Church Multiplication

To Grow, Rest, or Die? The Olympics, Farming, and Church Leadership

March 13, 2018 By Daniel Im

The Quad King.

Do you know who I’m talking about?

In the recent 2018 Winter Olympics, U.S. Olympic figure skater, Nathan Chen performed the impossible. He became the first figure skater to perform six quads in one program.

Six quads!!

I still remember when Elvis Stojko landed the first quad combination!

Despite Chen’s heroics and the fact that he set an olympic record, he didn’t end up medaling.

In fact, according to the Washington Post, after his devastating short program where he placed 17th place, he “retreated to his room in the athletes’ village Friday and, for once, didn’t dissect his shortcomings in clinical detail. Nor did he torture himself for falling so terribly short and blowing any chance at an Olympic medal…

…Chen put his head on a pillow and fell asleep.”

Have you ever wondered what olympic athletes do after their competitions and what this has to do with leadership in the church?

Want to Multiply Your Church? Focus on Leadership Development

February 27, 2018 By Daniel Im

Churches that multiply do not see their volunteers as hirelings to carry out grunt work so that the pastors can do the real work of ministry.

Churches that multiply live out Ephesians 4:11–13 and believe that every member is a minister.

This is because leadership development is not just about teaching people leadership principles, or giving church members a place to serve. Leadership development is about helping every member discover their God giving calling, grow in their skills, and develop their competencies so that they can continue to grow in their kingdom impact.

Churches that multiply do not see their volunteers as hirelings to carry out grunt work.

Click To Tweet

For example, while some churches may just be glad to find nursery workers to fill an empty spot, churches that multiply place each nursery worker on a development path, where that volunteer is not only serving, but also growing in their character and competencies.

In other words, being a nursery worker is not the end; it’s rather the means to maturity in Christ and the development of one’s leadership skills.

The Lost Art of People Watching…and Why it Still Matters

February 13, 2018 By Daniel Im

I used to be good at people watching.

Now I never called it that because it was never a thing that people did intentionally.

Before smart phones, if you were going to get together with your friends or family, you would just set a time and a place and expect people to be there. If you got there before everyone else, you wouldn’t take your phone out and check Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, since that didn’t exist (I know, it is hard to remember that there was even such a time).

Instead, you just looked around.

If someone were doing something out of the ordinary, you would notice. If a mother were scolding her child for throwing a fit in public, you would look in that direction or slightly to the side, so as to not give the impression that you were eavesdropping. If a couple were on a date, you would try to guess where they were going, the status of their relationship, and if they were a good fit.

With the advent of smart phones and social media, you might have thought that people watching has turned into a lost art. Not so! People watching has merely moved from the physical sphere to the digital space.

A New Chapter and Season

February 6, 2018 By Daniel Im

Once Christina and I had Victoria, our first child, the way we went about life and ministry changed dramatically.

Instead of being on the front lines doing ministry together, Christina took a back seat. Not a back seat in regards to importance, but a back seat in regards to visibility and role.

So over the last year, a regular conversation that we would have while praying and Sabbathing together had been, “What are you going to do when the kids all go to school?”

“Are you going to go back to social work? To counseling? Back to school? Or start something new?”

While we still don’t have that fully figured out (and I think that’s okay), there is one thing that we’ve decided to do…and do together.

What Is My Calling as a Christian?

January 30, 2018 By Daniel Im

What you do for work is not your calling.

Oftentimes, we confuse our calling with what we do to get paid—with that perfect job or that ideal career. But what if I were to tell you that your primary calling is not what you do to get paid? But that it’s actually something that transcends what you do to get a paycheck?