Partake in the Lord’s Supper Regularly

 

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

Village Church Planters teach villagers to obey the seven basic commands of Christ. You remember those commands, Repent and believe the Good News, Love God and Neighbor, Baptize, Pray and Feed on God’s word daily, Participate in the Lord’s Supper, Give, and Make Disciples. I suspect one of the most misunderstood commands of Jesus was spoken on the night that he was betrayed, the night when he took the bread, broke it and said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19). 

“Do this in remembrance of me.” It seems like a simple enough command. Break bread, receive the cup of wine or red juice, remember Jesus. Remember the new covenant. Remember his body broken for us. Remember his love poured out for our forgiveness. And on the surface, it is a very simple command to obey. But its meaning is profound. 

You see, participation in the Lord’s Supper allows us to remember all that is good about the Gospel. In the Lord’s Supper we remember that our sin was so bad, God took desperate measure to purchase our forgiveness by sending his only Son to die for us. In the Lord’s Supper we recognize that we can live in right relationship with God because Jesus poured out his blood for us. In the Lord’s Supper we experience Jesus’ forgiving grace. And in the Lord’s Supper we find strength from God to face the challenges before us, just as Jesus faced the challenge of the cross. As children of God, we need all of these things. We need to be reminded of the very great love the Father has for each one of us. We need to be reminded of the huge sacrifice Jesus made to purchase our salvation. We need to be reminded that we can come to Him for forgiveness and strength. These reminders give us strength and build our faith. We understand that Jesus paid it all. Jesus defeated Satan by shedding his blood for us. 

Jesus knew we needed all this grace and more. That is why he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” When we receive the cup and the bread remembering Jesus’ commitment to us, we are blessed and transformed. That’s why serving the Lord’s Supper regularly is a vital service of every church. And that’s why receiving the bread and the cup is a life-giving act of obedience to Christ. 

So dear church planter, as you plant your church, make sure your people can receive the Lord’s Supper regularly. Don’t forget about it or minimize it. Make provision for the Lord’s Supper to be served in your church at least four times per year. You need the blessing that comes from obeying Christ in this way and so do your people. When the Lord’s Supper is served with reverence and a clear telling of the story of Jesus’ sacrificial death, when your people renew their faith in Christ and feel again his great love, your church will be strengthened. 

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

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #PartakeOfTheLord’sSupper

What Is The Lord's Supper?

       

     Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and today I want to look at the Lord’s Supper. It is my prayer that we are touched by Jesus’s heart and the powerful time we can have as we share this with all followers of Jesus Christ.  

Luke 22:15  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

Jesus desired to spend time with them in the intimacy and closeness of sharing His heart with them.

The Lord’s Supper, or communion, in the dictionary means intimate fellowship, a close relationship with someone  

This is the heart of communion. 

Communion is vital for our relationship with the Lord. It’s time to focus on what is not in our hands but what is in our hearts. We have time to examine our hearts and minds and lives, allowing God to work in them. Our time to commune with Him is so important to allow the Lord to search our hearts to make sure no sin would separate us from him. It is a time of intimacy with God to allow him to speak with us 

 The Lord’s Supper is our time to commune with the God of creation and to allow ourselves time for him to work upon our relationship with him. This is a special time in which we can be changed if we allow it to happen. When we are leaders, we can see lives changed, and God can use this time during the Lord’s Supper to work. We must be diligently devoted to this service of allowing our people this privilege of this special time. We have a blessing to be able to focus on the sacrifice Jesus gave to us.

Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus’s life for our sins makes life possible. We have this time to thank Him for His sacrifice for us. This act of thanksgiving draws us even closer to the Lord, and that is His heart: Communion with us.

Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

We have a time of remembrance again and rejoicing in the fact that Jesus was willing to allow His blood to be shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The power in His blood is given to all of us, freeing us from the weight of death because of sin. He gave his blood knowing that freedom came through it. We rejoice because today His blood is still powerful to set the captive free. This simple time of communion is vital for us and our spiritual life. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today?

