Mission Alive — Discipleship Cohorts — Organization Profile
Mission Alive is a nonprofit ministry that equips leaders and communities to live on mission with God, with a particular emphasis on developing innovative communities of faith and resourcing disciple-making. Based in Dallas, Texas, Mission Alive describes its work as equipping leaders for God’s mission, including church planting support, coaching, and discipleship resources that can be used across a wide range of ministry contexts.
Mission Alive’s Discipleship Cohorts (often shortened to DCs) are small groups of Christians that meet regularly to encourage spiritual growth through shared rhythms of listening to God and following Him. Mission Alive describes the heart of Christian living as learning to hear God’s voice and follow into the world as disciples, and DCs are built as a reproducible tool that supports spiritual growth, church renewal, and leadership development.
A key distinctive of the Discipleship Cohorts model is its intentional structure paired with relational accountability. Participants meet weekly in a small group setting, encouraging one another in consistent practices of listening to God through prayer, Scripture, and mission. Mission Alive presents DCs as appropriate for both newer believers and seasoned Christians, emphasizing that the steady cadence of meeting together helps form habits that shape a sustained walk with God.
Discipleship Cohorts are also designed as a pathway that grows leaders over time. Mission Alive outlines multiple levels: Level 1 focuses on foundational disciple-making rhythms and group accountability; Level 2 develops leadership skills for those preparing to lead Level 1 cohorts; and Level 3 functions as an ongoing community for leaders who are multiplying groups, raising other leaders, and practicing spiritual discernment together. Many cohorts meet online in a consistent rhythm, making participation possible across geographic boundaries while keeping the group experience personal and interactive.
Because Mission Alive aims to help churches build lasting disciple-making culture, the Discipleship Cohorts are supported by training and materials. Mission Alive’s broader story notes that Discipleship Cohorts were developed to model basic discipleship principles as part of the organization’s expanding work to equip leaders beyond church planters. In addition, Mission Alive offers learning and training opportunities through its Stream Equipping platform, which includes Discipleship Cohorts-related courses and facilitator training options.
People can engage with Mission Alive Discipleship Cohorts by joining a cohort, pursuing facilitator training, and introducing the cohort rhythm within a ministry team or local church setting. Supporters can also partner through giving to help Mission Alive continue equipping leaders and resourcing disciple-making communities.
Key Links
- Website: https://missionalive.org/
- Discipleship Cohorts (overview): https://missionalive.org/discipleship-cohorts/
- Discipleship Cohorts registration page: https://missionalive.salsalabs.org/dcv3/index.html
- Discipleship Cohort archives (articles): https://missionalive.org/category/discipleship-cohort/
- Stream Equipping (training platform): https://streamequipping.missionalive.org/
- Our Story (background): https://missionalive.org/our-story/
- Donate: https://missionalive.org/donate/
- Contact: https://missionalive.org/contact-us/
Contact Information
- Email: co*****@**********ve.org
- Phone: 972-855-8349
- Mailing address: Mission Alive P.O. Box 794302, Dallas, TX 75379
Socials
- https://www.facebook.com/missionalive/
- https://www.instagram.com/missionalive/
- https://www.youtube.com/MissionAliveVideo
Leadership
- Tod Vogt — Executive Director
- Steve Shaffer — Director of Coaching and Discipleship
- Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen — Founder
