Why write a book about church planting when there are already so many good ones out there? Because our fixation with large churches means that those under 1,000 in size generally have a vision for growth via addition rather than multiplication—despite being uniquely equipped to do so. In the West especially, where the megachurch looms large, it is easy for small or medium-sized churches to think, “Maybe one day when I grow up and have lots of resources I'll think of multiplying, but for now, I must grow by addition.” It doesn't have to be this way.
From Broken for Blessing: "This is the story behind our multiplying story. It is the story of every small or medium-sized multiplying church. We have never felt that we’ve had enough resources to feed the crowds but we’ve wanted to be involved in Jesus’ feeding miracle. We know that ultimately Jesus, not our churches, is the Bread of Life. And yet we believe that planting churches is the most effective distribution system to get the Bread of Life to hungry people. So we’ve said, 'Lord, we are putting our bread in Your hands, even though it’s not that much. Take it, break it and multiply it for the sake of others.' It has been stunning to see many hungry souls fed with the Bread of Life because of this."
I must warn you, though, that this is a dangerous vision. It calls for the discipleship of leaders, addressing a non-committal culture head-on, the tenacity to endure, biblically-modeled leadership and most importantly—prayer. Even with limited resources and through the pain of sending your best to plant a new church, medium-sized churches can multiply.
Written with the authenticity of both missteps and life-giving lessons, this book is more than just the story of our own medium-sized church's multiplication journey. This is a call for others to do the same.
From Broken for Blessing: "This is the story behind our multiplying story. It is the story of every small or medium-sized multiplying church. We have never felt that we’ve had enough resources to feed the crowds but we’ve wanted to be involved in Jesus’ feeding miracle. We know that ultimately Jesus, not our churches, is the Bread of Life. And yet we believe that planting churches is the most effective distribution system to get the Bread of Life to hungry people. So we’ve said, 'Lord, we are putting our bread in Your hands, even though it’s not that much. Take it, break it and multiply it for the sake of others.' It has been stunning to see many hungry souls fed with the Bread of Life because of this."
I must warn you, though, that this is a dangerous vision. It calls for the discipleship of leaders, addressing a non-committal culture head-on, the tenacity to endure, biblically-modeled leadership and most importantly—prayer. Even with limited resources and through the pain of sending your best to plant a new church, medium-sized churches can multiply.
Written with the authenticity of both missteps and life-giving lessons, this book is more than just the story of our own medium-sized church's multiplication journey. This is a call for others to do the same.