Love Your Neighbor

 

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

that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus’ command teaching us to love our neighbors as ourselves may seem

pretty ordinary if, like me, you grew up going to church attending children’s

classes and youth group. But, like so much of what Jesus taught, the command

to love our neighbor as ourselves is pretty radical. To see just how challenging

this command is, remember the story Jesus told to help a self-righteous

listener understand what it means to love our neighbors.

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by

robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him

half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he

saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came

to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he

traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on

him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then

he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of

him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper.

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra

expense you may have.’

This story teaches us that our neighbors are not just the people who live nearby

and who know us well. We are to love strangers, just like the Samaritan did.

Jesus’ story teaches us that loving our neighbors will interrupt our plans. And

loving our neighbors is costly. If we are to love others, we must be generous.

Finally, we learn from Jesus story that loving our neighbors means loving people

who are not from our ethnic group or nation, just as the Samaritan loved the

Judean man who was beaten.

The love Jesus commands is not a romantic or emotional love. Neither is it a

self-serving love that Jesus calls us to. It is not easy to obey Jesus' command to

love our neighbors as ourselves. The love Jesus expects us to show to our

neighbors does not arise from our sense of duty as family members or as

members of a tribe. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors with a sacrificial love.

This may come as a shock to new believers, especially if they came to Christ

looking for him to solve their problems. Jesus, of course, does solve many of our

problems in this world and all of our problems in the world to come. But he

 also expects us to reflect his character, his mercy and his grace. He expects us

to love our neighbors sacrificially. Even so, it’s not easy to obey all of Jesus’

commands. We need his strength, his presence, his very love at work within

us.

So, teach your disciples well about the great, immense, sacrificial love of

Christ. Teach them that he will never leave them or forsake them. But be sure

to teach them to trust in him for power to love their neighbors as themselves.

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

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #LoveYourNeighbor

Leadership Development - Jesus Spent Time with His Apostles

 

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

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my last podcast, I began to explore Jesus’s approach to leadership development. We observed that when it was time to appoint his 12 apostles, he did so prayerfully. Related to this, his call was selective.

Today we want to look at the way Jesus spent time with His apostles, and how this impacted their leadership development.

Mark 6:32 tells us that “they [Jesus and the apostles] went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”

Matthew 10:1 says, “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” We will return to this scripture in a future podcast.

As the time approached for Jesus’ time on earth to conclude, he prepared the apostles for what was to occur. We read the following in Matthew 20:17-19. Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside [emphasis added] and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!””

Jesus spent time with his followers and much time with the 12 Apostles. I find it quite interesting in the Gospel of Luke that it is not until chapter 6 that Jesus selected the Twelve. By this time, he knew his followers well. As leaders, if we are going to invest in emerging leaders, we must spend quality time with them. While books, conferences, or other resources can assist a young leader’s development, these cannot substitute for spending substantial time with them. Where distance is a challenge, frequent calls are a good starting point. Personally, I have regular 1:1 calls (monthly or more frequently) with five leaders or emerging leaders.

Personally, these calls (and face-to-face meetings when possible) are a blend of mentoring and coaching. In some situations, as I mentor, emerging leaders may need my assistance in things like time management or in leading a team, and I share (or I tell) some ideas that have worked well for me. In coaching, by contrast, I ask. I ask questions that help the emerging leader think through situations to arrive at their own conclusions.

Let us follow Jesus’ example and intentionally invest time in the lives and development of new leaders.

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

Do Not Delay Baptism

 

Welcome to Multiply, a Podcast for Village Church Planters, pastors, and Christian leaders, and I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. 

We are going to continue our discussion about water baptism and enter the question: Why do individuals delay their baptism? When asked by a populace of people, the reasons they give are fear, unworthiness, conflicting traditions, and maybe believing one must be formal and wear formal attire, etc. 

To Delay, is defined as the act of postponing, hindering, or causing something to occur more slowly than normal  The Verb for Delay in the Greek is derived from Chronos, meaning to take time, tarry, or linger.

