Planning for Multiplication
John, the person who criticized my definition of the cell group, felt that multiplication could easily become divisive among cell members. He thought that it was best not to tell the group of future multiplication. Rather, when people were transformed, he reasoned, there would be a natural desire to multiply. But is it so simple?
If you don’t tell the people in the group that multiplication is the plan, would they suddenly rejoice in multiplying because 
one or more people were transformed? And wouldn’t this be a “bait and switch” strategy to inform them after a transformation had occurred? I think it’s far better to tell the group from the beginning what the game plan is. If you tell them soon enough (perhaps a year before you actually multiply), you’ll give them plenty of time to prepare their hearts.
The idea of setting a multiplication goal was confirmed in my Ph.D. research of seven large cell churches in eight different countries. The 700 cell leaders surveyed were asked, “Do you know when your group is going to multiply?” Possible answers were “yes,” “no,” or “not sure.” When the survey results were analyzed, cell leaders who knew their goal—when their groups would give birth—consistently multiplied their groups more often than leaders who don’t know or just “hope it will happen.” In fact, if a cell leader fails to set goals that the cell members clearly remember, the group has about a 50-50 chance of multiplying. But if the leader sets a clear goal for multiplication, the chance of multiplying increases to three out of four.
It’s my observation that the focus of most small group ministry is exclusively community. I’ve also noticed, however, that community and personal growth does not lead to multiplicaiton. There needs to be a clear focus and vision to reach beyond the group to others–to give away the community. And the group leader and coach need to promote multiplication to actually make it happen. The idea that it will simply happen “when” people are transformed is idealistic thinking, in my opinion.
What do you think?
Joel
John Pernsteiner said,
May 30, 2007 @ 8:49 am
Joel,
I’ve read Home Cell Group Explosion, as well as a number of other books you have written. I understand the concept behind the goal setting, how it motivates and guides our groups. However, I’m wrestling with this concept on a Biblical level. What Biblical basis do we have for goal setting? If we use goals as a means of motivation are we not taking our eyes off of God’s grace and replacing it with something else? Making disciples should be entirely motivated by love of God which compels us to reach out and share that love with others, if we set goals are we replacing that motivation for a cheaper weaker one?
This is some stuff I’ve been wrestling with. I’ve always been goal oriented, it helps me focus, and feel a sense of achievement. However, I’ve been recently challenged on my view of goal setting. I would appreciate some feedback on this issue.
John
Joel Comiskey said,
May 30, 2007 @ 9:51 am
Hey, John, you’re wrestling with some important issues.
Two things come to mind.
First is motivation. The only proper motivation for goal setting is the glory of God and because Jesus wants more harvest workers to reap the harvest. If the motivation for goals is “I want to have lots of cells to make myself look good” this is sin, pure and simple.
Second, while it’s good to have a goal, don’t beat yourself over the head if you don’t make it. That is, if you don’t have a leader to multiply out, you simply can’t reach the goal. Yet, my philosophy is to then set another goal. Goals simply help me and the team stay focused on making disciples who make disciples
What do others think?
Joel
Iain Garrett-Benson said,
May 30, 2007 @ 2:11 pm
I think there can be confusion about goals and outcomes. If we have a goal to start a new cell, what that should mean is that the following has occurred:
1. We have gathered some unchurched in (evangelism)
2. Developed at a new leader to the stage where they can now take care of and facilitate a cell group (discipleship)
3. We now have a new team of people who are working at building christian community and sharing that with the unchurched (multiplication)
In other words these outcomes have had to take place for the new cell to start. Evangelism, discipleship and multiplication. It’s the outcomes that we want. The goal of starting a new group isn’t the motivator, its wanting to live the way God wants us to that should motivate us (eg living in christian community, discipling one another and multiplying our effectiveness)
The goal just gives us focus on what we (together with God) think is achievable concerning those outcomes. It helps us focus our faith on what we are aiming for (together with God). if there isn’t a multiplication goal then community and discipleship become inward focused (eg koinninitus). The other extreme is focusing on multiplication without aiming for community and discipleship. That leads to badly formed cells that will die off pretty quickly. All 3 outcomes are important. Aim for those 3 outcomes to occur (eg have goal!)
Bill Joukhadar said,
May 31, 2007 @ 5:25 am
Joel
I believe that one of the most important discussions prospective marriage couples should engage in before deciding to ‘tie the knot’ is whether they are ‘for’ having children some time down the road in their marriage. Some couples make the mistake of not touching on this important aspect of their future lives together, and by doing so, bring unnecessary heartache and strain upon them selves and their relationship. Sadly, some relationships have disolved through disagreement in this important matter. I say, as early as possible in the life of a group, and in a most appropriate way, discuss the matter of ‘multiplication.’ Is ‘multiplication’ not something we should be excited about and thrilled to discuss?
Bill
Ian Knight said,
May 31, 2007 @ 9:02 am
Joel,
I couldn’t agree with you more. We have a 100% consistency experience with the fact that cells that are focused on transformation/community first, never move to multiplication. This is based on 15 years experience with lots of cells. Cells that keep multiplication in mind, are focused on the end game of Kingdom extension; their community and transformation are for a purpose; they continually look for opportunities to embrace others… and they multiply.
As far as multiplication being Biblical, I just spent some time meditating on Psalm 2, where the encouragement is to “ask Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.” Some could opt out of this exhortation, due to the Messianic nature of this Psalm, but I choose to adopt the “all Scripture is given…” principle, and my meditation challenged my spirit about how much I limit my “asking” when God is willing to give me nations!
