All Nations

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Most church planters who have been trained in the Village Church Planting ministry can recite from memory the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19,20. “Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We pray for its fulfillment. We teach people to make disciples in obedience to these last words of Jesus before his ascension. But too often in our teaching we forget a very significant phrase, “make disciples of all nations.”

Even baby Christians understand that they are called upon to make disciples. But the vast majority of Christians who make disciples are discipling people from their own tribe, their own country, their own language, their own ethnic groups and their own religious background. Please don’t misunderstand. Each of us must disciple our family, our neighbors, our friends. We must use our mother tongue to do so. We must help them follow Christ in ways that respect our shared cultural norms. This is good, but it is not enough. We must teach our disciples to make disciples of all nations.

But what is a nation? When the Bible speaks of nations it is not describing countries like Nigeria, Gabon, Ethiopia or Egypt. It is speaking of ethnic groups like Ewe, Yoruba, Fang, Oromo, and Berbers. 

Jesus’ command to make disciples of all ethnic groups was shocking. His disciples, like most people everywhere, were ethnocentric. That means they thought their people, their tribe, their ethnic group was better, smarter, and more deserving of God’s blessing than other ethnic groups. James and John even wanted to call down fire from heaven when the Samaritans wouldn’t welcome them (Luke 9:54). When believed and obeyed, Jesus’ Great Commission slays ethnocentrism. If believe that God is calling people from every tribe and every religious background to be disciples of Jesus, and it’s your job to teach them to follow Him, racism and ethnocentrism will be destroyed in your life.

Furthermore, if you believe that to faithfully follow Jesus, you must work, pray, give, and go to make disciples of other ethnic groups, the world will be transformed.

So, let me ask you three questions. Do you believe that working to make disciples of all nations is God’s will for your life? Have you begun to share the Good News and make disciples of people from other ethnic groups? Are you training your disciples that they have a Gospel responsibility even to the tribes and peoples they have most despised? If you can answer yes to all three of these questions, you are well on your way to changing the world. If you can’t answer yes to all three questions, please pray for God to give you grace to love people from all nations and to fulfill the Great Commission.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #TheGreatCommission #VillageChurchPlanting

The Three Circles The World is Broken

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden. I have learned many things throughout my life, and one important thought is. I cannot fix everything because this is a man's default. If my wife shares a problem, my mind goes into action. How can I fix this to make it better or right? There are some things that no matter how you try, you cannot fix. It is amazing how far man will go to try to fix things with money or possessions, trying to fill the void, and yet it will not happen. WHY? 

The three circles have such a great object lesson for us to learn from. We can not fix what is not ours to fix. We live in a broken world, the second drawing in the three circles. 

God did not design our world to be broken, and through sin, it is broken. We live in a broken world, not as God desired. God’s design was different than the place we live in now. He desired our lives to be filled with His presence, for He walked with Adam in the garden and talked with him. Our bodies to be healthy and strong, but because we live in a broken world, we have frailty. He desired us to have perfect union with Him and for our families to be whole. We could go on and on with the brokenness of our world and how it affects us. 

We live here in this broken world, and that is where we are. This is such a suitable place to share with someone because they cannot deny that this world is broken. You can invite them to share with you what they see and how brokenness has touched their lives. We can easily share this point and how we got here because of the rebellion of man’s heart. We are all born into this broken world, and so that makes us all in need of fixing. 

This fixing is not something this world can give us because it is broken.

The three circles are such a powerful tool to bring out so many good conversations about God’s love for each one of us. It is an eye-opening and heart-opening conversation that will be such a powerful preparation of the heart to receive God’s love and the good news of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that when it comes to drawing and explanation of the broken world, you spend time there so that the point is well-received. We can not fix this; only Jesus can do this work in the hearts of those to whom we share this.

This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord bless you!

The Great Commission

         Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Across Africa, tourists talk about the Big Five. These are the five species of

megafauna that they want to be sure to see: Elephants, Rhinoceroses, Lions,

Leopards and Buffaloes.

When I think about the whole message of the Bible and its teachings, I talk

about the Big Three. These are three broad commands that I want to be sure to

obey. For me, these are the Big Three:

Micah 6:8 is known as the Micah Mandate: He has shown you, O man,

what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love

mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 22:36 – 39 is the Great Commandment, “Teacher, which is the

greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God

with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the

first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor

as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 28:18 – 20 is the Great Commission: “Then Jesus came to them and

said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go

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 I have

commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I want to obey these commands more than all others. Don’t you?

When we obey these three biblical commands, we experience an abundant life

just as Jesus promised. When we obey these commands, our life is filled with

meaning and purpose. We draw near to God. Our character becomes more like

his character. Our love grows. We bless others, and we are blessed.

