%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 20 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250907091001+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250907091001+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1727 >> stream xXMܶϯ\%U%%)v䔽[rys!Nw*< Wr)P C{ ma :qj@G Vf>9XUk-g`?v;$a>fbjC<*WBۡ90(JdrK ČUC8oREwVpjGZџ P'xOx?fXzxR4H[bg9Kk9҆DV ;Ug.AN}xk٫?(~aU3vc;vjoomkEhNL;_d@'|O :k$^tjh5wn~}u^R_;Jí0~K' )Ն y#=$hrq{{=J)~@Ռ3AVpY>?xEߒGۙㆦ/zJ飹A8*3w.QZ8?b"> _cmsnEwEIF}ϫ鵘5\? \Q9cx Eg|,(#L|<0fo9e'Ā101ę\K5j[W⯚'SD#k6 g)X( V"kivt{n.Qyr{1,Ƭ 9S=j' MaYƆ$C0h]DPT9,vNk.PwnТ?\UW}B$%wG.6pN Փk^=Dp r_kT |hQqvvZTzd_tEl=A*=e}%s~1| ^B<@AQ d-݂ Gap|Xˤ_^~JsQ(qoRDQeakH,j25w9 KK3^,CLX4KSϬ uw`ؖM_^QNť1]!SOCwh}9zy环)=^زg= f')R3Jer-y]u2k-Jn'l:mr4W<<\De[Tla't^ |ysS9;l)}•e*׽ C1./. |qHsxn Lӥ;ˌ_4Mt?ğ endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 21 0 R >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2085 >> stream xXMsWV?ÖN6Je;RV*Ebr1ىrpR忛 R!inۈc0 i9=y{ATDI%hI(. f̋(`fA'\dEPdH`Qsvb×5)lp@~S}<^=SC"KjHN yMDn0ڨ!1Q:5L"jU vaWVOݰms[xn*(̩fTyeQ0rj=nr7;ovnWdV9js{ 35 zj?[?>_ ,򜠃fUn7 0 H ?1WAڮ6L S6f%g ExN 7!@Vixms_̕g;ownV[dw"s{ 30H0(ilNʁjP؈+!'H/ti >+ |N@4pZC"ʹJAHIt#9ֳ"ȱQ$M(W9<$GAG9N3wb^+řpu'A5ͧYգn'x >8u5  ],C|ǽY rZ98k md2sl5ij:@oO igON4&; @^,؃!+|ӌ?6I; i8AEEOG1n_s\$ @#㬣'ezzf~♽IՔf>Q٨Ӡ/'6A)OstnJR*( Eǹ{QT '˓ȜBnO͝<֗ Pp(´ss5 :mE+x}KIreZ#^.O^)Svu+],hSe]E+jKydNkbWskUӾ|P.Yz#j ^ƗPg+#Nִ(w;tN}vϛ\')}b0J!9EDŅkWE1(.}Q6όX S_8-äõ+y"r tC?ό~b,ʥoq9DmNo`EnqLߣ\oefqaM,ATV3:*a^|j{ϋdqaȪ~ur8KCk}ŸZ2hV'x ^lgf}q~M tAaPUYESETTT!%9_É8?}ifFnu?1y endstream endobj xref 0 22 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000401 00000 n 0000000430 00000 n 0000000579 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000002482 00000 n 0000002589 00000 n 0000002697 00000 n 0000002807 00000 n 0000002920 00000 n 0000003036 00000 n 0000003065 00000 n 0000003175 00000 n 0000003232 00000 n 0000003289 00000 n 0000003348 00000 n 0000003407 00000 n 0000003436 00000 n 0000003541 00000 n trailer << /Size 22 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 5700 %%EOF You can’t imagine | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

You can’t imagine

May 16, 2003
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Body Builder

by Terry Camsey, Major – 

… how gratifying it was to read (in the April 17 issue of New Frontier) a published acknowledgement of the effectiveness of the MISSION2000 territorial growth strategy.

It is, however, tempered somewhat by the comment, “Arising out of that number comes the concern for how healthy is this growth.”

I guess such concern depends, firstly, upon how we define growth. Do we mean increase in numbers of worship centers, attendance, memberships, or of souls added to the Kingdom of God?

It also depends upon how “healthy” is defined. The ultimate “bottom line” of all we do must surely be people won and discipled who, through the agency of the Holy Spirit, in turn, win and disciple others. That, surely, is the ultimate spiritual fruit of a healthy church and is measurable statistically…disciples, discipling!

Increases in the number of healthy (by that definition) corps/outposts and other worship units (including Adult Rehabilitation Centers) facilitate that harvest of spiritual fruit, as do programs that disciple (including worship meetings). Increases in the various levels of membership are also indicative of healthy growth.

It is interesting, with such measures in mind, to review the actual net growth of the territory during the 1990s as well as the three preceding years in which, through our “Grow in the Strength of the Lord” campaign, we already had a head start prior to the national headquarters-initiated focus on corps growth for the decade of the nineties. During that period (1987-2000) we in the West saw the following (all, I repeat, “net” growth figures):

  • 63% increase in the number of corps (74% if we include outposts reasonably expected to become corps)
  • 44% increase in the number of senior soldiers
  • 77% increase in the number of adherents (a trend already becoming apparent here!)
  • 24% increase in the number of junior soldiers
  • 16% increase in Sunday school attendance, and
  • 66% increase in Sunday morning worship attendance.

They say that those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. If there is one major learning from MISSION2000 it is that new units have a substantial effect on this kind of growth… new units produce new converts, members, disciples. Disciples are not only the ultimate product sought, but the multiplying means of producing that product! Years ago C. Peter Wagner stated that, “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.”

We checked that thesis carefully over the years 1990-1996 (inclusive) and found that, during that period: Senior soldiers declined 2% in existing corps and grew 15% in new corps; junior soldiers declined 17% in existing corps and grew 6% in new corps; Sunday school attendance declined 19% in existing corps and grew 6% in new corps; and Sunday morning worship attendance declined 12% in existing corps and grew 19% in new corps. And…from 1989-1994, seekers at existing corps showed a 2% increase while—with new corps included—the increase was 110%! In other words, without new corps, the territory would, over that period, have been in decline.

The most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches. In fact starting new units of any kind even from existing corps will result in growth. Want to really grow a Home League? Don’t just go for an increase of numbers to what already is, add another one! Want to get more people to attend worship? Add a new worshiping congregation with a different style that draws people not attracted to what already is. As in new churches, people prefer to be pioneers of the new than additions to the existing where they share little or none of the history.

It’s a lesson we have learned through the experience of MISSION2000 and one that Commissioner Linda Bond has incorporated in her Mission Priorities. God’s math is multiplication of what is, not merely addition to what is.

What was it God said? Go forth and multiply!

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like