 Yet, we witness in God’s Word that there was no delay after one accepted Jesus as their Savior. 

In Acts 16:31-33, the apostles did not delay baptism once people believed.

Paul, who was Saul, was immediately baptized: Acts 9:17-19.

And in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” 

We all must be reminded of what is happening when someone is baptized. We can begin with Jesus' baptism. This powerful act revealed His identity as the Son of God; it displayed the Trinity and told of His death and resurrection for the sins of mankind. 

And after His baptism, He left a private life to pursue His mission publicly. 

For you see that “Baptism affirms each believer’s union with Christ. It is an act of faith that proclaims a new relationship with God.” (NVP Trainer’s Guide Tm.1 Ed.2)

During the summer months, my husband and I are part of a team that hosts what is called ‘The Jesus Rallies’. We have witnessed several people give their hearts to Jesus. Towards the end of the worship time, we have a tank of water where we have witnessed several people, through the years, being baptized. 

As we are baptized, we become identified with Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection.  “Baptism affirms belief in Christ, forgiveness of sin, and unity with Christ.” (Train & Multiply Term 2)

The baptism experience truly is life-changing for the believer and those who witness it. It builds the faith of fellow believers and testifies to others who are still searching for hope. For me, when I was baptized, my soul truly felt in unison with my Jesus; I felt closer to Him as I stepped out in obedience and love. 

This has been Multiply. Will you please share this podcast with others? Visit our website: vcpencouragement.org to discover this podcast and more. 

God bless!

Leadership Development - Jesus’ Prayerful Selection and Selective Call

 

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 several podcasts, I shared insights regarding leadership development from VCP Director Claude, Assistant VCP Director Peter, and Fidélité, our Supervisor for Dynamic Women in Africa.

Today and in a series of podcasts to follow, I want to explore Jesus’s approach to leadership development. We begin with the observation that when it was time to appoint his 12 apostles, he did so prayerfully. Related to this, his call was selective.

In Luke 6:12-13, we read, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”

The selection of Jesus’ 12 apostles was an extremely important decision for Christ. These were the men with whom he would spend the next three years, the men who would be entrusted to carry on His work after His return to heaven. It should be emphasized that Jesus was fully God and fully human during His time on earth. And before selecting these 12 leaders, the Scripture tells us that he prayed all night.

The principle here is that, as leaders, we must be prayerful in selecting emerging leaders who will be invited to join the work. Over the years, too often I have seen these decisions in the church taken too casually. A person is needed to fill a ministry role, and a “warm body” (this is an idiom meaning someone who just happens to be available) is found and placed into the position without prayerful consideration. Such a selection process almost never works out well.  

Related to prayerful selection, a second principle is that Jesus made a selective call. The context in verse 13 is that Jesus was with a group of his disciples (or followers). From this larger group, Jesus selected 12 to be his apostles.

The leadership development principle that I see here is that as we consider the choice of emerging leaders, we must be selective. I refer here to my 24 April podcast in which I summarized some characteristics that I look for in potential leaders. You may have a list that is somewhat different; the key point is that we are selective based upon important qualities we desire in future leaders.

* An Identity firmly rooted in Christ  

* Humility

* Their history or track record 

* Areas of aptitude or competency

* Take Initiative

* A Strong desire to learn and grow

* A Teachable spirit

* Pleasant to be around

* Their reputation both inside the church and with outsiders

* A strong, Christ-centered marriage

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

Prepare New Believers for Baptism

 

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

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 gives us our marching orders. Our Lord said, “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.” When we read the Acts of the Apostles, we see how the Apostles and their disciples obeyed the Great Commission. An important part of disciple-making is to baptize. And in the book of Acts, a consistent principle emerges: Baptize without delay.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter instructed his listeners in Jerusalem to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 2:38). Soon about 3,000 people were baptized. When Philip preached to the people of Samaria many believed. The Bible says in Acts 8:12, “When they believed Philip as he proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

Soon after, when the Ethiopian treasurer understood the Good News as Philip explained it to him, he said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And Philip baptized him.  The baptism of Saul in Acts 9, of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, the baptism of Lydia and her household as well as the Philippian jailer and his household both recounted in Acts 16, Crispus and his household in Acts 18 all tell a similar story. The apostles and their disciples baptized without delay after people heard and understood the Good News of Jesus.

