A Handbook for Mobilizing Mission Movements: An Introduction to the 3 Dimensions of Mobilization

By R.G. Mitchell

In 2015, I was working to finish my doctoral work, and I was meeting with my good friend and mentor, Dr. John Kayser. It told him I had been thinking about mobilization in relation to the Church and mission. In my estimation, there were enormous gaps in our understanding and practice of mobilization. It appeared to me like a broken circle. I felt as if every time we talked about mobilization; we were only seeing one dimension of something that was much more complex. I believed that we needed to think of mobilizing the whole Church not just the goers. I remember walking over to a whiteboard and drawing a circle. I went on to explain that I could see mobilization as a process or continuation that began with awareness continued on to equipping and concluded with engagement. It was also evident that not everyone would be sent out many more would join our mobilization efforts. I asked him his opinion. Our discussion concluded with him strongly encouraging me to pursue this line of thinking.

Over the next few months, I spoke with other colleagues and received the same encouragement. One leader told me, “You are answering questions we have not even been asking.” Over the next year, I finished my Doctorate, including portions that have been utilized in this book. It is important for me to state, this model was not created in a classroom, it was never simply conceptual, it was not an academic exercise. I wrote this book for the mobilizer, the practitioner. It is meant to be a sort of handbook for understanding mobilization, Not from a theoretical perspective but a “how to” perspective. The work here is the result of the last 30 years I have spent in mobilization. I have joked that this work is the result of 10,000 mistakes I have made, combined with the opportunity to learn from mission and church leaders in the 60 nations that I have worked. So I invite you to interact with the material, ask questions, interact around the concepts, wrestle with the terms, but most importantly, I’m challenging you, go mobilize.
In 2017, I formed a team of global leaders and asked them to assist in the contextualization and application of this model. They included Mike Adigbile from Nigeria, Allan Matamoros from Spain, Vicky Warren from the USA. We worked hard over the next months meeting virtually discussing the principles, defining terms and working out concepts, each one drawing from decades of mobilization experience. The Three Dimensions of Mobilization (3D Model) was first publicly introduced by myself at a presentation at the COMIBAM Congress in Colombia in 2017 and then our entire team officially introduced it at the Global Mobilization Consultation in Dubai, UAE, in December of that year. Since that time, we have continued the development of the major principles of the model as well as the underlying foundation that supports it. Over the past few years, I have introduced the model in nations around the world and interact with hundreds of mobilizers. Most of them have embraced the model enthusiastically, and many have contributed significantly through their input. New ideas, new understanding, new principles are constantly coming to light. These leaders have contributed greatly to language and concepts in the development of this model.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.G. Mitchell
• Release date: Mar 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215469620

Book preview

Endorsements

Randy’s restless quest to discover the key to mobilizing mission movements is challenging and inspiring. What you find in this book is not theories, but practices tested in real multicultural world, in the world, that is constantly changing at the very high pace. This book is about syncing our thoughts, efforts and resources with today’s challenges. It’s about Missions NOW.

Dmitri Poliakov

President, Association of Christian Churches Russia

Having been in the missions mobilization ministry from its infancy in the global missions community for nearly four decades, I find Randy Mitchell's work, Handbook for Mobilizing Mission Movements, a refreshing, inspiring and engaging insight on the subject. This 3D approach to and explanation of missions mobilization gifts the Church globally a new perspective, healthy and fruitful way to speed up the harvest. Randy did a good job of harnessing views and insights from others in the industry, weaving it expertly with his own journey and life encounters that has seen thousands of people mobilized and many more reached with the gospel. This work can help us measure what progress we are making, not only on the mission fields but on the field of missions mobilization. I heartily recommend it.

Canon Timothy O Olonade

President and Team Leader

El-Rehoboth Global Leadership Foundation

Founder, M2414 Initiative for Final Harvest

Creator, Catalyst Course on World Evangelization

Randy extends a bold invitation to the Global Church for radical collaboration for outcome based mission mobilization. He offers helpful on-ramps and pathways to generate movements while providing warnings that could halt the process. A welcome and much needed volume!