The ministry of Village Church Planting is designed to fulfill the Great

Commission. We are committed to making disciples of Jesus. We intentionally

teach our disciples to obey all that Jesus commanded. When we say we work so

that there will be a church in every African village by 2050, we are committing

ourselves to the fulfilment of the Great Commission. We recognize that healthy

churches are the primary community that God uses to make disciples. When we

say “A church in every African village by 2050,” we are saying that we want

every village to be full of disciples who know, love, and obey Jesus.

And so we pray, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” We get training so we can

understand the Gospel very well. We develop skills to share the Good News and

to teach people to obey Jesus. We engage with people and call them to live as

followers of Jesus in the fellowship of a local church.

VCP is all about fulfilling the Great Commission. I am so glad that you have

chosen to go in the power of the Holy Spirit to make disciples of all nations.

You are on a good path; don’t quit!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this

Encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #TheGreatCommission

#VillageChurchPlanting

Leadership Development - Some additional Characteristics to Look for in Emerging Leaders (3)

 

     This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders. 

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. Over the past two months, I’ve shared 10 characteristics that I look for in potential emerging leaders. Today I want to summarize those traits. Before I do that, I want to reiterate that very few emerging leaders will demonstrate all 10 characteristics. I also acknowledge that this list is not all-inclusive nor absolute. These are simply my thoughts. 

Here is my list: 

• Identity firmly rooted in Christ – I place the highest priority on this attribute, as over the years I’ve observed the damage that can be done by insecure leaders. Too often, they have mixed motives in their leadership as they try to build themselves up in others’ opinions of them as opposed to seeking and serving Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. They are self-serving rather than Kingdom-minded. 

• Humility – is closely related to this trait as secure leaders are not driven to promote themselves in the eyes of others. Proverbs 27:2 says this very well.  Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”

• Their history or track record – You may recall that in last year’s series on Steward Leadership, I shared from the parable of the faithful servant to whom Jesus said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.”  (Matthew 25:21)  

• Areas of aptitude or competency – as we identify and develop new leaders, it is important to evaluate their areas of competency and give them opportunities to lead in assignments that utilize those strengths. 

• Initiative – last month, I defined this as “the ability to assess and initiate things independently.” Emerging leaders do not sit around waiting to be told what to do. They exercise good judgment and take action. 

• Strong desire to learn and grow – potential new leaders are not satisfied with their current level of spiritual maturity, understanding, or skill. 

• Teachable spirit – in order to learn and grow, emerging leaders must be humble and willing to learn from others. 

• Pleasant to be around – I include this trait because unpleasant people are unlikely to attract followers, and one cannot be a leader if no one is following him or her. 

• Their reputation both inside the church and with outsiders – if someone has a poor reputation with those who know them well, that is a strong warning flag for me. 

• A strong, Christ-centered marriage – About 40 years ago, I heard a preacher offer this advice. “If it’s not working at home, don’t export it.” In other words, if one’s marriage is not solid, our priority must be to first repair our relationships at home before attempting to lead others. 

   This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Pray for People to Find Persons of Peace

 

Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to encourage church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders, and I am your host, Daneille Snowden.

One of my absolute favorite subjects to teach about and learn regarding evangelism is Persons of Peace. It is a beautiful way the Holy Spirit uses to lead church planters and evangelists to individuals and witness how the Spirit prepares their hearts to receive. This is why, in preparation, we first spend much time in prayer and then go on prayer walks in the villages as we enter communities where we feel the Lord is leading us to.

When we study scripture passages such as Luke 10:1-12 and Mark 4:26-29, we learn of this method through Jesus Himself. He sent the 72 out and told them to GO! In verses 5-6, He said, “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”

In this passage, we see the Lord Jesus is encouraging building a relationship with this person. As you do, peace shall be declared. By having fellowship, a dialog is then developed. The person of peace is comfortable enough to open his home and heart to all who bring the Good News of the Gospel.

A Person of Peace is receptive, hospitable, typically shares what they have, is well-connected to others, and they recognize this peace of God as something they have been searching for. By developing this type of relationship in evangelism, it helps to open a way for the Gospel to enter a social group, family, and community.

We must be intentional, being led by the Holy Spirit and filled with His boldness to simply speak to these individuals. It is through the Holy Spirit that the eyes of their souls shall be opened. We do this all by the power of prayer and the leading of the Spirit.

My husband and I used to minister on the streets of Indianapolis, IN. God led us to a couple of homeless individuals who were alcoholics. We came with love in our hearts to share Jesus with them. Their first response, as they cried, was that no one took the time to share that Jesus loved them. They surrendered their lives to Jesus and told others in their community of homeless people about Jesus. They became our persons of peace to lead hundreds to Christ.  There are several examples in scripture, such as Jonah with the King of Ninevah, the demoniac in Mark 5, the Centurian, and the Samaritan Woman, and many more.

