460. Fourth Multiplication

There is a multiplication ceremony of Jakarta House Church (HC) this Sunday, and Esther Sung will be appointed as the new Shepherd for the multiplying HC. This is the 4th multiplication of HC at The Seed, and it is also significant that it is the 1st multiplication of a house church that is not Chiang Rai HC.

Jakarta HC was multiplied from Chiang Rai HC as Every Nation HC in 2019, and later changed its name to Jakarta HC. Pastor Anthony eventually took over as the shepherd in 2021 during the Pandemic. As a single, Pastor Anthony has served the members well over 5 years as their shepherd, and glad to see the fruit of that service and commitment. (And lots of cooking!)

I have decided to remind our members of the meaning and importance of multiplication through the blog whenever multiplication occurs, so that all of us are on the same page about this big event. According to the HC guide, once a house church has close to 12 people, it needs to multiply. Jakarta HC had an average of 15 people for many years, sometimes even more. A large number of people can bring a lot of energy at first, but at some point, it becomes difficult to share deeply. And the biggest problem is that people instinctively become reluctant to invite new people because they feel it is too crowded.

So, the main reason for multiplication is to regain a sense of urgency of God’s mission. One pastor said the default mode of any organization is “_complacency_”, not urgency. A house church is a missional community first, not just a healing community. People do need care and support, but if the church loses its sense of urgency in the mission of God, it becomes complacent and becomes another social club, full of cliques.

Though multiplication brings temporary sadness, it puts house church back in “urgent mode,” and its members begin to look for VIPs to bring them back into the loving arms of their heavenly Father. After the multiplication, the meeting might feel a little awkward with fewer people, but it is good for both house churches.

Since our church is made up of house churches, and we view each house church as a church, multiplication is the new church plant, appointing a new shepherd as the lay-pastor of that house church. That is why it is a big occasion for celebration, focused prayer, and support for the new shepherd.