Field Teams · Mobilizers · Researchers

PHASES OF

ENGAGEMENT

TOOLKIT

A shared, globally usable language for measuring gospel progress among people groups, from Waiting to Sustained Gospel Presence.

A collaborative framework developed by Frontiers, IMB, Joshua Project, Engage Network, Vision 5:9, and Accelerate, with input from practitioners and researchers around the world.

Motivations and Explanation

Why Something New?

For years, our shared language was mostly two data points: Engaged or Unengaged and Christian/Evangelical %. Helpful, but too flat for today's realities. Two people groups can look the same on those metrics yet be in radically different places.

Phases of Engagement (8 phases)

A simple descriptive frame from Waiting (Phase 0) to Sustained Gospel Presence (Phase 7).

Engagement Strength

An indicator tool based on field surveys or activity apps that helps show how vigorous current efforts are within a phase.

Engagement Accelerators

A self-assessment tool suggesting practices teams can use to identify gaps, choose next steps, and catalyze movement to the next phase.

Framework Overview

Three-Dimensional People Group Progress

A group can be "engaged" yet weak and stagnant, or have a low evangelical percentage yet be vibrant with multiplying churches. This three-dimensional view adds the depth needed for strategic clarity.

01

Phases of Engagement

An eight-step continuum that tracks where a people group stands in terms of gospel progress. Each phase describes a milestone not always reflected well by Christian or Evangelical percentage.

02

Strength of Engagement

A five-level scale that captures how robust or deep engagement actually is, based on quantitative events and qualitative reports from field contacts. It shows how active and pervasive gospel activity is relevant to the size of the group.

03

Percentage Christian/Evangelical

A numerical value showing how much of the population identifies with Christianity or the Evangelical movement. Purely quantitative. Most meaningful when read alongside the other two dimensions.

First Dimension

Phases of Engagement

An eight-step continuum describing each milestone in gospel progress. Use the Quick Start questions sequentially. The highest phase where all prior criteria are met is the current phase.

0

Phase 0

Waiting
There is no known reported engagement to establish self-sustaining churches, or "0-R": previous efforts have not resulted in ongoing activity or have not been updated in three years.
Sub-indicator "0-R" marks that a restart is needed.
1

Phase 1

Entry
Workers or near-culture believers gain access to the people group and begin laying relational foundations to share Christ and plant churches. The focus is on connecting, learning, and building bridges.
2

Phase 2

Evangelism
Regular, culturally relevant gospel engagement is taking place, with the intention of planting self-sustaining churches.
3

Phase 3

Discipleship
Individuals or small clusters respond in repentance and faith. Early discipleship stresses obedience to Scripture, laying foundations for self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.
4

Phase 4

Local Church
Believers from the people group gather regularly, functioning as a local church consistent with evangelical faith and practice. Leaders from the people group are emerging among these churches.
5

Phase 5

Reproducing Church
Churches from the people group are sending out evangelists or church planters to plant new churches among their own people. Second-generation groups and churches are forming.
6

Phase 6

Multiplying Church
Generational church streams spread across the people group, reaching 4th generation or beyond of both churches and leaders. Church network structures empower local oversight.
7

Phase 7

Sustained Gospel Presence
The people group has either: (1) 10% or more following Christ and worshipping in churches, or (2) several multiplying church planting networks led by believers from the people group, who are sending workers to other people groups while continuing to mature at home.
Tool Flexibility: While these phases are written with people groups in view, they can also be used for geographic strategies by replacing "people group" with the appropriate geographic area (district, state, or country).

Is there any known current effort with intention toward self-sustaining churches that is culturally appropriate and locally relevant?

No → Phase 0: Waiting. Prior work ceased or data >3 years old → tag 0-R.Yes → Continue

Entry: Are workers or near-culture believers gaining access and laying relational foundations to share Christ and plant churches?

Yes → at least Phase 1. Continue.

Evangelism: Is regular, culturally relevant gospel engagement taking place with the intention of planting self-sustaining churches?

Yes → at least Phase 2. Continue.

Discipleship: Have individuals or small clusters responded in repentance and faith, with early discipleship emphasizing obedience to Scripture and laying foundations for self-sustaining churches?

Yes → at least Phase 3. Continue.

Local Church: Are believers from the people group gathering regularly as local churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice, with leaders from the people group emerging?

Yes → at least Phase 4. Continue.

Reproducing Churches: Are churches sending evangelists/planters, and do you see second-generation groups or churches forming?

Yes → at least Phase 5. Continue.

