One Magnificent Obsession

Jesus left us some pretty simple instructions as he left. "Go, make disciples of everyone." Doubling groups is an expression of obedience to that command. In fact, whether your church is into the "seeker" model or hates the "seeker" model, you have to have doubling groups in order to grow. If your church grows through a T.V. ministry, servant evangelism, visitation, or revivals, you have to have doubling groups to have a doubling church. All growing churches have one thing in common: they have doubling groups. It is Great Commission Fulfillment 101.

This is what I call the Iron Law of group life. You double a church by doubling the number of groups, not by doubling the size of each group. Every church fulfilling the Great Commission does so through doubling groups.

As I speak at conferences, promoting this dream, I often ask my host when he takes me back to the airport: "What advice do you have for me in helping the Church to double?" One host wisely responded: "I think you are going to need a lot of help." He is right. I need your help. I am asking you to give your life to the magnificent obsession of seeing the Church double in the next 20 years. Won't you join me in dreaming, praying, and helping?

The plan for doubling is simple: give the ministry to laymen who are using their gifts to grow their groups to double their classes every two years or less. By "groups" we mean any kind of group-Sunday School class, home Bible Study, and so forth.

In my previous book, You Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less, I describe a five-part plan for doubling a group every two years or less. We will briefly overview that plan later. However, in my experience, the key issue is not so much the execution of the plan as it is the passion with which the plan is executed. You already know how to double a group. Let me illustrate.

Imagine that you attended an average sized group this past Sunday morning. Imagine that there were 15 adults in attendance in your Sunday School class. Suppose I could offer you a million dollars on the fourth consecutive Sunday that you had more than 30 people there. How long would it take you to double your group?

Imagine that something horrible would happen if you didn't double your group. Imagine that you would lose your own health or the life of your child if you didn't double within two years. Don't you think you could figure out how to double your group if the motivation was high enough?

In this volume I would like to give you 12 reasons to give your one and only life to the magnificent obsession of seeing the worldwide Church double in the next 20 years. The work is enjoyable and eternal in significance. Will you help?