Pathway for a Church Multiplier

Discerning a call to occupational ministry is a journey. It is a journey that is influenced by a variety of defining moments and formative experiences. Gaining clarity on a calling to be a church multiplier is much the same. It, too, takes time and requires exploration. When a church leader has answered the call to be a multiplier, a deep dive is needed to be fully prepared to launch a new multiplication venture.

The purpose of the church multipliers pathway is to provide several unique experiences to help a church leader gain a deeper understanding of church multiplication and to potentially discern clarity on their call to be a church multiplier. The multipliers pathway is also intended to help church leaders prepare to launch a new multiplication venture.

The multipliers pathway is broken into four segments—discover, explore, prepare, and launch. Each segment seeks to provide church leaders and potential church multipliers with tools to both answer a call to multiply and to help them move a multiplication venture toward an impactful beginning.

Outlined below is the purpose of each segment of the pathway and some detail of what is included in each segment of the multipliers pathway.

•  Discover—The multipliers pathway begins with a posture of discovery. This segment of the pathway is intended for any church leader to begin to explore the topic of church multiplication.
  •  Discovery Day: Discovery Day is designed to provide an overview of church multiplication and help church leaders explore a potential calling to be a church multiplier. We wrestle with questions like: What is church multiplication? Am I called and wired to be a church planter? The goal of Discovery Day is to help pastors and church leaders gain greater clarity on what it could mean for them or their church to multiply.
  • Discovery Groups: A Discovery Group is designed to lead a potential church multiplier, church leader or pastor through a process of more deeply exploring the landscape of multiplication. This eight-session journey will provide participants with the opportunity to survey the various aspects of disciple making and church multiplication. We are learning that if we can get church leaders having the right conversation, then movement begins. Discovery Groups are intended to be the next clear step in helping church leaders and potential multipliers answer one clear question: How will you multiply?
  • Exponential: Exponential is way more than a ministry conference. It has developed into a major influencer that is sparking a plethora of multiplication movements around the world. No one installs multiplication DNA like Exponential! Exponential is one of the most powerful discovery tools that can be leveraged as church leaders travel the multipliers pathway. Church leaders walking the multipliers pathway are encouraged to engage with the Exponential conference, regional gatherings, website, podcasts, and e-books. Exponential is a powerful tool for discovery and should be leveraged during this segment of the pathway.
• Explore—For those church leaders who have sensed a call to launch a multiplication venture during the discovery phase, the next step is to begin to explore that calling more deeply. Exploring that call more deeply demands greater clarity around the wiring and gifting of an individual and/or ministry couple. It is also about exploring to whom and to where one is being called.
  • Multiplication Huddle: Multiplication huddles are designed to help multipliers or established church pastors answer the question, how will we multiply? The goal of the huddle journey is to help church leaders build a multiplication plan for launching a new church.
  • Assessments: Church multiplier assessments help potential multipliers understand their wiring and the unique wiring required for a multiplication venture. It will help them understand and gain clarity on how God might be calling them to multiply. There are two levels of the assessment process. Level one is leveraged as an initial assessment to discern if wiring matches the calling a potential multiplier is sensing. Level two is used to provide a deeper look at the potential multiplier and their spouse. The details of both levels are outlined below.
• Individual Assessments
  • Level One
    • We use seven primary instruments for our Level One Assessments, which involves a two-hour debrief and review. Each of these assessment tools identify different domains of a leader.
      • DISC Behavioral Needs
      • Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
      • Values
      • Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode
      • 16PF Profile Report
      • 16 PF Leadership Competencies
      • Spiritual Gifts
  • Level Two
    • Level Two Assessment involves a full day onsite debrief and coaching session with Dr. Greg Wiens from Healthy Growing Leaders. Level Two builds upon the seven Level One instruments with five other assessment/exercises.
      • The Six Instruments from Level One
      • Behavior Assessment
      • Relational Health
      • Cultural Health
      • Health Passion
      • Particular Assessment
• TAP Team: TAP stands for Target Analysis Process and it is designed to help a potential multiplier or church identify the location of a new multiplication venture.
• Demographic Study: Once a church multiplier has chosen a city, a deep dive of understanding that community is completed to provide more detail on that ministry area.
• Prepare—Once a church multiplier has gained vision clarity, understand their unique wiring and gifting, and have also had their calling affirmed, they are ready to move into the prepare segment of the multipliers pathway. The prepare phase is meant to provide multipliers with the experience and tools to launch a multiplication venture.
  •  Boot Camp Experience: Calling and vision are vital in church multiplication. However, calling and vision are only the beginning of what is needed to start a healthy church. A well-thought out strategy, a comprehensive plan to implement that strategy, and God’s provision to see the vision become reality are all needed. That’s where a boot camp can be a helpful phase along the multipliers pathway. Learn more about a church planting boot camp experience here.
  • Church Multiplier Residency: Church multiplier residency is an extended experience-based environment designed to help someone who has answered the call to multiply develop the necessary plan and skills to launch a new multiplication venture. Residency can be either locally in a healthy church setting or online. We are currently leveraging a powerful online multiplication residency provided by Gateway Leaders. Learn more about Church Planter Cultivate here.
• Launch—The final segment of the multipliers pathway is launch! There are three critical and final pieces that need to be developed before a new multiplication venture begins. Multipliers need to identify a sending church, develop a covenant, and hire a coach.
  • Sending Church: Every church multiplication venture should have a sending church. A sending church is a congregation that has agreed to release and support a multiplier as they pursue their dream to launch a church. The responsibilities of a sending church can vary, but every new multiplication venture needs a sending church.
  • Covenant: When a multiplication venture has been determined, it is important for the multiplier and their ministry partners to develop a covenant that clearly outlines the responsibilities of all those involved. The covenant will also outline key desired outcomes for accountability.
  • Coaching: No one should multiply alone. Every multiplying pastor should have life-giving relationships that provide support for the journey. One of these strategic relationships needs to be with a coach. A coach is a partner in the multiplication journey who helps the multiplier avoid pitfalls, landmines, and reach their fullest potential.