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Pioneering Movements: Leadership That Multiplies Disciples and Churches
God's mission needs movement leaders. Jesus pioneered something completely new in human history―a dynamic missionary movement intent on reaching the world. His mission is as clear and as relevant today as in the days of the early to make disciples everywhere, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. But the potential of the church remains untapped. What does it take to lead movements that successfully carry out this mission? In Pioneering Movements , Steve Addison identifies what it takes to follow Jesus' example. Building on his previous books Movements That Change the World and What Jesus Started , he reveals the apostolic qualities and behaviors of biblical, historical, and contemporary pioneers who can guide church and ministry leaders today. This is a book for those who are called to embrace the mission-driven work that Jesus and his disciples began―making disciples of all nations, in all places.
192 pages, Paperback
Published November 9, 2015
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129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 1, 2023
A great book that shares many stories of how God is equipping His Church to make disciples and plant churches that multiply! It had practical tips & faith-inspiring examples of people who humbled themselves and gave up everything to say yes to this method of multiplying churches and disciples!!
May 17, 2024
I read this with a discussion group and I enjoyed it very much. This is not a magic bullet that will solve all of the issues but has great examples from around the world and over arching principles that can be applied to any context.
February 22, 2022
Book really made me look deeper into my habits and show me that I will need to truly need to die to myself if I want to see movement happen.
April 6, 2025
This is the 2nd of Steve Addison’s books that I’ve read, and serves as a kind of sequel to his book “Movements that Change the World,” where he gives the five dynamics of a movement. Pioneering Movements is the sixth dynamic, and has to do with the apostolic leader, the movement pioneer and their role in seeing movements multiply.
October 2, 2016
As you read Pioneering Movements you will discover three truths about movement making:
Movements are led by apostolic leaders.
Movement is God’s means for accomplishing the mission of Jesus.
Movements are not just a topic to research, but a way to join God in his great redemptive work. My favorite line in this book is, “I was an expert , but I wasn’t living it out.” What you are reading is a rarity because the author refuses to let movement become merely an academic project.
(p.13)
Some practitioners spend too much effort trying to get the strategy and methodology right rather than looking for the right person to invest in. If someone says to me, give me the method or give me the curriculum, I know they have not understood that this is accomplished through persons rather than through methods.
God can use times of crisis to remake leaders from the inside out .
We may think of the wilderness as a place to avoid, a place of testing. Yet the wilderness is also a place where we encounter God. It is a place of profound change. We are given the opportunity to surrender and trust God before there are any answers. Pass that test and clarity will come as a byproduct of surrender. Most movement pioneers have faced God in the wilderness and allowed him to remake them. Breakthroughs in pioneering movements often occur as the byproduct of crisis encounters with God.
In Pioneering Movements author Steve Addison does an excellent job of illustrating movements all across the world that have taken place and are taking place today. Through these various examples, Addison does well at dispelling the common statement one would make after reading a book of this nature, “Ok, but it won’t work here because…”. Addison also provides a solid basis for his writing by centering it on Jesus, “Jesus founded the greatest movement this world has ever seen. That movement has at its heart the multiplication of disciples and churches — everywhere. (7)” “It’s not about us — our church, our missional community. It’s not about our methods and strategies. It’s not about our creative imagination. It’s not even about movement pioneers. It’s about God and what he has done through Jesus. It’s about the power of the Holy Spirit and his dynamic Word. (21)” “There is no other mission than that of Jesus Christ, God’s Son sent to save a lost world through his sacrifice and resurrection. The exalted Lord Jesus still leads the way through the Holy Spirit. (23)” “Jesus unleashed something totally new in human history—a missionary movement that had the whole world in its sites. (46)”
I particularly like the Five Levels of Movement Leadership:
A Seed Sower is a disciple who obeys Jesus’ command to spread the gospel. Every believer should be a seed sower. (71)
Church Planters are Seed Sowers who have learned how to make disciples and plant churches. (73)
Church Multipliers are Church Planters who have learned how to start churches that reproduce generations of new churches. (78)
Multiplication Trainers are Church Multipliers who have learned how to equip other church multipliers to achieve third and fourth generation churches. (81)
The key difference between a multiplication trainer (level 4) and a level 5 leader is that a movement catalyst takes on a broad responsibility to reach an unreached population segment or region. (103)
Some very effective level 3 to level 5 leaders were not as effective as sowers and planters. Leaders need to find their personal levels of giftedness and calling. There is not a hierarchy of value between the levels of leadership.
