Common Questions About Ordinary Movement

Everything you need to know about starting or joining a discipleship group.
Table of Contents Below: Getting Started | For Group Leaders | For Participants | For Churches | About Our Beliefs

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Getting Started

  • Ordinary Movement is a discipleship process for small groups. We help ordinary men and women lead groups that produce disciples who make disciples.

    We're not just another Bible study. We're a reproducible process built around three pillars: Intimacy with Jesus, Intentional Relationships, and Multiplication.

    Our goal isn't just to complete a curriculum — it's to raise up leaders who start their own groups. That's how disciples multiply.

    Here’s an explainer video on how OM works: Watch Here

  • Most Bible studies follow a loop: a group forms, studies a book, finishes, then starts another study with the same people. The content gets consumed, but nothing changes. Nobody multiplies. Nobody leads.

    Ordinary Movement is different in two ways:

    First, we prioritize intimacy with Jesus. This isn't about acquiring more knowledge — it's about growing your personal relationship with Christ. Everything flows from time spent with Him. As you grow in intimacy with Jesus, calling emerges. And from that calling comes the desire to live out a lifestyle of disciple-making.

    Second, we're designed for multiplication.

    • Bible Study Loop: 1 group → finish → repeat with same people

    • Ordinary Movement: 1 group → participants become leaders → 10 groups → 100 groups

    We don't just want you to finish a workbook. We want you to become a disciple-maker who helps others do the same — because you've been transformed by intimacy with Jesus, not just informed by content.

  • We have three options based on your group context:

    Ordinary Men our Men's discipleship groups
    Ordinary Women our Women's discipleship groups
    Co-Ed Groups for Couples, mixed groups, church-wide

    All three use the same proven 27-session process. The difference is the context and community.

  • Groups work through 27 sessions over 6-12 months, depending on how often you meet.

    • Weekly meetings: ~6-7 months

    • Bi-weekly meetings: ~12 months

    We recommend the longer duration for deeper relationship-building — but both work.

  • Free:

    • Platform access

    • Leader training

    • Coaching and support

    • Resources

    Small Cost (paid by participants):

    • Physical workbook (~$20)

    • Companion books used in some sessions (~$20 to $30 total) (pending your preference for used purchases or brand new books)

    That's it. No subscription fees. No church licensing. No hidden costs.

    Two Important Notes:

    1. Upon registration in our online platform, you'll be given access to order your physical workbook.

    2. Seven of our sessions use third-party books, such as: Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge (1 Chapter), The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee (3 Chapters), The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee (2 Chapters), Forgotten God by Francis Chan (Full Book). We believe these books effectively present essential practices and truths.

  • Yes! You can preview 8 of our 27 sessions before committing. We have a coed version, plus separate men's and women's versions.

    A couple things worth knowing upfront: Once you register on our online platform, you'll get access to order your physical workbook. And seven of our sessions use third-party books — Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge (1 chapter), The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee (3 chapters), The Spiritual Man by Watchman Nee (2 chapters), and Forgotten God by Francis Chan (full book). We include them because they present truths we haven't found better anywhere else.

For Group Leaders

  • No. This was built for ordinary people.

    You don't need a theology degree. You don't need to be on church staff. You don't need to have all the answers.

    The workbook gives you a guide for every session. Our platform walks you through leader training. And we offer coaching support if you get stuck.

    If you're willing to gather a few people and walk through the process together, you can lead.

  • You're in good company. Most of our leaders felt the same way.

    Here's what one leader said:

    "Before stepping up to co-lead my OM group, I recall thinking — and even sharing with other guys — that I didn't feel qualified to lead a group. Looking back, that was bogus. My group wasn't looking for me to be a Bible scholar. It mattered a lot more to them that I cared about them enough to challenge them and hold them accountable." — Paul R., Men's Group Leader

    God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the willing.

  • Plan for:

    • Weekly meeting: 1-2 hours with your group

    • Personal prep: 30-60 minutes before each session (doing your own workbook)

    • Relationship investment: Time for coffee, texts, check-ins with group members

    It's a real commitment — but it's the kind of investment that produces eternal fruit.

