160. Mike Porteous – Keeping It Simple

In this episode, Dave catches up with Mike Porteous while connecting with the Praxeis team and disciple-makers in New Zealand. Mike is a seasoned missions and church leader who has embraced a Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) paradigm—both locally and as far afield as Zambia. He shares his journey, key insights, and encouragement to keep disciple-making simple and Spirit-led. Mike’s Journey From a farming background, Mike had a powerful encounter with God at 21 that launched him into decades of mission work—from the Philippines in the ’70s to serving with groups including YWAM since 1980. In the early 1990s, while on staff at what is now Gracecity Church, Mike’s hunger for real and lasting mission impact grew. Introduced to DMM through others and inspired by David and Paul Watson’s book Contagious Disciple Making, Mike knew this was a path he needed to pursue. What’s Happening Now? Mike’s DMM work has expanded into Zambia through a connection with a Sri Lankan man working there. Though 90% of Zambians are churchgoers, transformation was lacking. But through simple DBS tools, real change is taking root. Today, three DBS streams are multiplying, and Mike continues coaching leaders to sustain and grow the movement. Back in New Zealand Despite initial slow traction, Mike’s persistence in starting DBS groups has led to surprising breakthroughs. One key moment came during a Sunday night training north of Auckland—attended by Sam Turner, who’s now seeing movement among gang communities. Multiplication is happening, and Sam is running far beyond what he could do himself.* Key Shifts in Mike’s Thinking Discovery over Teaching – Moving from telling to facilitating, Mike has learned to trust God to reveal His Word through others. Simple Tools for Equipping – He’s passionate about helping people uncover their God-given purpose and equipping them with tools that multiply through simplicity. Challenges Prayer – Building prayer teams and rhythms that moves people from a place of conviction in prayer to seeing transformation. Leadership Development – Particularly in Zambia, where structure is needed for lasting depth in an over-evangelised context. Discernment – In New Zealand, Mike is asking: Who is the Spirit highlighting to invest in? Final Encouragement Mike reminds us of two things: “The key people are probably already in your orbit….We tend to complicate things. Keep it super simple.” *Hear more of the stories of God moving amongst gang members in the north of New Zealand at the end of this podcast.