Blog

Written by Lisa Mason
on 15th September 2024

This September marks three years since our team began intentionally investing in making disciples in Bradford. I haven’t kept track of the exact number of prayer walks, conversations about Jesus, or Bible studies we’ve started with non-believers, but I can say that despite our efforts, we have not yet found many "people of peace"—those open to the gospel. To an outsider, this might seem discouraging, and they may wonder why we haven’t given up.

In disciple-making, just like in life, it’s tempting to measure success by numbers. We’ve often felt the slow pace of progress, but we’ve learned there are things we can control and things we cannot. We can control our time in prayer, our obedience to scripture, and our efforts to share the gospel. But finding people whose hearts are open to Jesus is something only He can do. Salvation is His work, not ours.

We try to spend an hour each day in prayer, an hour among the lost, and an hour in corporate prayer weekly, trusting that the seeds we sow will bear fruit in God’s timing. Though these activities don’t always lead to immediate results, they’ve deepened our reliance on the Spirit and our focus on God’s Kingdom.

One key lesson we’ve learned is that faithfulness is success. Gary Galanos, our disciple-making coach, often reminds us that we aren’t responsible for the outcomes, only for being faithful to what God has called us to do. This mindset helps us celebrate the small steps of obedience rather than obsessing over visible results. When we gather with our team each week, we ask two questions: “Did you do what you committed to last time?” and “Did you share last week’s Bible story with someone?” These simple practices help us focus on faithfulness, knowing God will water the seeds we plant.

We also remind ourselves that “the prayer is the work.” The private and corporate prayer lives of our team have grown significantly, yet we recognize that there is still more to learn. We know that if we want to see a movement of God in our city, it must begin with prayer. Around the world, disciple-making movements are fueled by people who spend hours in prayer each day. This commitment reflects both their gratitude for what God has done and their desire to see more people come to know Jesus.

Recently, a local church leader thanked us for our efforts, sharing that since we began praying and serving in our part of the city, their church has started to grow. Hearing this was a reminder that our work, though slow and often unseen, is bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom.

This journey has been a significant shift for us. At first, we felt pressure to produce quick results, more out of a desire to prove ourselves than out of love for the lost. But as time passed, our focus changed from building our church to building God’s Kingdom. We’ve learned that the Kingdom of God isn’t measurable in the ways we often expect. It’s not limited to a church, a city, or even a nation. Instead, it’s something that grows slowly, like a mustard seed or a grain of yeast, often in ways that are hidden.

God has connected us with disciple-makers worldwide, and when we hear stories of groups multiplying and people meeting Jesus, we rejoice at the small part we’ve played in prayer and encouragement. The vision we have for our city is bigger than anything one person, team, or church can accomplish. We’re willing to lay down our reputation, finances, and even our church for the sake of God’s Kingdom.

As we look to the future, we no longer wonder if the harvest will come, but when. God has called us to this place for a reason, and though we may not feel ready, we trust that when the time comes, our obedience will matter more than our expertise. Our next step as a family is to move into an area with a population that is about 70% Muslim. We know this won’t be easy, but we also know that if our neighbours are going to meet Jesus, it will be in their homes, schools, and parks—not in a church.

We believe Jesus has gone ahead of us and is already working in the lives of those around us. Our prayer is simple: “Jesus, show us what you’re doing and who you’re drawing to you. Help us play our part in building your Kingdom, making disciples, and showing your love to the lost. Here we are, ready to do your will.”

Amen.

This post was written as a guest newsletter for Simon Holley's The Raw Disciple. To sign up to receive the newsletter, go to therawdisciple.com