Can you recall a person of peace God has led you to? Village Church Planters love to hear these stories and testimonies, so I challenge you to share with your leaders, and they can share with their leaders as well. So that the world shall see the great work God is doing throughout the land- all by connecting with PERSONS OF PEACE!

This has been Multiply. Please share this podcast with others! You can find us on vcpencouragement.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Thank you and God bless!

The Three Circles on Paper or Sand

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. The Three Circles Gospel Presentation is an awesome way to share the Good News of Jesus and invite people to crown Jesus as King of their lives. I encourage everyone I teach to practice telling God’s Big Story over and over again so it becomes automatic. Practice telling The Three Circles so often that once you say “The world we live in is broken” and you draw the circle that looks like a cracked egg, you easily remember all the words to say and all the illustrations to draw from start to finish.

Practice telling The Three Circles Gospel presentation on paper. You can use pages from a student's notebook and cut them into small pieces. You can use large sheets of newsprint or flipchart paper with markers. The important thing is to be able to tell the story clearly and draw it easily. As you practice drawing on paper, practice drawing each figure. At first, it may be hard for you to draw a heart. It may be difficult to draw a stick figure of a person who has rebelled against God or who is kneeling in prayer. Don’t get discouraged; don’t say “I can’t do this.” Just practice. Practice when you are alone, practice with members of your family. Practice at church.

You don’t even have to use paper and pencil to draw The Three Circles. You can draw them in the sand or in the dirt as you simply share God’s Big Story and invite people to crown Jesus as Lord of their lives. Find a stick. Cut it or break it off to the right length. 70 – 90 centimeters works for most people. Then practice sharing the Good News as you draw circles in the sand. 

I remember the first time I shared The Three Circles in the sand. I went to a recently planted church in Togo. When I arrived, I asked a young man to get me a stick. He looked surprised. He asked my translator to say it again. I confirmed I needed a stick. He came back with three, and I chose one that was sturdy. I broke it so it was the right length. The members of this new church had just built a roof they could meet under. There were about 25 or 30 people present. I was the preacher. I started my message and gave some introductory remarks for about six or seven minutes. Then I invited everyone to come stand in the front of the church as I drew in the soil. The circles I drew were about 60 centimeters in diameter. The whole diagram was about three meters wide. The sandy soil under the roof was loose. I had to be careful not to step on the circles I drew.

But I knew that the power of The Three Circles is not in the stick or in the soil. The power is not in how perfectly the drawing is made. The power of the Three Circles is in the Gospel Story it tells. So I drew and explained and told the Gospel as well as I could. The Spirit of God did his work and eight people indicated decisions to make Jesus the king of their lives. You too can expect the Holy Spirit to work as you tell the Good News illustrated with three circles. So, practice telling it using a pencil and small pieces of paper. Practice telling The Three Circles using a stick and loose soil or sand. Then look for opportunities to share The Three Circles with others. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel; it’s the power of God for salvation. The Spirit of God will do his work in the hearts of those who watch and listen. And you will be an instrument of His grace.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #TheThree Circles

Leadership Development - Some additional Characteristics to Look for in Emerging Leaders (2)

     This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my past three episodes, I’ve shared some characteristics that I look for in potential emerging leaders. The two that are most important to me are an identity firmly rooted in Jesus Christ and humility.

Today, I want to share some thoughts about three additional qualities I look for in emerging leaders. These are a personality that others enjoy being with, their reputation (both inside the church and with people outside the church), and a strong Christ-centered marriage (if they are married).

This brings us to 10 characteristics that I look for in new or emerging leaders. Now, before moving forward, I want to emphasize that leadership development is an ongoing process and early on it is unrealistic to expect to find someone who is exemplary in all 10 of these traits. I will address this reality in my next podcast.

To elaborate further on these three characteristics, I think you can see that

* Someone who is unpleasant to be around is unlikely to gather followers. So, as I observe people, I like to see if they are the type of person to whom people are attracted or if they tend to drive people away. If it’s the latter, then they are not likely to be a good candidate for leadership. The fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 includes “love, joy, peace, forbearance (or patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  Every one of these relates to how a person interacts with others.

* Related to this, I like to learn about their reputation. Are they well-regarded by their spiritual leaders and those in the Church? Do they have good standing with their employer, their supervisor, or community leaders? In 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul gave these qualifications for church leaders. “He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” (3:7) Those with a good reputation (or a good track record as I’ve shared in a previous podcast) are less likely to fall into disgrace and negatively impact their church or organization.

* And, finally, do they have a strong, Christ-centered marriage?  Earlier in 1 Timothy 3, Paul said, “Now the overseer is to be above reproach and faithful to his wife…” (3:2)  Whenever possible, I like to visit a prospective leaders’ home or at least spend time with him or her and their family as a lot can be learned by these observations.  

  This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.