of course not all the plants have succeeded. That is part of the story. Some fought hard
and yet they never found the key to the door for a healthy and effective church plant. Some
walked through the deep pain and self-doubt that comes when the doors are closed, a
dream dies and tears flow. Sometimes we have no real answers. However these are
remarkable men and women. They stepped out of the boat when others would not. They
started walking on water while others watched. They saw their Jesus walking with them,
but then they started slipping into the water. Their stories are equally essential to this
journey. We had to learn. We had to love them back to seeing their value in the
advancement of the kingdom again. We had to find ways to minimize the painful moments
while thanking them for their courage and boldness. We certainly do salute them.
Finally, although I have only mentioned the lead couples, they would be the first to
admit that the true heroes of this story are the volunteers those who believed in this
rather crazy notion that we could change the world by church planting. They paid the price
for this dream. They may not always have had the discipleship investment, but they
grabbed a great God-adventure moment and made it theirs. They may not get the
applause, but their reward is in heaven.

Genesis
Everything has a beginning. To dive into the middle of a narrative is to miss the grand
adventure that framed the story from the earliest stages. Discipleship did not start with
programs, curriculums and mentor charts. In fact, it is necessary to go back to the very
nature and character of God, to discover the true beginning the real divine intention.
The three big chapters that launch our sacred texts are a treasure chest of truth. Whilst
apologetic questions exist, the lenses we need to embrace for our conversations are
relational ones. God is introduced to us in the plural form: In the beginning, God created
(Gen 1:1). Beyond the wonder of his artistic genius, we find a togetherness God who
does not operate alone, but reveals the mystery of a one God who is three and the
mystery of relationships begin. To make sense of many of the conversations about
community, we find ourselves engrossed by the Trinity. The Scripture introduces this God
as together before separate; unity before diversity; oneness before threeness; us before I;
ours before mine. This theological piece is essential to explore discipleship. Why? It is
because discipleship is learning to give ourselves away, living for the benefit of others,
finding meaning in the value of a surrendered life not fighting for my dreams and
desires, but for the wonder of our Fathers story. We are so privileged to be players in that
unfolding drama.
As the author takes us through the beauty and awe of the creation, he builds to a climax
by announcing: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit
for him (Gen 2:18).
All that God made was either good or very good. Suddenly, the perfection of the garden
project stutters, as something is found to have lack. Even in this perfect order, something
actually, someone is incomplete in such a way that neither God, this beautiful world,
nor man himself could fulfill. Man needed a completer, a partner, a co-laborer in this
divine assignment. Achieving the great heavenly mandate on project planet earth was only
possible with two both in unity and diversity exactly as the three-in-one God is.

In the beautiful eloquence of the Scripture, God says to them: So God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And
God blessed then. And God said to them. Be fruitful [increase], and multiply and fill the
earth and subdue it and have dominion ... (Gen 1:27-28). Reflecting the heart of the
Father, mankind is put on assignment in what we may call the theology of
multiplication. In this perfect order, Adam and Eve are given a model of life that is both
sacrificial and satisfying all at the same time.
The Fathers call is first understood in the framework of family. Marriage is the very
frame from which we first discover increase. Out of love, partnership and divine
engagement, parents produce children in whom they invest themselves, bearing much
fruit. Then multiplication clicks in, when the children in turn leave home to find their
own love story, thus adding to increase the joy of new families producing new life. But
they add to this new life, new God-adventures are assigned to fill the earth . These
sons and daughters each take on their heavenly commission, filling the earth with great
examples of kingdom folks who live for others, taking the light and life of God to many
shores.
In the simplicity of this narrative, the discipleship seed is formed. It is not complicated,
nor is it programmatic. As with the family, the honor of holding that new baby resting
swaddled in our arms, we ponder and pause, reflecting on the journey that lies before that
little one. From that moment of bonding, parent and child will have many conversations
about life, love and an unfolding future. There is a deep sense of soberness that we are
catalysts of that future as we parent them forward on their journey.
I remember feeling this incredible weight as I held my first child a gorgeous little girl
in my arms for the first time. She seemed so little, vulnerable, dependent, delicate. I
remember the deep sense of responsibility as I held her, my mind racing a million miles an
hour as I tried to sculpt and sketch a possible future, asking how I could empower her for
her story, adding as much God-life as I could. And limiting as much scar tissue as possible.
When our second daughter was born, I was now definitely out of my depth. My
limitations as a dad screamed at me. In a moment of vulnerable truthfulness I took the
two girls in my arms and prayed: Lord, you have to help! How am I going to father two

girls? As clearly as I have ever heard my Masters voice, I heard him say: Prepare them
for another. That was it! I did not have to have the instruction explained to me. It was
clear. My task as dad was to prepare them for Jesus, the true lover of their soul. Always
point them to him whether in applause or in correction. He is the true measure of love
and he will return for them one day.
Second, my task was to ready them for an earthly groom. That changed everything. It
was as if my eyes were opened as to the true focus of my parenting and the consequences
that lay behind every decision. So, when I got them to clean their rooms, the conversation
went something like: Girls, do you really think that your husbands would want your
panties lying around the room do you? Their little 5-year-old eyes would widen, as they
masked embarrassment with the delight of being whisked off with that knight in shining
armor on his steed.
Now lest some of you may wonder as to the gender-specific nature of this approach,
some years later my boy arrived. Of course, I used the same tact with him to create the
sense of ownership for the family he would one day lead.
When teachers talk about discipleship, I look over their shoulder. What do I see? The
text says that each will produce after their own kind (Gen 1:21-25). True discipleship
apprentice-making starts in the home. That is where Scripture starts it.
This insight grabbed a young church planter named Matt. So convinced is he about this
theology of multiplication that he decided to take a strong stand on his launch Sunday.
With great intentionality, he crafted that first service in such a way that, not only were
there great festivities about what God had done, but also great celebration about what God
was going to do through them. He described to the eager congregation that their dream
was not to grow big, but to grow out. He got Kevin to stand up. With that, Matt told the
congregation that within a year or so, they would plant Kevin out as the first fruits of their
adventure. This they did. Kevin became a multi-site campus planter within eighteen
months, with the open-handedness that he could transition into a church plant at any time
in the future. If the theology of multiplication is our origin, it changes how we do
everything.

This revelation, added to the majesty of the Genesis texts easily sent me on a track of
understanding:
Discipleship is in the very heart of God.
Discipleship starts in the home.
Discipleship takes increase and places it into multiplication.
Discipleship is directed toward a mission, not simply behavior modification.
Discipleship points us back to Jesus, certainly not toward interpersonal dependence.
Discipleship has the nations in mind, seeking ways to get the gospel to all of them so that
the end would come.
One of my dearest friends is a most wonderful reminder of this story. I met him as a
young schoolboy. His father was my leader, friend and apostle. There was a real
connection with Tyrone. Little did we know that our futures would be so intertwined.
By a most crazy set of circumstances we landed in Los Angeles within weeks of each
other. For Meryl and I, it was to replant the church. For Tyrone, it was to engage in a Godstory that so gripped his heart. We became friends, deeper than ever before. Laughter
fashioned our friendship as I watched a young man, passionate for God, dig deep into his
theology, loving the community and investing himself without reserve. Soon he was an
obvious addition to the eldership/pastoral team. He added weight, muscle, insight and
pastoral love. Yet it was also obvious to all that he had a desire to plant/replant. This was
already brewing in his heart.
It was a time when we had to teach the church about the privilege of being a seedbed of
leaders. In Southern California, the quest for excellence drowns the desire to raise up
leaders. A church has to be re-educated in order to see the honor of being a greenhouse for
young emerging leaders. Somewhere, somehow, they have to be given permission and
empowered to start out on their leadership journey. We had to have a few stories of
stumbling first steps that transitioned into strong effective ministries in order for the
church to see the real value of this seeming sacrifice.

Tyrone was one of the first fruits of this transition. Although his first message was not
great, we reflect with great fondness about that evening. His commitment to the task saw
him begin to emerge from comparative obscurity to a new global stage.
I remember the morning when God moved Tyrone and his delightful wife Nicole to
relocate from Southern California to Australia. The four of us wept together as we sat
trying to process such a transforming moment, knowing that God was requiring them to
move to Adelaide and take on the leadership of a church there. It was powerful. It was
clear. It was painful.
Today Tyrone and Nicole are leading a church plant in Denver, Colorado. Their season
in Adelaide saw them lead a profiled church in the city with much passion. Upon being
called upon to lead the church planting movement his father started, they embraced this
role, choosing to plant back here in the United States.
It took a while for the brave medium-sized Southlands Church to understand this new
way of doing church: raising up your sons and daughters, then when they are beginning to
bloom, sowing them out, with celebration, to the nations of the world. This is the most
exciting and exhilarating way of doing church. Rather than view excellence and simple
increase as success, Southlands embraced a more challenging journey to being a seedbed
to the young and the immature. The fruit of this conviction is seen and felt in many parts
of the world today. With true increase comes multiplication and with that, the earth is
filled with these remarkable men and women.

