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The Exceptional Few: Lessons From Effective Disciple Making Churches
What sets effective disciple making churches apart from the rest?
Learn how leading churches across North America are reproducing disciples and igniting movements.

The Exceptional Few: Lessons from Effective Disciple-Making Churches is a practical guide for pastors and teams who want to move beyond programs and embrace a true culture of disciple making. Drawing on a follow-up study by Discipleship.org (with interviews, an objective cultural assessment, and additional research), this eBook reveals what the most effective churches do differently—and how you can adapt these practices in your context.
Why download this eBook?
- Understand the five levels of disciple-making churches—from subtracting to multiplying—so you can see where you are and where to go next. (Fewer than 5% of North American churches are Level 4, with a newly identified set now reaching Level 5.)
- Learn from real, recent examples of Level 4–5 churches and networks (e.g., Elevate City, Lift Church, Tampa Underground, and Real Life Ministries Texas) to apply in your context.
- Apply five field-tested best practices: consecration through prayer and fasting, convictional leadership, a simple and reproducible contextual model, clear core expectations, and deep cultural alignment.
- Follow a research-backed path built from a nationwide study and verification criteria you can trust.
Plus, you’ll find curated next-read recommendations to keep your team growing together.