Workshops

Operation Multiplication Strategy

Vision Casting based on our current assumptions:

Across the state of Texas, 300 Lead Churches are being prayerfully recruited to take the ministry of New Testament Disciple-Making to dedicated members of several thousand Associate Lead Churches during Texas Hope 2010. This process is based on the principle of spiritual multiplication and it expands naturally through Christian friendship. Each area Lead Church is asked to host four quarterly Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making during 2010.

Workshop #1 – Saturday, January 16, 2010

Lead Church Pastors

  • Prayerfully decide to either enlist 10, 20, or 30 of their own church’s most dedicated members to participate in their first Lay Ministry Workshop on Disciple-Making. This initial area-wide workshop will be hosted by their church on Saturday, January 16, 2010.
  • Personally select three of their church’s members to be equipped to serve as workshop facilitators. One of these three facilitators will be assigned to personally visit and enlist five additional area Associate Lead Churches each quarter. Pastors of those participating churches must agree to personally select and bring 10 of their most dedicated members to the next scheduled area-wide workshop. As their lay participants individually grow through the training, each Associate Lead Church pastor will be encouraged to continue recruiting and sending 10 additional trainees from their church to each quarterly workshop.
  • Calendar for the four statewide Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making during 2010.

Summary

One of the three Lead Church lay facilitators will be assigned to visit all area evangelical churches until they enlist five new Associate Lead Churches during each 90 days prior to the next scheduled workshop. In this way, the disciple-making ministry expands to sister churches throughout the community. This statewide enlistment process is designed to multiply naturally, including 20 or more Associate Lead Churches from each area during a 12 month period. This strategy results in hundreds of highly dedicated lay leaders being equipped for ministry as lifestyle disciple-makers in participating counties.

Workshop #2 – Saturday, April 17, 2010

Assuming that only 50 trainees participate in the first Lead Church workshop – and that only (½) of those potential Disciple-Makers follow through with their pledge to bring three of their most dedicated Christian friends (25×3) to the second workshop, then an additional 75 newly enlisted Disciple-Makers will participate in the training. Another 50 or more potential Disciple-Makers will attend from the five new Associate Lead Churches.

Result: Each Lead Church will host an Additional 125 Disciple-Makers in training on Saturday April 17, 2010.

Workshop #3 – Saturday, July 17, 2010

Assuming that only 125 participate in Workshop #2 – and that (½) of those potential Disciple-Makers follow through bringing three of their most dedicated Christian friends (62×3) then in this third workshop there will be an additional 186 Disciple-Makers in training, plus 50 or more potential Disciple-Makers from the five new Associate Lead Churches.

Result: Each Lead Church = will host an Additional 236 Disciple-Makers in training on Saturday July 17, 2010.

Workshop #4 – Saturday, October 16, 2010

Assuming that 236 area lay leaders participate in Workshop #3 – and that only (½) of those potential Disciple-Makers follow through bringing three of their most dedicated Christian friends (118×3) then in this forth workshop there will be an additional 354 Disciple-Makers in training, plus 50 or more Disciple-Makers from the five new Associate Lead Churches.

Result: Each Lead Church will host an Additional 404 Disciple-Makers in training on Saturday October 16, 2010.


Lead Church ministry projection for Texas in 2010

    Workshop #1: A total of 50 Disciplers trained x 300 churches = 15,000 trained Disciplers.
    Workshop #2: A total of 125 Disciplers trained x 300 churches = 37,500 trained Disciplers.
    Workshop #3: A total of 236 Disciplers trained x 300 churches = 70,800 trained Disciplers
    Workshop #4: A total of 404 Disciplers trained x 300 churches = 121,200 trained Disciplers.

    Projected Maximum 244,500 Disciple-makers plus thousands of new and growing believers who will be discipled.

Summary

State-wide, if one third of the 300 Lead Churches begin with 10, one third begin with 20, and one third begin with 30, and all of the Associate Lead Churches begin with only 10 lay leaders, Texas will have approximately 244,500 equipped new disciple-makers. If the BGCT’s Lead Church strategy is only 40% successful it will be blessed to reach its’ statewide prayer goal.

Prayer Goal

By faith, the Baptist General Convention of Texas is praying and planning for 100,000 equipped disciple-makers!

Implementation Steps

  • Each county’s BGCT churches having a strong commitment to evangelism and missions are being invited to serve as a Lead Church in their area. Many counties are expected to require several Lead Churches due to their size, shape, and ethnic diversity.
  • Each Lead Church is asked to select and send three of its most highly respected and experienced members to a Regional Lay Leadership Retreat at one of 30 state-wide locations. At each retreat, approximately 20 to 30 regional workshop facilitators will be equipped to:
    • Explain the life-to-life disciple-making process designed to close the church’s back door.
    • Understand the ministry skills needed to help new Christians grow and share their faith naturally.
    • Answer commonly asked implementation questions.
    • Conduct Lay Ministry Workshops on Disciple-Making for participating lay leaders.
    • Enlist five additional area Associate Lead Churches each quarter.

Saturday Workshop Format

At each workshop, Dr. Billie Hanks, Jr. will present the ministry Vision and Biblical basis for New Testament disciple-making. This presentation will be made by video and live instruction including a welcome and opening prayer to be led by each Lead Church’s pastor. The four quarterly workshops are organized and led by each Lead Church’s three equipped lay workshop facilitators.

Workshop Facilitators

After instruction in the “whys” of disciple-making in the morning, the afternoon workshop sessions are devoted to learning “how” to use the disciple-making materials and lead area workshop participants in:

  • Selecting a teammate for the eight weekly sessions of life-to-life training.
  • Prayerfully listing the six most dedicated Christians they each know personally in their county and unitedly agreeing to bring three of that number with them to the next quarterly workshop.

Note: This simple process is prayerfully repeated four times during the year with the workshop attendance growing each quarter until 400 or more lay-leaders have been equipped for TexasHope 2010 follow-up through each Lead Church’s ministry. A fifth workshop can be scheduled in large and mega-association counties until the Lead Churches have fulfilled their area-wide ministry potential.

Logistical Needs

A toll-free consulting number will be available to all Lead Church pastors, plus a separate number will be provided for their three lay workshop facilitators. In addition, “Operation Multiplication’s” website at www.ieaom.org may be used for online information and for ordering workshop materials. No advertising or church promotion will be needed; however, a high degree of vision is required on the part of each Lead Church pastor and his team of three lay facilitators. This simple equipping strategy runs on prayer, friendship, and the united commitment of each Lead Church’s staff members.

Conclusion

With shared vision, prayer, and only 300 Lead Churches, Texas can be greatly impacted as new Christians learn how to grow and share their faith naturally. If this lay centered strategy is prayerfully carried out in every association with strong visionary Lead Churches, we believe our state will experience its most powerful spiritual awakening in our memory. The spiritual keys are:

  • Vision
  • Prayer
  • Christ centered friendship
  • Operation Multiplication’s life-to-life disciple-making process
  • Quarterly Lay Ministry Workshops building spiritual multiplication
  • The willingness to start small with proven lay leaders and then watch God empower the movement’s growth!

“… 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