Reflections:
The Big God Idea:
Increase, multiply, fill the earth ... (Gen 1:28).
Conversations:
1. Trace the theology of multiplication throughout the Scriptures.
2. How can it reflect on your parenting?
3. How will it reflect on the way we do church?

Fathers
Adam was our first father as Eve was our first mother. This simple statement of fact
actually was a massive part of the evolution of my discipleship thinking. Before programs,
systems and curriculum, came a father and a mother. God being the three in one deity is
the very picture of relationships. In fact some argue that a god who has no relational
reality can offer little but the austerity of an idol who demands righteousness by works
and not a redemption authored by love.
We know that the best form of learning comes from imitation before instruction. Now, I
am deeply aware as I write this portion of the book, that this is a very tender subject for
many. With so many missing, absent, poor fathers, a whole generation is left limping. I do
not want to add to your pain by revisiting these most tragic pieces of many of your lives.
I am very fortunate to have had four fathers. Each added to my world what the others
could not. They fashioned and forged me both to be the man I am today as well as the way
I do life. They truly discipled me. And when they were done, God was faithful to finish this
grace assignment in me. Even with all of them together, there was still much the Father
had to do, and this is true for all of us.
Pat: My biological father lived in the world of construction. This rugged, demanding
context, framed his story, and therefore ours as well. His fathering was tough,
uncompromising but greatly empowering. My dad came to faith after I had left home.
However, he invested massively into my life. He loved me. He believed in me. He drilled
into me certain values that, although they were not the quotation of biblical texts, have
empowered me on my lifes journey:
Never run away from danger. Run toward it.
If you are wrong, admit it. Take it on the chin.
The world does not owe you a living. You have to get out there and take it.
It is your responsibility to care for, provide for and lead your family.

Live by your convictions, not by what people think.

And, of course:
God helps those who help themselves!
We have laughed much about this last one since my dad came to faith. He certainly
quoted this to use with much passion. (The only problem was I just could not find it in the
Scripture. It must have been in the maps.) I asked him a few years ago how it turned out
that all his children ended up as leaders three of us lead churches. He looked at me with
tears in his eyes and said, It is simply the grace and goodness of God. I just did as best as
I could.
Ken: Ken is my wifes father. I have never been a son-in-law to him. From day one,
when he saw that I was going to marry his daughter, he embraced me as a son and treated
me as one. Ken is a true gentleman. From British descent, he is a man of few words,
loaded with humble understatement. One of his true strengths is the refusal to speak ill of
another. If he had nothing good to say, he said nothing. (Unless it is about the way
referees were handling his beloved South African rugby team. Then his passion was
expansive and very expressive.)
Ken taught me to trust. By life and decisions he made, he drew from a vast well of
wisdom to trust. It was not a virtue my generation applauded nor had much of. He taught
me how to trust, creating a home environment as well as a staff culture where trust
prevailed and shaped the way life was done together.
Carl: Coming to faith in the mid-1970s as a college student was a captivating time. Carl
was a Godsend. He was my first pastor and somehow he found space in his heart to believe
in me, invest into me and open doors of opportunity. This personal discipleship was
loaded with face-to-face time as well as smaller group conversations. A small group of us
used to gather with him to help prepare his messages, so my theology was fashioned as we
prepared for him to preach series through Matthew, Romans, Hebrews, Revelation. I
know: what a privilege.
Amazingly, we took to the streets en masse. Every Friday and Saturday night, we were
found taking our guitars down to the beach front, where we learnt to preach in three-

minute increments. People came to faith and we baptized many in the ocean. They were
heady and intoxicating days, to quote my friend Rob Rufus.
Carls gift to me was a love for the Scripture and empowering me to have a thinking
mans faith. He introduced us to the writings and teachings of Francis Schaeffer. He
would never let us settle for simplistic answers to complicated matters of debate. He
forced our doubts, encouraging us to think, to tease our intellect, to wrestle with true
truth. He put us on a Word-Spirit journey. I loved it. A thinking faith does not mean a
low divine-encounter component. We could have both. And we did.
Dudley: My fourth father set me firmly on a pathway to the ministry I am in now. We
met when I was a 24-year-old high school teacher with a deep love for Jesus and his bride.
The church situation around us was in a calamitous decline. As one the elders of this
dying story, meeting Dudley was a T-junction in the road for Meryl and me. The informal
coffee together began a 20-plus-year journey of collaboration for which I am deeply
grateful.
Dudley took me under his wing. He believed in Meryl and me. He poured himself into
our lives deeply fashioning the Jesus-lover/bride-leader in us. So many of the values I now
carry form the matrix around the decisions I make.
If I were to say what the weightiest investments were that Dudley sowed into my life, I
would have to say:
His love for his heavenly Father was tangible and immovable.
His commitment to the text was unswerving. Dudleys battle cry was the Bible plus
nothing, the Bible minus nothing.
He had an ingrained mistrust for self-promotion and marketing profile, teaching us to
avoid fame like the plague.
Although not a massively relational man, through revelation, he drew us away from a
corporate professional clergy mindset to a journey of mates, calling us to friendship
before function.
One of his great sayings is: What you get saved into is more important than what you
get saved out of.

Of course, as with all leaders, one could lengthen the lists of lessons taught and quotable
quotes. However, Dudley drove three major stakes into my heart that fashioned me:
Text. All conversations had to be framed by and matrixed through the Scriptures. He
discipled us into a story that placed such weight on the Scriptures, which was incredibly
powerful.
Leadership. The eyes, ears, hands and feet were modeled and laid into me. By
believing in me, Dudley held me back when he felt it necessary but also opened doors for
me when he deemed it appropriate. He gave me governmental eyes with great Spirit
discernment. The gift of leadership was matched with the courage and boldness to make
the big calls, no matter what the consequences may be.
Nations. With a clear apostolic mantle, Dudley rallied a group of leaders with a call to
disciple the nations. We truly believed that we could make a difference on the planet by
planting New Testament churches around the world as the Bible instructs us to transform
these nations. What a dream! What an adventure! Would God really take a little African
like me to change the world? This was an adventure that I wanted to lay my life down for
... and we did.
None of these men were perfect. It would be easy write much more about each of their
strengths as well as their weaknesses. It would have been so easy to lay out their
limitations and how those affected me. This victim mindset has oftentimes destroyed the
very good deposit that a father can make in our lives as we get distracted by their
weaknesses.
Among the saddest days of my life was the moment of honest realization the moment
my kids realized I was not Superman anymore. The little drama that I revisit in my mind
is that little face, slightly at an angle, looking at me with intriguing eyes, thinking: So you
are not Superman after all.
I wanted to jump up and shout, No, can I just be Superman for one more month? But
that moment announced a new dynamic in our relationship. In that moment, they now
had to decide, Do I still love and follow a flawed dad, or will I reject him in his frailty?

God will ensure that we have that same moment with every father that we have in our
lives. It is so pivotal to the relationship. It is that moment when God takes his rightful
place in our lives as our heavenly Father a role he will not let us share with another. But
secondly, it is that moment that we will still love, forgive, follow and benefit from the
fragile flawed man we can dad. There is no shortcut to this encounter.
Fathers can only invest what they have. They only have certain eyes, certain
understandings, perspectives and insights. They only have so much faith, so much
courage, so much boldness. Every father only has so many skills and abilities, and is only
able to understand us to a certain level. There is a humility that this brings to us who are
fathers. We acknowledge: I can only be so much to you. I simply cannot be everything
you need at every level, all of the time. You need more than me. As a child, I equally have
to say: Hey dad, I love you for who you are and what you have given me. No, you werent
everything to me, but you did give me these things. And for them I am truly grateful.
This empowers me to point to others whom God has sent into my kids lives to top up
what I simply cannot bring. It also gets them to point at God, for he is our only full and
complete provision. And that is where he wants us to point them.

Reflections:
The Big God idea:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name ... (Luke 11:1-13).
Conversations:
1. How would you describe your biological father? How would you describe his discipling
of you?
2. How would you describe your spiritual fathers? How, if at all, did they disciple you?
3. How would you describe your heavenly Father? Which of his attributes/characteristics
have deeply fashioned your journey?

