Cherri and I just got back from a phenomenal time with an outstanding group of multipliers who are connected with the Northwest Ministry Network. This team of leaders serve together in a region of the nation that is severely underchurched and they are committed to doing whatever it takes to be on mission with Jesus in building bridges to “tribes” that are disconnected from a personally incarnated Gospel witness.

We joined with them in a Church Planter Intensive to think together about what needs to happen to build hundreds of new bridges. I came away incredibly encouraged with the caliber of leaders God is raising up in this part of the nation. Les Welk is the Network Team Leader (Superintendent) and from his very first day in that role has been a passionate proponent of multiplication. Dozens of new churches have been started during his tenure. Being the outstanding leader he is, he understood that his role did not afford him the luxury of giving direct oversight to the Network infrastructure needed to support the starting of new communities of faith. So he asked Dave Cole to take on the task of building out Network systems to catalyze multiplication. That assignment matched perfectly with Dave’s passion and experience and for the past 6 years he has helped the Northwest Ministry Network become a great place for multiplication to happen.

A key feature of this Intensive was to announce a new shift in leadership responsibility. As the Network continues to flex with the culture and God’s direction, it has become clear that Dave’s gifts could be best applied in other crucial tasks. So Dave and Les along with the broader Network leadership team selected Del Chittim to step into the role of District Multiplication Director. Along with Del they have invited my friend Dan Serdahl to facilitate coaching support for Network multipliers.  These are outstanding leaders and I believe the future is bright for every aspect of multiplication in the Northwest Network. CMN looks forward to partnering with them to leverage our scale as a movement and doing everything we can to empower them to be successful.

Another great privilege of this trip was connecting with some of the amazingly gifted and creative leaders at the front lines of ministry in the NMN. The Intensive was held at All Saints Church in Seattle, pastored by Bill Berger. All Saints is located in the heart of the Queen Anne community of Seattle. This is an arts oriented setting with a lot of personality and personalities. Bill fits right in! I loved the sign on the outside of the building…All Saints Believe, Doubt, Seek.

Sunday Morning we got to be at one of the 3 worship gatherings of a 4 year old plant called Canyon Creek Church in Mill Creek, Washington pastored by Brandon Beals. This team is doing an outstanding job of connecting into the culture of their neighborhood with the right message, music and methods. Brandon preached a challenging uncompromising message without building a wall with unnecessary obstacles for pre-Christians to climb over.

Cherri and I came away very encouraged. The AG family is broad and robust. If the Northwest Ministry Network is a “leading indicator” the future of ministry in the US is heading in the right direction. Jesus is still building His Church.

The AG family of churches is postured to be a significant part of a spiritual revolution in America. We’ve got a solid base of over 12,000 existing churches and a visionary leader in Dr. George Wood who is serious about reaching the millions of Americans who are currently disconnected from the Church.

Multiplicity is our annual get together for doers, dreamers and leaders of church multiplication efforts. This year, we literally have something for everyone. Whether you are parenting, satelliting, planting, thinking about planting, leading planters…anyone who does anything connected to multiplication will find something helpful in this years edition of Multiplicity. Dr. George Wood will also be sharing his passion and vision for planting with us and answering your questions about whatever you care to ask. 

Our theme is Zero…because that is where every journey of faith begins. You’ll hear from and interact with multiplication leaders who have stared “zero” in the eye and then believed God to provide everything they need to do what he’s called them to do. You’ll hear from some of the nationally known leaders in the world of multiplication along with a diverse group of lesser known but very anointed leaders who are part of God’s plan to multiply His Kingdom everywhere to everyone. We’ve also selected a location that is easy to get to…CT Church is only 5 minutes from Houston Hobby airport, a Southwest Airlines destination…which means even if you need to fly, the travel cost is minimal.

So check out the website and register today. Readers of this blog can benefit from our discount code that will save you $90 off the full registration price. Simply enter 2008ZERO in the discount code blank and you will receive the lower price. We also have even better deals for teams who register together. We’re only a month out from the conference so don’t delay!  

The title of this post could save you $90! If you want to know how, read on….

Multiplicity Zero is the annual face-to-face connecting point for anyone and everyone involved in any aspect of starting a new church. The Zero theme was born in my heart during a talk by Craig Groeschal at Buzz 07. Craig made the comment that when our limited resources encounter increasing passion, we experience exponential innovation. He used a great example to illustrate this point. First, he asked anyone in the crowd who would be willing and able to give him $100,000 by tomorrow at 5pm to raise their hand. He was greeted with laughter and nobody raised their hands. Then, he increased the passion component by asking “Suppose your son or daughter had been kidnapped and I guaranteed their safe return if you gave me $100,000 by tomorrow at 5pm.” It was amazing how much more creative we all became. Suddenly, I realized that if I had a the right level of passion about something, I would be willing to do anything to get the resources to get it done.

Then Craig zinged us with the following thought….Our problem in reaching Americans with the Gospel is not one of provision or finances…it’s a passion problem. If we are truly compelled by God’s love toward our fellow citizens, we will do everything we can to find the resources to reach them. Instead of saying that we can’t plant churches or start new ministries because we don’t have the money or the people, or the (fill in the blank), we are called to step out in obedience with Jesus on His mission and do whatever we can to find the resources to make it happen. We do what we can do and God will do what we can’t do. But we must not allow ourselves to be held back by our perceived lack of resources. Everything starts at Zero. Our limited resources combined with increasing passion will help us find God’s provision for every step of the journey.

So Multiplicity Zero is a chance to interact with leaders who have started at Zero and went on to see God do great things. You’ll be inspired and equipped. You’ll be exposed to new ideas and perspectives on the world. You’ll have multiple opportunities to spend time and interact with real leaders you’ve probably never heard of who are faced with some of the same challenges and limitations that are in front of you.

Now, here’s how you save $90. The registration fee is $199. But readers of this blog can get the special rate of $109 by putting the title of this post into the “discount code” box when you register. That’s all there is to it! So don’t delay. This special offer will not last forever. You can learn more about what to expect and how to register by clicking here.

Wow, this post is beginning to sound like an infomercial so I’m going to quit before I get too weird! I do truly hope to see you in Houston December 4-5, 2008.