WELCOME TO 5D CHURCH
THE 5D CHURCH IS A MOVEMENT DEDICATED TO HELPING BELIEVERS AND CHURCHES BECOME MORE FULLY WHAT CHRIST INTENDED THEM TO BE.
Built upon the five ministry dimensions of Ephesians 4 – Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teaching – 5D provides practical tools to assess, develop, and strengthen every area of spiritual life and ministry.
Whether you are a pastor, leader, or disciple of Jesus, 5D will help you identify where you are, understand where you need to grow, and build a healthier, more balanced expression of the Kingdom of God.
THE STORY BEHIND 5D
The 5D framework was not developed in a classroom, a denominational office, or a consulting firm. It emerged from decades of local church ministry at Open Door Church in Chillicothe, Ohio, where Mark and Nicki Pfeifer, together with the church eldership, were seeking a practical way to help people grow into mature disciples while creating a healthier and more balanced church culture.
Like many pastors, they observed that churches often become strong in certain areas while neglecting others. Some emphasize teaching but struggle to mobilize people into ministry. Others excel in spiritual experiences but lack discipleship systems. Some build strong community but fail to reach their communities effectively. The challenge was not a lack of passion or commitment—it was a lack of balance.
After a conversation with Dr. Tim Byler about how to make Ephesians 4:11–16 practical for local churches, they became convinced that Christ's solution for maturing believers and building healthy churches was found in the five ministry dimensions of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. More importantly, they saw that these gifts were not intended to create ministry specialists, but to equip ordinary believers and shape the culture of the entire church.
What began as a discipleship framework gradually became a church culture. Over time, Open Door Church intentionally developed all five dimensions into its preaching, leadership development, small groups, ministry teams, outreach efforts, spiritual formation, and decision-making processes. The result was a more balanced church where people discovered their strengths, understood their purpose, and became active participants in the mission of Christ.
5D Church emerged from this journey. It was created as a way to share the principles, tools, and practical lessons learned through years of implementation in a local church setting. Rather than presenting another church growth program, the Summit equips pastors and leaders with a biblical framework for developing disciples, leaders, and ministries that reflect the fullness of Christ.
Today, 5D serves as both a discipleship pathway and a culture-building system. It helps believers understand how God has designed them, identify areas for growth, and become more effective in their calling. At the same time, it helps churches create an environment where all five dimensions of Christ's ministry are valued and expressed.
For pastors, the goal is simple: to build a church that does not merely gather people but matures them; a church that develops leaders rather than depends upon them; a church that equips the saints for the work of ministry and helps every member discover their God-given purpose.
The 5D framework provides a practical roadmap for accomplishing what Ephesians 4 describes—a church growing together into "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
5D – A BIBLICAL PROCESS
Jesus perfectly embodied all five ministry dimensions. He was the Apostle sent by the Father, the Prophet who revealed God's heart, the Evangelist who sought the lost, the Good Shepherd who cared for His people, and the Teacher who proclaimed truth. In Christ, all five dimensions existed in perfect balance and unity.
After His ascension, Jesus distributed these dimensions throughout His Church. Ephesians 4:11 tells us that He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip His people. What was fully united in one Man was entrusted to many leaders. The purpose was never to create ministry celebrities, but to help every believer grow into the fullness of Christ.
As believers are influenced by all five dimensions, they become more complete disciples. Apostolic ministry develops purpose, prophetic ministry cultivates spiritual sensitivity, evangelistic ministry inspires outreach, pastoral ministry fosters healthy relationships, and teaching ministry establishes biblical truth. Together, these dimensions shape believers into a more balanced expression of Jesus.
The same process then happens corporately. As these five dimensions are developed within individuals, they are expressed within the local church. The result is that the body of Christ is edified, creating a healthier, stronger, and more complete church that reflects the fullness of Christ on earth as it is in heaven.
The goal of 5D is simple: helping every believer and every church experience the full ministry of Jesus, not just one dimension of it.
5D DISCIPLES
A 5D Disciple is a believer who is being shaped by the full ministry of Jesus Christ. Rather than developing in only one area of spiritual life, a 5D Disciple grows in all five dimensions revealed in Ephesians 4:11–16—Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teaching.