Jesus
Tracing the story of discipleship through the life of Jesus is remarkable. Oh how the
poetry of John 1 rings loud: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him
was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3).
Firstly, we need to put on some lenses for us to get the life-changing deposit that Jesus
left in the lives of the disciples, and which through them changed the world. The story of
Jesus is always empowering. It is amazing how Jesus simply spent three years investing
into twelve men, one of whom betrayed him. Yet he left the story of redemption in the
hands of this group of diverse, simple, ordinary eleven men. Imagine the sheer fearless
boldness to leave your legacy in the hands of limited humanity. Thats what Jesus did. A
living legacy left with eleven men. How could he have done that? What did he do to make
this his lasting story?
May I be honest? So many pastors and leaders are more weighted by the moment of
perceived success rather than investment into a few to last for the many. Their model is to
prioritize the crowds, giving little attention to the few. This ensures that what we do is
one-generational. Down the road from where I am writing stands Crystal Cathedral. This
magnificent set of buildings was once the mark of the work and labor of Dr. Robert
Schuller.
I dont say this to cast dispersion on a man who boldly took on the status quo to dare to
do church differently, hereby changing the ecclesiology of many a few decades ago. For
whatever he did well or poorly, he produced a one-generational ministry as so many are
doing even today. As the English poet Steve Turner said, History repeats itself, has to, no
one listens. Way too many leaders, even today, are doing phenomenal things for the
kingdom, but are simply one-generational happenings. It is built around one personality,
one gifting, one primary story. With all the technology, it is more possible than ever before
to build a truly pleasant, and successful ministry that will not fulfill the best the Father
has for them.

The story of Abraham, the father of our faith, multiplied out like this:
Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
The Boys.
Paul did it this way:
Paul
Timothy
Faithful men
Others also.
A truly successful ministry will not be one-generational but four-generational. And
that is the God way of true success.
In the conversation of discipleship, Marks Gospel makes some remarkably simple but
strategic notes.
In Mark 3:13-21, Jesus models discipleship with purpose. If one were to summarize
the steps that Jesus took, they would look like this:
he ... called to himself those who he desired ...
As we have read so many times, discipleship is a form of apprenticeship. This is not a
job you apply for as much as an opportunity you are presented with, a relationship you
avail yourself to. After a night of prayer, Jesus called twelve out from the crowd that he
would invest his life into. As we know with Matthias, there were others who were around
but not asked by Jesus to join this band of brothers. Their turn would come later. The
point is very clear: The most effective discipleship occurs when there is calling with
purpose in mind.
When Todd Wilson asked me to write this book on discipleship with the lenses toward
church planting, I thought back on the men and women Meryl and I have invested into.

They were those whom we believed in. We saw something in them for which we had faith.
They were certainly raw, rough and unrefined (as we were when Carl and Dudley got hold
of us), but their hearts were open and their eyes were set on the seeing this gospel go to all
nations. We chose them to join us on our eldership team.
they came to him ...
The soon-to-be disciples had to see something in Jesus as well. Remember: At this time,
Jesus was not yet known or popular. They were not even Jesus believers yet. That was to
come later. But they wanted to follow him. Discipleship has to be a mutual sense of faith
believing that you can walk with us and we will do you good. There was that sense that
he was putting them on a new larger story and they could entrust their lives into his hands
toward that end.
he appointed twelve ...
Now it comes to the choosing. We know Jesus had the fulfillment of the Old Testament
in mind when he chose his twelve, but we too have to choose. There needs to be some real
honesty about our capacity and availability as to the real number we can work with.
Thousands followed Jesus but he fully invested himself with twelve.
In our case, I tended to work with two groups. There were the elders who had already
been recognized and appointed as such. Their investment was weekly, intentional with a
strong functional component.
Then there were most times a group of emerging leaders that I would invest into. This
was a small group that had a high relational factor, building trust, team, camaraderie and
the sheer joy of becoming a leader. The weightier conversations came later. In fact,
looking back I probably did not give enough time to theological conversations with this
group.
that they might be ...
Discipleship has purpose. It is far more than taking unrefined new believers through a
process of behavior modification to become nice Christian people. Jesus had purpose in
mind. He had chosen apostles-to-be. It is so important to see this component to our
discipleship story. To what end are you seeking to disciple?

This purpose then makes sense of how we set about discipling them. It has to be
personal, intentional, in small contexts with loads of ordinary life moments to share. Of
course, once the purpose is clear, the areas in investment and conversation become selfchosen.
he might send them out to preach and have authority ...
Jesus got them doing it. This was not the endless debates of the Grecian world, nor the
dialogues of the synagogues. This was action. He was to leave this kingdom advancing in
the hands of these men. He wanted to see their evidence of ministry maturity evolving. In
fact, as we look a few chapters later, Mark tells us: And he called the twelve and began to
send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He charged them
to take nothing for their journey ... and he said to them ... (Mk 6:7-13).
As we follow this model of discipleship, there is a simple approach Jesus took:
He called them He let the guys know he was engaged with them.
He sent them two by two This was not passive. Jesus style was active. It had to be
felt in its raw beauty, when what Jesus said, they could do also.
He gave them authority It seems like this authority was temporal as they grew in
the knowledge and understanding of the kingdom. Whether it was to preach or bring
deliverance or heal the sick, they had to taste this authority. Over the years, I have seen
the value of sending the emerging leaders into a situation that was beyond them. Either it
was in a new or foreign culture where they were awkwardly uncomfortable, or a new
church setting that was equally strange to that which they knew. Here they had to find
Gods grace matched with good social etiquette to honor their new surroundings. This is
discipleship at its finest. More then sending guys on missions trips (a fact that does not
always sit well with the locals anyway), these are forging, fashioning times for the
emerging leaders.
He charged them Jesus put them on a faith assignment. They simply had to learn
to trust their heavenly Father. They had to learn not to rely on their natural abilities to
manage the moment going only when all their ducks sit in a row. Quite the opposite.
Jesus forced them to live with faith-filled uncertainty. Where will the next meal come

from? God will have to provide! Where will we stay? God will have to provide! So much
discipleship lacks the earthy reality that forces believers into a situation where only God
can provide. We did push our emerging leaders to get into a faith story. Often it was to
trust God to go to another country, to serve in another situation, to stay in situations
foreign to them. Some of these trips included work in rural Gazankulu in South Africa or
street work in Hong Kong or New York or Mexico. Of course, there are also times to work
in orphanages, work in schools or buildings, dig trenches and simply serve. That forges
true discipleship character.
He said to them Jesus taught them. He always taught. Every opportunity to
apprentice them, train them, instruct them, educate them, Jesus took with both hands.
Under the influence of the postmodern worldview, there are many voices that undermine
this value of this form of instruction. It still stands strong and true today.
For me, I love getting folks around my dining room table. In the informality of good
food, great joy, laughter and old stories repeated, there are always times for brief
commentaries and instructions. They are often the most important moments. Yet these
are so lost in restaurants that never fully capture the intimacy of the home, letting people
enter your world.
In the early 90s, I gathered a group of young men together early Friday mornings on the
Durban beachfront. We played volleyball or touch rugby (a kind of flag football), ending
our wild times with coffee at Terrys apartment. These informal times seemed to shape
these young men even as they did me. Out of these dozen or so men, every one of them
ended up planting/leading churches. There was no curriculum or format, just doing life
together. God was so good to us.
Then there was Loys. My dear friend must be one of the most unique men on the planet.
His love for Jesus, Jesus bride, his wonderful wife, Sharon, and his family is deep and
unswerving. No matter what gets thrown at him, Loys has held his course.
I met Loys (a French Mauritian) when he stumbled into our little school hall where we
gathered to worship. After he and his wife had separated a few times, they decided to start
afresh as she chose our community as their new spiritual home. There are so many stories

to tell as God got a hold of them and we saw our wonderful Savior put their life and
marriage together again. This is a great gospel story and they are trophies of grace.
It was not long before their call to elder/ pastor/shepherd was evident in the church and
they stepped firstly into a marketplace role before coming on staff. Church planting was in
his blood from way before he got to us. But in the space of a church-planting household,
this began to boil in his blood again. The question was where. Being French-speaking, we
thought of the island of Mauritius. But there was no witness of the Spirit. We then drifted
towards France, but again there was no big sense of Yes!
Somewhere along the line, Canada began to surface in our prayers, and traction among
the elders seemed to point that way. After a lengthy process of visa application, they flew
out to Toronto, having never been to Canada, Ontario or Toronto before. This was truly a
parachute plant. Loys and Sharon arrived in Canada with a dream, a promise, their three
wonderful children and a call to the nations.
I have tender memories of speaking to Loys as he had just returned from walking the
neighborhood in falling snow, crying out to the Father for a harvest among these
remarkable Canadians. Many prayers, many coffees, many tears, many acts of kindness.
And a church was planted in this great Canadian metroplex.

Reflections:
The Big God Idea:
Come follow me, said Jesus, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their
nets and followed him (Matt 4:19-20).

Conversations:
1. Compare how the different Gospels describe the different ways and emphasize how
Jesus called the disciples.
2. When did Jesus take his disciples apart from the crowd? What did he teach them in
those moments?
3. Why did Jesus fail with Judas, but succeed with Peter?

