STEP 1

ENDORSE THE
CHURCH MULTIPLICATION DECLARATION

Read the declaration below including the introduction, truths, aspirations, and behavioral statements. Indicate your agreement by endorsing the declaration at the bottom of this page.

“Disciples who make disciples, who plant churches that plant churches, must become our future norm.”

Brett Andrews

Part 1

Introduction

Church Multiplication Declaration

There is more. This phrase is resounding with increasing intensity in the hearts and minds of pastors. We believe that there is more that God has called His church to be. There is more that He has asked us to do. There is more for us to strive for. But, we must first embrace a better way, and put to death our addiction to programmatic growth strategies.  Some would even say our lust for it.

There is much more than just adding attendees to our services, programs to our churches, and begging week in and week out for volunteers. More than conquering the next growth barrier and making a list of the fastest or largest growing churches. More than producing cultural Christians who must be fed rather than obedience-based disciples of Jesus who transform the world. There is so much more than the accumulation we so instinctively seek.

And Jesus deserves our best and calls us to the more we long for.

Exponential began wondering what it would look like to find just 100 reproducing churches who cared more about WHO they were catapulting and sending forward than WHAT they were accumulating and leaving behind. The pursuit brought excitement, even exhilaration when we found 100 churches who were living out the more that so many of us have been desperately chasing and praying for.  Now, the pursuit is on to identify 1,000 reproducing churches, then 10,000, and then 100,000. 

There is a new scorecard to be discovered, and legacy to pursue.  There is more. Will you pursue the journey toward multiplication and take hold of the more you were made for?

Part 2

TRUTHS TO ACKNOWLEDGE

Church Multiplication Declaration

Review the following foundational statements and reflect on their importance…

  • My personal measures of success, when shaped and influenced by comparisons with the world and other churches, holds me captive to the safety of a system that does not produce multiplication.
  • Embracing a new scorecard for success in our church, with a commitment to invest the first-fruits of our time, talent, and treasure in multiplication, producing priorities is vital in creating a sustained culture of multiplication. We become what we value!
  • Multiplication is the outcome of healthy reproduction to the 4th generation. We can’t just plant churches.  We must plant churches that plant churches that plant churches that plant churches. Children who do not reproduce stifle multiplication. 
  • Healthy reproduction finds its roots in obedience-based relational disciple-making rather than programmatic growth strategies. Pursuing and conquering the next growth barrier with conventional wisdom and new programs will not produce the healthy reproduction we seek, and will hold us captive to a small vision.
  • Mobilizing everyday missionaries into their everyday mission fields is our most powerful means of carrying the fullness of Jesus into the cracks and crevices of society and for creating evangelistic urgency. We must overcome the temptation to see people as volunteers to fuel our internal programs. Instead, we must value them as uniquely gifted, missionary disciple-makers who are ambassadors to reach a lost and dying world.
  • Prayer and fasting, and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit are foundational to any thought or effort toward reproduction and multiplication.  Multiplication is not man-made, but a powerful and mysterious work of God! We are called to be good and faithful stewards of what he provides. His will, not ours.

Part 3

ASPIRATIONS TO PURSUE

Church Multiplication Declaration

Review the following aspirational statements and consider their importance…

  • Plant autonomous churches with as much (or higher) priority as adding new programs, services, and sites. 
  • Pursue obedience-based disciple-making as the core mission of the church.
  • Make sending a priority by seeing every person as an everyday missionary and potential planter where they work, live, and play.
  • Take risks with evangelistic urgency and a missionary mindset that takes us into new places with new models and approaches.
  • Tithe the first fruits of our time, talent, and treasure to church planting regardless of our financial position, and support church multiplication with our tangible, direct involvement.
  • Be intentional about prayer and fasting, and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Partner with others to do more together than alone.

Part 4

BEHAVIORS TO EMBRACE

Church Multiplication Declaration

Review the 15 behavioral statements below. Consider these a destination and not the starting line. Be encouraged that a brighter future and greater impact lies ahead. Take one step at a time. If necessary, pick just 1 or 2 of the behaviors to focus on initially.

Decision Making
2 of 15
Include planting autonomous churches as a key factor in making key church decisions that impact our future (e.g. decisions affecting staffing, facilities, budget, programs, etc.).
Priority
3 of 15
Plant autonomous churches with at least the same importance and urgency as we pursue local church growth and starting new programs, services, and sites.
Vision Casting
4 of 15
Visibly and regularly cast vision for our members to go and be part of teams that are planting autonomous churches.
Sending Culture
5 of 15
Implement simple strategies and a strong sending culture that naturally mobilizes everyday missionaries and potential church planters without undue reliance on our staff or programs.
Releasing Leaders
6 of 15
Seek to be as aggressive in sending leaders to start new churches as we are in accumulating our own staff members locally. We will encourage our best leaders to go and be part of autonomous church plants.
Direct Involvement
7 of 15
Seek to be directly involved in church planting activities like recruiting, assessing, training, and coaching church planters, providing support services, and staying connected with the latest trends and approaches, etc.
Training Program
8 of 15
Seek to continuously equip future church planters via an intentional internship or residency training program.
Ongoing Planting
9 of 15
Participate directly at some level in at least one autonomous church plant per year.
Planting vs. Debt
10 of 15
Plant autonomous churches as a priority over assuming debt for land and buildings, even if we don’t yet have permanent facilities.
Tithing to Planting
11 of 15
Invest at least 10% of the first fruits of our budget and any capital fundraising campaigns into planting autonomous churches.
Sacrificial Giving
12 of 15
Publicly and regularly encourage our members to give sacrificially above and beyond their tithe to the local church to support specific new churches.
Continual Learning
13 of 15
Commit to a journey of learning more about church planting and multiplication.
Accountability
14 of 15
Develop, maintain, and hold ourselves accountable to a plan for increasing our multiplication activity and impact.
Together
15 of 15
Participate with other churches in a church planting network, affiliation, or denominational initiative that is actively pursuing increased multiplication.
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Part 5

COMMITMENT TO ENDORSE

Church Multiplication Declaration

By endorsing the Church Multiplication Declaration (Parts 1-4 above), you are showing your desire to pursue healthy church multiplication. The truths, aspirations, and behaviors highlighted above take time. The first step in the Church Multiplication Challenge is to commit to the journey. Start today!

Endorsers

Corbin Hobbs and Mike McDaniel

The Heights Church

Paul Taylor

Rivers Crossing Community Church

Keith Wieser

Resonate Church

Larry Walkemeyer

Light and Life Christian Fellowship

Drew Hyun

Hope Church NYC

Tim Hawks

Hill Country Bible Church

James Grogan

Eastlake Church

Jason Crandall

CityView Church

Keith Loy

Celebrate Community Church

Nic Burleson

Timber Ridge Church

Troy McMahon

Restore Community Church

Bob Roberts

NorthWood Church

Dave Ferguson

Community Christian Church

Bruce Wesley

Clear Creek Community Church

Brian Sanders

Tampa Underground

J.D. Greear

The Summit Church

Tommy Kiedis

Spanish River Church

Ron Johnson

Restoration Community Church

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