What questions do you need to ask if you want to reach a large population segment? Especially one that has significant cultural, religious, political or geographic barriers? To start, the questioning needs to shift from “how can I, or my team reach them”, over to “how can the locals do this if we help trigger things and equip them”.
Multiplication of new followers is not about your efforts only, but what the locals do beyond you. It’s about shifting your mindset and practices from making “a” disciple, to discipling and forming disciple-makers. Multiplication is about triggering disciple making beyond our own efforts. It is moving from addition thinking and strategy to multiplication mindsets and practices.
Significant breakthroughs among the least reached peoples of the world are occurring often because practitioners are working with generational mindsets and practices. Who are the most important people in reaching unreached peoples? It is the second, third and fourth generation locals who catch and adopt initial modelling, skills and anointed passionate vision. You set the pace for generations to follow. Get your focus off yourselves as the most important people.
Jesus modelled to his core team of disciples a strategy of where to go, and how to start disciple making movements. It is part of the “go” commands of Jesus and summarised in Matt 28:18-20. There is a difference between evangelism and the Great Commission. This commission is to multiply obedient disciples through how they are taught and modelled to. It’s what they do beyond initial discipling.
If you want to see a movement of new followers of Jesus:
- How big is your vision. Challenge your small thinking.
Acts 1:4-8. Think, pray and plan BIG for your focus people & area.
- Where are the lost? But “where” are you and your team?
Where are you at in your thinking and practices?
- What will you do with new followers of Jesus? A key question.
- How will you train them to make disciples of others?
Disciple disciple-makers.
- What is a church, a simple community of faith, and how does it multiply?
- What are you doing now and what needs to change?
The One Field One Goal strategy will help equip you to answer these questions.