Multiplying Churches: Are churches and leaders multiplying to the fourth generation?

Yes → at least Phase 6. Continue.

Sustained Gospel Presence: Are there multiple streams of churches reaching fourth generation with evangelical doctrine and practice sustained locally?

Yes → Phase 7.

When is a Restart Needed? (Phase 0-R)

A restart may be needed when past efforts have not resulted in a lasting gospel presence and no viable witness remains. This could occur if a team withdraws, believers disperse without continued outreach, or external pressures disrupt ministry. Additionally, if no new incoming data is received for three years, the group will be designated Phase 0-R.

Second Dimension

Engagement Strength

Beyond knowing where a people group is on the journey, it is important to understand how strong and sustainable that engagement actually is. Two methods assess this.

Engagement Strength Levels

Unknown

No activity data is available, or existing data is insufficient to assess engagement strength.

Initial

Minimal gospel-oriented activity is occurring relative to the population, with limited scope or consistency.

Growing

Gospel activity is increasing in frequency, diversity, or cultural proximity, but remains limited relative to the population.

Active

Consistent, culturally connected gospel activity is taking place across multiple dimensions, proportionate to the population.

Flourishing

Robust, culturally rooted gospel activity is widespread and sustained relative to the population, reflecting depth across multiple indicators.

Important: Engagement strength levels are general descriptions. Each phase has its own metrics that are calculated and weighted to determine strength. Strength is not a measurement of a team's quality or impact, but an indicator of gospel-oriented activity relative to the population.

Two Assessment Methods

Secure Activity Tracking Apps

Allows for real-time updates and long-term visibility of progress.

  • Requires internet access and willingness to record data digitally
  • Provides continuous, quantitative data stream

Field Survey Tool

Designed for teams in limited-access areas or those who choose not to record data online.

  • A quantitative and qualitative questionnaire
  • Captures a snapshot of engagement strength for the people group's current phase
  • Easy to use, even in remote settings

Why Both?

When both methods are coordinated, they allow both survey sources to inform and populate engagement strength together, providing a fuller, more reliable picture.

Why Three Dimensions Matter

Same Numbers. Different Realities.

Two groups can share an identical Evangelical % yet be in radically different places. This is what the three-dimensional view reveals.

Group AGroup B
Evangelical % 0.2% 0.2%
Phase of Engagement Phase 5 – Churches Reproducing Phase 2 – Evangelism
Engagement Strength Active Growing
On-the-ground signs 2nd-gen groups forming; local lay leaders active; regular baptisms; simple gatherings multiplying Sporadic gospel conversations; a few interested households; limited Scripture access in heart language
What this means Momentum exists; protect health and push toward 3rd–4th generation streams Early traction; risk of stall without focused presence and resourcing
Priority focus (next 6–12 months) Leadership development; empowerment and release of authority; sending to new segments Same/near-culture evangelists; Scripture/Gospel access; consistent follow-up in multiple nodes
Accelerators to emphasize Training & Equipping; Reproducing; Collaborative Engagement Prayer; Scripture/Gospel Resource Access; Mobilization/Sending; Multi-node Engagement

Early phases often require pioneers focused on access, language, research, and gospel entry. As progress advances, the center of gravity shifts toward leadership development, local sending, and systems that sustain healthy churches.

Diagnostic and Catalytic Tool

Engagement Accelerators

Accelerators highlight key factors that can move a people group toward a stronger, more sustainable gospel presence. They represent 12 strategic domains that apply across all phases but require different approaches at each phase.

Accelerators are not a scorecard, prescription, or rigid method. They are not sequential or listed in order of importance. Instead, Accelerators should be seen as diagnostic and catalytic: they surface gaps, spark ideas, and focus next steps. Review all 12 diagnostic questions below. Identify 1–2 that expose your biggest gap or opportunity for moving toward the next phase.

Prayer

Sustained intercession focused on the people group's specific realities. Seeks God's guidance, protection, and breakthrough. Includes personal prayer, households, and networks of churches praying together.

Diagnostic questionWho specifically needs sustained prayer to break through into the next phase, and who could join you in praying for this breakthrough?

Scripture / Resource Access

Heart-language access to Scripture and gospel content in usable formats (print, audio, app, oral). Focuses on translation, product development, distribution pathways, local ownership, and feedback on translation quality.

Diagnostic questionWhat barriers keep people from engaging with Scripture in their heart language and preferred format? How could removing those barriers accelerate progress toward the next phase?

