PLT: SPIRITUAL
MULTIPLICATION
Objective: To know the potential of reaching the world with the Gospel in this generation,
through a multiplication model of ministry.
A Call from Christ
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
Christ’s last command to his apostles before his ascension was to make disciples of all
nations. Today, the Gospel is known by people in every corner of the world. However, the
number of people who do not know Jesus or do not know him well enough is increasing.
How are we called to do our part in reaching the nations with the Gospel?
While Jesus, in the above passage, commissions the disciples to go make disciples of all
nations, he knew that 12 men could not accomplish this task on their own. This Great
Commission extends to the whole Church; God needs each of us to respond to our
personal call to mission.
The spreading of the good news of the Kerygma is the very reason the Church exists. It is
at the core of our identity as Catholics:
“Evangelization is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest
identity. She exists in order to evangelize.”
Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14
Jesus has given us a command and just like all his words, they are meaningful and
powerful. We can be sure that we will accomplish great things if we are obedient to his
call. We can renew the world if we do our part in making disciples of all nations.
Evangelization is not Enough
At the time of the Great Commission, Jesus sent out 12 men to spread the Gospel to all
nations. At the sound of it, such a mission seems impossible. How can 12 guys reach the
whole world?
The disciples, trained by Jesus, knew that evangelization alone was not enough; they
needed to form disciples equipped to do the same for others. If we want to reach the
Gospel, we must do more than just bring people to conversion: we need to build
multiplying disciples. We must pass on the message and the mission.
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PLT: Spiritual Multiplication
How did the early Church understand the Great Commission?
“And what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people
who will be able to teach others as well.”
2 Timothy 2:2
Saint Paul knew that the mission of the Church depended not only on proclaiming the
Gospel, but also on equipping faithful people with the tools to go out and reach others.
The early Church knew they needed to equip new generations of Christians (faithful
people) if they wanted to one day reach the world.
Evangelization with the goal of entrusting the mission to others is what spiritual
multiplication is all about.
One Person at a Time
To reach the world, we could be tempted to focus on events at which a large amount of
people have an opportunity to respond to the Gospel at once. It certainly sounds more
successful when the reported numbers are large. However, while large groups may be
attractive to those of us who hope to reach the world quickly, our efforts are actually best
spent one person at a time. Remember, if we want to reach several generations, we must
build multiplying disciples, not just work toward conversions.
Here is a mathematical explanation of the effectiveness of Spiritual Multiplication
versus flashy, large-group conversion efforts:
Addition Model
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1000 people per day × 365 days a year = 365,000 people/year
In 100 years, this one evangelist would reach 36.5 million people
While this is an amazing number of people reached, we have fallen short of our goal to
reach the world.
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PLT: Spiritual Multiplication
Multiplication model
By focusing on just two people for two years, not only helping them experience
conversion, but also building them up to be multiplying disciples, we can reach the world
in our lifetime!
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After 2 years there would be 3
After 4 years there would be 9
After 10 years there would be 243
After 20 years there would be 59048
After 30 years there would be 14,348,907
After 32 years there would be 43,046,721(approximately Canada’s population)
After 36 years there would be 387,420,489
After 42 years there would be 10.6 billion – the whole world would be reached!
Be a Paul
You can be a part of a multiplying ministry right now on your campus and in your parish!
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, but some have
called the Catholic Church the Sleeping Giant. We have incredible potential, but there is a
need for more labourers among us. Catholics who know and love the Lord need to
respond to the call to be missionary disciples.
We need people like you to co-labour with us by entrusting the message and the mission
to faithful Catholics able to teach others. You can leave a legacy of evangelists on this
campus that were discipled by people who were discipled by people discipled by you!
Do you want to be a multiplying missionary?
If you feel inadequate or ill-equipped to be a multiplying disciple, you are in good
company! The Bible is full of stories of people who thought they didn’t have what it takes
to change the world. Moses was shy and slow of speech, Jeremiah was too young, and
David was a scrawny little shepherd called into battle with a slingshot and a few stones.
The answer to all of these objections is at the end of the passage in Matthew from above,
“...surely I am with you always to the end of the age.” The Lord is not expecting us to do it
on our own. He works through us and in us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
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PLT: Spiritual Multiplication
Where do you start?
Here is a list of ideas you can do today to start your multiplying ministry:
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Equip and commission one of your Timothies to lead a CCO Discovery study.
Lead a CCO Commission study with leaders in your parish.
Equip someone to share the Ultimate Relationship booklet.
The goal of a multiplying model of ministry is to carry on a lifestyle of passing on the
message and the mission. Our hope is that you will bring this zeal beyond the campus
you graduate from and into every day opportunities in your future!
Here is a tool from our Commission study to help you start a multiplication plan today:
Personal Multiplying Ministry Plan
1. Brainstorm: To whom do I sense the Lord calling me to reach out? What
opportunities for evangelization is he presenting me?
2. Select: Select one or two people you want to help grow in holiness and mission
(your Timothies)
3. Plan: Ask yourself these questions:
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What are my dreams, hopes, and great expectations for my Timothy?
Am I willing to love him/her, listen to him/her, and truly communicate Gods love
and care for him/her in a non-judgemental way?
Pre-evangelization (if necessary)
• How can I build my relationship with this person?
• How can I connect with him/her?
• How can I delight in him/her?
• How can I identify with him/her?
Evangelization
• What would be a good venue/opportunity to share the kerygma with him/her?
• How can I communicate the Good News and God’s love to him/her in a way
that takes into account his/her situation?
• Do I need practice or tools to help me communicate the kerygma clearly,
simply, confidently, and comfortably?
Multiplication
• What can I do to make sure he/she keeps growing in holiness and mission?
(you can see Discipleship Chart-related PLTs for ideas on how to help
someone become a multiplying missionary)
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