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Leading Your Church to Be a Multiplying Church
Multiplication isn’t a church growth strategy. It’s in the DNA of the church by Jesus’ design.
Evangelicalism isn’t just a theology—it’s a movement.
At its core is the belief that the Gospel is meant to spread. Jesus didn’t just call His followers to gather—He called us to go. He didn’t just build a church to preserve truth, but to propagate it. Multiplication isn’t a church growth strategy. It’s in the DNA of the church by Jesus’ design.
The DNA of Multiplication
As Evangelicals—and for many of us, as Baptists—we believe that Matthew 28:18–20 applies to every follower of Jesus. This passage isn’t just a call for missionaries and pastors—it’s the mandate for the entire church.
Let’s break it down:
- Jesus is Lord. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (v. 18)
- He has a mission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (v. 19)
- He promises His presence. “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (v. 20)
Jesus is clear: His church is to make disciples. That means we are called to lead others in obedience to Him, not just attendance at church. The mission is about transformation, not just information.
If we truly believe this is our calling, then multiplication isn’t optional. It’s essential.
4 Myths That Keep Churches from Planting
If multiplication is central to the church’s identity, why don’t more churches plant? Why don’t more pastors prioritize sending? The problem usually isn’t theological. It’s practical. And these common myths are often to blame:
- The Myth of Attendance: “We need to be bigger before we can plant.”
This is one of the most common lies pastors believe. We look at our numbers and think, “Maybe one day.” But size doesn’t determine readiness. Attitude does.
- Do you want to send?
- Do you expect to multiply?
- Are you planning for it?
A church of 50 with a sending heart is far more Kingdom-impactful than a church of 500 sitting still.
- The Myth of Age: “We need to be more established.”
There’s a belief that once a church is mature—say, 10 or 15 years in—they’ll be better equipped to plant. But in my experience, younger churches often plant more readily.
Why?
- They’re flexible.
- They’re risk-tolerant.
- They haven’t gotten too comfortable.
Younger churches still remember what it was like to start with nothing but vision and prayer. That makes them dangerous (in the best way).
- The Myth of Acquisition: “We’ll plant after we get a building.”
Buildings can be a blessing—but they can also be a distraction. Too many churches fall into the trap of tying their mission to square footage. They think a new space will help them reach more people. But most people aren’t won to Jesus by facilities. They’re reached by faithful people who live on mission.
If we truly believe the church is the body of Christ—not a building—we’ll invest more in sending people than securing property. In fact, planting can expand your reach while keeping your church financially lean and mission focused.
- The Myth of Adequacy: “Now’s not the right time.”
This is the myth that kills momentum before it starts. It’s the same reasoning couples use to delay having children:
- “We need to save more money.”
- “We need to be more stable.”
- “We’re just not ready yet.”
The truth is—you’re never fully ready. But that doesn’t mean you’re not called. And if you’re waiting for God to give you a sign, remember: He already has.
- Matthew 16:18 — “I will build my church.”
- Matthew 28:19 — “Go therefore and make disciples.”
God’s already spoken. The next step is obedience.
Two Essentials for Becoming a Multiplying Church
If you want to cultivate a culture of multiplication in your church, start here:
1. A Vision for the Lost
You can’t multiply if you aren’t burdened. Ask yourself:
- Am I broken for my city?
- Do I see people as Jesus sees them—harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd?
This kind of heart doesn’t come from leadership books or strategy meetings. It comes from prayer. Ask Jesus to give you His heart for your community.
Then make a plan. Not a perfect one—but a real one. If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. But if you have a clear target, you’ll be surprised how often you hit close—or even exceed it.
2. A Vision for Reproducing Disciple-Makers
Discipleship is more than teaching—it’s training for obedience.
We need to ask:
- What’s our plan for “teaching them to obey” (Matthew 28)?
- How are we discovering and deploying future leaders?
- Are we building a farm system for multiplication?
If there’s no clear path, there will be no clear fruit.
The August Gate Story: Multiplication in Our DNA
At August Gate, the church that I planted, we worked hard to embed multiplication into our culture from day one.
- One-on-one discipleship
- DNA group to DNA group
- Gospel Community to Gospel Community
- Gathering to Gathering
Each of these environments includes leadership development. We even created a Church Planter Development Pipeline (CPDP)—a “farm system” to help us raise up and send out leaders who were called to plant. And you’d be surprised (or maybe you wouldn’t) to hear how many random people showed up in our building or inbox asking about planting. It seems, when you talk about multiplication and church planting, people who are interesting in being involved find out about it.
Bottom line: we didn’t want multiplication to be an event. We want it to be a reflex.
Final Encouragement to Church Leaders
Pastor, planter, leader—if you believe the Gospel is a movement, then move with it.
Don’t just settle for addition. Don’t just settle for attendance. Don’t just settle for maintenance. Lead your church to multiply. Because Jesus is Lord. He has a mission. And He is with you.
Let’s be churches that send. Let’s raise up leaders and launch them. Let’s saturate our cities and regions with the Gospel—not just through one congregation, but through many.