  • Start with who you know. Most leaders are surprised by who says yes.

    Think about:

    • Friends from church

    • Coworkers

    • Neighbors

    • People you already do life with

    You don't need 10 people. Even 1 is a great start. Jesus discipled 12 — and invested most deeply in 3.

    • Leader training course — Free, self-paced, in our platform

    • Session-by-session guide — The workbook tells you what to do

    • Coaching calls — Our team is available to help you launch and troubleshoot

    • Community — You're part of a national movement of leaders

    You're not doing this alone.

  • The goal is multiplication. When your group finishes:

    1. Celebrate what God did

    2. Identify who's ready to lead their own group

    3. Become a mentor to those new leaders

    4. Repeat — now you have multiple groups multiplying

    This is how a disciple-making movement grows.

For Group Participants

  • Ordinary Movement equips leaders to start groups — we don't place people into existing groups.

    Here's how to get connected:

    1. Ask at your church — Many churches have OM groups running

    2. Ask friends — Someone you know may be starting a group

    3. Start your own — If you can't find one, consider leading one

    If you're looking to join and can't find a group, contact us and we'll try to help connect you.

    • Weekly or bi-weekly meetings: 1-2 hours

    • Personal workbook time: 30-60 minutes per week

    • Relationship investment: Time between meetings for connection

    The process works best when everyone is fully engaged — not just showing up.

  • Ordinary Movement groups are high-grace, high-challenge. That means:

    • Vulnerability — You'll be invited to go deep, not stay surface-level

    • Accountability — You'll be challenged to grow and follow through

    • Community — You'll build real relationships, not just attend meetings

    • Transformation — The goal is life change, not just information

    It's more than a study. It's a journey.

  • That's exactly who this is for.

    You don't need prior experience. You don't need to be a "mature Christian." You just need to be willing to grow.

    Many participants come in feeling spiritually stuck — and leave ready to lead others.

For Pastors & Churches

  • Ordinary Movement is designed to be pastor-championed, not pastor-led.

    That means:

    • You cast vision and celebrate what God is doing

    • Your people lead the groups

    • We provide the platform, training, and coaching

    You don't need to manage another program. Your ordinary members can run this themselves.

    See the full church framework →

  • There's no church licensing fee. No subscription. No bulk purchase required.

    • Platform, training, coaching: Free

    • Workbooks: Purchased by individual participants (~$20 each)

    • Books: Purchased by individual participants (~$20 to $40 total) (used/new)

    We've intentionally kept this accessible for churches of any size.

  • Ordinary Movement can run:

    • Alongside your existing small group system

    • Within a tri-semester schedule (launch in September or February) (However, we see the 6 or 12 month schedules, with no breaks, work best)

    • As your primary discipleship pathway

    Many churches run a mix: existing groups for community, OM groups for intentional disciple-making.

    See integration options →

  • Ordinary Movement is interdenominational.

    We've worked with: Southern Baptist, Calvary Chapel, Assemblies of God, Non-Denominational, House Church, Catholic, Presbyterian, and many more.

    We don't endorse any particular denomination. We major in the majors and minor in the minors.

  • Minimal hands-on work. Your role is to:

    1. Champion discipleship and disciple-making from the pulpit

    2. Celebrate groups publicly when they launch and finish

    3. Encourage leaders periodically

    4. Collaborate on multiplication plans when groups end

    You don't need to show up at groups, manage sign-ups, or create content. We handle that.

  • Yes! We have:

    • Promo videos for announcements

    • Testimonial videos from participants

    • Process overview video for explaining how it works

    • Custom graphics (request any size you need)

About Our Beliefs

  • Everything we do is built on three pillars:

    1. Intimacy with Jesus We prioritize personal relationship with Christ. Everything flows from time spent with the Lord. Intimacy with Jesus births passion that fuels our faith.

    2. Intentional Relationships Instead of isolation, we commit to investing in others — building relationships anchored in the Lord. We understand that our lives matter because others' lives depend on us.

