Going For Big

• Many leaders like the idea of multiplication but don't think they are currently ready to do it.
• This could be down to lack of people, lack of finance or lack of leaders.
• The assumption is that a church needs to get big before it is ready to multiply.
• Many church leaders are enamoured by the 'big church dream' - which is always focussed on seeing the church get just a bit bigger than it is now.

A Pivotal Moment For CCM

• By 2009, Christ Church Manchester had grown to around 50 people meeting in Hyde Town Hall and was well poised to grow into an influential regional church.
• However, the initial vision had never been just to set up a regional church but to impact all of Greater Manchester by planting 20 churches throughout the area.
• East Manchester was notoriously de-churched, and in order to reach it, CCM would need to recruit some missionaries.
• The church was willing to lay down the dream of a big regional church in order to see a church planting movement sweep the city.
• At the same time, Tim Simmonds lived in Birmingham and was being woken by God in the night with dreams of planting a church among the students of Manchester.
• CCM emptied the bank account and hired Tim - and in doing so started a church planting movement!

Sending Your Superstars - Antioch

• In Acts 13, the church in Antioch is well established and has a leadership team that includes the apostles Barnabas and Saul.
• As the leaders gather to worship and pray, the Holy Spirit leads them to send out both Barnabas and Saul.
• There would have been lots of opportunities for ministry in the city had these two gifted apostles been based there - sending them out meant  laying down these opportunities.
• To start a church planting movement that swept through the Mediterranean, this was worth it.
• What would you be willing to lay down to start a church planting movement? What wouldn't you be willing to lay down?