A 5D Disciple is mission-minded, spiritually sensitive, passionate about reaching people, committed to healthy relationships, and grounded in biblical truth. They don't simply attend church; they actively contribute to the mission, health, and growth of the church.
Many churches unintentionally produce one-dimensional disciples—people who know doctrine but struggle with relationships, love worship but avoid evangelism, or serve faithfully but lack spiritual vision. The 5D framework helps pastors intentionally develop balanced believers who reflect the fullness of Christ.
The result is a congregation filled with disciples who take ownership of their faith, discover their unique contributions, serve others effectively, and help build a healthier local church. When disciples grow in all five dimensions, churches become stronger, leaders are multiplied, ministry is shared, and the entire Body of Christ is equipped to fulfill its mission.
A 5D Disciple is not a specialist in one dimension. A 5D Disciple is a mature follower of Jesus who is continually growing into the fullness of Christ.
5D CHURCHES
A 5D Church is a local church that intentionally develops all five dimensions of Christ's ministry—Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Pastoral, and Teaching—into its culture, leadership, discipleship, and ministry practices. Rather than excelling in one area while neglecting others, a 5D Church seeks to reflect the fullness of Jesus Christ and produce balanced disciples who do the same.
Most churches naturally drift toward one or two dimensions. Some become strong in teaching but weak in outreach. Others excel in worship and spiritual experiences but struggle with discipleship. Some build great community but lack mission and vision. While these strengths are valuable, imbalance often limits growth and effectiveness.
A 5D Church creates a culture where all five dimensions are valued, developed, and expressed. The Apostolic Dimension provides vision, purpose, and Kingdom expansion. The Prophetic Dimension cultivates spiritual sensitivity and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. The Evangelistic Dimension keeps the church focused on reaching people. The Pastoral Dimension builds healthy relationships, care, and community. The Teaching Dimension establishes believers in biblical truth and spiritual maturity.
The result is a healthier church ecosystem. Members move from spectators to participants. Leaders are developed rather than exhausted. Ministry is shared rather than centralized. New people are welcomed, believers are discipled, families are strengthened, and truth remains central. The church becomes both spiritually vibrant and organizationally healthy.
Perhaps most importantly, a 5D culture helps pastors build a ministry that does not depend entirely upon them. As the saints are equipped and activated, the work of ministry is distributed throughout the Body. The church becomes more resilient, more scalable, and more effective at fulfilling its mission.
A 5D Church is not a new model of church. It is a return to the pattern revealed in Ephesians 4:11–16, where Christ equips His people through all five dimensions until the entire Body grows into the fullness of His stature. When a church embraces all five dimensions, it becomes a stronger reflection of Christ and a more powerful force for Kingdom impact in its community.
The 5D Summit is more than a conference—it is an opportunity to experience a discipleship culture firsthand. Hosted at Open Door Church in Chillicothe, Ohio, the Summit allows pastors and leadership teams to step inside a local church that has spent years implementing and refining the 5D framework in real ministry settings.
Are you ready to implement the 5D system in your church?
(1) START HERE! – Your quick-start guide
(2) CHECKLIST – Step-by-step implementation checklist
(3) AT-A-GLANCE – Summary overview of the full process
(4) VIDEO LINKS – Direct links to training videos
(5) USER MANUAL – Complete detailed instructions
(6) SERMON SERIES – Full sermon resources
(7) SMALL GROUPS – Small group discipleship materials
(8) ASSESSMENTS – Evaluation tools, including Congregational and Individual Assessments & Evaluations
(9a) NEW CONVERTS CLASS – Complete class materials (Coach’s Playbook + Student Playbook)
(9b) NEW MEMBERS CLASS – Complete class materials (Coach’s Playbook + Student Playbook)
(10) GRAPHICS – High-resolution graphics and visuals for promotion
All files are neatly organized and ready to use, giving you a complete toolkit to launch and sustain the 5D discipleship process in your congregation.
This comprehensive 5D Suite Zip file contains everything you need to successfully implement the 5D system in your church.
Here is what's included:
