Multiply Conferences Span Two Continents
In March we pulled off a new IBC first — two Multiply Conferences on two continents in the same month! Approximately 70 leaders from countries in South America, Central America, and across Europe gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, to join the “multiplication conversation.”
The energy was high, and the excitement is growing! More and more IBC leaders and churches are embracing the heart of God for church multiplication. Our time together was encouraging and uplifting as we worshipped together, prayed for the nations together, and learned together.
We tackled the BIG multiplication questions: What does it mean to multiply? What makes something likely to multiply? Are we multiplying the things want to? We considered the specific question of what makes something “reproducible” and considered it in the context of disciple-making.
I believe as we get better at multiplying disciple-makers, small groups, and leaders, we will be well on our way to multiplying congregations.
Neil Cole put it this way: “If we cannot multiply churches, we will never see a movement. If we cannot multiply leaders, we will never multiply churches. If we cannot multiply disciples, we will never multiply leaders. The way to see a true church multiplication movement is to multiply healthy disciples, then leaders, then churches, and finally movements – in that order.”
10 Years of Starting New Churches
During the conferences, we realized this year is our 10–year anniversary of starting new churches in this most recent season of IBC church planting. We praised God and celebrated the new churches God has birthed and added to our IBC family!
Additionally, we have IBC churches supporting church planters in several countries through the European Baptist Federation Mission Partnership, supporting church planting via missionaries in the Middle East, Philippines, and Brazil, supporting local host-nation language church plants in their cities, and one even supporting a street church. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! (Psalm 145:3)
Our dream is to see every IBC church engaged in starting churches and the churches they start starting churches … then we will have joined God in a movement reaching the nations around the world!
Darryl Evetts