But baptism without delay has not always been the practice of the churches that have been started after the time of the Apostles. Many churches have imposed requirements of long periods of catechism or baptismal classes before baptizing believers. Others have delayed baptism because they were waiting to see the fruit of repentance or simply because they did not trust the new believers. But this was not the pattern or practice of the Apostles.

What is the practice of your church?  What do the elders, pastors, president, or bishops of your church teach about when to baptize and what preparation is needed for baptism? If you do not know, I encourage you to respectfully inquire.

But here is a principle that I can lift up to give you guidance about when to baptize new believers. Baptize them without delay. Make sure they understand the Gospel. Talk with them to make sure they have freely and sincerely crowned Jesus as the King of their lives. Teach them about baptism and its meaning. Makes sure they understand that the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts and that the water of baptism represents that cleansing. Help them understand that when they rise up after having been baptized, they are rising up to a new life in Christ. Help them share the Good News with their family.

But do not delay their baptism. Preach the Good News, prepare for baptism those who understand the gospel and put their trust in Christ, Make sure these new followers of Christ are baptized without delay.

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

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #BaptizeWithoutDelay

Believe the Good News

 

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

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four biographies of Jesus that we call “The Gospels.” Mark gets right into the story of Jesus in chapter 1, verse 14 saying. “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the Good News!”

The instruction to repent and believe the Good News is the first of what we now call the seven basic commands of Christ. We teach these seven basic commands to help people live as disciples of Jesus. As church planters we know that peoples’ lives will be transformed if they trust and obey Christ. We understand that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but that Jesus has come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). And we know that all kinds of people are looking for a fuller life, a life of peace and hope and purpose, a life filled with love.

So why is it so hard for some people who hear God’s big story and the story of Jesus and his love to repent and believe the Good News?

Maybe it’s because they do not really believe that the Kingdom of God has come near. People who practice traditional religions believe in God, but they think he is far away from them. People who practice Islam often emphasize the transcendence of God, that he is utterly beyond and independent of the created universe. Many nominal Christians believe that God is too busy with big, important matters to be concerned about them.

But Jesus said that the kingdom of God has come near. If people can believe that the kingdom of God has come near, it will be much easier for them to repent and believe the Good News. So, a big part of our work as church planting evangelists is to help people know that the Kingdom of God really has come near. Our evangelistic work is to communicate that the powerful, loving King, Jesus, is here with us now, to forgive and heal, to redeem and to save. If people can just believe that the Kingdom of God is near, it will be much easier for them to repent and believe the Good News.

There are three main ways we help people believe that the Kingdom of God has come near. We share our testimony, we share the story of Jesus and we pray. We tell what Jesus has done for us. We speak clearly about his power and his love at work in our lives. And we tell of his mighty works and his amazing love when he lived in bodily form on this earth 2,000 years ago. And we pray with people and for people so that they see the power of God revealed in answered prayer. When people hear our story and the story of Jesus; when people see God answer prayer, faith rises up within them. They begin to say, “Maybe the kingdom of God really is near. Maybe Jesus really can give me an abundant life full of hope and joy, peace and love and purpose.” It is at that point that we should clearly but gently invite them to repent and believe the Good News about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When our friends know that the Kingdom of God is near, they too will repent, believe and be transformed by the power of God.

