By now, you have probably heard that PLI’s Executive Co-Leader Gail Ficken will move from her role in PLI into a full-time role as Founder/President of Multipli, beginning March 31. (If you missed it, read about our Joyful Announcement, and Join us in Giving Thanks.)
Obviously, I’m no disinterested party in this announcement or its conversation!
I marvel at what Gail and the Multipli team have built.
I marvel at the testimonies of people who have been transformed through 9 months of fully online training.
I marvel at churches that are vigorously engaging their communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There are two fundamental shifts in our U.S. culture that ever so quickly antiquated what we used to know and do so well.
- Anyone remember 20 years ago when concerns were registered that too much television was negatively impacting the values and views of our kids? Today’s social media creates such an immersive experience in beliefs, values, view, morals, convictions, etc. Add regular 24-hour news channels, and together they better disciple believers in their ways than 60-90 minutes in our churches do in the words and ways of Jesus.
- Virtually every congregation member and leader is experienced in trying to influence and reach a community by “attraction” of a crowd and the “assimilation” into our programs. And churches and leaders don’t realize that it’s almost always dismissed as extraneous noise.
All the time that Jesus was attracting the crowds, we see that sometimes the crowds retreated, but then Jesus would still a storm, raise the dead, heal the sick, feed a meal to thousands…and the crowds would grow.
But… Jesus, all that time, was discipling the few to be sent to reach the many!
And… we don’t know how. Our congregation cultures don’t support it. And, the window is closing quickly.
Multipli helps you disciple the few to become enthusiastic champions and hope-bringers of Jesus’ way of sending to reach the many…while congregations have opportunity to envision new, vibrant futures under the blessing of God.
I’m encouraging every PLI congregation I walk into to get some “early wins” through Multipli that can inspire people to see that the future doesn’t need to be feared, but embraced with faith.
If you haven’t already, please share a video message that either tells how Gail has impacted you, and/or a blessing to Gail as she moves to Multipli. (You can upload those here: http://multipli.wetransfer.com. Please try to keep it under 30 seconds, if possible.) Also consider joining the PLI and Multipli family in making a tribute gift that will help lay more of the fundamental building blocks of Multipli’s transformational leadership training of people inside and outside of our congregations.