    3. Multiplication We commit to being disciples who make disciples. The goal isn't just personal growth — it's raising up others who do the same. Disciples making disciples making disciples.

    See our full cultural values →

  • Below is our Statement of Faith:

    • We believe the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Old and New Testaments pointing to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

    • We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal.

    • We believe that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to redeem all of mankind. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life on this earth, performed many undeniable miracles, was crucified for our sins, buried and was raised from the dead for our justification. By the name of Jesus Christ, and His name only, can mankind be saved. Jesus Christ sits at the Right Hand of the Father and will return personally in power and glory to receive His Church unto Himself.

    • We believe that mankind is sinful by nature and will perish without the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Gospel. That God wishes that no one should perish, but that all would come to this saving knowledge through the preaching of the Gospel to a lost and hopeless world.

    • We believe that matrimony is a holy monogamous marriage between one man and one woman. This means that man and woman are two distinct genders willed by God their Creator in their respective beings, which reflect the image and nature of God.

    • We believe in the multi-faceted work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, revelation of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, drawing of the sinner to God, adoption of mankind into the Body of Christ through regeneration, and the distribution and administration of the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. Jesus Christ is the “baptizer with the Holy Spirit” for the empowerment of the Church through the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

    We also uphold the Apostle’s Creed:

    I believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.

    I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
    who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
    born of the Virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, died, and was buried;
    he descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again;
    he ascended into heaven,
    he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
    and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

    I believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy global Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting. Amen.

  • We major in the majors and minor in the minors.

    We stand firm on essential truths (salvation through Christ alone, authority of Scripture, etc.).

    We don't engage in debates on secondary issues like:

    • End Times positions (Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Trib)

    • Calvinism vs. Arminianism

    • Specific gifts of the Holy Spirit

    These are important — but they're best addressed within your local church. We focus on what unites us: being disciples who make disciples.

  • Our name comes from Acts 4:13:

    "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

    The first disciple-makers weren't seminary graduates. They were fishermen, tax collectors, and tradesmen.

    Ordinary people who had been with Jesus — and were willing to help others do the same.

    That's who this is for.

  • The Church Has a Discipleship Crisis: Read the full report here.

    For example, the stats show that:

    < 5% of U.S. churches have a reproducing disciple-making culture.

    Only 1 in 10 born-again adults is actively discipling someone else.

    15,000 churches projected to close in 2025 alone.

    40 Million Americans have left the church in the last 25 years.

    Only 4% of American adults hold a biblical worldview.

    39% of Christians are not engaged in discipleship at all.

    We cover all this and more, and the solution, in our State of the Church & Discipleship Report.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

For Individuals:
Start a men's, women's, or co-ed discipleship group. We'll show you how. Lead a Group


For Pastors & Churches:
See how to integrate Ordinary Movement as your church's discipleship pathway. See the Church Framework

Other Discipleship & Platform Questions

More Getting Started Questions:

  • Starting a group is simple. Sign up for a free account at https://ordinarymovement.com/app-intro, complete our leader training course, and gather 1-10 people to join your group. Choose your track (men's, women's, or co-ed), order workbooks, and schedule your first meeting. We provide coaching and support throughout the entire process.

  • No experience required! Our process is designed for ordinary people. The workbook guides every session with discussion questions and activities. We also provide free leader training and coaching to help you feel confident before your first meeting.

  • The full process includes 27 sessions. Most groups meet weekly or bi-weekly, completing the journey in 6-12 months. Groups that commit to 12 months typically achieve the deepest results.

  • The platform, training, app, and coaching are completely free. The only cost is the physical workbook and accompanying books for each participant. There are no subscription fees or hidden costs.

More About Ordinary Movement Questions:

  • Ordinary Movement was founded by Jeremy McCommons. Learn more about his story and the origin of the movement on our team page.

  • Discipleship is more caught than taught. It happens through intentional relationship — walking alongside someone as they grow in their faith. Ordinary Movement provides a structured process: personal time with Jesus through the workbook, group discussion and accountability, and a culture of high challenge and high grace. Over time, participants are equipped to disciple others, creating multiplication.