SERIES INTRODUCTION: Recently our staff and a number of lay leaders had the opportunity to attend the Multiply conference which focused on helping established churches fan into flames the God-given dreams for Kingdom expansion in Canada. We’ve asked each attender to talk about what God taught them through the week and how they see that affecting us at DHBC. Videos from the conference will be posted soon at https://www.c2cnetwork.ca/category/videos/
Reflections From Multiply (Wesley)
There is much to do with leadership and church multiplication that I gleaned over those two days together at Multiply. I'm still in the processing and categorizing stage with a lot of that as I think about how it applies specifically to my own life as well as our life as a church.
So for the time being, I want to share just one highlight from the two days that continues to inspire my heart and mind and stir my affections for Jesus. It was during the evening session where Francis Chan spoke and the event was opened up to the general public, so an already full Westside church building was now filled to capacity. And the guy leading the music - Pat Sczebel - was leading us all in an up-temo and then stripped down rendition of the classic hymn "How great Thou art." And as we all sang our hearts out, something inside me just said, "Wes, stop singing for a minute and look around you." I don't know if you've ever done this even at DHBC, but the experience was really profound to me. As I looked around at this packed theatre of 1,800+ people from all different nationalities, denominations, churches, and walks of life, lifting up their hands and singing their lungs out in praise and adoration of their Saviour Jesus Christ,
"And when I think that God His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on that cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee - How great Thou art!"
And along with how beautiful this sight was in itself, I suddenly had Revelation 7:9-10 in my mind where John writes,"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tried and peoples and languages \, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'"
And I praised God all the harder b/c I realized I was seeing the smallest taste of heaven as I worshiped alongside these other brothers and sisters that night.
That vision is still so clear in my mind, even as I write this. And the worship that moment created in me continues still. Some Sunday when we're singing at DHBC, give this a try: stop singing for a minute and just listen to God's people praising Him; just look around you at hands and voices raised in worship of the only One worthy of our praise. Then multiply that sight in your mind by a billion and you'll have a taste of what awaits those whose hope is resting in Jesus.