2025 Disciple-Making Leaders (Advanced) Network
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This network builds on the foundation laid by the Foundational Disciple-Making Leaders Network through expanding content depth and drawing connections as well as providing a keen focus on practical application in disciple-making ministries in the local context.
We will help envision, equip, and encourage you as a leader for disciple-making, because while Jesus’ command to make disciples is straightforward, the practice of it can be quite complex and require clear insight, skill, and understanding as well as plenty of support from fellow practitioners. Our vision is that Christ would multiply your disciple-making leadership to many others and thus impact Europe with the transforming power of the gospel. At the end of our time, you will have working knowledge of critical areas of discipleship content from people who have great experience and expertise. You will also have a clear plan of action to apply this wisdom and its facets to genuinely impact those with whom you work locally.
In order to attend this network, you must already be discipling others or be willing to commit to lead others in discipleship relationship and be held accountable to that work over the next year. Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.
What Network Participants Are Saying
- "The Forum is the most inspiring event that I have ever attended. I was able to learn so much biblical wisdom and meet and mingle with people who are walking their talk. Being around people with such a heart for serving the Lord, both in words and practice, was amazing and inspiring. Also, the multicultural aspect of people from Europe (and worldwide) coming together to worship the Lord and looking to serve him more wholeheartedly was terrific. Here I can meet with experienced leaders and grow so much in my own role as a young leader to my fellow countrymen. The Forum had a huge impact on my life last year and has been fruitful in so many areas."
- Anton Liljedal, Theology Student, Denmark - "Being at the European Leadership Forum is a huge blessing to me. Through the Disciple-Making Leaders Network I have received important inspiration which will define the future of our ministry. I have been motivated to build a disciple-making system. I would like to make discipleship a key part of our ministry with volunteers and counsellors."
- Laszlo Beregi, Executive Officer of Grace Ministries Foundation, Hungary - "Being part of the European Leadership Forum has been an incredible experience and a great blessing for me, as I am able to learn from other leaders and disciple-makers across Europe, receive encouragement for my walk with the Lord, and receive many resources, including great books, which will equip me the other Christians in Slovenia to walk with Christ more faithfully and boldly."
- Sara Stikovic, Youth Leader, Slovenia
Applicants should be leaders who have previously attended the European Leadership Forum Disciple-Making Leaders Network: Foundational Track. The Advanced Track will help participants move from principles to practical application sensitive to each person's ministry context.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Michelle is the Minister of Staff Development and on the Executive Leadership Team at Scottsdale Bible Church in Arizona. She has a passion for discipleship and drawing out a greater thirst for more of God and His Word in others. Michelle also enjoys developing people within the Church in such a… Read more
Andrew Dickson lives by the sea on Northern Ireland’s world-famous Antrim Coast with his wife, Katherine, and their two young children. After spending over 13 years in local church and para-church ministry, Andrew now serves as the Congregational Life Development Officer for the Presbyterian… Read more
Hannah Donato, wife of Giovanni and mother of three children: Isabella, Luca and Giorgia. Originally from England, Hannah has been serving the Lord in Italy for the past 19 years amongst university students with the Italian IFES movement, GBU. In the past, Hannah has overseen the development of… Read more
Luke Greenwood is British by birth, grew up in Brazil, and now lives in Wroclaw, Poland, with his wife Ania and their two children. He serves as the European Director for Steiger, a mission dedicated to reaching the Global Youth Culture for Jesus. Together with the Steiger Europe team, Luke has… Read more
Rick Hill is a speaker, author and leader based near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Having previously served in various ministry roles, Rick now oversees the Council for Mission in Ireland within the Presbyterian Church. He is also an elder in Carnmoney Church and author of Deep Roots of Resilient… Read more
Jerry Root is a Professor of Evangelism and Leadership at Wheaton College and serves as the Director of the Evangelism Initiative. Jerry is a graduate of Whittier College and Talbot Graduate School of Theology at Biola University; he received his… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 18 May
This session introduces the vision of the Disciple-Making Leaders Advanced Network as well as the expectations for Network participants. We will also consider what it means to shape a culture of discipleship and spiritual formation in everything we do so that it becomes a core ethos of our leadership rather than merely an additional activity.
In a desire to make discipleship easy and comfortable, many have lowered the bar of expectations. In this session, we will examine why raising the bar could be the needed approach to bring back a vibrant discipleship culture to the Church. We will review practical strategies that will raise the bar in discipleship and the invitation to others to be disciples who make disciples.
Monday, 19 May
A generation with broken relationships and in identity crisis is thirsty for community and truth. A discipleship relationship is sharing life with someone, not expecting them to come to me but going to where they are and intentionally showing them what it means to follow Jesus in their context. It means making prayer and the Bible accessible and understandable and helping them get connected with a local church community. This session will give a vision and strategy for how we do this.
Today, people in the West are enduring all kinds of suffering – despair, loneliness, sickness, fear, anger, doubt, war, poverty, injustice, loss. But how can we confidently walk alongside and care well for those God has placed in our lives? This workshop will help develop a vision for Gospel-shaped, disciple-making ministry as we explore how to better build connection, hold conversation, and bring biblical and prayerful content into our care for others.
Tuesday, 20 May
Maturing spiritually means growing in our understanding of God's mission. How can we help people to not just grow upwards but also outwards, not just going deeper but also reaching wider? This session will explore how we as leaders can help to equip followers of Christ to play their part in his commission.
What does discipleship look like when thinking about coming alongside spiritual adults in the faith? How can we encourage a discipleship approach to training? What are the challenges and opportunities faced in this phase? In this session, we will consider what a personalised approach to discipleship-training might look like, thinking specifically about how to encourage continued growth in the areas of conviction, character and competencies.
Wednesday, 21 May
Jesus taught His disciples to pray. This would indicate that prayer, at least in part, is a learned discipline. To the degree that any human is engaged with God, every feature of our soul is at play: the mind, the emotion, and the will. Prayer allows a believer to reach into the depths of himself and disclose to God what He already knows about us: our sins (in prayers of confession); our fears and sorrows (in prayers of lamentation); our joys and thanksgiving (in prayers of adoration and praise). Prayer not only allows one a growing awareness of God and His work in our lives, it is also a gateway to self-awareness.
We learned that there is no shortcut to maturity and there is no shortcut to mature leadership. All of us embark on life’s journey with a variety of backgrounds and experiences that affect the progress we make in our growth. All of us are led by God to make disciples in different contexts. One thing is sure: no matter how much we know, or what our spiritual, psychological, or emotional heritage might be, it takes time to mature and it takes perseverance in the long term to make disciples. In this last session we will explore:
- How can we continue to grow as disciple-makers?
- What are the next steps to springboard to fruitful ministry?