Discover App Update (May 2024)

Colombo. Sri Lanka. Photo by Yunesh Shalika on Unsplash

The Opportunity is Huge

29th May 2024

We get way more requests for help than we do offers. In the last two weeks alone we have received six emails asking us for new languages on the Discover App. That is not including the in-person conversations, representing at least three other languages. We also get regular requests for training, mentoring, advice and other forms of assistance. All of this is great. We’re happy to have been put in a place where so many people appreciate and require our services.

Since the Discover App launched in 2015 it has been used in over 200 countries and translated into 25 languages. We have traveled and trained in over 20 countries. We have seen thousands of groups being started with tens of thousands of people. We have equipped disciples to make disciples.

Despite our global reach, we are not a large ministry. Our resources are limited. Whilst we regularly absorb the costs for development of new languages, pay our own travel to trainings and provide hospitality for many of the trainees, we can only cover a few of the requests. We are more than happy to give things away - but we cannot give away what we don’t have.

As the Discover App approaches its tenth birthday, there is a distinct need for a change of gear. As I write this we are in Sri Lanka. An island with a population of nearly 22 million people of which only 1.2% is evangelical. The brothers we have trained here are eager to take this island. They have no shortage of drive and vision. They have already gained access to preach in the tea plantations, and have seen many miraculous healings and new disciples. They would love our help to train leaders in Sinhalese and Tamil - but in order to do this we need to get those languages into the App. In an era of increasing travel and cost of living we may need to make another expensive return trip. And they are just one request out of many.

The Resource Mountain

The vision of The Discover Network is church on every street corner. The last nine years of growth towards that vision have been beyond our wildest expectations. But we’re still in the foothills. The mountain itself looms above us. In order to reach the unreached we need to accelerate the pace. More languages. More trainings. More leaders. More disciples.

The vast majority of money raised by the global church goes on the places that are already reached. On patching up church roofs, buying sound equipment and paying clergy in dwindling congregations. Less than 5% goes on reaching the unreached.

We’re not just asking you personally for a donation. We are hoping to get people to put their heads together and re-imagine what mission support looks like. Who are the big players? Where are the centres of resource? How do we persuade investors to stop managing decline and support growth?

If you know of any funders or churches who might like to partner with us we'd love to hear about them. If you have creative ways of getting the message out we'd love to know. If you are in contact with prayer groups that specialise in mountain-moving put us in touch! If you know of individuals who might like to give forward them this update or send them to our giving page

Help us reach further and work faster. Thank you!!