Paul
Outside of Jesus, the most sublime approach to discipleship is evidenced in the life of
Paul. I do find it remarkable that there was seemingly little priority given to this
cornerstone of the church by some of the twelve with whom Jesus walked.
Peter seemed to enjoy hanging with the old boys. We find him engaged with John in a
prayer walk in Acts 3 when the lame beggar is healed. He is found with John again when
revival breaks out in Samaria in Acts 8. They get sent to lay foundations in this new
community, which they did with great power. Such was the evidence of the Spirits
presence that the magician wanted their power.
Paul, on the other hand, always seemed be walking with young guns that he was
pouring himself into. Whether it was Barnabas (an older co-laborer), Timothy, Titus,
Demas, Luke the beloved physician, Prisca and Aquilla and so on, Paul saw one of the
cornerstones of his ministry as multiplying himself in the lives of others.
The extraordinary text in Galatians 2 sees Paul and Barnabas meeting up with Peter,
James and John. This is a most extraordinary passage for many reasons. Paul, this great
yet humble apostle, does three pretty remarkable things in these few verses. He goes to
make himself accountable to the apostles in Jerusalem to see if:
1. His message was correct: Was the gospel he taught full, complete and without error?
2. His mantle was accurately discerned: Had he heard right that he had been called to be
an apostle?
3. His mission was true, so that he would not run his race in vain but focus in on the
Gentiles.
This raises a most valuable example. For true discipleship to take its full course, there
must be more than words and counsel. There must also be model where the discipler
lets the young disciplee see the big life components evidenced in his or her life. They
dont simply talk it, nor want it evidenced in the lives of others. They live it themselves.

In fact, one could argue that the beginning of the Galatian epistle is not just an apostolic
appeal to the churches in the region. One could quite adequately use this text to shape the
discipleship conversation. It could look something like this:
1. Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man ... This is an extraordinary model for
discipleship. If fathers engage with their children on a conversation of this nature, it
generally tends to be around vocation rather than calling. Vocation pieces will include
things like which job you wish to have, therefore which college you wish to study at, what
kind of income do you want to earn, and so on. Calling is a very different conversation. It
is about the eternality of our person. Jeremiah said it this way: Now the word of the Lord
came to me saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were
born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. A major part of
discipleship is helping every believer find the true nature of their essence of being, the
very reason they are on this planet, their personal sense of being. This revelation is
absolutely foundational to every God-story. Every Christian should be secure, bold and
courageous. Christians should believe they are stepping into the fullest God-adventure
because the Father has put them on that track and no man can take them from it. Paul was
so confident that he said not from men nor through man. That remarkable statement is
loaded with liberty. The calling component exists because God put me in this story. Men
did not give it to me. Therefore, men cannot take it away from me. He declares that
beautifully when he says But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace toward me
was not in vain (1 Cor 15:10).
2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave
himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our
God ... True and lasting discipleship empowers the disciple to matrix their life through
the gospel. Although this is a vast subject, allow me to illustrate it this way. We do our
sons and daughters so much good by walking them through the story of redemption. Like
Paul in Romans 7, we are to find honesty and humility when we acknowledge our
wretchedness, nakedness, sinfulness. This raw naked truthfulness lets us look in the
mirror and see ourselves the way the Father does. Then the power of the cross finds its
place in our hearts. We can approach the throne of grace through the gift of repentance to
find freedom, every day a must for every Jesus lover.

3. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Am I trying to please man? If I
were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ ... So many of Gods
children are still wrapped in the robe of insecurity, vulnerable to the lies and accusations
of the enemy and the need for the applause of their peers and leaders. Using himself as an
example, Paul takes a very strong stand. Unapologetically, he will not be found subject to
the approval and pleasure of men. Discipleship helps on a journey of maturity by
addressing the propensity to be shaped by the emotional opinions of others. The true
Jesus follower is to find his or her true lasting smile from heaven. As a son or daughter of
the Most High, we live under friendly skies, knowing that Jesus will never love us more
than he loves us now. Even when we falter and fall, it is his kindness that leads me to
repentance and he disciplines those he loves.
4. I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas ... then I went up into the regions of Syria and
Cilicia ... Faith is one of the great gifts Jesus gave his apostles, they gave their disciples
and we give to our sons and daughters. Inspiring them with a large story that they can be
part of, that they can buy into, that they can be major players in. Living faith more than
saving faith can grow and be added to. From the loaves and the fishes, to Jesus calling
the disciples to walk on water, there should surely be a consistent call to grow in faith be
it financial faith, where we learn that we can never out-give God, or miraculous faith to
believe God for more signs, wonders and healings, or faith for new horizons and
adventures. We are not managers of a little story. We are catalytic pioneers of new
horizons. That is why so many of our leaders are now in different parts of the world. They
dared to believe the faith we put into their hearts.
5. And they glorified God because of me ... I love coaching my son to take the
responsibility for the climate in the home. In a world driven by the it is not my fault
mantra, we have the glorious opportunity to disciple our children in a new way. Our
objective is to let people worship God because we are around. By that I mean we create a
climate of joy where there is despair, peace where there is chaos, comfort where there is
fear, faith where there is anxiety. By being like Jesus, we can change the ecosystem, the
very atmosphere in the places and spaces where we live to bring a smile to the Fathers
face and a song onto the lips of others.

6. I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me ... I love
this approach. As with Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and the twelve, Paul emulates this life
approach of taking these young guns with you in life. So many of my actions were
fashioned by the convictions, as I mentioned above, that I should see in every believer, a
leader and in every pastor, a church planter. I traveled with Dudley for the first time in
1984. As a young church planter I was nothing more than a suitcase carrier. Of course,
Dudley never said that nor acted that way, but I knew my presence on the trip was for my
good. Having never traveled, my little African eyes were awed by the world that opened
before me. As a lover of history, Europe became alive before me. The heart for the nations
gripped me. I traveled with Dudley to Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia ... and his call to
the nations impacted me in a way that no amount of teaching ever could have.
7. Who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus ... Bringing folks
to a place of freedom and then keeping them there is one of the major components of
discipleship. This was not a matter of theological concepts nor philosophical possibilities
for Paul. They were lifes reality for the believer. As an apostle/father, he fought hard on
this one. Discerning what target the enemy has painted on the backs of our sons is one of
the major assignments of the leader. Once this is discerned, there needs to be consistent
and continuous collaboration to keep this person in their God space of freedom. Wherever
the devil seeks to get the upper hand of licentiousness (sin is crouching at your door), the
response to victory is to be coached and catalyzed.
8. I went up because of a revelation and set before them ... in order that I was not
running or had run in vain. Imitation is still more powerful than instruction. People
have to see it in us to appropriate it for themselves. This is particularly true for this
postmodern generation. Authenticity, is one of the major drumbeats in their quest for
reality. We simply must show it, not only say it. Paul chooses to go to Jerusalem to place
his message, mission and modus operandi before the other apostles. This volunteer
transparency finds a resounding yes both in the corridors of eternity as well as in the
stands of human observation. He did not want to run his race in vain so he submitted
himself to the scrutiny of his peers, an act of courage and bravery. He wanted to be
accountable.

This is a remarkable little case study from the life of Paul. It is not a classroom
conversation, but a lifes journey. In his mind he saw the future of these young leaders. His
discipleship was focused and intentional. The rest is written in the annals of history.
I have loved seeing so many of these men and women go and plant or help plant
churches on foreign shores. Kevin and Debi are among those heroes. Debi worked for
Estee Lauder and was simply passionate about a white picket fence dream. Her man was
the chief financial officer of a flour mill when we met them. I watched as God got a hold of
them. Slowly but surely the safety of a life in the misty hills that surrounded Durban began
to give way to a more adventurous journey of faith-filled uncertainty.
Initially as marketplace elders, and then as salaried staff with us, an opportunity opened
up for them to go to Botswana. There I visited with them. Wow. This very beautiful and
sophisticated Durban lady walked us through the squatter camps that were home to many
of the people in their church plant. We walked the dusty towns where the streets have no
names. And she wept with joy as she spoke of these beautiful and godly women who had
nothing in life, and yet loved Jesus so deeply. This was her world. This was her parish. And
she loved them. What God can do with ordinary folks who let God get hold of them.

Reflections:
The Big God Idea:
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to
faithful men, who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Tim 2:2).

Conversations:
1. Which of the key father conversations did you have growing up?
2. Which did you not have, and how have they affected you development as a believer?
3. What is your calling, your essence of being? Are you able to write it in a short phrase?

