Spark

What would it look like if a significant number of churches had to intentionally try not to multiply and the Lord added to their numbers daily? (Acts 2: 42-7)?

Todd Wilson highlights the prominent church cultures leaders most naturally create and challenges you to honestly assess which culture you’re creating. He points out that every church–regardless of your context or phase (pre-launch, launch or post-launch)–is creating a culture and takes readers through a thorough explanation of how culture is created and what is needed to create a multiplication culture.

He offers an exploration of what Scripture says about God’s command to multiply and out of that scriptural study comes fresh insight as he contends that the U.S. church needs both addition (what he calls the micro strategy of adding disciples one on one, and life on life) and multiplication (the macro strategy of reproducing churches). He writes: “We must purpose to continually ask ourselves, ‘How do we help everyone in our church reach their ‘next one’? while simultaneously asking, ‘How do we release and send people to reach the next 100,000?’”

Finally, SPARK identifies and examines 18 of the very real tensions that inhibit multiplication, pointing out that how church leaders face and maneuver through these tensions might be the most significant blessings that shape their church’s culture and DNA.

SPARK underscores that reality and calls leaders to action in their context.

Key highlights:

• Insightful study of Scripture centered on multiplication
• The differences between an addition-growth culture and a multiplication-growth culture
• A comprehensive look at how addition-growth can actually hinder multiplication-growth
• The impact of micro and macro strategies working synergistically
• Thorough exploration of the three elements in any culture and how they work together to determine your culture
• Examples of how the various church cultures (subtraction, addition and multiplication) are created
• A helpful look at the 18 tensions inhibiting multiplication that leaders will inevitably face