Dr T. V. Thomas

Chairman, Lausanne Global Diaspora Network ( GDN)

Dr. Randy Mitchell has impacted our Church through practical and lived teaching on Mission.  He inspired our believers to embrace the heart of the gospel.  His passion for people and his heart in building a Church that goes beyond the boundaries of his own comfort zone distinguish him.  His teachings reveal a great coherence between what he teaches and what he lives, becoming first of all himself a true example of a disciple of Jesus. His commitment to engage the local church with God’s mission has been a great help.

Pastors Senior Giuseppe e Graziella Lotito

La Parola Vicente, Comiso, Italy

I love how practical and flexible the 3D model is. It is comprehensive and yet can be adapted for a wide gamete of church and cultural contexts. This Handbook provides the long awaited road map to mobilize the global church!

Dr. Mary HO

DSL, International Executive Leader for All Nations International, Inc.

From the passionate heart of a servant of the global church comes the 3D model... Burning with an unrelenting passion to see our commission to make disciples of all nations fulfilled, Dr Randy Mitchell unpacks the dynamics of discipleship. He clearly shows what discipleship is, our imperative to do it, and a field-tested model of how to do it. What Randy shares is not an exotic theory to be understood and implemented by a few but a credible model that can be deployed in all contexts and movements. Here is a model that if gladly embraced, and faithfully and prayerfully implemented will produce disciples who make disciples, who make disciples and more disciples. I am honoured to recommend this strategic tool by a dear friend and colleague.

Dr. Ferdinand Nweke

General Coordinator, Eternity Ministries

It is my absolute honour and pleasure Randy Mitchell and One World Missions. I have worked closely with Rev. Randy Mitchell for over 20 years, both in group mission trips abroad and as a speaker and teacher in various conferences and meetings. Having worked so closely, I can attest of his integrity in all he puts his hands to do. He is a faithful and loyal servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and passionate about seeing the lost come to Jesus and saving knowledge of the relationship that awaits those that respond to God ’ s call. His teaching is unsurpassed and will ignite a fire in all who hear him speak.  I personally look forward to continuing to work with Rev. Mitchell and One World Missions.

Rev. Natalina Sicilia

B.A. Hon., B.Ed, Associate Pastor BFC

The global Church of Jesus Christ still has the challenge of making the whole Gospel available to everybody; at least 3 billion people live without access to the transformational Good News of Christ ’ s Kingdom. Simultaneously, the Church is present today in the four corners of the planet. Never in the history of the Church have we seen followers of Jesus Christ from so many cultures, ethnicities, and places. People from everywhere share the Gospel with everyone in every nation, every city, and every ethne.

Subsequently, the mobilization of the Church is one of the critical needs of the hour. How can we work in service and collaboration with the local churches worldwide in order to see Jesus ’ disciples living out the Gospel among the unreached? 

With this in mind, I am so grateful for Randy Mitchell ’ s contribution to the dialogue, discussion and praxis of the spiritual and historical art of the mobilization journey.

My friend and colleague, Randy, has dedicated his life to serving and observing how the Church embraces the missionary task. I believe that his 3D mobilization model simplifies and synthesizes the challenges of the Church ’ s mission in a very integral or wholistic way, working with individuals, churches, and mission organizations in the sacred task of helping Christ ’ s disciples to discover their calling, develop their capacities, spirituality, and skills, in order to deploy the body of Christ resources to the still unreached missionary fields globally.

As a member of the body of Christ from the majority world and serving in mobilization since my younger days in my native Costa Rica, I receive Randy Mitchell ’ s book Handbook for Mobilizing Mission Movements with enthusiasm. Its publication is a much needed contribution to the community of believers of the Lord Jesus as they obey the historical mandate of making disciples in every nation on earth. Muchas Gracias, Randy!

Allan E. Matamoros

Chairman of the Vision 5:9 and GMN Networks

Director of COMIBAM Field Initiatives

West Africa and Arab World Director Partners International.