Vision Casting

A clear, compelling picture of gospel advance for the people group that aligns teams, churches, and partners. Uses stories and simple data to set direction and sustain momentum.

Diagnostic questionWhat compelling picture of gospel breakthrough could unite, mobilize, and inspire people toward the next phase?

Multi-node Engagement

Gospel activity across multiple geographic, demographic, or digital spaces. A node is a strategic point of influence: a city, town, diaspora community, or digital platform. Engaging multiple nodes broadens impact and reduces vulnerability to disruption in any single stream.

Diagnostic questionWhich geographic, demographic, or digital spaces remain untouched or show the most receptivity? Could engaging them unlock movement toward the next phase?

Mobilization / Sending

Identifying, preparing, deploying, and caring for workers (local, near-culture, cross-culture). Includes simple pipelines, coaching, and member care.

Diagnostic questionWhat type of worker does your current phase require? Who needs to be identified, prepared, or sent to drive progress toward the next phase?

Collaborative Engagement

Shared prayer, learning, data, and mutual care among churches, agencies, and local believers. Clarifies roles through simple agreements and works together on crises and opportunities.

Diagnostic questionWhat would you gain by partnering more intentionally with other workers, local believers, or nearby churches to strengthen your capacity for moving to the next phase?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

Tangible expressions of love that dignify communities and open relational doors. Designed to "do no harm," be locally led, and connect naturally to long-term discipleship.

Diagnostic questionHow can tangible acts of love open relational doors and build trust for deeper gospel engagement into the next phase, without creating dependency or power imbalances?

Critical Contextualization

Community-led application of Scripture that is biblically faithful and culturally meaningful. Regularly reviews forms and practices with diverse voices to guard against drift and syncretism.

Diagnostic questionWhere might your current forms or practices feel disconnected from local culture or Scripture? Could addressing these unlock movement toward the next phase?

Research / Cultural Insights

An ongoing learning posture to understand insights from language, worldview, social networks, migration, and pressure points that impact fruitful strategy and practice.

Diagnostic questionWhat don't you yet know about people's spiritual hunger, barriers, social networks, or receptive subgroups? Would learning this remove key obstacles to the next phase?

Multiplying Efforts

Habits and systems that drive the reproduction of what the current phase requires. The emphasis is on reproducibility and wise release of authority.

Diagnostic questionWhat's currently reproducing on its own versus requiring your constant involvement? What would need to multiply to sustain movement into the next phase?

Training / Equipping

Reproducible formation for people in the skills and biblical knowledge needed to strengthen their current phase and catalyze movement to the next. Delivered by practitioners and designed to be passed on.

Diagnostic questionWho needs to be trained or equipped in specific skills or biblical knowledge to catalyze the breakthrough needed for the next phase? Who needs to lead that training?

Marketplace Involvement

Leveraging positions in business that provide access, witness, and tangible blessing. Operates ethically, favors local ownership, and integrates workplace discipleship where appropriate.

Diagnostic questionHow can the work lives and business connections of believers create natural spaces for witness and sustainable presence that advance progress toward the next phase?

Team Workflow

How to Use Accelerators

A six-step process for using Engagement Accelerators with your current people group. Keep it prayerful, contextual, and action-oriented.

1

Identify Your Phase

Confirm the current Phase of Engagement for the people group using the Quick Start Guide decision tree above.

2

Find the Accelerator Diagnostic Questions

Locate the questions that correspond to your phase. Use the general diagnostic questions or the phase-specific questions in the appendix.

3

Pray and Diagnose

Review the Diagnostic Questions with field reality in view. Answer honestly. Let prayer shape how you see the gaps and opportunities.

4

Discern and Choose

Think beyond the questions to the wider ministry domain. Ask God what 1–2 items from the 12 domains (or your own ideas) would most strengthen engagement and help move toward the next phase.

5

Plan and Act

Use the Accelerator Planning Worksheet (available in the full toolkit) to assign the next step, identify partners, and set goals. Keep it small, specific, and culturally appropriate.

6

Learn and Update

Note what happened, what you learned, and any phase-shift signals: new baptisms, new groups, leaders emerging. Share updates with your network and Mission Information Community.

Guiding Principles

Context first: Adapt ideas to language, culture, security, and local wisdom.
Sequence matters: Choose actions that advance the phase rather than entrenching the current one.
Build on strength: Look for where God is already at work and join in. Avoid replicating what's already succeeding.
Partner widely: Involve local believers, proximate cultures, diaspora, and specialty ministries.
Keep it light: This is a guide for prayerful creativity. Use it to focus, not to add burden.

