Conversations as you Go

In this episode, we continue our series with Roy Moran, focusing on how to develop a healthy, sustainable lifestyle as a disciple-maker. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Abundant life is meant to be the fruit of following and being transformed by Him — yet many of us feel tired, overextended, and constantly busy.

Indian movement leaders often say, “Busyness is the enemy of movements.” They say that being BUSY can stand for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. When we are always busy, we lose space for the most important people and the most fruitful work. Prioritising our time is not optional — it is essential.

Rethinking Productivity: The 80/20 Principle

Roy explores the Pareto Principle — the idea that roughly 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity.

The challenge is not simply to do more, but to identify what is truly fruitful. Roy invites us to “objectify” our time — to get it out of our heads and onto paper. When we list everything we are doing and evaluate where the real fruit lies, we often discover that some activities carry disproportionate impact.

The goal is not to run faster, but to remove what is ineffective and intentionally focus on what produces lasting fruit. This is about life management that fits the spirit of movement — doing things intentionally, not accidentally. What we require is intentional systems — because systems sustain what goals alone cannot.

Whole-Life Health

The conversation extends beyond ministry strategy into holistic living: marriage, singleness, emotional health, finances, and long-term sustainability. Roy asks, “What is the irreducible minimum in your world to be healthy and whole — so that what you are replicating is worthy of being replicated?”.

Finances: Financial health, especially for supported workers, is part of running the race well. At the same time, we will not see the Great Commission fulfilled without disciple-making in the marketplace. 

Marriage, Singleness & Support: Roy and others in the room share candid reflections on navigating calling as couples and singles. Whether married or single, sustainable disciple-making requires relationships that keep us grounded and honest.

Reflection questions from this episode: 

What would it look like to create a life plan that prioritises what truly matters?

What needs to shift so you can run this race with endurance for decades to come?

How can you build regular, intentional systems of reflection and assessment to maintain your long-term health, focus, and effectiveness?

Resource

In this episode, Roy references Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans — a playbook for applying design thinking to your own life.

In this episode, we continue listening to Roy Moran’s 2025 training with us as Praxeis leaders, exploring a critical idea: momentum comes before movement.

Roy grounds the conversation in Proverbs 27:23:

“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”

Movements can easily be treated like machines — measured by outputs, numbers, and generations. But disciple-making movements are not factories. They are about inner transformation. Jesus changes people first; multiplication follows.

Momentum Before Movement

One of Roy’s key insights:

“There is a period of momentum before there is a period of movement… We are immature in measuring momentum.”

We often try to measure movement — new groups, multiplication, generations. But in the early stages, there’s very little visible fruit. Instead of measuring outcomes, we need to measure health and obedience.

What does momentum look like?

People living with an “I will…” posture toward Jesus

Regular listening and responding to God

Obedience becoming a lifestyle

Spiritual conversations flowing naturally

Slowing down enough to hear God clearly

Before someone becomes a multiplying disciple-maker, they must first learn to simply be a disciple.

Managing the Tension

There’s an ongoing tension between:

Systematic measurement (growth, numbers), and

Organic care (knowing the condition of people’s hearts).

Roy reminds us this tension isn’t a problem to solve but a tension to manage. Healthy leadership means accepting we’ll never have everything covered. It requires walking in the Spirit, not striving for perfect balance.

People Are Not Objects

When we overemphasize metrics, people can subtly become numbers. Roy urges us to remember: people are subjects, not objects. The goal is not activity but transformation.

Especially in church contexts, building momentum can take time. Tradition can slow things down. That’s why we must prioritise depth before speed.

As David Watson said:

“Go slow to go fast.”

Build quality in disciples — and the generations will come.

Key Takeaway

Push movement metrics to the side in the early phase.
Learn to recognise and celebrate momentum in the internal life — Word, Spirit, obedience, passion.

Movement flows from transformation.

‘What signs of spiritual transformation might indicate that real momentum is already forming in me and in those I’m walking with — even if visible movement hasn’t appeared yet?’

In this episode, Roy continues sharing from our time together about starting apostolic teams and navigating the real challenges of collaboration.

Starting Apostolic Teams

This builds on Roy’s previous insights about forming teams made up of different roles — including movement catalysers, DMM strategists, prayer mobilisers, learning designers, coaching cultivators, apostolic pioneers, and disciple-makers.

He describes these as different “swim lanes” — distinct expressions of gifting that allow people to run in their grace and calling while contributing to a shared mission.

Roy observes that many people from Christian backgrounds tend to be permission-seeking, whereas harvest-field people often are not. As leaders, we need to intentionally give churched believers permission — again and again — to step into and express the gifting they carry in our contexts.

Multiplying prayer 

Roy then shares from his Kansas City context about cultivating replicating prayer:

“It’s not about the volume but the distinctiveness of prayer [that’s focused on lostness].” – Roy
Rather than simply increasing activity, the focus is on prayer that is harvest-focused and easily reproducible.

