You have seen the pictures. A pebble is dropped in a still pond and the ripples flow out from the center. Or raindrops on that same pond, each drop creating its own ripples and together the multiple ripples create a mass of energy - ripples against ripples until the whole pond is dancing with ripples.
When we think of mission strategies we need to think of ripples. All ripples count but the more and larger ripples we can create the more influence we have for the gospel. It is possible for missions to ripple on very large numbers of people globally - if they think strategically.Here are some ripples moving from small to large that together can create huge mission impact.
Ripples of evangelism
A small ripple but one that every missionary should be committed to. Every time we lead someone to Christ a ripple occurs and if they are healthy Christ followers they will ripple on others down through their lives.Ripples of church planting
God chose the local church as His means to reach the world. Every time a healthy church is planted it creates a ripple - especially if that church is committed to reproducing itself.Ripples of training/coaching/mentoring multiple national church planters.
Now the ripples start to get larger because instead of concentrating on a single church plant, mission personnel are seeing themselves as coaches and trainers of multiple 'national' church planters who are far more capable of planting and pastoring a church than from someone outside their culture. Here we move from addition to multiplication.Ripples of formal and informal theological education
Training pastors, twenty, forty, one hundred, multiple hundreds creates even greater and multiple ripples leading to even greater multiplication of influence. While formal theological training is vital, the informal training of lay bi-vocational leaders is critical if we are going to maximize our impact. In order to reach large numbers of people it is necessary to train far more leaders informally than through formal education.Ripples of holistic ministry
In a poor and needy world (54% of our world lives on less than $3.00 USD per day) bringing needed help through education, medical assistance, micro development, crisis relief, community development and any number of services opens hearts, opens conversations and becomes a wonderful, powerful platform for evangelism and church planting - especially among populations that would not otherwise be open to the gospel.Ripples of coming alongside movement leaders or entire movements
God has gifted the church with amazing movement leaders around the world who are missional, deeply committed to reaching their people for Christ but who are looking for partners who can come alongside them and partner with them. Think about this. When you partner with, help, encourage a gifted movement leader, all of a sudden you have multiplied your kingdom influence to touch all the people that this movement leader touches. This is huge multiplication!
In the same way, when we come alongside movements around the world, be they movements of 10,000, 200,000 or even larger to provide training, teams, specialized help - in order to help these movements be more successful and missional the influence one has is even greater. Again, huge multiplication.Ripples of mission movements
When missionaries can help other national movements become mission sending movements there is extraordinary opportunity to extend kingdom impact. Missions is about 'all people' reaching 'all people.' Every time we can partner with a movement to enable them to send missionaries and then partner with them in those mission efforts, together we create synergistic ripples that makes God smile.
There are many other kinds of ripples. I think of MK educators and service personnel who make it possible for others to be involved in the kinds of ministries I have outlined above. They ripple on more people than they know because their service makes possible the service of others.
We can think addition or multiplication in missions. The more we think multiplication, the more we think strategically, the more kingdom influence and impact we will have. Here is an amazing thought. Never in human history have there been more people on our planet. And with globalization, ease of travel and modes of communication, never has it been possible to reach more people for Christ more quickly than today. Not that it is easy in many places. But globally the opportunity is amazingly huge, if we will think strategically, think multiplication, think ripples.
Is your mission primarily doing addition or multiplication?
10 comments:
I was glad to see “Ripples of holistic ministry” in here. It’s amazing how God can use the simple act of compassion to call people to Him. I was privileged to witness this in Thailand after the tsunami. Christians were doing the vast majority of the relief efforts, and that made a big impact on the local communities. A common question asked was, “Why come to help when you don’t even know me?” Then there was the perfect opportunity so share about the love of Jesus Christ. Now, in a place where there once were no known churches, there are somewhere around 20 in the coast area. That’s just one example. I’m sure we will be hearing and seeing more ripple effects of holistic ministry going on in Burma and China since the cyclone and earthquake.
This is awesome. It sums up perfectly my main theme when I present my ministry to prospective support team members. It has totally broadened my understanding of the "multiplication" concept in ministry.
Nick
I love this concept of ripples in global ministry. It makes it possible to reach many more people. Sometimes I think that what I am doing in ministry is insignificant. It is good to remember that those to whom I am ministering are hopefully ministering to others and there is multiplication instead of addition.
Imagine a rock dropped into water that simply sank to the bottom without causing any disturbance. In many ways this is what ministry is without discipleship. Our ministry does very little good in the long run if disciples are not trained to make more disciples.
Jonah Haddad
Ripples is a good way of painting a picture of what multiplication looks like. Jesus commanded us to love God and love others. Everything we do in missions should revolve around that. When we show God's love it creates ripples as people's lives are changed, and when we help others learn to show God's love, the ripples are even bigger.
The comment "We can think addition or multiplication in missions. The more we think multiplication, the more we think strategically, the more kingdom influence and impact we will have".
Ever see what happens with ripples when two stones are dropped in the water at the same time? Three? May God multiply and may we be quick to obey.
It is amazing how God can use this "ripple effect" to multiply ministry throughout the world. I have always believed that we might never know what kind of effect our lives are having on those around us. Now as I prepare to enter into full-time cross-cultural ministry, I so appreciate this perspective of multiplication over addition. I can see that God is at work around the world in so many different ways, and in order for us to join in the most effective way, we must keep the "big picture" in mind. Yes, it is so important to work for those small ripples of individuals coming to know Christ. So important that the angels in heaven rejoice! But if we are to truly multiply God's kingdom, we must also be paying attention to the bigger ripples of movements and churches and the future of leadership, especially the idea of passing the baton off to nationals who are uniquely suited to reach their own people with the Gospel.
I think that one of the key ideas here is that when we are intentional and strategic about our little ripples, then they will contribute toward the overarching goal of community, country and societal transformation. I am challenged to think intentionally about all my interactions wtih those around me. eva
I am excited by the concept of creating ripples by thinking of missions as something that doesn't need to come from "the North" (i.e., North America or Europe). With healthy movements growing in "the South" (i.e., Africa, Asia, Latin America) it is amazing to think about the opportunities for creating huge ripples around the world!
I love the visual that this post provides. Can't you see the tides of change rolling in as we seek to spread His name and kingdom? Thank you for your inspiring thoughts.
Post a Comment