In this episode we talk about the heart behind church multiplication in the PAOC, why it's important to our fellowship and what the vision may look like beyond 2020.
In this episode we talk about the heart behind church multiplication in the PAOC, why it's important to our fellowship and what the vision may look like beyond 2020.
Transcript of Podcast by Multiply Network
Created to champion church multiplication, provide learning and inspire new disciple-
making communities across Canada
2019 – Dave Wells
Paul Fraser: We are really excited to have Dave Wells, our General Superintendent, who has been travelling the country.
Q. Where do we find you today?
Dave Wells:
A. Hey, hanging out in my own office today, Paul, in Mississauga. Saskatoon yesterday, Fredericton tomorrow. Yes, getting around.
Q. Seeing our beautiful nation and you’re doing a great job.
We’re going to talk today about Multiply Network. It turns one! It launched last May at General Conference and now we’re coming up to this May and excited to see all that God is doing. It was in your heart, the 2020 Vision, revitalization, multiplication – of course we’re focusing on the multiplication side. Why don’t you give us maybe a little bit of your heart and vision and purpose of what you saw the Multiply Network to be?
A. Yes. As you know Paul and others may or may not, the whole vision for 2020 arose out of healthy dissatisfaction. So we were looking at stats that indicated we had ceased to be a multiplication Movement and we wanted to recapture that. Well, to have that you have to have healthy churches and healthy leaders. So it’s an integrated vision in that the two go together. But they do go together if we’re going to be like the kingdom of God, if we’re going to multiply, if we’re going to have influence.
So we looked at where were we currently doing well at facilitating multiplication, looked at all the best practices that are involved in healthy multiplication. When you come out with your score with your eight Districts at 57% you kind of go, ooh, we almost flunked that. We better work on that because I never specialized in any area that I got 57% of in high school. I just tended to let it go.
We are committed to not letting multiplication go. Thus, we formed a network in order to be this facilitator of seeing best practices taking place, the vision being clear, the way that people could be equipped so they could be involved in multiplication. We certainly want to be scoring a lot higher than 57%.
Q. Totally. The 2020 Vision, 1,500 disciple-making communities, 1% of Canada, we’ve got some work to do.
But beyond 2020 the vision doesn’t really stop. There’s this heart to keep church planting and vitalization going. But you guys are dreaming at a strategic level about beyond 2020. Why don’t you share a little bit about what you guys are thinking about at General Executive?
A. The General Executive is thinking, based on I would say a good launch of the 2020 Initiative and therefore having some alignment and clarity about multiplication and vital churches and steps being taken, not just talk, but steps are being taken all the way through to our spiritual and theological vitality, steps are being taken. It is showing fruitfulness. So you get the first stage of a rocket off the launch pad but hey, that’s good but what is beyond. So we have really been envisioning beyond 2020, and frankly, beyond our own ministry lives to what is the best foundations we lay for those who are following. We really zeroed in on making it a priority, thinking that way related to Millennials and those that are younger.
So how do we establish them to be strong disciples, yes of Jesus, and how do we align our colleges, our Districts, our churches to be doing that well. But with the sense of then helping those that follow us achieve the calling that is on their lives. We believe that if we’re a multiplication Movement, if we’re a disciple-making Movement, that there will be expressions of that well beyond 2020. So how do we make it absolutely the best platform for those young men, young women, to succeed in fulfilling their calling, including multiplication.
Q. Yes. We just so appreciate your leadership and what you are doing and your willingness to lean younger and listen. So thanks for all you do and thanks for jumping on the Take 5 with us today.
A. Thanks, Paul. And I’m glad the Multiplication Network is there and I really encourage people to lean into your resources because I believe there are a lot of people called. They want to be about new disciple-making communities.
Q. Totally. All right, thanks Dave.
--- End of Recording