Multiplication (n). The process of increasing or causing to increase greatly in number or quantity; to increase in number or quantity by reproducing

East-West’s vision is to see disciples and healthy churches multiply in the spiritually darkest areas of the world.

We pursue this vision because throughout His Word, we see that God’s heart has always been for multiplying His people. In fact, God commands, promises, acts, and manifests multiplication in pursuit of the lost.

Biblical Commands for Growth

God’s first command to mankind is to “be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:26-28).” Some of Jesus’ last words to His disciples were to “make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).”

His commands are birthed out of His love to see representatives of Himself all over the earth.

God promises Abraham that his offspring will multiply “as the stars of heaven” and reminds Israel consistently of His promised multiplication and blessings for them (Genesis 22:17; Deuteronomy 6:3). Jesus prays for future, multiple generations of disciples, confident in the Father’s promise (John 17:20).

His sovereignty ensures a pattern of multiplication in His plan for the world.

God delivered the Israelites out of slavery because they were His treasured possession to be multiplied greatly for His glory (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Jesus acted with a multiplication mindset by investing His life in a few disciples, rather than the masses.

How to Continue to Spread the Church

The early church multiplied rapidly as disciples made disciples and healthy churches planted more churches (Acts 9:31). The Body of Christ glorified the Father as each person worked together to further Jesus’ work on earth.

His glory is still manifested through the unified, multiplication efforts of His Church.

God’s heart is still for multiplication today, because He still pursues the lost.

If the Father’s heart is for the lost to know Him and worship Him, then multiplication is an absolute among His people today. God’s people should strive alongside Him in a passionate pursuit of those who do not know Him.

The multiplication of the Kingdom of God is crucial because it aligns with the urgency of God’s mission for the world. According to the Joshua Project, the world’s population is currently around 7.5 billion people, with about 3.1 billion of those people considered unreached. It’s also estimated that the population increases by 82 million people each year.

The Power of Multiplication vs. Addition

Multiplication produces exponential growth, which becomes more and more rapid. In comparison, the concept of addition only produces a slower, more incremental growth.

Having a gospel urgency means seeking gospel multiplication.

Growth and multiplication typically indicate health with a foundation in God-dependent discipleship. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy to entrust his spiritual wisdom to faithful ones who will also teach others. Paul models a pattern of discipleship that embodies generational multiplication.

Faithful followers of Jesus who are abiding in Him, fervent in prayer, and dying to themselves daily are the ones that God will use to continue His act of multiplication today.

It’s true that multiplication starts slower than addition, yet it’s the groundwork in the beginning, such as God-glorifying discipleship that will cause an unleashing of the Holy Spirit due to the simple obedience of a few faithful disciples.

Jesus invested His last three years on earth in a select few people in the slow process of discipleship. These disciples of Jesus were then used in a great movement of God where thousands more came to worship Him in one day. The process was slow at first, yet when it gained momentum, multiplication was impossible to stop.

Our Role in Multiplying Gods People

The reality for us is simple. Scripture reveals that God’s heart has always been for multiplying His people. He goes so far to command, promise, act, and manifest multiplication in pursuit of the lost. This is why we believe that to fulfill the Great Commission we must multiply disciples and churches around the world.

In light of this, the question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we faithful, available, teachable, and reproducing as disciples of Jesus?