The Amazing Power of Doubling Groups

Josh Hunt, presenter

My dream is to plant an ideavirus in your heart

about one word:

DOUBLE

What does it take?

Doubling a class every two years or less translates into 40% annual growth, or an average class going from 10 to 14 in a year.

Since that time, those small

groups of eight to twelve people

have reproduced

countless times.

Today we are a church with more than seven

thousand attenders and a network of more than thirty thousand people celebrating every week with several thousand

reproducing small groups.

Today we are a church with more than seven

thousand attenders and a network of more than thirty thousand people celebrating every week with several thousand

reproducing small groups.

This book could be

summarized in two words: multiply

everything.

This book could be

summarized in two words: multiply

everything.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many

witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be

qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2 [NIV]

Tim oth y O th er T im oth y O th er T im oth y O th er T im oth y

P au l

F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an

O th er T im oth y

F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an

O th er T im oth y

F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an

Tim oth y

F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an F a ith fu l m an

O th er T im oth y

P au l

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th er T im oth y

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th er T im oth y

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

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O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

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O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

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O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

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Tim oth y

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

F a ith fu l m an

O th ers O th ers O th ers O th ers

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O th er T im oth y

P au l

Abdul came to faith in 1987

The team found more than 350 evangelists serving in 29 districts, nearly 2,300 pastors serving among some 4,000 churches, and 89,315 baptized members—all direct spiritual descendants of Abdul.

• Start – 10

• 1.5 years – 20

• 3 years – 40

• 4.5 years – 80

• 6 years – 160

• 7.5 years –320

• 9 years – 640

• 10 years – 1000

The fastest growing

church in the world.

The Church

in China

Church Planting

Movements

IMB Vision Statement

International Mission Board’s Overseas Leadership Team adopted a vision statement: We will facilitate the lost coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ by beginning and nurturing Church Planting Movements among all peoples.

Never in history has there been a phase with

more significant global growth than our own.

The worldwide evangelical church has

grew from 150 million – 1974650 million – 1998

and is today, according to Ralph Winter and C.

Peter Wagner, the fastest growing minority

on earth.

A.D. 100: 1:360

A.D. 1000 1:220

A.D. 1500 1:69

A.D. 1900 1:27

A.D. 1980 1:11

A.D. 2005 1:7

Lausanne Statistical Task Force

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

1

113

225

337

449

561

673

785

897

1009

1121

1233

1345

1457

1569

1681

1793

1905

http://www.missionfrontiers.org

http://www.missionfrontiers.org

0.00%

2.00%

4.00%

6.00%

8.00%

10.00%

12.00%

1901 1909 1917 1925 1933 1941 1949 1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997

Doubling teachers. . .

Are not a lot smarter Are not a lot more charismaticAre not a lot more spiritualAre not a lot more articulateAre not a lot better at teachingDon’t spend a lot more timeDon’t love God moreAre not a lot different

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically,

sincerelyembrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Non-doublers are often verbally, vocally, enthusiastically

opposed to the vision of growing and dividing.

Similar

Talent

Time

Ability

Spirituality

Joyfully, personally, enthusiastically, sincerely, embracing the vision of growing and dividing,growing and dividing,growing and dividing.

VERY Different

√ What is the difference?

Growing

Dividing

How to double a class

Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.

Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.

Give Friday Nights to Jesus.

Encourage the group toward ministry.

Reproduce your group.

Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every

week, nothing less will do.

You don’t have to be Chuck Swindoll to

double a Sunday School class.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that

this all-surpassing power is from

God and not from us.

2 Cor. 4:7

When they saw the courage of Peter

and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished

and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 [NIV]

Who is the #1 seller of

hamburgers?

In some cases, our

teaching is no where close to half-way

decent.

The best way to insure half-way decent teaching is by asking

good questions.

How to double a class

Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.

Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.

Give Friday Nights to Jesus.

Encourage the group toward ministry.

Reproduce your group.

People who are opposed to the gospel are not opposed to ice cream.

Get into the habit of inviting guests home for

dinner. Romans 12:13

[Living]

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)

Who to Invite

Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don't invite only your friends.” Luke 14:12 (GW)

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends.” Luke 14:12 [NIV]

If we love them they will come

and they will come to love

our Lord.

