Steve Addison's Blog, page 36

Why You Should Be Concerned About R

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According to the BBC, there is a simple number at the heart of understanding the threat posed by the coronavirus. It is guiding governments around the world on the actions needed to save lives.

It is called the reproduction number or R.

The reproduction number is a way of rating a disease's ability to spread. It's the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

If R is above 1, an epidemic will grow exponentially. If R is below 1 and an outbreak will end – eventually. If every infected individual passes the disease on to less than one other person, the epidemic will fizzle out.

R explains the difference between a ministry and a movement. Ministries aim to win as many individuals as they can, one person at a time. New disciples are not trained to immediately reach their world of relationships. R is way below the number 1.

Movements grow exponentially when they succeed in raising R above 1. They train new disciples to make disciples. They are not always successful, but when they are a movement spreads like a wildfire.

A ministry aims to add people and keep them dependent on itself by providing religious goods and services. A movement aims to train disciples to make disciples. They shift the focus from the ministry at the center to the movement on the fringes. Multiplication doesn’t always occur, but when it does, it’s because R is more than 1.

So, what’s your focus? Drawing people to yourself, one by one? Planting churches one by one? Or training even the newest disciples to fulfill Christ’s command to make the disciples of the nations?

Here’s something you could do. Stop worrying about the number of people you have in your group or church and start paying attention to R.

219-It Started in a Racecar Garage

Chris Gibson describes his journey from a racecar garage to NoPlaceLeft.

The Global NoPlaceLeft 2020 Summit

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218-From Latino Crisis to Opportunity

Oggie Martin (top right) is turning a crisis into an opportunity in the Latino world.

Want to know more?

154-NoPlaceLeft in the Latino World

#noplaceleft resources in Spanish

A recent interview with Oggie Martin in Spanish

217-Crisis to Opportunity in Britain

Russell Godward is turning a crisis into an opportunity in Britain.

Want to learn more?

145-NoPlaceLeft Britain

The Comeback

Good Friday: It is finished!

Easter Sunday: He is Risen!

216-Reaching Your World in Crisis

Jenny and Rick Preato on multiplying disciples in a locked-down world.

The resources they mentioned:

Discovery Bible Study and 3-Thirds Discipleship

The 411 and the 3-Circles

215-Doing Church in an Age of Crisis

Jeff "JT" Timblin talks about reproducing disciple-making churches online. 

Jeff is the lead pastor of Bridges Church in Long Beach, California.

Previous interview: 205-One Pastor is Bringing Movements Home

3Thirds Discipleship and the Commands of Christ

Forming healthy churches

What would Jeremiah say?

Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem - Rembrant

They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 6:14

I’ve been in the prophets for the last few months. Isaiah, now Jeremiah. It’s an unsettling place to be when you wake up and find the world in a global pandemic. If their vision of God is true, none of us can rest easy during this time.

The prophets aren’t just mystics, pulling words and visions out of thin air. They know their Bible. They know the one true God our Creator and the Lord of history. He is on a mission to reveal his glory to the world. He calls us to know and love him and walk in his ways.

As disciples our first response to calamity should be to turn back to God, surrender afresh to his will and find out what he wants us to do.

214-Multiplying Leaders in a Crisis

A discussion with Jeff Sundell about multiplying leaders in a crisis.

Thanks to Peter Lindell of the OnTheRoad podcast for partnering with me on this one.