The critical transition between these five levels of movement leadership is helping church planters become church multipliers. This transition marks the boundary between addition and multiplication. Most church planting in the West focuses on starting and growing the next church. Movements focus on multiple generations of churches. What I love about this is it is all encapsulating, we all have our roles to play. We can all improve on our current leadership level and grow into the next.
The foundation of any movement of disciples and churches must be Christ, not the wisdom and power of this world (1 Corinthians 1: 22-23). Paul discovered that the glory and power of God was revealed through his daily experience of death. (p.162)
Movements are led by apostolic leaders.
Movement is God’s means for accomplishing the mission of Jesus.
Movements are not just a topic to research, but a way to join God in his great redemptive work. My favorite line in this book is, “I was an expert , but I wasn’t living it out.” What you are reading is a rarity because the author refuses to let movement become merely an academic project.
(p.13)
Some practitioners spend too much effort trying to get the strategy and methodology right rather than looking for the right person to invest in. If someone says to me, give me the method or give me the curriculum, I know they have not understood that this is accomplished through persons rather than through methods.
God can use times of crisis to remake leaders from the inside out .
We may think of the wilderness as a place to avoid, a place of testing. Yet the wilderness is also a place where we encounter God. It is a place of profound change. We are given the opportunity to surrender and trust God before there are any answers. Pass that test and clarity will come as a byproduct of surrender. Most movement pioneers have faced God in the wilderness and allowed him to remake them. Breakthroughs in pioneering movements often occur as the byproduct of crisis encounters with God.
In Pioneering Movements author Steve Addison does an excellent job of illustrating movements all across the world that have taken place and are taking place today. Through these various examples, Addison does well at dispelling the common statement one would make after reading a book of this nature, “Ok, but it won’t work here because…”. Addison also provides a solid basis for his writing by centering it on Jesus, “Jesus founded the greatest movement this world has ever seen. That movement has at its heart the multiplication of disciples and churches — everywhere. (7)” “It’s not about us — our church, our missional community. It’s not about our methods and strategies. It’s not about our creative imagination. It’s not even about movement pioneers. It’s about God and what he has done through Jesus. It’s about the power of the Holy Spirit and his dynamic Word. (21)” “There is no other mission than that of Jesus Christ, God’s Son sent to save a lost world through his sacrifice and resurrection. The exalted Lord Jesus still leads the way through the Holy Spirit. (23)” “Jesus unleashed something totally new in human history—a missionary movement that had the whole world in its sites. (46)”
I particularly like the Five Levels of Movement Leadership:
A Seed Sower is a disciple who obeys Jesus’ command to spread the gospel. Every believer should be a seed sower. (71)
Church Planters are Seed Sowers who have learned how to make disciples and plant churches. (73)
Church Multipliers are Church Planters who have learned how to start churches that reproduce generations of new churches. (78)
Multiplication Trainers are Church Multipliers who have learned how to equip other church multipliers to achieve third and fourth generation churches. (81)
The key difference between a multiplication trainer (level 4) and a level 5 leader is that a movement catalyst takes on a broad responsibility to reach an unreached population segment or region. (103)
Some very effective level 3 to level 5 leaders were not as effective as sowers and planters. Leaders need to find their personal levels of giftedness and calling. There is not a hierarchy of value between the levels of leadership.
The critical transition between these five levels of movement leadership is helping church planters become church multipliers. This transition marks the boundary between addition and multiplication. Most church planting in the West focuses on starting and growing the next church. Movements focus on multiple generations of churches. What I love about this is it is all encapsulating, we all have our roles to play. We can all improve on our current leadership level and grow into the next.
The foundation of any movement of disciples and churches must be Christ, not the wisdom and power of this world (1 Corinthians 1: 22-23). Paul discovered that the glory and power of God was revealed through his daily experience of death. (p.162)
July 7, 2023
I was deliberating between three and four stars, but ultimately landed on three because while I thought the content in this book was great, the shirt sentence structure made reading this book difficult for me. To be clear, this content of seeing spiritual movements take off and grow is incredibly visionary and motivating for me. I really think some of the strategies I’ve read in this book will sit with me in a deep place. But, Steve Addison’s writing felt so short and choppy that I couldn’t help but feel like I was trying to speed read the whole thing. I felt like a car that lost power to the brakes while driving downhill.