If we will be their friend, their heart will warm to a message about

“What a friend we have in Jesus.”

How ideas spread

Diffusion investigations show that most

individuals do not evaluate an innovation

on the basis of scientific studies of its

consequences.

Instead, most people depend mainly upon a subjective evaluation

of an innovation that is conveyed to them from

other individuals like themselves.

How ideas spreadIt is almost impossible for most people to adopt an idea against the thinking of their group.

Once my group adopts an idea, it becomes almost irresistible.

How ideas spreadIt is hard to become a Christian when everyone in your group is not a Christian.

It is hard to not become a Christian when everyone in your group is a Christian.

Instead, most people depend mainly upon a subjective evaluation

of an innovation that is conveyed to them from

other individuals like themselves.

There is an epidemic of loneliness in our culture.

During the first two-thirds of the century Americans took a more and more active role in the social and political life of their communities–in churches and card tables and dinner tables.

Year by year we gave more generously to charity, we pitched in more often on community projects, and we behaved in an increasingly trustworthy way toward one another.

Then, mysteriously and more or less simultaneously, we began to do all these things less often.

Associations

Unions

P.T.A.

Bowling Leagues

People who are not in a group are twice as likely to die in the next year as those

who are in a group.

People who have strong social

connections, but poor health habits (eating, exercise, smoking, etc.) are just as healthy as those with good health habits but

weak social connections.

“Better to eat Twinkies with

friends than to eat broccoli alone.”-John Ortberg

One study injected 270 people with a virus that causes the common cold.

Those with strong social connections did not get as sick, did not stay sick as long, and produced less mucus than the

less connected group.

The epidemic of loneliness creates an opportunity

for us.

If you want to

double your class

every two years or

less, don’t invite

people to class.

Instead, invite

them to the

party.

How to double a class

Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.

Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.

Give Friday Nights to Jesus.

Encourage the group toward ministry.

Reproduce your group.

Giving Friday

nights to Jesus is a metaphor.

It could be pizza on Sunday.

It could be Chinese Food on Sunday night.

We were in the habit of

having friends over on Friday

nights.

Magic words:

“We are having some friends over;

we were wondering if you would like to join

us.”

A month later, they

placed their faith in Christ.

After six months, I did some research.

3 of 33 Joined

9 of 10 Joined

Same pastor, same sermon, same church, same music,

same everything. The only

difference was the coffeecake.

People are not looking for a

friendly church; they are

looking for friends.

-Rick Warren

Who to Invite

Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don't invite only your friends.” Luke 14:12 (GW)

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends.” Luke 14:12 [NIV]

What to do

Play

Laugh

Accept

Include the guests in everything

Notice how they are feeling

What not to

do

Don’t be theologicalDon’t share the gospelDon’t be piousDon’t do anything to make them feel like they are crummy sinners and you have it all together

How to double a class

Teach a half-way decent lesson each and every week, nothing less will do.

Invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.

Give Friday Nights to Jesus.

Encourage the group toward ministry.

Reproduce your group.

√ What’s the difference?

√ Growing

Dividing

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically, sincerely

embrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.

Eventually growth will kill a

small group.

When people are not missed;

they miss.

Who was that couple?

“I doubled twice in the last 3

months.”

Why don’t we do this?

The high price of saying good-bye

What keeps more

missionaries off the

mission field than anything

else?

Doubling’s dirty little secret

People are not actually opposed to saying good-bye to the group.

They are opposed to saying good-bye to their best friends.

If we can take our best friends with us, it doesn’t hurt so badly to say good-bye to everyone else.

The issue of willingness.

I understand. . .It is OK to have big groups and smaller groups.

This may not be the time to divide.

We may not have the maturity to divide right now.

Dividing is not THE answer to every situation at every time.

Do you want me?

Doubling teachers. . .

Are not a lot smarter Are not a lot more charismaticAre not a lot more spiritualAre not a lot more articulateAre not a lot better at teachingDon’t spend a lot more timeDon’t love God moreAre not a lot different

Joyfully, personally,enthusiastically, sincerely

embrace the vision of growing and dividing, growing and dividing, growing and dividing.