Multiply Everything

One of the phrases we like to use a lot is ‘multiply everything’ and one of the things we hope to see multiply is other locations that are equipped and able to run residency programs. We are looking for other churches that want to help beta-test programs in their own churches for the advancement of the Gospel. Anything we have developed will be available for use (graphics, website, etc). You are welcome to adjust, scale, and alter the programs and the approach to fit your local context and your church’s culture. We can help church leaders think through how they might customize a residency to fit their own church. We will also help with strategies to recruit potential planters. We will walk with you through resourcing the residencies, implementing and managing them and also discuss how you can help multiply other locations as well.

Can Your Church Multiply Churches?

We think the answer to that question is yes, but we know not every church will do what it takes to be a multiplying community. To structure your church for multiplication there are a number of commitments that must be made. At a fundamental level here are some of them:

1. We Care More About The Kingdom Than ‘Our’ Kingdom

We love the local church. We believe the local church should be a strong, numerically growing, Jesus exalting, Gospel preaching, city engaging community. But we also believe we are called to care for more than just our local church. We want strong churches so they can be sending churches. What this means practically is we train and deploy our best men and women. We give time and energy and resources to other works in other cities. While we don’t dismiss Church Growth we emphasize Church Multiplication. In truth, we want to see both, but we won’t be satisfied with just growing.

How often do you pray for other churches and other cities?
When was the last time you joyfully and willingly sent your best leaders to help another church even though it was extremely costly?
Do you regularly cast vision in the church for people to leave for the good of the Kingdom even though they will take their money, time and abilities with them?
Do you fear your key leaders leaving or celebrate that you get to bless other churches or church plants? To make this practical, how do you treat those that have left or have asked to be commissioned and sent?
Do you see transitional people as an opportunity or a pain? For example, if you are in a college town, do you see the students as potential missionaries to train and deploy or as a resource drain that is just going to disappear?
Think back over the last month, what percentage of your time was spent trying to multiply churches versus managing your church? (Note: Both are good and both are needed but looking at the time given can be a helpful marker to show how invested in multiplication you are)
In what ways does the Gospel compel us to celebrate other church’s growing even if ours doesn’t?
In what ways does the Gospel produce people who are about God’s Kingdom and not their own name, status, influence, etc?

2. We Put Our Money Where Our Multiplication Is

Jesus makes it clear that your treasure shows where your heart is. This, at the very least, means that church planting churches put money into planting. The desire to plant and multiply is expressed in the budget. In addition to money, we would add various resources such as time, people, equipment, etc. Different seasons, needs, demands, ministry location, and available resources of a church mean that the percentage will vary from church to church but it seems like there should at least be something substantial.

What percentage of your current budget is allocated to church planting? What percentage would you like it to be and do you have a plan to get there?
When was the last time you didn’t use funds for something in your local church even though it was a legitimate want in order to financially assist another church?
What are you spending money on right now that would be better spent on church planting?
Do people in the church expect that some of the money they give will be used to multiply other churches?
Do you personally give, above and beyond your local church offering, to support church planting?
In what ways does the Gospel free you to be generous towards other churches? How does the Gospel confront some of the obstacles churches face in giving larger percentages of their budgets towards other churches? (Think through various idols of comfort, status, pleasure as well as fear, worry, control, etc.)

3. We Believe The Church Can And Should Function Like A Teaching Hospital

Teaching Hospitals provide a good model for how the local church can function as a multiplying community. In fact, it seems that the emphasis within a Teaching Hospital mirrors the early church as seen in books such as Acts. Multiplying churches intentionally structure their churches to teach, train, and test emerging leaders. They foster an environment that encourages experimentation and even failure. There is a firm belief in the equipping of saints and a move away from the control of staff. This sort of approach to church multiplication allows a mentor/apprentice relationship where ‘students’ are educated and given opportunities to try out what they are learning in a supervised environment. The members of churches like this embrace being served by up and coming leaders, whether from the pulpit, in pastoral care, in the classroom, in groups, and other various ways.

How many opportunities are there for other men to preach?
Is your church built more for spectators or players? How many regular attenders are serving? In what ways are they serving?
What right now is a staff person or existing leader doing that an emerging leader could do or learn to do?
Do all of your groups have emerging leaders being trained and tested in practical hands on ways?
How are you intentionally training others to preach, council, mentor, pray, serve, etc.?
How does the Gospel free you to give up control? How does the Gospel free you to not need the spotlight?
How does the Gospel free you from performance driven ministry or perfectionism and motivate you to embrace, and more fully utilize, Spirit dependent, albeit less experienced, men and women?

4. Our Passion Is Jesus, Not Church Growth Or Church Multiplication

Ultimately we’re not passionate about Church Growth OR Church Multiplication. We are passionate about Jesus. It’s not about one church growing larger or one church planting churches or one large church planting thousands of churches…it’s all about Jesus. A church can grow large and fail or can multiply rapidly and not honor Jesus. This all may be so obvious but unfortunately in practice Jesus is often tertiary to the goal of planting or growing churches. Planting can feed egos, provide power, self-justify, or be about Jesus. Unfortunately, it is far too easy to believe this is about Him when it’s really about us. So, as led by the Spirit and by God’s grace, we are committed to growing and multiplying churches that preach Jesus, point to Jesus, introduce people to Jesus, are submitted to Jesus, bring glory to Jesus and are dependent on Jesus. Church growth or multiplication isn’t about us. Its not about who can fill seats or saturate cities. Its not about your stats and how impressive they might be to others. It’s about Jesus.

What is driving you to be a multiplying church?
Will you, or have you, planted churches that aren’t connected to you? In other words, are you investing in churches other than your own ‘brand’?
Are you actively partnering with churches that are different than you?
If you never multiply a church how will you feel?
How much time do you spend enjoying Jesus? Does this quantity and/or quality of time reflect someone who is passionate about Jesus?
What does the Gospel give you that satisfies in such a way that you don’t have to look to planting as a replacement or addition?
In what ways does the Gospel guard you against making church planting about you?

Ultimately, we just want to see more churches planted that love Jesus, preach the Gospel and seek the lost. To see if your church might be a good fit to adapt the residency programs, or for more information, please email info@goplant.org.