Church Multiplication

In June of this year, I took my final course for my Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. It was on Birthing and Multiplying Reproducing Churches with Dr. Robert E. Logan (one of the founders of CoachNet). Next year I begin work on my Final Project. I hope to graduate in June 2009.

The course with Dr. Logan was excellent and it really inspired me further with a vision for church multiplication. God's original mandate to Adam and Eve was to 'be fruitful and multiply' (Gen.1:26). Often we think that success is only about fruitfulness. But from God's perspective, that is only half of the equation. He also wants us to multiply.

• Success for a disciple of Jesus is not just being a good disciple. It is making another disciple.
• Success for a leader is not just being a fruitful leader but raising up another leader.
• Success for a small group is not just being a big small group. It is starting a new group.
• Success for church is not just being a big church. It is starting a new church.
• Success for any gifted person is not just being good and faithful with that they can do. It is training and releasing others into ministry who have the same gifting.

God wants us to have a multiplication mentality. Anything that is healthy will be growing and then it will reproduce itself. That's the very DNA of life as God designed it.

CityLife Church has intentionally moved into a multiplication phase over the last few years. We have added new weekend church meetings (two on Saturday evening, as well as two on Sunday morning), new congregations for specific ethnic groups (Chinese, Oromo, and Spanish), new sites or campuses (Hobson's Bay, Casey, and Manningham - launching in March 2008), and new international congregations (two in Asia and one on the way in Africa in 2008). This has required a lot of hard work but it has created some incredible momentum. It has also provided many opportunities for more people to use their spiritual gifts to serve others and to reach people for Christ.

May I encourage you - BE FRUITFUL ... AND MULTIPLY!

Here are some good resources on the topic of church multiplication:

• Be Fruitful and Multiply by Robert E. Logan (Carols Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 2006).
• Beyond Church Planting by Robert E. Logan and Neil Cole (Carols Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 2005).
• Beyond Mega-Church Myths: What We Can Learn from America’s Largest Churches by Scott Thumma and Dave Travis (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2007).
• Church Planting Movements by David Garrison (WIGTake Resources, 2004).
• Church Planting for a Greater Harvest by C. Peter Wagner (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1990).
• The Church Planter’s Assessment Guide by Charles R. Ridley and Robert E. Logan (Carol Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources, 2002).
• The Multi-Site Revolution by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2006).
• Natural Church Development by Christian A. Schwarz (Carols Stream, IL: ChurchSmart Resources,1996).
• Pass the Baton – Successful Leadership Transition by Mark Conner (Melbourne, Australia: Conner Ministries Inc, 2007).
• Planting New Churches in a Post Modern Age by Ed Stetzer (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2003).
• 11 Innovations in the Local Church: How Today’s Leaders Can Learn, Discern and Move into the Future by Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2007).

Also, you might want to check out the Exponential church multiplication conference coming up in April 2008.

"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied." [Acts 9:31. NKJV]

Comments

[Geoff Surratt]

Hey Mark,
What a great definition of success for disciples, leaders, small groups and churches. And thanks for the mention of Multi-site Revolution, I'm glad it has been a good resource.

[Jim Tomberlin]

Hey Mark,
Love the direction you are taking your church. Would love to help you in developing your multi-site strategy for the price of two airfare tickets and travel expenses. You can check out my services at www.thirdquarterconsulting.com.
Jim Tomberlin

[Mark Conner]

Thanks for your comments Geoff and Jim. I'll be in touch soon.

[Andreas Holm]

Hey Mark,
I´m blessed reading your encoraging teaching!

My dream is to see new growing churches like yours in sweden. Our country hade big amount believers 50-100 years ago, but now the churches are closing one after one and the people of our country are in big despair, thirsting for the life of Christ!

God bless You!

Brother Andreas Stockholm, Sweden.