That probably sounds incredibly specific and plain weird, but that’s why I had to give this book three stars instead of four. Plus, it feels good to be a little critical now and then.
That probably sounds incredibly specific and plain weird, but that’s why I had to give this book three stars instead of four. Plus, it feels good to be a little critical now and then.
March 11, 2021
If we exhort without training we lead people to potential guilt and are also building a dependency that may lead to addition but not to multiplication or movement. Addison does a great job at making his material easy to read but very compelling. I love the stories. The pressure is off really- every movement in Acts and beyond was initiated by God. Is God stirring something in you? Are you feeling like there has to be a way to dive into darkness and bring light. Addison’s books are a great fire starter.
July 26, 2025
Inspirational toward developing a heart for seeing the lost come to faith, discipled, and mobilized. At times, I felt that the claims made were slightly idealistic and I left with some unanswered questions related to longevity of the health of disciples and churches planted by disciple making movements.
June 8, 2017
Good book that focuses on what it means to have a vision for having true discipleship training of believers (disciples) who multiply themselves and the churches they plant--which results in swelling, impacting movements.
December 13, 2019
EXCELLENT book that made me rethink and reconsider a lot, while being rooted in scripture and a deep desire for the good news of Jesus Christ to be shared and for faith to grow in individuals and beyond. A book about multiplying faith rather than singular addition.
May 29, 2022
I loved this book: particularly the focus on how it all starts with leaving the center & surrendering to God. Additionally, the point on training & giving away of authority as the key to pioneering movements is powerful and is something I'm learning to apply in my work too.
February 13, 2024
A must read for all missionaries!
This is a must read for anyone desiring to be a missionary! All of Steve Addison’s books are very insightful and thought provoking… this one is no different!
This is a must read for anyone desiring to be a missionary! All of Steve Addison’s books are very insightful and thought provoking… this one is no different!
June 21, 2017
great resource
Inspirational amd Insightful for any person in spiritual leadership. Read it for a class and it was timely for our 5 year old church.
Inspirational amd Insightful for any person in spiritual leadership. Read it for a class and it was timely for our 5 year old church.
February 22, 2022
The last chapter was the clincher for me. 😭 This is a must read for every worker and every believer who wants to share their faith but just doesn’t know where to start.
March 18, 2017
The accounts and stories were both informative and inspiring. I especially enjoyed the accounts of past pioneers. Could've been a bit more instructive.
September 12, 2018
Excellent and inspiring book that packs a lot of practical vision into a relatively short space. Great reading for everyone interested in making disciples of Jesus.
December 18, 2015
Being a movement catalyst takes particular leadership gifts and skills. Steve Addison should know. He is the leader of MOVE, an organization that multiplies disciples and churches in India and Australia. He is also a researcher who has delved into the nature of Christian movements that spread the gospel. This is his third book on movements. The first, Movements that Change the World (IVP, 2011) examined five characteristics of dynamic movements. His second book, What Jesus Started(IVP, 2012) explored the disciple making ministry of Jesus. His current book, Pioneering Movements, hones in on the type of leadership required to produce a dynamic movement.
9780830844418This book has ten chapters and three brief 'Pioneer Profiles' that examine historic figures who ignited movements. Chapter one begins with Addison's own story. Having written the definitive book on movements (Movements that Change the World), Addison was challenged by God (and his wife) to do something. He knew conceptually what it took to build a movement but leaders who pioneer movements are those that do things. Addison observed, "I knew all the movement principles, but I didn't really know them. I was the expert, but I wasn't living them out. God was rattling my cage. Knowing something is not enough; he wanted me to do something" (23). So he prayerfully began to step out in evangelism in a immigrant community in Melbourne. He saw how stepping out was important for poneering leaders and trained others to do the same.
