In a church culture where we are declining, in at least 72% of the mainline denominational churches, can we really expect to multiply leaders and create new units?! Yes indeed!
Just a few weeks ago, a group of us were in Imphal, India training leaders. We also taught them how to reach the lost and build multiplying leaders. As a part of the training they were asked to go to the streets and share the Gospel, in a culture that is less than two per cent Christian. They had one hour. When they came back they had presented the Gospel 26 times and saw 15 individuals pray to receive Christ. One lady had follow up the next week with one of the individuals she had led to Christ. She asked her friend to invite friends to come. She did and six more folks came to Christ and they started a home Bible study. Amen and Hallelujah.
We have to be intentional if we expect to see God multiply leaders among us.
Years ago, I had the privilege to serve with Bob Edd Shotwell, then the Minister of Education for Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. He was one of the best. I asked Bob Edd just how he kept the Sunday School on a steady growth pattern. He said, “You have to always be looking for places you need to start new classes and you have to always be looking for new leaders to lead the classes. Then you have to equip them and help them get the new classes off to a good start.” Bob Edd stayed at Hype Park for more than two decades and helped grow the church from 1000 to more than 3000 in Sunday School. AND they had to enroll 26 new people every Sunday just to stay even.
So how do we stay intentional? We must have a passion to reach the lost and grow strong New Testament disciples. It is not about church growth. It is about Kingdom growth. God will take care of the church growth if we are busy growing disciples.
Find those classes who are willing to multiply. Teach them multiplication principles. Every leader in the class needs to be multiplying themselves. Build the right attitude in the class, multiplication, at least every two years. Some can do so every year.
Look at your community. Are there unreached people groups in your community? Pray, asking God for the right leaders to reach them. Be willing to reach them in homes. Teach the leaders multiplying principles. Pray daily for them.
AND…if you really want to stretch your faith and
your thinking, go online to T4Tonline.org and order the book T4T- A Discipleship Re-revolution by Ying Kai and Steve Smith. These IMB missionaries will tell you a story that will really stretch your faith. This is about exponential multiplication.
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Kiely Young: Mississippi Baptist Convention Board
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