Planter / Pastor
Dudley put the nations in my heart. Carl put theology in my heart. Ken put DNA in my
heart and Dad put tenacious leadership in my heart. From the earliest days of leadership, I
became persuaded about two major cornerstones to our ministry. The first was that every
believer was called to be a leader. The second was that, as we were called to disciple the
nations, we were to prepare our people for this grand assignment and my most important
project was to raise up church planters who would lead these gospel frontiers.
Firstly then, every believer is called to be a leader. Can I make a very bold
statement? It seems America does not produce leaders. She produces entrepreneurs.
Deeply shaded by the rampant individualism that has become an idol in this Western
world, little in the system sits in place to prepare folks for a life of servant-hearted
leadership, when what is truly applauded is living your own dream, finding your own
story. Leaders go through the evolution of maturity:
Everyone lives to benefit me,
to
I and others live for mutual benefit,
to
I live to benefit others,
to
I live to disciple the nations.
This is so well seen with the maturity of a child. They start out by believing that everyone
exists to benefit them. If well parented, they will emerge out of the childhood years and
begin to see that they have a contribution to make, that they add value, that they have
responsibilities. It is not just what others can do for them. It is also what they can bring to

the table. Then the transition emerges where they live for the benefit of others. Paul said
of himself, Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really
served the advance the gospel ... because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord
have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly (Phil
1:12-14). That is the ultimate expression of leadership that they will endure anything for
the benefit of others.
I did make the mistake that I saw every meeting/gathering as a leadership training
opportunity. How can we change the world when our times of Word and worship were
simply times of placating immature selfish believers? As an ex-military man, the metaphor
that made most sense to me was that church was a bootcamp. We got new recruits in.
We then set them on a pathway to get them ready for their God-assignment, their combat
with the world and demonic forces that would resist them. My job is done when they are
fully committed on their track, trained and ready for that assignment. Then, to some
extent, my job was done and I would get the next batch of recruits to make them into the
army of God. Of course, this was not always the most popular approach, but we wanted to
empty out our community every five years or so to make room for the new believers that
we would train up again. How can we change a world when we do not create a real,
radical, relevant, relational essence in our believers? The next generation wants us to put
them in a big radical track that will cost them something, not simply repeat meetings well
scripted. That will neither produce radical converts nor will it create mature believers who
want to lead. Surely if we are being made into his image, he, being the greatest leader of all
ages, will make us leaders the more we become like him.
Secondly, we were going to disciple the nations through planting churches. Our
dream grid evolved like this: If we were to ready the world for Jesus return, then we were
to invest ourselves in a way that would speed up this final grandiose event.
As we scratched through the text, we found our mandate with these precious believers
was to walk them through this track of maturity:
Let the gospel be the centerpiece of all we do,
then

We will see folks come to faith as new believers,

then
Our focus is to empower them to become an active, vibrant, effective priesthood,
then
Train each and every believer to be a leader,
then
Engage them on mission in the shadowlands of their world,
then
Open them to the possibility of a global God adventure to help in a church plant
somewhere in the world,
then
From this hub to be an instrument of influence and impact to disciple the nations,
then
Jesus will return to complete the grand restoration project.

This is a most wonderful life worth living. No, not every believer will be a church
planter. But yes, every believer should offer themselves to the Father as a lover, servantleader to go and be part of a church plant somewhere in the world, taking their skills, gifts
and callings with them on a great God-assignment. This was and remains our passion. Our
goal was not to grow one big church but to grow Jesus followers and place them in their
assignments.
Thirdly, we had to wear different lenses that would let us lead a community with that in
mind. Our study of biblical elders found us in a different space than what others live in.
When we looked at the texts (particularly Acts 20:17-38 and 1 Peter 1:1-5), we saw a
picture of eldership that stirred our hearts.

These were not men who were chosen because they were successful businessmen, or
were wealthy contributors, or had management skills, or were friends of the lead pastor.
Rather this biblical picture was more complex, beautiful and deeply spiritual than that.
(May I add in here, this conversation requires a more complete handling than I am able to
do within this brief book.) However, I do find this question often being asked of me,
namely, How do you choose elders? And I reply: It depends on how biblical you want to
be.
We wanted to raise up church planters. Our modus operandi was not to send them off
to seminary (and there may be value with that), but to put these passionate potential
planters in the local game where we could watch them, train them, adjust them, send them
out, as ready as we could make them. We saw over the years the planters who had been on
good, solid, functional eldership teams had a higher possibility of being successful than
those who had never had this privilege.
So we brought them onto the eldership team. Our developmental track was highly
organic and relational but looked like this:
Recognize potential planters,
Raise these planters up intentionally,
Draw them onto the eldership team to pastor and get prepared,
Release them to go and plant.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. In Acts 20:17-38 and 1 Peter 5:16, we see that elders are shepherds/pastors and overseers. It is not within the scope of this
book to discuss this at length. However it is important to understand this form of
ecclesiology had a massive impact on me, so allow me to explain this quickly.
The key portions to these verses read:
Now from Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church to
come to him ... for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers to care for the church of God (Acts 20:17, 27-28).

So I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, as well as the partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed; shepherd the flock
of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but willingly as
God would have you ... (1 Peter 5:1-8).
In agreement with many who hold a similar theology to this, there are several
cornerstone truths that have formed this thinking:
1. Both Paul and Peter hold the same essential position that when they speak to the elders,
they are defining their job description not as successful businessmen and women who can
run the affairs of the church. There is simply no evidence of this in the text.
2. They point to elders/shepherds/overseers as the same office but help to explain
different aspects of the this job description.
3. The eldership piece is to provide government for this community; the shepherding piece
is to lead, nurture and feed the flock; and the overseeing piece is to ensure that the church
is kept in the whole will of God, that all the people are accounted for, that all the ministries
are appropriate, relevant and currently essential.
4.The elders are the highest authority in the local church. There is not another higher
authority not denominational, not organizational, not apostolic.
5. The elders are always referred to in the plural. It is collaborative, seeking to find the
mind of the Lord together.
Of this and more, we soon realized that we needed to provide a nursery if we were to
empower church planters on their journey. Seminaries can aid the knowledge component
but rarely produce leadership. Leadership is not learned in a classroom. It is learnt in the
arena of battle where the rubber meets the road, where the realities of pastoral ministry
is prayed through, dialogued around, acted on.
It soon became apparent that church planters needed to be discipled before they went
out to the field. We felt that every day we could get them engaged in the pain and
privilege of leading, the better it would be for them.
The clarity of that thought made the next decision easy. We would choose elders largely,
but not exclusively, influenced by their passion to plant. I wanted to get them to do life

with me in the elders prayer times, scrumming down with some of the tough decisions
that would have implications in the lives of the congregations. They needed to have time to
lead meetings, debriefing afterwards to train them to improve.
The wives were included in this process. Most of the elders meetings included the wives.
The husband and wife would lead the plant, and therefore they are both to be involved in
this journey of discipleship. The wives gave me the true pillow talk by the way they were
processing this unfolding story. While the husbands can be caught up in the bravado of
the brotherhood, the wife is often less impressed by that shield slapping and is more
honest about the vulnerabilities and honest realities of what was unfolding. Meryl is a
remarkably gifted co-laborer in this way. Her investment into the team has been
invaluable, especially preparing them for the great assignment that lay before them.
As part of the training of the elders we worked with, I tried to find a moment at every
elders meeting to say: Now when you are leading your own church ... I sought
out moments whereby I would do two things:
I would keep the flame of church planting burning bright among the brothers. When
you build team well, there is often the temptation for the elders to want to remain at home
base and eat the fruit of their labor, and forget the width of the harvest out there.
Therefore I needed to keep reminding them that we are a boot camp for church
planters and that one of them would be released soon to go and plant.
I had to grab the moments to teach them to put on new lenses for them to shift from a
good team player to a good team leader. Of all the teams that we led over the years, very
few of the elders did not go out to plant or replant. This nursery approach worked for us.
When Donnie and Jill asked to see me about church planting I was uncertain. This was
not a matter of their call, but one of timing. We were coming through the other side of
leading the church from Los Angeles County to Orange County, from Walnut to Brea, and
there was vulnerability in the community. They were leading our youth at the time and
had struggled to grow this ministry with all the changes that were going on. Actually, they
were gaining real credibility in the city with the football team and the other youth leaders.
It just was not a good time.

When we met, I listened to their story. It was deep, moving and convincing. He had felt
it was time to go back to the city of his birth in North Carolina. He spoke of the many who
were desperate for a New Testament-style church and he felt God wanted him to go home.
It was not a good time for our church community. We needed all hands on deck in
transition, but I could not ask him to dismiss the clear God-calling that was raging in their
chest. Jilly was in. God had spoken. I simply had to let them go, with joy and blessing.
Oh, there are so many parts to all these stories that are simply amazing. The evidences
of Gods grace as they moved into a tiny converted gas station but outgrew that quickly.
Then onto a bar, but outgrew that quickly. As I write this, Meryl and I are getting ready to
spend six days with this growing community of hundreds. In but three and a half years
they have grown to double services, have their first multisite and many are coming to
Jesus as the gospel rings loud and clear from this bunch of surfers. God is very, very kind.

Reflections:
The Big God Idea:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his blood (Acts
20:28).

Conversations:
1. What are main ingredients for biblical eldership, taking the Acts 20 and 1 Peter texts as
your frame of reference?
2. Position yourself as a lead pastor who has planted a new church. You are bringing on
your first elder. Knowing what you know from the above texts, what would that job
description look like?
3. What qualifications would you look for if you were to choose the next elder in your
church community?