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book to all the church leaders and mission leaders I have worked with over the years. To you, I owe a mixture of apologies for my mistakes and gratitude for the many ways that you have and continue to inspire me.

I would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. David Ogbueli, G.O. of Dominion City International. His friendship and partnership has greatly influenced the material contained in this book. His keen insight as a pastor and global mission leader has inspired my own thinking. Dominion City is a shining example of a church movement being mobilized and developing into a mission movement that is spreading around the world.

I would like to thank my family and friends for their prayers and support. Most of all, I would like to thank my wonderful wife Jessica, you inspire me to be a better person and your love and support have been a constant in the chaos that is sometimes our life.

Biography

Dr. Randy Mitchell serves as the International Director of One World Missions. He graduated from ORU with a Bachelor of Science degree.  He has pursued post graduate studies in International Business and has earned a Doctorate of Ministry.  Dr. Mitchell is an author as well as an adjunct professor at BGU in Minneapolis where he teaches on Cross-Cultural Leadership.  He was an original signatory of the Tokyo Declaration in 2010 and serves as a Global Ambassador for the Global Great Commission Network.  Dr. Mitchell assisted with launching the Global Mobilization Network. He has served in both a pastoral role as well as missionary role for over 30 years.  He has worked to train leaders and mobilize and equip for missions in over 60  nations.  Through One World Missions, he works with churches and networks of churches in the US and around the world, coordinating and implementing long-range strategy for missions by networking local churches and missions structures. 

Dr. Mitchell believes that the mandate to the church of Jesus Christ is missions. He believes missions work is best defined as any endeavor that has as its goal to bring individuals into right relationship with God. Along with evangelism, he believes in the necessity of discipleship and the development of local leadership. Dr. Mitchell believes the Great Commission is global and that all believers are called to participate.  This is demonstrated in OWM's commitment to catalyzing indigenous movements. God has placed a unique love in the heart of Dr. Mitchell for all the nations of the world. His priority in missions is to build relationships and through these relationships see partnerships arise for the purpose of extending God's Kingdom to all peoples. He believes God works in our lives through the relationships we develop. His calling is to inspire both young and old to reach out into the world with the love of Jesus. He believes that far more can be accomplished by working together than striving alone and for that reason he works to network and build relationships throughout the body of Christ to connect with people passionate about God and h is mission.

Dr. Mitchell consults with denominations and church networks concerning mission strategy for the purpose of catalyzing mission movements. He ministers at global, regional and local conferences on a wide array of subjects including: Mobilizing the Church for Missions, Global Trends and the Impact on Missions, Partnerships and Collaboration, Church Planting and many other subjects pertinent to the last days church. When not traveling to the nations of the world, Dr. Mitchell is studying and writing extensively about m ission and the Church.

A Handbook for Mobilizing Mission Movements

Mobilizing—the Whole Church to reach the Whole World

Endorsements

Dedication

Biography

Introduction

Chapter 1—The Mission

Chapter 2—Mobilization

Chapter 3—Mobilization as Discipleship

Chapter 4 —Four Building Blocks of Mobilization

Chapter 5—Mobilization occurs along a Continuum

Chapter 6—Overview of the three dimensions of Mobilization - Discover, Develop, Deploy

Chapter 7—Outcome based approach to Mobilization

Chapter 8—Pitfalls in Mobilization

Chapter 9—Go Mobilize Movements

Chapter 10—The End

Introduction

In 2015, I was working to finish my doctoral work, and I was meeting with my good friend and mentor, Dr. John Kayser. It told him I had been thinking about mobilization in relation to the Church and mission. In my estimation, there were enormous gaps in our understanding and practice of mobilization. It appeared to me like a broken circle. I felt as if every time we talked about mobilization; we were only seeing one dimension of something that was much more complex. I believed that we needed to think of mobilizing the whole Church not just the goers.  I remember walking over to a whiteboard and drawing a circle.  I went on to explain that I could see mobilization as a process or continuation that began with awareness continued on to equipping and concluded with engagement. It was also evident that not everyone would be sent out many more would join our mobilization efforts. I asked him his opinion. Our discussion concluded with him strongly encouraging me to pursue this line of thinking.

