What Is Spiritual Multiplication?
by Gwen Sellers
Have you noticed how quickly e-mail inboxes can fill
up? Business memos, notes from friends, church announcements,
advertisements, and forwards are all common to the mix.
Forwards can be
particularly interesting. Sometimes, they are simply a waste of bytes.
Other times, however, they hold something of value. It could be a
hilarious joke, turning the mundane task of checking e-mail into a
joyful moment of laughter. Others uniquely touch our hearts as they
share a story of God’s faithfulness or demonstrate another’s concern
for our lives.
It is these forwards that we eagerly send on. We want to multiply the blessing we have received by sharing it with our friends. When we send it, we hope our friends are touched and that they, in turn, share it with even more people.
The Navigators’ emphasis on spiritual multiplication relies on this same principle. We have received a priceless gift in Christ and we are eager to share it with as many as possible––this works best when we combine our efforts. One person touches another for Christ. That person then reaches out to another who then reaches out to another and the efforts are multiplied. In this way the Kingdom is not added to slowly, but exponentially. Don Allen, Navigator staff at California State in Long Beach, has experienced this phenomenon firsthand.
Don participated in a Bible study with a student, Keith, for a year before they began meeting one-to-one for the final two years of Keith’s college career and the year after his graduation. Keith, in turn, began meeting with Sean, a fellow student. Sean now works at Eagle Lake, The Navigators’ youth camp, where he is discipling counselors and leading high school students into a deeper relationship with God.
Don says, “By God’s grace, I was able to help Keith, who influenced Sean, who is now investing in others.” This is spiritual multiplication!
For more illustrations of spiritual multiplication at work see The Gym Is My Mission Field.
Forwards can be
particularly interesting. Sometimes, they are simply a waste of bytes.
Other times, however, they hold something of value. It could be a
hilarious joke, turning the mundane task of checking e-mail into a
joyful moment of laughter. Others uniquely touch our hearts as they
share a story of God’s faithfulness or demonstrate another’s concern
for our lives.It is these forwards that we eagerly send on. We want to multiply the blessing we have received by sharing it with our friends. When we send it, we hope our friends are touched and that they, in turn, share it with even more people.
The Navigators’ emphasis on spiritual multiplication relies on this same principle. We have received a priceless gift in Christ and we are eager to share it with as many as possible––this works best when we combine our efforts. One person touches another for Christ. That person then reaches out to another who then reaches out to another and the efforts are multiplied. In this way the Kingdom is not added to slowly, but exponentially. Don Allen, Navigator staff at California State in Long Beach, has experienced this phenomenon firsthand.
Don participated in a Bible study with a student, Keith, for a year before they began meeting one-to-one for the final two years of Keith’s college career and the year after his graduation. Keith, in turn, began meeting with Sean, a fellow student. Sean now works at Eagle Lake, The Navigators’ youth camp, where he is discipling counselors and leading high school students into a deeper relationship with God.
Don says, “By God’s grace, I was able to help Keith, who influenced Sean, who is now investing in others.” This is spiritual multiplication!
For more illustrations of spiritual multiplication at work see The Gym Is My Mission Field.