Titus
Allow me to take a quick meander through the poorly titled Pastoral Epistle called
Titus. This is a church replanters manual. This short little book is loaded with
discipleship treasure. When we follow the discipleship story of Paul, we tend to default
very quickly to Timothy. Whilst that is a most wonderful story, and I am sure some of my
fellow writers will do justice to that, I rather want to pause by looking at the discipleship of
Paul and Titus.
Paul draws Titus into his world. He walks with him. He sends him on a few assignments
to strengthen his faithfulness and his capacity. Using our modern equivalent, Paul is
readying Titus to replant the church in Crete. She exists, but is far more reflective of the
culture in which she exists than a new community on a gospel-centered story.
Paul knew that this would be a most challenging assignment, so he writes a most moving
call at the end of the letter: As soon as I send Artemus or Tychicus to you, do your best to
come to me at Nicopolis because I have decided to winter there (Titus 3:12). From this
rather innocuous verse I find deep and profound love written. Paul knows this is one of
the toughest tests he could send this church replanter out on. So he calls him to vacation
with him there in the winter. The love continues. The discipleship continues. There is a
new purpose for discipleship, and that is equipping key leaders to go into existing
churches with histories and turning them around, recalibrating them for a new and fresh
God-adventure.
In 1996, Meryl and I were called to Los Angeles to do precisely that. We were asked by
the elders to come and help refuel a church that had a very mixed history, and get it back
onto a track of influence and impact. In her day, she had had many, many worshippers
gather on Sundays, doing life together. However, due to the departure of the lead pastor
and at least two church splits, she was a limping bride in need of restoration.
I was totally ill prepared for this task. Coming from South Africa, I was culturally
disconnected from the American dream. Added to that, I was ill informed about the

contextual realities of this churchs full history and the pain her followers carried. It would
probably be true to say I made many mistakes in the fourteen years we led her. In Gods
kindness, today she is a beautiful bride, radiant and growing and under the pastoral eyes
of couples who love her fully and passionately.
These fourteen years were the years of divine study through the school of hard knocks,
that the Father put us through. I am so grateful for them, even though they were extremely
painful at times. In the fourteen years we led, we did plant twelve churches but it was the
education around replanting that was most helpful.
We will find ourselves replanting many churches here in the United States as well as
other parts of the world over the next decades and there are very few resources available
for this most necessary assignment. That is what Titus offers us. It is a curriculum of
replanting that helps discipling towards that end.
When Paul sends Titus to Crete to set in order that which is lacking and appoint elders
(Tit 1:5), he is defining Titus mission. But in doing so, he links the new order with
choosing the correct elders for the churchs situation at that moment of time. Paul is
empowering his young co-laborer to fight for the very life and soul of this Cretan church.
This is a passionate book as the task that is at hand is a very tough assignment.
When Paul lays out the cause of the chaos in this local community, he does so at two
levels:
a. The Cretan Cultural Components namely what are the challenges that ministering
in that culture produces?
b. The Communitys Contextual Crisis as this church already exists, Titus is not
planting her. Rather he has to lead her out of her bad habits back into a great kingdom
example of a community of light. This brief is short, sweet and clear.
The primary point here is that we must know:
The work of the enemy: What is the enemys strategy in our ministry context so that
we choose leaders who are not vulnerable to the enemys tactics?

 The reality of the culture/nation we live in has certain components that can easily
blind, deafen and dope us, in John Stotts words. The leaders we choose need to aware of
and not susceptible to the cultural norms.
The context of where the actual church community is weak or vulnerable. Leaders
need to show strength, courage and boldness to transition the community from this place
of chaos to one of biblical order and that is Tituss task. In a tabular form it would look
like this:

Cretan Cultural
Components

Communitys Contextual
Crises

Always Liars

Insubordinate

Evil Beasts

Empty Talkers

Lazy Gluttons

Deceivers
Circumcision Party

Demonstrating the new Community:

From the earliest texts, we are told that in Gods created order, each will produce after
their own kind (Gen 1:21). Titus is instructed by Paul to choose elders who counter these
realities. This was not simply a random list of qualifications for eldership. These, I
suspect, were specifically chosen to create the new community, clearly distinct from the
prevailing order that had infiltrated the church. It seems like every culture or contextual
hindrance to the gospel is matched with a kind of leader who will, by life and doctrine,
challenge it and transform it.
In Titus, this is what the table of comparison looks like:

The Chaos

The Elder

Always Liars

Must be blameless

Evil Beasts

Loves what is good ... not

overbearing, not quick
tempered, not given to
drunkenness, not violent, not
pursuing dishonest gain

Lazy Gluttons

Is self controlled, upright

holy and disciplined

Insubordinate (rebellious)

His children are believers

and he is not open to the
charge of debauchery or
insubordination

Empty Talkers

Encourage others by sound

doctrine

Deceivers

Must hold firmly to the

trustworthy message

Circumcision Party
(religionists)

Refute those who oppose it

Replanting a church is not for the fainthearted. It is probably one of the most difficult
divine assignments a leader can be sent on. I suspect the great fathers heart of Paul went
out to his young disciple: I know it is going to be tough, tough task. It will cost you
everything. By the wintertime, you will need a break. Come, come and join me in
Nicopolis. There we can process the challenge of the journey and I can refresh you.
We do not want to tread lightly on the 1 Timothy 3/Titus 1 qualifications of the text. It is
so good to examine them at length, as they are true, tried and tested and extremely
valuable for our discussion. It is a valuable exercise to compare them as that gives us two
sets of lenses on the subject. It is also helpful to explore what the deficiencies of our
culture/context are, so that we do not choose leaders who are similarly weak.

Elders are spiritual men. Whilst we will look at their job description separately, it must
be noted that they are men strongly noted as men of the Word/doctrine. If they are not, by
what measure or matrix will they offer their counsel/wisdom? (Soulish, sentimental,
business, experience ... primarily?)
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so he can
encourage (give instruction) others by sound doctrine, and refute those who oppose
(contradict) it (Titus 1:9).
He must be able to teach (1 Tim 3:2).
Therefore, they get the gospel, knowing how to apply it into their own lives as well as in
the lives of others.
Their marriage and family life is held in high regard qualifying or disqualifying
them, respectively.
Nigel and Melita have a most wonderful story. In the early days of our little creative
community back in the 80s, they added such color to the story. Among the interesting
things about them was that he is a relative of the British Day-Lewis clan (with his grandpa
the poet laureate to the queen, and a very famous actor in the family). Oh, to tell their full
story.
I have very fond memories of our conversation when they came to see me about planting
into the U.K. They are one of the couples I loved working with. Nigel is a genius with a
photographic memory. That can be quite challenging when he can quote you from an
elders meeting months before. He wrote most of the curriculum for our biblical college. I
loved their color, their creativity, their poetry and their unique way of leading meetings as
their passion for unlocking the presence of the Holy Spirit was true, real and persistent.
They planted a remarkable church in Richmond, Surrey just like them: passionate,
strongly in the text, yet with deep hunger for the Holy Spirit. When the community had
life, traction and history, they graciously handed her on to go and help replant a church in
Liverpool. Dear reader, these are heroes. It was not because they loved the city, nor that
part of the country. It was the love for a limping bride that drew them to this new
assignment. They left a loving church that had their stamp all over her. They left a city

they loved, a part of the country that is beautiful, for the sake of a girl. His girl. And they
did it with joy. Such is the soul of the replanter driven by that which stirs the soul of
heaven, a hurting bride wanting to be loved to wholeness.

Reflections:
The Big God Idea:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to men. It teaches us to say no
to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in
this present age ... (Titus 2:11-12).

