COV LIFE BLOG

Multiply – Biblically Faithful Churches Send Out Churches

In the biblical record, we constantly see churches sending people to other churches, starting churches, and checking on how churches are doing. Today, we have too many churches checking on churches but too few churches working together to send people out to plant. That’s what a heart set on multiplication does. That’s what Great Commission churches do.

When the apostles and disciples heard the Great Commission, we might consider what they did in response. They did not just evangelize. They congregationalized.

When the disciples heard the Great Commission, they planted churches. So should we.

When the (relatively) established church at Antioch heard from the Holy Spirit, they sent out Barnabas and Saul to plant churches. So should we.

Our churches need to be actively and consistently training and sending out planters. If established churches took this seriously and recognized their responsibility to be a part of a church multiplication movement, we would see a huge shift in North America for the sake of the Gospel.

A movement simply can’t get to health and growth without established churches being on the team that is planting churches.

No one thinks they are fully ready to have a child. But then you have one, and it is a great blessing. Too often, established churches think they will plant when they are “ready” when they are big enough or when they have more money, but “ready” never comes. If you will just go and have a baby—go plant a church—you will blessed in ways you never imagined, and you will wonder why you waited so long.

Let’s plant churches that plant churches that plant churches. Let’s trust God to do the things that God likes. God likes to surprise people who have faith in Him.

Let’s surprise the world by seeing a church multiplication movement birthed that sweeps across this country as churches choose to sacrifice.

Let’s give and let’s go.

Let’s plant churches that plant churches that plant churches.

Ed Stetzer

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HEART PREPRATION
Read Acts 13:1-4 and Acts 11:19-21. Look at these verses and see the church sending out men for ministry and the impact of being scattered among the nations. As you are a part of either the sender or the team that will be going, in your role how can your life and ministry be strengthened through this planting?

SONG FOR THE WEEK
Cornerstone by Hillsong