Appendix

Phase-Specific Accelerator Questions

Each phase has tailored questions across all 12 accelerator domains. Select a phase below to expand its questions.

Prayer

  • Are you praying by name for persons of peace and households?
  • Has the initial area been spiritually mapped and spiritual strongholds identified?
  • Have you had in-depth prayer through short-term teams or prayer journeys?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • How is truth most frequently communicated in this context (print, oral, radio, digital/web)?
  • What are the key resources needed for development at this phase?
  • Has feedback been given on existing translations?

Vision Casting

  • Are others vision-casting for this people group?
  • Are the needs of the community being shared?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Can you continue in this node long-term?
  • Are nodes prioritized by gospel access potential?
  • What is the next node of engagement?
  • Will sharing freely in this context affect your ability to stay here?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Do you have enough workers for the current project?
  • Are you mobilizing people to work through media?
  • Are diaspora believers from this people group engaged as bridge people?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are there any near-culture Christians who can be mobilized?
  • Does the people group aspire to connect with or identify with a nearby community?
  • Can you help direct any local ministries to serve this people group?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Are compassion activities requested by locals and legally allowed?

Critical Contextualization

  • Are outside workers aware that their actions could be perceived as offensive?
  • Is there a growing understanding of how to interact with the different power structures in the community?
  • Are entry strategies leveraging the resources already in the community?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have you confirmed the key access points for Christians?
  • Have you completed in-depth ethnographic research?
  • What are the key religious or cultural centers of the people?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Prayer, Access Nodes, Felt-needs projects?

Training / Equipping

  • Do you know how to learn basic worldview?
  • Do you know how to learn language?
  • Is there understanding of helping without hurting?

Marketplace Involvement

  • Are you prototyping 1–2 credible roles (teacher, health worker, trader, tech) to sustain presence?

Prayer

  • Are you offering prayer to people you meet?
  • Are prayer networks praying specifically for and during times of evangelism?
  • Are you praying for those who have shown interest by name?
  • Is intercession focused on specific households or segments, followed by intentional contact?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • Are Scripture and gospel resources available through multiple modes?
  • Are the religious terms a barrier to understanding?
  • Are you hearing of felt needs that Scripture stories can address?

Vision Casting

  • Are near-culture or proximate believers aware of the need for gospel witness?
  • Are stories of interest and response being anonymized and shared to sustain prayer?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Is the digital space being engaged?
  • How many geographic nodes are hearing the gospel?
  • How many population segments are being engaged?
  • Are we measuring engagement by node (rural/urban/online/diaspora) to learn where God is opening doors?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Are you recruiting to a variety of modes and nodes of evangelism?
  • Do you have on-ramps for short-term evangelism trips?
  • Are proximate believers active and mentored?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are you freely sharing gospel resources you have discovered or developed?
  • Are you allowing others to learn from what you are learning?
  • Is there a people group focused coalition of ministries to facilitate collaboration?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Do compassionate works lead to group conversations, not just individual ones?

Critical Contextualization

  • How do people explore spiritual truths, individually or communally?
  • Where do meaningful conversations take place?
  • What is their religious starting point?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have you identified cultural bridges for the gospel or redemptive analogies?
  • Are you tracking gospel conversations and their responses?
  • Are you learning of additional needs of the community?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Evangelists, Access points for gospel materials, Distribution of resources and Scripture?

Training / Equipping

  • Is there understanding in how to bridge spiritual conversations?
  • Is the team equipped to use cultural bridges and illustrations in sharing the gospel?
  • Does the team naturally include Bible stories in conversations?

Marketplace Involvement

  • Are there workplaces where natural relationships lead to spiritual conversations?

Prayer

  • Are new believers praying for their friends and family to come to faith?
  • Are they praying for new believers?
  • Are they praying for leaders to emerge?
  • Are they praying for families to journey in discipleship together?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • What are new believers saying about the current Scripture and resources?
  • Do new believers see a need for more localized resources to be created?
  • Are there dialects among the primary language that need specific resources?

Vision Casting

  • Do new believers see the importance of sharing with their friends and family?
  • Do new believers see the principle of spiritual reproduction?
  • Do new believers sense discipleship is surrender to the Lordship of Jesus?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Are new disciples providing insight into influential nodes?
  • Are new believers sharing the gospel with their friends' and family's networks?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Do you have sufficient workers to disciple new believers?
  • Are you mobilizing new believers to share with their family and friends?
  • Are proximate believers discipling alongside cross-cultural workers to transfer ownership early?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are you sharing testimony of God's work with others for mutual encouragement?
  • Are you sharing best practices you are learning with other workers?
  • Are there overlooked potential partners (diaspora believers, near-culture churches, local NGOs) who could contribute to reaching this group?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Do compassionate activities support ongoing discipleship?