Over the next few months, I spoke with other colleagues and received the same encouragement. One leader told me, You are answering questions we have not even been asking. Over the next year, I finished my Doctorate, including portions that have been utilized in this book. It is important for me to state, this model was not created in a classroom, it was never simply conceptual, it was not an academic exercise. I wrote this book for the mobilizer, the practitioner. It is meant to be a sort of handbook for understanding mobilization, Not from a theoretical perspective but a how to perspective. The work here is the result of the last 30 years I have spent in mobilization. I have joked that this work is the result of 10,000 mistakes I have made, combined with the opportunity to learn from mission and church leaders in the 60 nations that I have worked. So I invite you to interact with the material, ask questions, interact around the concepts, wrestle with the terms, but most importantly, I ’ m challenging you, go mobilize.

In 2017, I formed a team of global leaders and asked them to assist in the contextualization and application of this model. They included Mike Adigbile from Nigeria, Allan Matamoros from Spain, Vicky Warren from the USA. We worked hard over the next months meeting virtually discussing the principles, defining terms and working out concepts, each one drawing from decades of mobilization experience. The Three Dimensions of Mobilization (3D Model) was first publicly introduced by myself at a presentation at the COMIBAM Congress in Colombia in 2017 and then our entire team officially introduced it at the Global Mobilization Consultation in Dubai, UAE, in December of that year. Since that time, we have continued the development of the major principles of the model as well as the underlying foundation that supports it. Over the past few years, I have introduced the model in nations around the world and interact with hundreds of mobilizers. Most of them have embraced the model enthusiastically, and many have contributed significantly through their input. New ideas, new understanding, new principles are constantly coming to light. These leaders have contributed greatly to language and concepts in the development of this model.

So, when I speak of we I am referring to this wonderful team of global mobilizers from around the world that helped in the beginning stages in creating this model and those that have contributed significantly to its continued development, some of which you will be privileged to hear from in their own words in this book. We have believed from the beginning that the mobilization community needs to come together around a more wholistic view of mobilization. One that honors the individual contributions of the diversity of ministries working to mobilize around the world but forces us to recognize the interconnectedness of our mobilization efforts.

Chapter 1—The Mission

The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. 1 The real question we must ask of ourselves is, how do we most glorify God with our lives and how do we live in such a way as to see God glorified among men? We bring glory to God by knowing him, enjoying him and carrying out among men the mission on which we have been sent on. If there is one aim and passion in my life, it is to fulfill God ’ s good purpose for my life and for my life to bring him glory.

When I think about God and attempt to understand his purpose, I have to acknowledge that the self-revealing God has only given Scripture through his Spirit to know him and his purposes. I cannot say emphatically that the purpose of God is the mission of God, only that it includes the mission of God. Again, who can claim to fully know the infinite God? I will contend throughout this book that Scripture reveals that mission is essential to God ’ s purpose as it relates to man, formed into his Church as it has existed throughout time. We cannot speak about God ’ s purposes in the eternal past nor the eternal future, but we can see, at least in part, his purpose in time.

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Largely as humans, we mark our existence through time. We can identify events that locate us somewhere in the past, or present, and of course, events will continue to unfold into the future. We are a part of time and these events mark our lives. Down through time there has always been a people who lived these events. Events in time have shaped civilization. We have seen wars, the rise and fall of nations, cataclysmic disasters, natural and manmade, incredible breakthroughs in science and technology. All of this has shaped or misshaped our world. If we are not careful, this is the only time line we observe. However, simultaneous to these events in time, God has always had a people and a purpose. Without seeing this, we are random victims of events. Consequently, we see no correlation to a purpose greater than ourselves and how these events impact our individual lives.

God has always had a people who carried out his purpose in time. A careful look at the events in time will reveal the existence of individuals, priests, kings, prophets, and later in history an entire nation that recognized