Collaboration

Roy also explores how to build teams through meaningful collaboration. He references five conditions for collective impact drawn from research out of Stanford University:

Common Agenda – A shared understanding of the problem and a shared vision for change.
Shared Measurement for Success – One of the biggest challenges in Christianity, especially when we assume we are doing the same thing but measure differently.
Mutually Reinforcing Activities – Training and mobilisation are difficult if they are not aligned with a common agenda and shared measures.
Continuous Communication – Learning to communicate consistently, not just when we are face-to-face. Creating a “campfire” platform (online) where stories and resources can be shared.
A Backbone Structure – A brand-light (or brand-bashful) organisation that exists to support and strengthen leaders rather than promote itself.

Roy concludes:

“We need to define who we are so we can defend who we are. But this allows us to collaborate more, not less… We can create tables for anybody to come. We can create tools that anybody can use. But when we create tracks for people to run on, they are very distinct.” – Roy

Be Encouraged

Be provoked and encouraged as you listen to this episode — and consider what it might look like to start apostolic teams and cultivate collaboration across your city, your nation, and even the nations.

In this episode, we continue on with Roy Moran’s teaching as we look at the different roles in movements as we birth teams. It’s important to know that we cannot do it alone. Our first question after God gives us a vision is always “who?” as we seek to replicate leadership in teams. Constant sharpening and failing in movement teams is crucial. If we don’t take risks, then there’s no need for faith. 

So at the start of this year as we seek to hear from God and commit to stepping out what he is saying, we begin by listening to Roy share how we can birth teams filled with different roles. 

Do we something feel like this?

(Image Provided by Thinkstock. Lisa F. Young)
Different roles in movements

Movement Catalyst 

DMM Strategist 

Prayer Mobiliser

Learning Designers 

Coaching Cultivator 

Apostolic Pioneer 

Disciple Maker

Culture

But we also hear Roy share about culture. Even though we need to train a lot, training itself is not the answer. Instead culture is what is needed to move forward. It’s not a training problem that we have. Instead it’s a culture that we need to create. 

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” (Peter Drucker) 

“Culture is built by language and ritual” (Roy). These are the habits that people replicate. We can’t just take the training on DBS, program it and plant it in the soil of a different type of culture and then somehow expect to see movements start. 

3 ways to to plant a movement culture

Plant disciple making inside the good soil of an existing church culture. This requires spaces where people are already completely bent towards lostness.

“Everyone has a heart for disciple making. Only few have a stomach for it” (Roy). This is because it will cost church leaders their people and their money.

Plant it alongside an existing church culture. Needs to be encouraged and fostered. 

Plant it apart from an existing church culture. Release the radicals by supporting and encouraging them. 

Questions to think about at the end of this episode

Are you creating team by bringing people around you? 

Are these people becoming replicators? 

As we race toward the end of 2025 and look ahead to 2026, many of us find ourselves taking stock — of our year, our ministry, and even our own sense of worth. How are you feeling right now? Encouraged? Tired? Discouraged? In this our episode for the year, Roy Moran brings a timely and deeply pastoral word that calls us back to what we are truly worth — not based on our activity, outcomes, or perceived success, but on what God has already declared and paid for. Roy encourages us to reflects on Romans 8:15–39. Dave will read the full passage at the end of the episode, creating space for you to reflect, pray, and give thanks as we approach Christmas.

We often don’t need more information — we need reminding. As Patrick Henry famously said, “People need to be reminded more than they need to be informed.”

Too often, our sense of worth is quietly shaped by our activity. We compare ourselves to others in the room — those with larger platforms, greater influence, or more visible disciple-making fruit — and we begin to measure ourselves accordingly. Roy names this for what it is: a deeply destructive way of living. The gospel proclaims something radically different. Every human being is worth the blood of Jesus. The most significant relationship in all eternity — the relationship between the Father and the Son — was put into question so that we could be brought into God’s family. That is the value the Father places on us.

Even if we experience extraordinary success in ministry or movement outcomes, our worth never increases. We are worth exactly what was paid on the cross — nothing more, nothing less.

Roy also challenges our learning and leadership cultures. If confession and repentance are absent — especially repentance from idols like ministry numbers, performance, or operating out of the flesh — we subtly drift back into a works-based mindset. Peace and freedom come when we remember that our worth is never on trial. It is not dependent on our effort, outcomes, or legacy.

Our identity is secure:
I am a child of the Most High.
I am precious to Him.
He will never leave me or forsake me.

Whether or not we ever see a disciple-making movement, God’s invitation remains the same: to live as beloved and faithful sons and daughters.

Romans 8:15–39 – questions for reflection

What identity does Paul highlight in Romans 8?
Spend some time in quiet contemplation before God.
Is there anything the Spirit is inviting you to confess or repent of?

May this episode help you end the year grounded in grace, identity, and the unshakeable love of the Father.