Critical Contextualization

  • Do initial discipleship lessons align with the culture's overarching worldview (honor/shame, power/fear, guilt/innocence)?
  • Is baptism communicated and performed in a manner sensitive to cultural realities?
  • Do discipleship methods feel foreign to the community?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have common worldview obstacles that new believers face been identified?
  • Is there a Scripture set for new believers that addresses cultural issues?
  • Have local believers identified the most effective methods for Scripture engagement?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Disciples sharing their story and God's Story, Confidence to facilitate discipleship gatherings, Baptisms?

Training / Equipping

  • Are new disciples sharing their story with their friends and family?
  • Can new disciples lead others in discipleship?
  • Are disciples equipped to face persecution or spiritual opposition?

Marketplace Involvement

  • What is the new disciple's sphere of influence in the workplace?

Prayer

  • Are local churches meeting for corporate prayer and fasting?
  • Is there prayer for the community to recognize and affirm emerging leaders?
  • Is there prayer for God to send out new church planters?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • Does the church feel more comfortable using their local language or a trade language in their gatherings?
  • Do further leadership development materials need to be translated into the local language?
  • What language-specific resources are needed for scriptural faithfulness?

Vision Casting

  • Do your gathering rhythms emphasize obedience to Scripture?
  • Does the church have a vision to send?
  • Does the church have a health diagnostic tool?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Are local churches seeing other nodes and taking responsibility to engage them?
  • Are churches forming primarily in one type of node (e.g., urban, young, professional) while neglecting others?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Are you identifying communities that need new churches?
  • Do you communicate that the church has a call to go and make disciples?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are churches beginning to network and partner to identify and expand into new locations or types of ministry engagement?
  • How is leadership shared between emerging local leaders and outside leaders?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Who is leading in ministry through meeting needs?

Critical Contextualization

  • Are churches using local forms for worship and gathering?
  • Have redeemed cultural practices been used in church gatherings?
  • Do church gathering times or locations bring shame to their community or family?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have churches identified other places where business, compassion ministries, or church planting is needed?
  • Does the mode and method of gathering feel accessible or inviting to those not yet in the kingdom?
  • Are churches tracking qualitative and quantitative health metrics?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Church leaders, Church planters, Church-based ministries, Release of authority?

Training / Equipping

  • Are leaders emerging?
  • Is the church growing in faithfulness to the New Testament in practice?
  • Is the priesthood of the believer being applied to all levels in the church?

Marketplace Involvement

  • How is the church equipping those in the workforce to grow in their trade and be faithful witnesses?

Prayer

  • Is prayer happening for ongoing humility among leaders?
  • How are the churches communicating prayer needs to the global body of Christ?
  • Are churches praying for 4th generation church starts?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • Are Scriptures available in print or on audio devices locally?
  • Does each church have a physical copy of the Scripture?
  • Is all the training needed for church planters available in the heart language?

Vision Casting

  • Is there regular vision casting for planting more churches through developing and releasing more leaders?
  • Have leaders been exposed to more fruitful fields to grow their vision?
  • Do the majority of people see the call and promise of God to reach all peoples?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Are some nodes currently more receptive to the gospel?
  • Is there cultural baggage in some nodes that is becoming a barrier to releasing authority to emerging leaders?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Is there a pathway for equipping and mobilization?
  • How are church planters being supported?
  • Are sending structures and pathways needed at this point?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are there clear channels of communication between churches for encouragement, accountability, and equipping?
  • Are churches collaborating to accomplish more together than they could separately?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Are the current felt needs ministries dependent on external funding?
  • What is the sustainability plan?

Critical Contextualization

  • Who decided on the church's meeting pattern?
  • Are some segments of the people group not yet responsive to the gospel?
  • What cultural problems are arising that are causing strife or division?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have common barriers to multiplication been identified?
  • Are there culturally similar people groups at phase 6 or beyond to learn from?
  • Has qualitative tracking revealed deficiencies in church health metrics?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Leaders of leaders, Trainers, A burden for unreached peoples/places?

Training / Equipping

  • How are emerging leaders chosen and equipped?
  • How is training multiplying so that the whole community is being lifted together?
  • Does the training emphasize information or action?

Marketplace Involvement

  • Are you equipping new believers to see their spheres of influence as church planting opportunities?

Prayer

  • Are churches praying for cross-cultural church planting teams to be sent out?
  • Is there prayer for the growth of biblical faithfulness?
  • Is there prayer for the sustainability of the church multiplication?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • Is the New Testament complete and accepted by local speakers?
  • Does the network of churches need to work collaboratively to start a church-based translation project?
  • Is there a need for an additional translation for a different dialect or religious background?

Vision Casting

  • Is God continuing to grow the network's vision?
  • What are local leaders saying is next?
  • Is vision casting coming primarily from the inside or still the outside?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Are there strategic nodes that have not yet seen a breakthrough?
  • How are different nodes connecting for collaboration and encouragement?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Are geographic and societal gaps identified for sending new workers?
  • Are more experienced church planters contributing a small portion of their time to model for new workers?
  • Is sending including pathways for a variety of giftings and callings?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Are churches pooling financial resources to be able to respond to needs rapidly?
  • Do church leaders gather for a regular rhythm of problem-solving and vision casting toward ongoing gaps?
  • How are you communicating with the global mission information networks of progress?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • How are churches launching felt-need initiatives that reproduce without external subsidy?

Critical Contextualization

  • Have churches produced their own worship songs?
  • Is there diversity in the ways that churches are gathering that reflects the segments of the people group who have been reached?
  • Is leadership development happening in the context of culturally appropriate communities of practice?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Have case studies of fruitful streams been documented?
  • Are outside financial offers arriving with conditions or agendas that could compromise local leadership or direction?
  • How are the churches growing in maturity?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Church networks, Cross-cultural sending, Problem-solving, Pastoral development, New church streams?

Training / Equipping

  • Has the network captured best practices and compiled a training pathway or package?
  • When is a shepherding training pathway needed?
  • How frequently do leaders of multiple generations of churches need peer learning and problem-solving?

Marketplace Involvement

  • How are the churches spanning and impacting new socioeconomic and societal segments that need the gospel and new churches?

Prayer

  • Is the church actively praying for unreached areas and urgent justice issues as part of its regular prayer life?
  • Has prayer become a mere formality instead of heartfelt intercession?

Scripture / Resource Access

  • Is Scripture access expanding in print, audio, and digital channels, or plateauing?
  • Is there local stewardship for updates, distribution, and new formats?

Vision Casting

  • Is the shared vision still stretching us beyond maintenance toward new peoples and places?
  • Are stories and visuals celebrating fresh breakthroughs rather than only institutional activity?

Multi-node Engagement

  • Are rural, urban, diaspora, and media nodes all active, or are some drifting?
  • Do we track node health indicators such as new groups, baptisms, leaders, and generations?

Mobilization / Sending

  • Is our pipeline producing new near-culture and cross-culture workers, or has it stalled?
  • Do sent workers receive consistent coaching, care, and re-entry debriefs that prevent burnout?

Collaborative Engagement

  • Do regional gatherings still pray, share, and learn together, or have meetings become perfunctory?
  • Are there living agreements for data sharing, benevolence, persecution response, and crisis care?

Meeting Needs / Compassion

  • Have compassion initiatives become routine or dependency-creating rather than catalytic?
  • Are initiatives opening doors into new nodes and households, or keeping us in safe spaces?

Critical Contextualization

  • Are practices reviewed for biblical faithfulness and cultural fit, or have forms become rigid?
  • Do diverse voices, including women and younger leaders, help surface drift or blind spots?

Research / Cultural Insights

  • Are we still listening for shifts in worldview, migration, youth culture, and pressure points?
  • Do new insights translate into strategy adjustments, or are we coasting on old assumptions?

Multiplying Efforts

  • How are the following multiplying: Sending structures, Engagement of spiritual gifts, Renewal movements?

Training / Equipping

  • Are leaders multiplying, or has leadership concentration created bottlenecks?
  • Do leaders receive ongoing formation in reconciliation, peacemaking, and healthy correction?
  • Is theological education and training harming or expediting progress?

Marketplace Involvement

  • Are marketplace platforms still opening credible witness and new geography, or mainly sustaining jobs?
  • How is the church championing Christian ethics in business to reshape trade, city, or regional business practices?

Ready to Put It Into Practice?

Download the full Phases of Engagement Toolkit, including all phase-specific accelerator questions.

Download Full Toolkit (PDF) Send Feedback to Research@JoshuaProject.net