In school, we typically learn addition then subtraction followed by multiplication and division. In spiritual life, I would argue it's more important to learn multiplication first, then addition, and avoid division and subtraction altogether. My small group experience has been that when we learn small group addition first and then sometime much later try to teach multiplication, it many times leads to division and subtraction!
Let me explain what I mean by defining some terms. First, let's define small group "multiplication." For this discussion, I'll define small group multiplication as the process of reproducing Biblical values, knowledge, experiences and skills through a relational and experiential process. But not only are the values, knowledge and skills to be reproduced in another, the very reproduction process is to be also passed on repeatedly from one small group leader to another emerging small group leader and in turn from one small group to a new small group. In essence, multiplication's root goal is seeing growth through a complete replication of the existing leader and group.
On the other hand, I'll define "addition" as the process of assimilating new members and selecting new leaders through any process that doesn't have a primary expectation that Biblical values, knowledge and skills will be reproduced repeatedly in another leader/group through modeling and relationship. In essence, addition's root goal is seeing growth through adding another leader or group to the existing system without disturbing pre-existing small groups.
Obviously, addition and multiplication are both Biblical values (see below). Both need to be happening in ministry. But, how people are taught to do them is very important. In the laboratory of small group ministry, here's how I've seen this fleshed out. When new small group leaders and their groups sign on to enter an experience of Biblical community together, an experience that for the most part revolves around the group members themselves, the hopeful result is bonding, care, encouragement, support, purpose and growth—good things! Most of these groups are open to adding new members from time to time. They might say to a prospective new group member: "We've got a good thing going—would you like to join us?"
These groups can be very good at addition for a time. But, they will eventually reach size and growth constraints. In these situations, some key decisions need to be made. Do you leave that group alone and praise it as a model of Christian Community and then seek to add another leader and small group from outside the core of that existing group to begin the process afresh (addition)? Or, do you encourage the existing leader and group to replicate a leader and core members of a new small group from people in the existing group (multiplication)?
If you are the vision person for small group ministry at your church and the addition approach has been the default mode of operation in your church then if one of your church leaders, coaches or group overseers approach an existing growing group/group leader with the vision that what they've experienced could be passed on to so many more people if they would reproduce another leader and possibly a core of group members who could be sent out to start another group—well, let's just say that sometimes casting that type of vision will lead to division within the group, or division between the group and church leadership.
Many times, the problem is not that people are against the value of seeing more and more people grow in their relationship in Christ. In fact, most can even understand how having two or more groups available could dramatically increases the capacity to add more people into this Biblical community experience. It's just that they only learned to do that through addition—a new leader and core group members, but not from "their" group. That's whey when they are faced with the prospect of the new group having "body donors" from their own group (multiplication), they feel like it's more about "dividing" and "subtracting" people from their existing group.
But, what if instead of starting with addition, they had learned how to multiply first? What if in the very early stages of a healthy Biblical community experience together they learned and studied that one of the highest goals of a life lived for Christ and one another was being able to reproduce their experience of growth and relationships into other people who could in turn reproduce it in others? (2 Tim. 2:2)
From what I've seen, if leaders and groups learn how to multiply first, then when they learn how to "add" more people to their group, the eventual multiplication of leaders and groups comes much easier. Granted, just like in school, multiplication is a harder concept to master than addition, but in small group life, learning multiplication first then addition makes it so much easier for a small group to multiply itself.
With all of that said, if you are directing small group leaders, how do you help them "learn" to do multiplication, particularly if they have never gone through a leader/group multiplication process themselves?
There's a few lessons that I've found helpful when teaching, training and coaching small group leaders:
Lesson 1- Help leaders learn that small group multiplication reflects the Biblical pattern.
When you consider church growth in the New Testament, how did it start? Basically, with Jesus and a handful of followers. Sure, there were large crowds with Jesus at times, but only a handful of true followers. By pouring His life into a few, Jesus was able to reproduce much of His ministry into the first disciples—they relationally and experientially learned from Jesus how to multiply disciples. Then as the book of Acts begins to unfold we see church growth described as an "addition" process at first. In Acts 2:41, about 3,000 were "added" to the number of Christ-followers on the day of Pentecost. Then in Acts 2:47 and 5:14 the Lord "added" those who were being saved. But starting in Acts 6:1 there is a shift in terminology again. Luke, as an author, is noted for his attention to detail including numerical information. In Acts 6:1 he states "In those days when the number of disciples was multiplying … " So, there is a shift from disciples being "added" to disciples being "multiplied." Once again, as addition had produced the need for more leaders and groups, the early disciples who were with Jesus had already learned how to multiply and could accomplish it to facilitate the rapid growth of the early church. (Read the rest of Acts 6 to get the details.)
Lesson 2—Learn that small group multiplication is typical in healthy churches.
Christian Schwartz in his landmark study called "Natural Church Development" conducted the largest church growth study ever involving over 1000 churches in 32 countries. 4.2 million survey answers were processed and calculations done. Of the 170 variables in the study, one variable had more correlation to church growth than any other. Here's what Christian Schwartz said: "It is probably no coincidence that our computer survey selected the variable of 'holistic small groups: Our church consciously promotes the multiplication of small groups through cell division.' If we were to identify any one principle as the most important—even through our research shows that the interplay of all basic elements is important—then without a doubt it would be the multiplication of small groups."
Lesson 3—Learn that small group multiplication reflects the most practical way to fulfill the Great Commission.
The late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ said it well, "Imagine for a moment that you are an extremely zealous witness for Christ. You are sharing the message of God's great love and forgiveness wherever you go. You are able to actually lead ten people a day to our Savior. Using 'spiritual addition,' that would be 3,650 people per year! That is an amazing number. Yet, at that rate it would take you thousands of years to reach the world! But thankfully, God has given to us a miraculous method, 'spiritual multiplication,' through which we can reach the world in our generation. Using this technique, instead of leading 3,650 people a year to Christ, you lead only ten people, then disciple them to witness to and disciple ten others. Each of the new believers, now 100, can in turn do the same for ten more, which would then be 1,000, and on and on. By this multiplication strategy, you could theoretically reach the entire world of more than 6 billion people in less than ten years!"
Such spiritual pyramids of multiplication tend to break down somewhere along the way and you may not personally see 6 billion people won to Christ by your efforts. But what if thousands of Christian small group leaders learned this multiplication lesson first? And what if small group leaders held this as one of their highest values? Even if they just put this value into motion for one other person a year in their group, maybe an apprentice, the potential would be staggering!
So learn the skill and value of small group multiplication first and then addition comes much more naturally!
