Addition and Multiplication

From the beginning of creation we see God moving from simple addition to multiplication. We all know God created man and then added woman. Then he gave them the instructions (much to Adam's delight!) to be fruitful and multiply.

The same thing happens among the early church. Twelve becomes 120 then 5,000 then through a variety of circumstances multiplication happens and the Jesus movement explodes.

God has a heart for multiplication.

For too long though the church has been content with addition. More people, more buildings, more programs, more parking, a bigger production. Pastors with holy ambition seek to be the next Willow Creek or the next Saddleback. Yet, with all out megachurches followers of Jesus in the United States have still not made a significant impact on the spiritual climate in the United States. We continue to hear how there are less baptisms, less professions of faith, and fewer churches being started to keep up with the population.

While I am in no way against a megachurch, they have their place, it seems to me that for most churches there needs to be a shift from a mindset of addition to multiplication. Addition, with its bigger buildings and bigger productions, by and large has not worked. What if instead of investing millions of dollars in buildings that saddled a church with debt we used millions of dollars to begin new churches that will reach people a current church is not reaching? What if instead of the grand production children's program which has the dual purpose of discipling children and feeding into parents' consumer desires "to only have the best for their children" we multiplied ministries to children in our communities for whom Jesus is only a curse word?

I feel the winds are blowing and the message on the wind is one of multiplication and not addition. "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where its going." Jesus in John 3:8