Chapter two looks at Jesus' sentness and the apostolic ministry he calls leaders to--sent and sending. Like Jesus and the movement he started Addison challenges movement pioneers to:
See the end they are aiming at (Transformed lives and the coming Kingdom of God)
Connect with People
Share the gospel
Train Disciples
Gather Communities
Multiply Workers (44-45)
Chapter three profiles Peter as 'first among the Apostles'--one sent in the name of Jesus who learned from Jesus to live the gospel, to embody the vision and stay on task to spread the Good news and lead God's people to do the same.
Chapter four describes the leadership structure of movements and the creative tension between church's and 'apostolic bands.' Chapter five provides a case-study of Nathan Shank and the multiplying, indigienous church movement he helped ignite in South Asia. Chapter six describes the levels of movement leaders from: (1) Seed Sower to (2) Church Planter, (3) Church Muliplier to (4) Multiplaction Trainer, and finally (5) Movement Catalyst. The Next three chapters explore pioneering movements in America, Africa and the Muslim world. Addison's final chapter challenges pioneering leaders press through suffering and obstacles to ministry and mission.
I think my favorite part about the book are the stories of missional leaders who are planting churches and working to bring in a harvest. It is always interesting to hear stories from the world Christianity and exciting movements that are impacting culture for Christ.
When I read books like this I feel somewhat overawed and my first response is to see this book as addressed to a type of leader I'm not--a high level, entrepreneurial leader who inspires revival through multiplying churches and ministry. But I appreciated Addison's initial challenge to step out where you are and press in to where God is calling. A theme in my reading as of late has been this: Don't just think, act, and when you do keep it simple and don't over-complicate things. I appreciate that movements grow when leaders step up and do something that others can replicate. The readers who will benifit from this book most are practitioners who want to 'take it to the next level.' I give this book four stars.
Note: I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review.
9780830844418This book has ten chapters and three brief 'Pioneer Profiles' that examine historic figures who ignited movements. Chapter one begins with Addison's own story. Having written the definitive book on movements (Movements that Change the World), Addison was challenged by God (and his wife) to do something. He knew conceptually what it took to build a movement but leaders who pioneer movements are those that do things. Addison observed, "I knew all the movement principles, but I didn't really know them. I was the expert, but I wasn't living them out. God was rattling my cage. Knowing something is not enough; he wanted me to do something" (23). So he prayerfully began to step out in evangelism in a immigrant community in Melbourne. He saw how stepping out was important for poneering leaders and trained others to do the same.
Chapter two looks at Jesus' sentness and the apostolic ministry he calls leaders to--sent and sending. Like Jesus and the movement he started Addison challenges movement pioneers to:
See the end they are aiming at (Transformed lives and the coming Kingdom of God)
Connect with People
Share the gospel
Train Disciples
Gather Communities
Multiply Workers (44-45)
Chapter three profiles Peter as 'first among the Apostles'--one sent in the name of Jesus who learned from Jesus to live the gospel, to embody the vision and stay on task to spread the Good news and lead God's people to do the same.
Chapter four describes the leadership structure of movements and the creative tension between church's and 'apostolic bands.' Chapter five provides a case-study of Nathan Shank and the multiplying, indigienous church movement he helped ignite in South Asia. Chapter six describes the levels of movement leaders from: (1) Seed Sower to (2) Church Planter, (3) Church Muliplier to (4) Multiplaction Trainer, and finally (5) Movement Catalyst. The Next three chapters explore pioneering movements in America, Africa and the Muslim world. Addison's final chapter challenges pioneering leaders press through suffering and obstacles to ministry and mission.
I think my favorite part about the book are the stories of missional leaders who are planting churches and working to bring in a harvest. It is always interesting to hear stories from the world Christianity and exciting movements that are impacting culture for Christ.
When I read books like this I feel somewhat overawed and my first response is to see this book as addressed to a type of leader I'm not--a high level, entrepreneurial leader who inspires revival through multiplying churches and ministry. But I appreciated Addison's initial challenge to step out where you are and press in to where God is calling. A theme in my reading as of late has been this: Don't just think, act, and when you do keep it simple and don't over-complicate things. I appreciate that movements grow when leaders step up and do something that others can replicate. The readers who will benifit from this book most are practitioners who want to 'take it to the next level.' I give this book four stars.
Note: I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review.
January 25, 2016
this is what we do. it is what the mission should be.
July 19, 2016
See what it takes to lead a multiplicative movement.
July 22, 2022
on z library
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews