A Movement Development Pathway
From first principles
to multiplying movements.
Formation as a guided journey — not a ladder of credentials.
The Ascent names Mercy Alliance's pathway for disciple-making formation. Movement begins with people and relationships, not programs. Growth is progressive but not strictly linear — you enter where your context calls for it, and every stage is complete in itself.
People, not programs
Real conversations. Real relationships.
The Ascent exists in the ordinary places where people already are — listening, practicing, and passing on what they're learning.
01 · The Pathway
Four places on the ascent.
The Ascent provides the navigational layer; the Movement programs remain the formal experience at each stage. Participants may enter at the place that matches their context — no one is required to start at Trailhead.
Movement Foundations
Understanding the principles, patterns, and possibilities of disciple-making movements.
Movement Foundations · Jan 28–29 →Movement Practice
Developing repeatable habits, relationships, and rhythms in a real context.
Stage site coming soonMovement Catalysts
Strengthening emerging leaders, groups, and locally owned multiplication.
Stage site coming soonMovement Leading Academy
Advanced formation for leaders navigating the complexity of growing movements.
Stage site coming soon02 · Ascent Coaching
Events create catalytic moments.
Coaching helps them last.
Find the next faithful step.
Four kinds of meetings repeat across the journey — each one scheduled individually, at its own time, rather than on a fixed weekly countdown.
Ascent Coaching is the ongoing accompaniment system within The Ascent — not another course. Participants travel with experienced guides and peers while testing movement principles in their own context.
Survey the terrain
Notice what's happening. Complete Terrain Notes in about fifteen minutes.
Gather at Base Camp
Meet for a 90-minute Ascent Coaching Circle of six to eight peers.
Travel with a Trail Partner
Connect one-to-one or in a triad for thirty to forty-five minutes.
Take the next step
Act in your own context, then capture what happened and what changed.
A twelve-month journey for disciple makers and movement leaders who want to learn from practice, not another content-heavy course.
03 · Coaching Tracks
Three tracks, one rhythm.
Participants gather by primary context — not by prestige, title, or organizational rank. Six to eight people and one coach, grouped by context and responsibility wherever possible.
Individuals engaging a particular people or place
Focus: people, households, access, receptive relationships, discovery, emerging groups.
What is happening among the people you are pursuing, and what is your next faithful step?
Pastors and church leaders intersecting DMM with church
Focus: culture, congregational rhythms, ordinary disciple makers, leadership tensions, gathered and decentralized life.
How can your church create space for disciple making to multiply beyond its existing structures?
Mission organizations, denominations, and multi-country leaders
Focus: regional catalysts, local ownership, alignment, cross-cultural learning, funding, distributed authority.
What must your organization release, strengthen, or redesign so local movements can flourish?
04 · Upcoming
Where to meet us next.
Save the date for the flagship Trailhead launch, and watch for the first Ascent Coaching circles opening this fall.
Understanding the DNA of Disciple-Making Movements
The flagship launch gathering for Trailhead — two days on the principles, patterns, and possibilities of disciple-making movements, plus an optional Jan 30 Base Camp preview day.
Fall 2026 Ascent Coaching circles open
The first Ascent Coaching circles are being finalized for fall 2026, grouped by Pioneer, Church, and Network track. Reach out to your Mercy Alliance contact to ask a question or register your interest.
05 · The Coaching Vocabulary
Words worth knowing before Base Camp.
- Ascent Coaching Circle
- A contextual cohort of six to eight participants and one guide.
- Base Camp
- A 90-minute coaching gathering for the full circle.
- Trail Partners
- Peer pairs or triads who check in between gatherings.
- Terrain Notes
- A short field reflection, completed in about fifteen minutes.
- Next Faithful Step
- One clear action each participant chooses to take before the next gathering.
- Terrain Review
- A quarterly individual review of trust, relevance, and field action.
- Learning Exchange
- A cross-circle gathering that shares discoveries across contexts.
- Guide Formation
- Ongoing development for the coaches and coaching leaders themselves.
06 · Before You Apply
Questions about Ascent Coaching.
Who is Ascent Coaching for?
People actively pursuing disciple making in a field, church, organizational, denominational, or multi-country context.
How large is each circle?
Six to eight participants with one trained Ascent Guide.
How long is the commitment?
Twelve months. Stable relationships and repeated field practice are central to the experience.
What's the time commitment?
One 60-minute Compass Call, one 90-minute Base Camp, a 30–45 minute Trail Partner conversation, and field practice in your normal context.
Is this a course or a certification?
No. Ascent Coaching is a formation and coaching environment, not a credentialing program.
Will my field information be reported to my organization?
No. Coaching conversations and Terrain Notes are for discernment, not performance reporting.
When does it begin?
The first circles are planned for fall 2026. Confirmed dates will be shared with accepted participants.
Your Next Faithful Step
Movement rarely advances through one dramatic decision.
It grows through a series of faithful steps, taken with attention, courage, humility, and the support of others. Applications for the first Ascent Coaching circles are being finalized for fall 2026 — reach out to your Mercy Alliance contact to ask a question or register your interest.
