Growing denominations are denominations with a multiplication strategy. The Apostle Paul started churches with ordinary people in towns he visited throughout his missionary journeys. Is church multiplication about to stop with us?
Consider the efforts of the Assemblies of God church, they’ve passed some resolutions to put church multiplication front and centre. Here is an excerpt from a recent article:
“The number of AG churches that are using multi-site strategies to increase their ministry scope has grown dramatically over the past few years,” [Steve Pike] said, according to the denomination.
The jump coincides with the explosion of multi-site churches across all churches in the country. Researchers from the Leadership Network estimate there are currently 3,000 multi-sites, up from 300 in the year 2000.
Recognizing the success and potential of the multi-site methodology, the Assemblies of God has scheduled events and training beginning this month to educate members about the new strategy and equip them to become Parent Affiliated Churches.
“We already have plans for four boot camps designed specifically for PAC/multi-site churches for next year,” said Leo Crosby, marketing and communications director for the Church Multiplication Network.
The new multi-site push is part of the Assemblies of God’s effort to become a church planting and church multiplication movement. The Church Multiplication Network was formed in 2007 to encourage churches across the denomination to work together and plant as many churches as possible.
You can read the whole article here.
Learn more about Church Multiplication Network created by the Assemblies of God. The “Church Multiplication Network collaborates with church multipliers to effectively equip, strategically fund and innovatively network new faith communities.”
What if we created a department that championed a vision of growth and church multiplication?
PT
What if...? 
So if our ELCIC congregations cooperated just a little bit more, could our Synod be considered a big multi-site church? You know, a series of interconnected, cooperating, vision sharing, smaller congregations. To switch it around, are these multi-site churches kind of like highly functional mini-denominations? In the Anglican church they call it a “diocese”, where one cathedral is a the center and a series of surrounding congregations share funds and leadership with the cathedral.
Could it be that our Synod has something to teach the Assemblies of God!
Hmmm…interesting theory, but my challenge to the church would be what if…we actually interacted with our communities, and multiplied the love of the Gospel by ingraining ourselves as the soul of the community we reside in?
What if, we unashamedly invited people to our local church?
There is quite a bit going on in God’s church, this is true, but each church is finding their way in the way that God is calling them to deepen their discipleship, how is God calling the ELCIC…our Synod…and our local congregation?
What does christian discipleship look like for us?