Conversations:
1. Spend some time talking about the real, honest friendship component of your
discipleship.
2. How are you intentionally preparing folks for their church planting assignment by
identifying both the culture and the context that they are going into?
3. Fill out this table as a guideline for ensuring we disciple and choose our leaders, bearing
in mind the situation that they are going into.
Our Cultural Idols

Our Contextual Frailties Our Elders Qualifications

FAQs
I have tried to frame the motivation behind our approach to disciple leaders with
the purpose to church plant. However, we are often asked very practical questions
around this unfolding story. Here are some of the questions:
1. Why are you so passionate about church planting?
Dudley Daniel used to say: What you get saved into is more important than what you
get saved out of. Meryl and I came into faith in the mid-70s with the Jesus People
movement. We soon got involved in an inner city church that blew our suburban socks
right off. Many of the folks in the community came from wild lives and so their faith in
Jesus was not a slide into Pleasantville. They met Jesus. He saved them from lives of
craziness. Now they wanted to live crazy lives for Jesus. So after street preaching and
working in the shadowlands of society, they were looking for the next step. That proved to
be church planting.
It was not sophisticated, nor was it well orchestrated and planned. It was a radical,
organic, immediate planting. That was our world as young believers.
Unfortunately, these eight plants did not make it, but the seed was sown. The lack of
apostolic foundations and partnership was part of the problem. Added to that was the lack
of financial support and insufficient relational continuity that left folks heartbroken and
deeply disappointed. One would think that would have put us off, watching this go by. Not
at all. It was in our blood. We looked, listened, learned. We knew there was a better way.
That desire drove us forward. We saw planting all over the New Testament. We wanted to
be part of a grand adventure that had global implications. All that we needed was to find
another way.
So in 1983 when we met Dudley Daniel, we began to see another way. But this time it
was not filled with the same faults, flaws and failings of the late 70s. This was an approach
to church planting framed by the partnership that the planter had with the Ephesians 4
grace gifts. The planters were not sent to their death in isolated darkness. Rather, they

were to plant with the joyous connectedness with the foundations being laid by apostles
and prophets (Eph 2:20).
It certainly is not a new buzzy thing that we get involved in because everyone is doing
it. It is a deep revelation from the heart of God and the essence of the text, which grips
our soul and defines the purpose for our communities. Then we will disciple that way.
2. How do you establish and maintain a leadership culture in a church?
Its all about Jesus! It is well known that there are more books written about Jesus as
leader than any other human. His leadership was remarkable for many reasons. However,
if we want our people to become like Jesus, then surely this major part of Jesus will reflect
on them as well. It is not just being holy or righteous or pure or free like Jesus; it is also
about being a leader like Jesus even if it means at least we become a captain of one:
ourselves.
This is a very important piece of revelation for us. Every moment of teaching and
discipleship has that in the crosshairs. Both in informal coffees and teaching at gatherings,
we are in leadership conversations, seeking to make every believer a leader. To see like
one, to think like one, to process like one, to decide like one, to act like one. When done
well, this culture of leadership permeates the deepest corners of our hearts. The leadership
journey has begun.
3. How do you train up the kind of elders who will go and church plant?
We have found that planters who have been on viable, working eldership teams have the
greatest chance of succeeding. It is very difficult for the planter to know how to lead when
they have never seen it processed or been part of the management of the moment in the
safe country: the church they were planted out of. So we have tended to do the following:
The moment we begin to see the possible evidence that the call to elder/plant lies on
someone, time is set aside for the informal coffee conversations not so much an
appointment, but a journey of investment.
The we do some periodic, specific training that is true to what the text teaches around
this subject. The things we will look at are the elders calling, character, marriage, family,
finances, relationships, teaching, government, the gifts, spiritual warfare and the like.

In the elders meetings I always sought out a moment when I would say: Now when you
lead your own churches, you will ... Each elder was not only to see what he was doing was
to add value to the church he was currently eldering in, but he also had to see that he was
being prepared for when he was leading his own work. I wanted him to look at each
scenario through both of those lenses.
Debriefing is a most important part of this process. Whenever elders led a meeting, led
prayer, taught or the like, there was a time to process the moment with them. I preferred
to do it casually and informally, but they are great moments to use practical, real
occasions to improve their leadership. That is why I am less than enthusiastic about
seminaries doing this. They are great to get good knowledge in the planter, but they do not
fashion their character or journey through their lifes management moments, especially
insofar as it prepares them to lead.
When correction or confrontation had to take place, I prayed for corridor moments.
When I look at the life of Jesus, I see so much discipleship is happening on the move. He
certainly was not nervous to deal with or adjust his disciples. He knew what lay ahead of
them, so being soft or avoiding confrontation would not prepare them for their great,
grand assignments. Get behind me, Satan would probably not be language that the
modern disciple would hear. Yet Jesus was strong with these men, readying them for the
future.
Corridor moments are times I ask the Father to create, whereby I can accidently
bump into folks when I have an area I want to address with them. An appointment tends
to be too formal and business-like. A spontaneous connection is disarming and
empowering. It allows for much honesty.
4. With church planting in mind, is there some yardstick on the size of the
church and the number of elders?
That is a very important question with a number of variables. Firstly, let it be stated that
eldership is not necessarily a salaried position. In a Western context, it is often suggested
that one pastor/elder for every 75 folks. That is a good starting point for the conversation.
Secondly, in the teams that I led, I always wanted one guy to be getting ready to plant
out, so his local effectiveness became less and less while his planting readiness increased.

That kept a global dynamic within the team, as one from amongst us was ready to leave on
a local or global adventure.
Thirdly, we always needed the young new elder who was ready, keen and raw. That kept
the family dynamic going. Here the older elders walk alongside the younger ones, aiding,
guiding and discipling. These young guns are fully invested as elders, but we know that the
strength of the team can work with this immaturity.
5. What steps are required to have a community that is comfortable with
always working with young and emerging leaders?
If the primary lens that drives a church community is business that requires excellence,
then the commitment to raising up and releasing leaders will simply have no place in that
churchs landscape.
If, however, the driving lens is family, that is the game changer. Family is all about
raising the children to their own story. We dont belittle them when they take their first
faltering steps as a 10-month-old child. Each step is applauded, even if they falter.
My favorite little story is the mud pie. My second daughter was around three years old
when she walked up to me with her hands dripping with mud. In her hand was a mud pie
full, complete and sticky. My instant reaction was to congratulate her, get her to put it
on the table and for me to carry on my business. Her big brown eyes gazed at me as if in
amazement. She was astounded that I did not recognize her love and labor in preparing an
authentic meal for her dad. The look caught me. I took a bite and munched. ... When she
was a teenager, she had moved my mud to salads, from sod to tuna, from goo to delights.
Now, she cooks exquisitely. Her range and flavors stir my palate even as I write.
So it is with churches that think and live family. They accept that excellence is not the
highest value; bringing people through to maturity is. I read once about Billy Grahams
first sermon. As a young evangelist-to-be, he said he climbed into that first pulpit with
three messages. When he finished the first he realized he had preached but a few minutes,
so he set off on his second. When that was finished his time was still not up so he launched
out on his third. I hope my memory serves me right in recalling that story.

I do wonder how those who were there felt driving home. May I guess that some were
pretty grumpy about this youngster speaking in such a disconnected way. However, as he
rose to become the most remarkable man of God that he is, I am sure those first timers
carry that knowledge with honor. They were there when he preached his first message. So
too, we need to teach our churches about the power of the mud pie church. Yes, this may
taste very bad, but we are so honored to be a nursery for young leaders and carry these
bad pies with a badge of honor as we invest into the future.
6. Give us some examples of the differences between a more business style of
church and a more family approach.
This question was asked me on Sunday night when I was meeting with some of the
emerging leaders of a very good church plant. Firstly, there is a massive difference
between a father and a CEO-style leader who is committed to strategy more than pastoral
love. A father is invested in the lives of his family. The shepherd heart seeks to lead and
feed his family, moving them on to the highest places to which God has called them.
Secondly, the business model hires and fires as profits and success are the highest
values. The family does not. The family patiently and intentionally seeks to have children
and bring them up to maturity in the ways of the Lord. A child failing does not lead to
firing.
Thirdly, the business is the work of professionals. They leave their private lives at home.
The family does life together. Jesus did life with his friends. As John Piper said: Brothers,
we are not professionals.
7. Why have planter assessments not played a larger role in preparing your
church planters? Do you recommend them or not?
We did not have assessments when we started out. None of us had come out of the
corporate world, so we never had the Human Resources conversations. We had family
lenses, so we looked to find sons/daughters, raise them up, and release them to become
fathers/mothers. It was very organic, very personal, very intentional, very intimate.
The discipleship process, which was very honest and real, did go after all the areas that
assessments tend to cover. Our discipleship ranged from theology (an area that, looking

back was our weakness) to personal life, marriage to money, family to friendships,
strengths to weaknesses, character to bad habits. Working with these men and women for
years gave us ample time to identify the areas that needed adjustment and go after them.
However, I do strongly recommend that assessments be taken. Very few churches have a
discipleship-to-church-planting culture. Assessments are not there for a simple pass-orfail conclusion. They are there to offer neutral eyes on our story. When these are
identified, we can work with them without it feeling like a personal affront against our
person.
8. What role does the wife play in the process? Can she have a separate
career?
Meryl and I decided back in the day that we wanted to get married to do life together. At
times it has been exhilarating, and at times it has been overwhelming. Our model is simply
that our model. We do not seek to impose that on others. However, we have always
walked with the husband and the wife.
For us, it is imperative that the husband and wife are on the same page. Their love for
the Lord, each other, the bride, their family, the finances, their priorities, the gospel going
forth, and the pain and privilege of planting must be the same.
Each wife will have her own personality, talents, gifts, strengths, passions and loves.
This is to be discovered and celebrated. Yet there does need to be a mutual passion to
plant and to engage in this adventure together.
It is very difficult to have separate careers and to church plant. At times the plant may
require a bi-vocational necessity for one or both of the couple. Our task in discipling them
is not to script some subjective one-size-fits-all approach, but to ensure that all the
conversations have been entered into and fully processed.
9. Are there any guidelines that help a planter decide where to plant?
These kinds of conversations are so necessary for a fuller discussion on church planting.
As recently as yesterday, I sat with a young church planter in San Diego discussing this
very subject.

He had not been discipled into the plant. He simply got some friends together but
without the necessary readiness to do one effectively and in a most intentional way,
started the story. Of course, the Father can clearly speak about place, time and key
strategies, but there are some biblical and sociological guidelines to aid this process. But is
best suited for a book on church planting.
10. Does discipleship continue once they are planting?
I am afraid in a world where true discipleship is so rare even going into the plant, it is
definitely glaringly absent once the plant begins.
When my daughter got married at eighteen, a little earlier than I had expected, I learned
so much about ongoing investment when the conditions have changed. She got married to
a man we see as a son. It was the right man, at the right time, for the right reason.
The moment I handed her over at the altar, I realized I gave authority away. Our
relationship was changing. She was still my daughter, but her name had changed, her
assignment had change, her geography had changed. The discipling role I was to play
ongoingly was by invitation, as where and when she and Mark deemed it helpful and
appropriate. So too with the church planters. They have a new name, role, geography. We
have needed to be there for them, but not impositionally. We call it invited, not imposed,
authority. They need the freedom to fly, knowing all the while we are there for them when
and if they need us.
The biblical picture is not coaching and mentoring but of apostolic partnership, as
seen in Philippians 1 and 4, as well as Acts 11 and 14. This is a very different biblical
picture than the more professional business practice applied to the church today.
11. If there is that much difference between planting and replanting,
what are the main pieces that you want to get the potential replanter to be
preparing themselves for?
Well, it would be as simple as me saying: Knowing what I know now, how would I have
readied myself for replanting Southlands Church (or Christian Chapel, as it was when I
took over captaincy)?
Here is a list of must-dos for the replanter:

 Theology: It is imperative to do much homework about the theology that that community
has been marinated in. This has given them lenses, the way to process and make sense of
their journey. Knowing their bias and emphasis is essential to both understand them and
know how to lead and feed them. Theology gives us meaning who I am in Him.
Mission: This is not a list of activities or programs (mission trips). Rather, this is how
this church expresses her divine mandate and thereby finds her lamp stand. In other
words, when the Father launched this community, there was a mandate and a knowledge
of this is a most important part of the preparation.
Prophecy: For churches with a strong charismatic or Pentecostal history, one simply
must come to terms with the roadmap prophecies that have been used in the past to keep
the church on course. May I add, one must filter these prophecies through the grid of the
text as this may cause difficulties down the road. An example of this are those prophecies
that make land and buildings sacred. This idea has no New Testament basis, so we need
to subtly adjust these words, as folks in these movements can place enormous emphasis
on these types of moments.
History: Paul strongly places Titus in the history of the church in Crete. As I did not want
to be caught up in the gossip of the churchs story, I failed to ask key questions that would
have helped me to understand this community. Why were there a number of splits? Why
was this a repeated scenario? Who were the subculture leaders? What were their causes?
And so on.
Culture and context: Oh, how I would love to have done more diligent homework on that
one. As a South African, I should have known that taking on the leadership of a church in
Southern California was not going to be a walk in the park. I should have devoured
everything I could get on this new cultural world I was entering and allowed myself to be
the student for a while before I became a teacher who tackled these matters for kingdom
advancement.
Combat: Spiritual warfare is different. The idols we had to deal with in Africa were not
the same as the ones we had to take on in Southern California. Whatever your theology on
this one, what is important is to know what people worship in this new world you are

entering. That worship will absorb their time, money, energy and family life and give
meaning to their jobs, even if they attend church on Sunday.
Values: Every church with any history has a DNA. The seed of a behavior applauded
brings about repetition. When that happens, a DNA begins to form and becomes the go-to
behavior form. It is absolutely important to discover these high values. They may not even
be declared, written or taught, but they are real and cornerstones in that communitys
journey. If you do not know them, you may find yourself in a slugfest as you unwittingly
take on the giants (if they are unhelpful and need to be removed).
Leadership: It is not uncommon in a limping community to have two leadership groups.
The first is the official and public leaders. The second are those who influence and shape
the community from the coffee counter or patio. This is simply the reality. Finding both
groups and engaging them is a tedious, even laborious, process. However, the goal of the
replanter is to make that group one.
Trust: A church that has been butchered by the trauma of being poorly led will have deep
trust issues. Positional authority will not automatically remove this most dreadful a
cancer. Relational authority and time to build friendships will do it. The deeper the
wound, the longer the healing time. That community needs to be loved back to wholeness.
Time: A deeply injured warrior is being brought from the front line. There must be
patience to identify her wounds, determine the best treatment for those wounds, allow the
wounds to heal and then let the rehab begin. Most of us want to get to the front line way
too quickly. That was certainly one of my mistakes.
Goodbyes: I have not met a replanter who kept 100 percent of the community together
after he arrived to recalibrate that bride. One the replanters was somewhat irritated with
me when I said: Dont believe for it, but you will probably lose about 10 to 20 percent of
the congregation. He was adamant for that not to happen to them. After many coffees
and meeting with everyone who wanted to leave, he and his wonderful wife were
exhausted and about 40 percent of the church had left. They did not want a young, new
leader with new ideas didnt Jesus warn us that they would want the old, saying, the
old is better? (Luke 5:39). If the crowd did not stay with Jesus, unfortunately many will

leave you, too. Let it be with grace and blessing (as much as reality allows), so that you can
continue with the task at hand.)

Thanks
It is impossible to tell this story without thanking a few people. In acknowledging my
gratitude, please remember that there are many who will never be named this side of the
grave. Their wondrous names are in the Lambs Book of Life, and their great accolades will
come.
Now Jesus loves me this I know. I cannot speak enough of this great love, so sublime,
so intoxicating, so riveting. He has held me captive since the age of eighteen, and I love
him more now than ever before. To Him belongs my utmost thanks!
Meryl, my best friend, my co-laborer, and my incredible wife, you have been a gift of
divine origin. Since I met you as a fifteen year old, I have loved you from the first, even as I
have sought to understand you. You are a beautiful mystery, that I never want to fully
discover. Your weighty pastoral heart matched with very sharp prophetic lenses have
made us the team that we are. It has been your persistent encouragement that has finally
got me to put pen to paper.
My children: Nasia, Daena and Tiaan are an inspiration. I cannot write enough of their
love for a very frail and limited father. The Father has used them many times to teach me.
Now Mark has been richly added to the family bringing his fresh lenses of creativity and
prophetic insight. Nas and Mark have gifted us with three beautiful grandchildren [
number four on the way]. I love you all deeply, more than you will ever know.
As I have acknowledged the fathers in my life, may I now express my gratitude for the
women in my life. My mother Elsa, who taught me to keep my joy even in the hardest of
times, adding a can do attitude as I watched her wrestle with her dark days. Laura,
Meryls mom who has always loved me as a son. She is an apostolic grandmother if there
ever was one, ministering to many all over the world with her special brand of love.
To the incredible friends I have done life with, who continued to journey with me
despite seeing my weaknesses. I am so much richer for knowing you all. Forgive me for

not mentioning you all by name, but M and I are the compilation of all the moments we
have shared together.
Practically, thanks Todd Wilson for including me in this project. You have triggered a
passion that has lain dormant in my heart. To Rory Dyer, my dear and deep friend, who
has continuously called me to write. To those of you who have prophetically called me to
penmanship, your words have inspired and haunted me daily. Thank you for your
persistence. To Glenridge Church in Durban South Africa and to Southlands Church in
Brea, California, words cannot express my love for you both. You believed in this call to
mission that was costly, counter cultural and came with many goodbyes. You are are
remarkable communities, without whom I would have nothing to say. Your stories have
fueled this narrative and fashioned my journey.
Thanks to Todd Proctor who has taught me to speak American - you are a very good
friend. To Alan Frow who has captained Southlands Church to new heights. I love my
friendship with Alan and Debs Hirsch. Not just has his notion of apostolic imagination
inspired me, but he has pushed me to write these ebooks. To Stu Dooley whose cover
design of a tree unique to southern California, is such an appropriate metaphor - muchos
gracias. Jason Newell I have loved your editing, you have captured the unrefined honesty
that we live by. Daena my beautiful daughter, you keep me on my toes with your sharp
mind and courageous questioning. My dear friend Kirk Randolph who continuously fills
the holes and whose wonderful wife Mandy has has been a prophetic and prayerful gift!
And to you who read this now, may this little ebook give you the right questions that will
keep you obedient and on the correct track, never settling to simply repeat yesterdays
story. May we live a faith-filled God adventure that is worthy of his redemption. That is
our gift to him.