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

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #RepentAndBelieve

Repent and Believe the Good News : Repent

 

 

Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and last week the podcast was “Why Teach the 7 Basic Commands of Christ” 

The first command of Christ was to repent. God’s word tells us in 

Matthew 4:17: From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus started with this word, REPENT to think differently, for this is a powerful transformation that must happen. Our life in Jesus starts with being sorrowful for our sins and asking Him to forgive us. He then washes us clean with His blood and makes our hearts white as snow spiritually. This is not a one-time event in our lives, because our way of thinking must always change. We can help people have a different way of thinking simply by sharing the Good News. You can have a different life, and this will bring up many questions. How can I have a different life? I cannot afford a different life, and how much will this new life change me? The list could go on for a long time, but this will allow you to share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ with them. Hearts can be changed simply by understanding simple truths that the word repent is not a bad word, but it is a great word because now the heart is open to receiving the Good News of love and forgiveness and hope for a tomorrow. Who would not want to learn about hope? The world's idea of having hope is having enough money to never worry about having enough food, and yet hope goes much deeper than that. To be a follower of Jesus, there must be a change in the way we think. It was many years ago that there was a quote that came out: WWJD= What Would Jesus Do? It was my understanding that this was supposed to help us change our lives. It could go much deeper to change how we think. Lord, I repent because my thoughts were not lined up with your word, and my life is not proving that my thoughts are different.

2 Chronicles 7:14: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It is a life of turning from the past life of sin to a whole life in Christ Jesus, humbling ourselves and saying, Lord, I am sorry; help me think of your life you are giving me differently, and I accept this good news of hope and Life.

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

Help People Respond To God’s Big Story

 

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

One of the most important roles you will ever have as a church planter is storyteller. Not everyone likes to think of themself as a storyteller. But before we can be an evangelist, before we can be a disciple maker, before we can be a church planter, we must be storytellers. 

When Jesus began his preaching, teaching, disciple-making ministry, he said, “Repent and believe the Good News.” The Good News is the story about God’s plan of salvation that is fulfilled by Jesus through his exemplary life, his sacrificial death, and his victorious resurrection. There are many good ways to share this big story of God at work in the world. We can tell a series of stories from the Bible about God’s wonderful creation, about mankind’s rebellion against God, about how God chose a man, Abraham, to bring blessing back to the world, about mankind’s continued rebellion and the need for sacrifice and confession. We can tell God’s big story by showing the JESUS Film that begins with creation and ends with God’s promise that Jesus will return. We can share the Good News by drawing three circles and telling about our rebellion and inability to escape brokenness in our own strength. We can tell about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. 

All of these are good ways to share the Good News, but just telling this story is not enough. We have to help people apply this story so they can be transformed by the saving grace of God. You see a lot of people think God’s big story is about other people. They think it’s a story about God and Adam and Eve, about Noah and his children, about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And they are right; all these people play important parts in God’s story. But if you listen to God’s big story as an outsider who is focused on these big-name characters in the story, you will miss the point. 

The point of God’s big story is that he sent his one and only Son to die to save you and to die to save me. Yes, there are many other people in the story. But until you realize that you are a leading character in God’s big story, you will not be transformed. 

It’s not enough to know that God loves the world. It’s not enough to know that Jesus came to save sinners. What we have to help people understand is that Jesus comes for them and that Jesus comes to them.  

If we can help people see their place in God’s big story, great things will result. When people first hear God’s big story, the light begins to dawn. When they realize that it was their sin that brought Jesus into this world, the day grows brighter. When they realize Jesus died and rose again to save them, the light of the Gospel grows very bright indeed. But when people understand that by repenting and believing the Good News they can be forgiven, redeemed, and transformed, the light of the Gospel becomes glorious. 

So, tell God’s big story, tell it well, tell it often, tell it with stories, with film, with drawings. Tell it to one person and tell it to many. But always, always when you tell the story, help people understand that their response to the love of God is what makes the story complete. If you do this, you will see many lives transformed. 

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

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #God’sBigStory

Why Teach the 7 Basic Commands of Christ?

