What is a DMM (Disciple Making Movement)?
And is it the same as a Church Planting Movement (CPM)?
A Disciple Making Movement (DMM) is a strategy for evangelism and disciple-making that aims to rapidly multiply disciples and churches in a particular region or people group.
It involves a simple and reproducible process of sharing the Gospel, making disciples, forming new groups of believers, and training them to repeat the process with others. The goal is to create a self-sustaining movement that can spread throughout a region or even a nation, with minimal reliance on outside resources or leadership.
The Simple, Reproducible DMM Process
A DMM typically involves small, organic groups of believers who meet regularly for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship, and who are empowered to share their faith and make disciples in their own social networks.
"The DMM approach emphasizes obedience to the teachings of Jesus, reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit, and a focus on making multiplying disciples, rather than just accumulating church members."
What is a Church Planting Movement (CPM)?
CPM stands for "Church Planting Movements." It is a term used to describe a phenomenon where large numbers of churches are planted in a relatively short amount of time, often in previously unreached or resistant areas.
CPMs typically involve the rapid multiplication of new believers and new churches. Like DMMs, they emphasize rapid, indigenous growth, obedience to the commands of Jesus, and equipping local leaders immediately rather than establishing long-term dependency on foreign structures.
Key Catalysts of CPMs Worldwide
CPMs have been documented globally, including across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They are highly associated with accessible tools that anyone can facilitate, such as Discovery Bible Study (DBS).
What is the difference between DMM and CPM?
While related and often overlapping, they maintain distinct emphasis scales that every apostolic leader should understand.
Disciple Making Movements
Focuses primarily on making multiplying disciples who are empowered to share their faith. The emphasis is on individual spiritual transformation, deep obedience, and organic social networks.
- ✔ Relational & Network focused
- ✔ Rapid micro-multiplication
Church Planting Movements
Focused more specifically on the rapid multiplication of churches, often as a direct result of a DMM. The emphasis is on structural planting, raising up indigenous leaders, and geographic mapping.
- ✔ Structural & Geographic mapping
- ✔ Raising institutional/regional leaders
In summary: The primary focus of DMMs is on making multiplying disciples, while the primary focus of CPMs is on planting new churches.
Implementing Movements in Europe
In DOVE, we have multiple CPMs and DMMs active globally. While we have seen incredible fruit mainly in South East Asia, this approach is working remarkably well in Europe today.
With Europe transitioning into a post-Christian context where traditional formats face structural barriers, organic, house-to-house, and city-to-city disciple-making models offer a highly flexible, biblical framework for contemporary mission fields.