CORE Team Leadership Guide:
Laying The Foundation For A Disciplemaking Culture
Based on insights from Justin Gravitt’s book,"The Foundation of a Disciple Making Culture"
Based on insights from Justin Gravitt’s book,"The Foundation of a Disciple Making Culture"
A CORE Team is a small, committed group of disciplemakers who live out and model the culture they want to multiply. Without this team, a disciplemaking movement won’t gain depth or momentum. Culture change starts here—with people, not programs.
But this is more than just launching a CORE Team connected to a small group or house church. It’s the beginning of a movement meant to multiply and spread. Everything—from the structure and tools to the rhythms and relationships—is built with intention, focus, and reproducibility. That’s why the CORE Team matters so much.
As first-wave runners with this vision, I want to speak directly to you. This invitation isn’t just to join this CORE Team—it’s a call to own the vision and step into the role of a first follower, like the early disciples of Jesus.
Movements don’t begin with a crowd. They begin with a few—those who hear the vision, count the cost, and choose to go deep. These few are not just “attenders”; they are implementers. They become living examples that others can follow. In Disciple Making Movements (DMM), this first wave of the committed becomes the first disciplemakers—those who model the M&M mission:
Maturing believers in Christ
Multiplying disciplemakers
Without a committed first wave, the movement doesn’t gain traction. So the leader is asking the team member not just to show up, but to dive deep. To not settle for surface-level exposure and to go beyond random searches or lightweight curiosity about DMM. The leader may provide guided readings, key resources, and space to process—whether through text, Zoom, or in person. All this to engage and mature together in a very targeted way.
The team members have a choice. And if they choose to move forward, they will become part of the “first fruits” of the greater works to come through this movement.
Common Vision - They are united around a clear, biblical understanding of WHAT disciplemaking and spiritual maturity entail, HOW the team will pursue them, and WHY they are essential.
Ownership - Each person owns the vision and mission personally and intentionally lives it out.
Relational Resilience - They stay rooted in Christ and in one another, even through tension, hardship, or setbacks.
Endurance - They’re committed for the long haul—faithful even when it’s slow, hard, or unclear.
Disciplemaking culture doesn’t grow from a pulpit alone—it grows through people who live it.
The CORE Team:
Models a life of disciplemaking others can see and follow.
creates Momentum by sparking interest and engagement as they cast and communicate a compelling vision.
Multiplies by raising up disciplemakers—not just disciples.
“People don’t reproduce what you teach. They reproduce what you model.”
Build trust, unity, and shared rhythms—for example, weekly readings sent by email or text to the CORE Team. Everyone reads the same material and contributes reflections, takeaways, questions, or concerns. This shared practice strengthens the alignment with the team’s vision and mission.
Use reproducible tools and share personal stories of transformation to encourage one another.
Commit to one another—not just outcomes.
Learn to speak truth in love and grow together.
Celebrate one another’s growth without comparison—rejoicing in victories while resisting the trap of measuring themselves against each other. The team lives with an “all for one and one for all” mindset, knowing that a win for one is a win for the whole team.
Regularly cast and recast the vision during CORE Team gatherings. Practicing this within the team prepares its members to share the vision clearly with others and to help catalyze long-term paradigm shift—both inside and beyond the movement.
2. Become Disciplemakers
Each person actively makes disciples who make disciples.
Model the lifestyle you want others to imitate.
The goal is not the team itself—it’s culture change that glorifies God.
Christlikeness – “I make disciples because Jesus did, and I want to be like Him.”
Disciplemaking is part of becoming like Christ—it's not just something we do, it’s who we become.
Kingdom Vision – “I want to see God’s Kingdom expand to those who don’t know Him yet.”
CORE members labor with eternity in mind, boldly pursuing the lost.
Generational Impact – “I want to leave a legacy of faith that lasts beyond me.”
Disciplemaking is generational. It fulfills God’s promises and bears fruit that outlives us.
1. Start with the Right People
Pray and invite 3–5 people with hunger for Jesus, a heart for the lost, and a long-term vision for disciple making.
Clearly and consistently communicate the purpose—using stories, analogies, and creative expressions that bring the vision to life. Then invite them into the journey with you.
2. Clarify the Vision
Root the mission in Scripture and the life of Jesus.
Help each member connect the vision to their calling.
Invite team members to go deeper by engaging with selected articles or videos. These resources are meant to fuel understanding, spark reflection, and encourage each person to share their takeaways, questions, and concerns as the team process the vision together.
Actively involve team members in shaping and applying the vision by engaging them with thought-provoking questions. This helps them grow as active thinkers and co-builders of the culture. Ask things like:
How would you explain the vision and mission of your small group in your own words to someone new?
What analogy might help communicate the “why” behind this movement?
How has this DMM core value shifted the way you approach making disciples?
What have you recently learned or discovered about disciplemaking that helps make it more effective and reproducible?
3. Pray Together
During our monthly gatherings, we will set aside time to pray—for one another and for the lost. This practice. strengthens our bond and keeps our hearts aligned with God's mission.
Encourage prayer throughout the week, upholding team members and asking God to empower them with passion and zeal for disciplemaking—this builds heart connection.
4. Invest in Relationships
Cultivate honesty, encouragement, and accountability.
As a leader, share life, not just information—be open about your own journey.
Relate to team members as equals—in CORE Team gatherings, in small group settings, and in public spaces. Honor their voice and value their presence as co-laborers in the mission.
5. Train for Multiplication
Learn and practice simple, reproducible tools for disciplemaking.
Train together—not just talk.
Encourage each member to begin discipling 1–2 others.
Reflect, adjust, and coach one another.
6. Go Together
Plan monthly outreach as a team for the small group or house church.
Brief before and debrief after—celebrate steps of faith and learn from the process.
7. Endure Together
Expect opposition and setbacks.
Stay grounded in God's faithfulness and the bigger vision.
Walk in Galatians 6:9—“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
For those considering joining the CORE Team:
Do I share the vision for disciplemaking?
Am I living it out personally?
Can I commit to this team and this mission long-term?
Who is God highlighting to invite into a discipleship relationship?
For the CORE Team Leader:
Who is God highlighting to invite into this team?
How am I modeling the life I want others to follow?
How can I help my team grow in Christlikeness, Kingdom focus, and Generational impact?
Culture doesn't shift through good ideas—it shifts through living examples. CORE Teams are the living proof that disciplemaking is possible, powerful, and worth following.
“If you want to build a disciplemaking culture, build a CORE team before you build a crowd.”
Be patient. Be prayerful. Be persistent. You're not just forming a team—you're shaping a culture. And that culture, by God’s grace, can change everything.
“The ultimate purpose of the CORE team is to glorify God. But to do so, they must become something first: a team of disciplemakers.” — Justin Gravitt
Your CORE Team is the beginning—not the end. Disciplemaking culture starts small but grows deep and wide through people who live it faithfully. This is how movements begin.
“Culture change starts small—but it starts with you.”