Simply ChurchYing Kai in the book, T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution, shares how he taught a group of 30 impoverished farmers how to tell their stories, and then encouraged them to share their stories with at least 5 people during the coming week. The next week they shared reports of what had gone on. Eleven people had shared… Read More
In a carpentry project, it is possible to use a rock to bang in a nail, but it's much easier to use a hammer–a tool designed for the purpose. Photo credit: herzogbr (Creative Commons) There are movements around the world that are seeing literally millions of people becoming disciples of Jesus. Much of what they… Read More
While I was in the UK two weeks ago, a not-yet-Christian came to the church that meets in our home. She is friends with some of the students who attend regularly. Apparently it was a very ordinary time. But at the end she was asked, "Would you like to give your life to Jesus?" "Yes,"… Read More
No farmer would expect to reap a harvest of wheat in a field where he had not sown seed. Photo credit: CIMMYT (Creative Commons) Why do we believers expect to reap a harvest of souls where we haven’t sown spiritual seed? There are similar principles of multiplication behind both physical and spiritual reaping and sowing.… Read More
When it comes to multiplying simple/organic churches, your pattern of multiplication will determine whether you multiply quickly or slowly. Photo credit: archer10 (Dennis) Busy (Creative Commons) Many people assume that the way to multiply a simple/organic church is to add new people to the church that meets in your home until it has outgrown your… Read More
Photo credit: brendan.wood (Creative Commons) The rabbit and the elephant have very different strengths. Different sized churches do too. Rabbit sized churches: Can penetrate into every nook and cranny of society reaching people who would never darken the door of a church building Have the potential to multiply rapidly along relationship lines Foster community and… Read More
God is at work across the nations, and I see many positive signs that he is at work here in the West too. Here’s a little of what I see going on currently (in no particular order of priority): People understand the importance of listening to God and doing what he says. The prayer movement… Read More
Photo Credit: rogiro (Creative Commons) Some people might say that Tony and I are already missionaries. Firstly, we have crossed cultures from the UK to the USA. (I sometimes wonder why here to the affluent West which is already so heavily Christianized when we would have willingly gone to any country in the world.) And… Read More
Photo credit: James Jordan (Creative Commons) What principles allow rapid multiplication on the mission field? Traditionally, follow up from an evangelistic meeting is done by taking people’s names and addresses and asking them to attend church or go through some materials. This is usually remarkably ineffective. In the context I described in the last post… Read More
Photo credit: williamcho (Creative Commons) Simple/organic church is a great way to not only conserve the harvest, but also to multiply it. We have a friend who is an evangelist in countries that are hostile to the Gospel. We originally contacted him because we were interested in the large healing/evangelistic meetings that, amazingly, he is able… Read More