Finally, my heart’s belief is that: if we will ask… and obey the Matthew 28.18-20 instruction of going, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching them to replicate the process, we will see Jesus build His church… and it will be magnificent to behold!!
Ian
Charlene J said,
June 2, 2007 @ 3:03 am
In our ministry, our pastor teaches us to set goals. Jesus set the greatest goal of all when He died on the cross for us. Just like in John 4:34 he said my meat is to do the will of Him who sent me and finish HIs work. Everything in Jesus’ live lead him to HIs true destiny, or his purpose that he was created. Also the word says except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone, but when it dies it bringeth forth much fruit. Because Jesus was focused on His purpose and the fathers love was so great for us, He had his only begotton Son to die and as a result of His death, look at all of the new sons and daughters(multiplication) that have been reconciled back to God. We must aim at goals–in cell group multiplication goals are very neccessary because sometimes if you are not careful, a cell group can become “clickish” and be a cell group that is noneffective and un productive. I say that only because when there is no vision the people perish. Vision and goals drive and motivate us. We must be willing to push ourselves to tap into our maximun potential and setting goals causes us to press toward something that is bigger than us. All for Gods Glory and purpose.
Iain Garrett-Benson said,
June 3, 2007 @ 1:29 am
Go for it Charlene! I liked what you said.
Randall said,
June 5, 2007 @ 4:49 pm
I’ve been to one too many multi-level marketing dinners at a friend’s house where I thought I was being treated special, only to find out they wanted something (read $$$) from me instead.
I’d have to say not telling one’s cell group there is a goal of a multiplication date is a good way to have people awfully upset with the group’s leader and the church staff. One might go as far as leaving the church if he or she felt totally deceived. So I’d have to say that John needs to re-examine his position on this one. He’s not thinking it through at all.
On the flip side, I really like what Michael Mack wrote in some cell group curriculum my groups are using right now concerning group multiplication. He explains the multiplication process with an illustration of how healthy it is for parents to develop their children into responsible adults and help them become independent and self-sufficient, get married, have kids, etc. Of course, typical parents are hollering about having a lot of grandbabies too, which is also a healthy parallel for a cell group leader (dream of producing disciple-makers, not just disciples).
In essence, this is how I now explain “cell multipication” to the groups I coach at my local Vineyard church. When I visit a group, I take 15 minutes to cast and/or recast a vision for each member to work hard to grow up spiritually, walking free of strongholds, living in biblical community in the 6 days and 22 hours between cell meetings, reaching friends for Christ through relationships, serve the group each week in some way, etc. … and most importantly, setting personal goals for moving out of the group I am visiting to begin a spiritual family of their own.
So, the same goal is achieved… casting the vision for producing new cell leaders (and far more than that, really as it’s just the first leadership opportunity in a cell church) and new cell groups. It just shares the vision in a way that makes a lot more sense than, oh, say, telling everyone that like a biological cell, it must “split” or “divide” so the organ or body it represents can grow. Biological cells simply don’t form deep friendships with the other part of the cell that splits off. That’s what makes humans as a whole so different from the billions of cells that make up that person.
While mature Christians in a cell group understand the sacrifices they must make for the good of the body of Christ, many of the people in my groups are simply too immature and self-focused to even hear this and not enterpret it as:
“You’re asking us to get to know one another intimately—which we’ve never enjoyed before this day—and then divorce one another so our church can have more groups? I don’t think so!”
So I do think John has a point. How one shares the vision for cell leader and cell group multiplication must be tailored to fit the group in which the vision is being shared.
Another thing I was thinking about on this same subject is that your excellent research was done in successful, growing, cell-based churches where they had both conversion growth momentum and leadership growth momentum… in this case, boldly proclaiming that a group will multiply by X date or when it reaches X number of people seems like it would be very exciting to me as a cell member who came to Christ and was being discipled in this ever-changing, no-time-to-grow-complacent environment. Now I could be all wrong on this thought, but it’s one that may reveal a lot about the answers given in the research. Joel, what do you think about this perspective? Does it have any merit?
Joel Comiskey said,
June 14, 2007 @ 8:13 am
Hey, Randall, I think iyour comments have a lot of merit. I really do like the WAY that you and Michael Mack explain the idea of maturing and moving on versus a mystical body cell/body division! I’ve increasingly explained the multiplication process in terms of HEALTH based on Schwarz’s research. Speaking in health terms for multiplication AND liberally reminding the people that relationships will NOT be broken off is the way I explain multiplication. However, the illustration of maturation and moving on is also a good one, and I’ll add that one to my arsenal.
With regard to the research, the comparison was with those groups who set goals and didn’t set goals within the same eight churches. Thus, the research showed that setting a goal (knowing the date of the multiplation) is something that positively correlates with whether the group actually multiplies. In these same churches, those groups that didn’t set the goal for multiplicaiton didn’t have the same success in multiplication. Thus, it really wasn’t an issue of the spiritual health in these churches. Now if I were to look at THE TIME IT TAKES TO MULTIPLY a group in these churches I WOULD CERTAINLY FIND THAT THE CELL GROUPS MULTIPLIED much more rapidly than in churches that are not as spiritually alive. I think it’s safe to generalize that in churches that are not so spiritually alive, those groups that set goals have a far better chance of multiplying than those who don’t–even if it takes a lot longer to actually multiply.
blessings,
Joel
Randall said,
June 14, 2007 @ 10:45 am
Joel, your clarification on the research makes a lot of sense now. I had not thought it through like that before. Thanks for the response.