Indonesia Mission Trip Opens Doors for MicroGroup Disciplemaking
Pray that what began during this visit will take root in ongoing relationships, with disciples growing in Christ and helping others follow Him.
What began with a friendship in a MicroGroup became an opportunity to introduce MicroGroup disciplemaking to university students and church leaders in Indonesia.
Lily and I traveled with Siska Larson, an elder at Carmel Presbyterian Church and a native of Indonesia. For Siska, the trip was a return to the community that helped shape her faith. For us, it opened the door to new relationships and the possibility of seeing students become disciples who make disciples.
A Partnership Born Through Prayer
Lily learned about Siska’s plans through their MicroGroup. Siska was preparing to return to her home country to support Joy Fellowship, a ministry among university students in Yogyakarta, on the island of Java.
This community had deeply influenced Siska’s faith in Christ when she was a university student in 1994, just two years after the ministry began.
As Lily prayed for Siska, the Holy Spirit impressed upon her that we might join the trip. Siska was thrilled. Her return visit became an opportunity to introduce MicroGroup disciplemaking to the student world in Indonesia.
Students Experience MicroGroups Together
The centerpiece of our visit took place on Saturday, October 10, in Yogyakarta, a city home to 120 colleges and universities. One hundred thirty students gathered to hear from Siska and to learn about—and practice—MicroGroup disciplemaking.
I had the privilege of leading the six-hour session. Energetic worship was also part of the day, with students enthusiastically engaging their whole bodies in praise.
Moving into groups of three took a little more time. Many of the students were accustomed to listening to a lecturer and taking notes. Turning toward one another to discuss and participate was less familiar. After a hesitant beginning, however, they grew more comfortable and began engaging with one another.
Siska had translated the first chapter of Discipleship Essentials into Indonesian. Working through that lesson reinforced a central truth: becoming a disciplemaker is the calling of every believer.
Looking Toward Discipleship in 2027
The lasting value of our visit will become evident in what happens next. How will the leaders of Joy Fellowship put what they experienced into practice?
Cornelles, the movement’s full-time staff member, serves a ministry reaching 20 campuses. I felt we made a heart connection, and his enthusiasm for what he was hearing was contagious. After our time together, he wrote:
Hi Greg, it was a tremendous blessing from God to receive a visit from you and Lily. Micro-discipleship serves as confirmation from God for me and the JOY Fellowship to restart the discipleship program within our campus ministry. We plan to carefully prepare the micro-discipleship initiative for full implementation in early 2027. Thank you for making the Go Micro materials available to us. As I mentioned before we parted ways yesterday, I hope the micro-discipleship program goes well, and I look forward to sharing good news with you about the discipleship taking place in Yogyakarta.
His words give us much to be thankful for and a specific reason to keep praying as the team prepares for the coming year.
A Church Explores the Missing Piece
We also met with the pastor and elders of Siska’s former church in Yogyakarta. With two campuses and an average of 7,000 worshippers across five Sunday services, the church has considerable influence in this university city.
The church already has an extensive structure for helping newcomers connect through affinity groups and classes. Even so, the elders recognized a missing element in their discipleship process. They felt the MicroGroup experience could help address that need.
Our conversation offered another opportunity to explore how small groups of people, growing together in Christ, could strengthen an existing church ministry.
Faithful Relationships Across the Miles
An added joy of the trip was spending time with Siska and her younger sister, Lita, who served as our logistics captain.
Siska’s deep connections were evident throughout the visit. Mealtimes filled with reunions and conversations with former and current Bible study members, pastors, and church friends. These relationships reflected years of faithful investment in people.
That investment continues from her home in Carmel, where Siska leads four disciplemaking groups each week. One meets over Zoom with former schoolmates in Indonesia—at 5:30 on Saturday mornings for Siska.
Her commitment is a living picture of disciplemaking sustained through relationships, across distance and over time.
As we look toward Joy Fellowship’s plans for early 2027, please pray for Cornelles and his team as they prepare, for the students who experienced MicroGroups, and for the church leaders considering their next steps. Pray that what began during this visit will take root in ongoing relationships, with disciples growing in Christ and helping others follow Him.
