In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave the Great Commission, calling His followers to "go and make disciples of all nations." This wasn’t a command reserved for pastors, missionaries to far off places, or church leaders - it was given to every believer. Yet, many Christians today have settled into a passive faith, believing that ministry belongs to the professionals while they simply attend church. If we are to see the multiplication of churches across the Upper Midwest Conference, we must reclaim the truth that every disciple is a missionary, and every missionary helps plant churches.
Our Goal: Every Church Plants
As a conference, we are committed to the vision that every healthy congregation of any size will participate in church planting by the year 2030. This does not mean every church will plant a standalone congregation, but that every church will actively engage in multiplication through direct planting, partnership, or resourcing. But for this to happen, we need missionary disciples - believers who embrace the call to make disciples who make disciples.
Missionary Discipleship vs. Dead Discipleship
Too often, discipleship becomes inward-focused and stage focused, existing only within the walls of a church building and only happening from a few people up front. But true discipleship is always on mission. A missionary disciple is someone who:
✅ Personally shares Christ with others regularly.
✅ Intentionally disciples others with the expectation that they will disciple someone else.
✅ Seeks to multiply the church beyond its current walls and structures.
Dead discipleship practices, on the other hand, are ones that:
❌ Focuses only on church members while neglecting the lost.
❌ Meets for Bible study without ever applying the Word to mission.
❌ Keeps faith as a private matter rather than proclaiming the gospel boldly.
How Every Disciple Can Engage in Multiplication
● Pray for the Lost – Who in your life needs to know Jesus? Pray daily for them by name.
● Share Your Faith – When was the last time you personally told someone about Jesus? Set a goal to share the
gospel regularly and have someone hold you accountable.
● Disciple Someone – Find one person you can pour into with the goal of them discipling someone else.
● Invest in Future Leaders – Who are you training to take your place in ministry or leadership? If your church is to multiply, leadership must multiply first.
● Engage in Church Planting – Whether through direct planting, partnership, or support, your church is called to participate in the mission.
Next Steps
If you and your congregation are ready to embrace this call to missionary discipleship and multiplication, we want to help! Reach out to the Multiplication Team to schedule a speaking engagement, leadership workshop, or vision-casting session.
📅 Join our Monthly Multiplier Zoom Call – Every third Saturday at 10AM (CST). This is for laity and pastors where we encourage one another as we take steps toward seeing every church plant. (Zoom link available on the Conference calendar.)
The Great Commission isn’t optional. Every disciple is called. Every church is part of the mission. Let’s multiply.
