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I'm sure you have seen positive and negative examples of the "ripple effect" in your life. Jacob Kounin, a psychologist and researcher coined the phrase in 1970. In his book, he said that what we say and do almost always has impact beyond the immediate situation. That's the ripple effect! What kind of ripples is your church making?
Jesus wants you to be a "Ripple Church"! In Acts 1:8 He tells how: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." He said that our Spirit-powered witness would have a ripple effect: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth!
Your Jerusalem:
Is your church making ripples? How are your church and its members influencing people in your community? Golden Hills Community Church has been concerned about making ripples in their community. They just completed a congregationwide study called "World Changing Faith."
It has been exciting to hear stories of the ripple effect they are having in their community.
Your Judea:
Your Judea may be a near but different neighborhood or a neighboring town. All the existing churches in your area when filled to capacity only reach a small percentage of the area. Be a ripple church in your Judea by helping to plant churches beyond the reach of your congregation.
Parkway Community Church in Fairfield is making ripples by daughtering a church in Vacaville in 2008. Other churches are supporting Joel and Leslie and Bridge Community Church in our Judea of Redding California! Our Judea has many unreached communities! Check out some of our targets on the Planting Opportunities link on our website! Pick a city and help us plant a church!
Your Samaria:
Your Samaria has people who are unlikely to be reached by your church because of cultural or geographic distance. Your can be a ripple church by planting a culturally different church right in your own facility, or start a different style of church in your area to reach people that your church doesn't currently reach.
You can help William and BenjieTaghap plant a multi-site, multi-cultural church in four cities of the South Bay, or our Urban Rebirth Project in Richmond! Make ripples in your Samaria!
The Ends of the Earth:
We are called to be a ripple church to the ends of the earth. We can cooperate as district churches with the BGC to plant churches all over the world! Are you a ripple church? Talk with your leaders about how your church is making ripples in your community, surrounding area, and the world. Study The Ripple Church: Multiply Your Ministry by Parenting New Churches by Phil Stevenson.
See the Sunergeo.org Resource Section and Library.
Eight ways you can be a ripple church:
| 1.) | Adopt an NCBC church planter to pray for and financially support through your church.s missions outreach. |
| 2.) | Pray and dream about parenting a church to reach out to people in neighboring communities. |
| 3.) | Connect with a LEAD Team that works together to plant churches in your area. |
| 4.) | Proactively Establish Funding in your budget for an NCBC church planter so you are financially ready when a partnering opportunity comes. |
| 5.) | Recruit and Release associate staff in your church that could be prepared to plant a church at a future date. |
| 6.) | Identify and nurture potential church planters in your congregation and community and introduce them to our movement. |
| 7.) | Develop an Abundant Harvest mentality that sees Northern California as a huge mission harvest opportunity, and pray regularly to the Lord of the Harvest to send workers. |
| 8.) | Team with Other NCBC Churches to plant a church in another BGC District or a BGC mission field I'm on your staff to help you be a ripple church! Please contact me at 209.830.6222 or by email
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Paul Root
Associate Minister, Church Planting
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