 

Welcome to Multiply, a Podcast to encourage church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. Matthew 28:18-20 says: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

The overall theme today is teaching obedience to Christ’s commands. God’s Word defines obedience as actively hearing, trusting, and surrendering to God's will. By obeying the commands of Jesus, it reflects a believer’s trust and commitment to Him. In that, let us never forget the obedient life example that Jesus gave as we read in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross." 

It is the objective of a church planter, pastor, and Christian leader to teach obedience. In that, keeping the thought process that as we obey Christ’s commands, we are also witnessing how it transforms lives and generations! This is making disciples! When Jesus came to each disciple, He said to them, “Follow Me…” As we follow Him, then we intuitively desire to please and obey Him.

Let us do a quick recap of the 7 Basic Commands of Christ:

1. Repent & Believe (Mark 1:15) 

2. Baptize New Believers (Matthew 28:19)

3. Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39) 

4. Partake in the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-22)

5. Pray & Meditate on God’s Word (Matthew 6:9-13)

6. To Give (Luke 6:38)

7. Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)

When I was training as a student at my Bible University, and the basic commands of Christ were taught, my heart was flooded with passion to simply ‘go’ and live out this for the rest of my life! As a young woman then and now a seasoned older lady today, the 7 Basic Commands of Christ are still pertinent for lives to be transformed for His Gory! As we teach this, we are delivering HOPE for all the World as we obey!

This has been Multiply. Please share this podcast with others today. Find us on vcpencouragement.org, Facebook, and on YouTube. Thank you and God Bless!

Obedience-based Discipleship

  

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

Once a person receives Christ as Lord and Savior, when a person has been born again and, by God’s grace, becomes a child of God, he or she has some questions: “What is next?  What is coming?  What is this new life in Christ going to be like? Sometimes new believers find very good answers to these questions.  Sometimes they do not.  

Do you remember asking questions like these? Many new Christians don’t ask God to answer their questions. They don’t even ask their Christian friends, “What is next for me now that I have met Christ?” They ask themselves these questions, and often the best answer they come up with is “I don’t know.”  The sad thing is that if new believers don’t find out what God wants their new life to be like, they will often go back to their old way of living. 

But the word of God has answers for the new believer’s questions. The next step for a new believer is to learn to obey Jesus’ commandments. 

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Our Lord emphasizes this teaching a few verses later, saying, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” As a disciple maker, teach new believers to obey Jesus and experience the love of the Father. 

The new believer shows his love for Jesus by obeying his commandments. The act of obeying Jesus’ commands solidifies the love that new believers have for God.  When we intentionally obey Jesus, we experience the love, joy, and warmth of God’s presence. This is powerful and liberating. Experiencing the presence of God by obeying his commandments brings joy and peace. Obeying Jesus brings blessing to the obedient one and to his or her family and friends. 

But new believes do not know this. They need to be taught to obey all that Jesus commanded.  This was our Lord’s final instruction to his disciples. He told us to go to all nations and make disciples “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” We are to make disciples by teaching people to obey Jesus. This way of making disciples is called “obedience-based discipleship.”  Discipleship is not primarily about knowing new ideas or even about having spiritual experiences. Being a disciple of Jesus is first and foremost about obeying him. It is through that obedience that we honor God with our love, and we experience his presence in new and meaningful ways as he makes his home with us. 

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

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Obedience-basedDiscipleship

Leadership Development - Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave

  

     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 two previous podcasts, I spoke with VCP Assistant Director Peter Baraka and his wife Fidélité Ramla, the Dynamic Women Supervisor for Africa. During the course of our conversation, Fidélité mentioned a leadership development methodology frequently spoken of in VCP.  

Model, Assist, Watch and Leave. This is not unique to VCP. It is not a new approach; rather, we see this method used by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. I would suggest that the MAWL model is necessary for generational church planting. Apostolic leaders do not settle down in comfort. They empower and equip others to extend the work, and they trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide the next generation of leaders.

Model – We show how things are done. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) We demonstrate the skill, process, or behavior in a real-world context. Leaders lead by example, explaining their thought process as they go. Let me repeat this; as we develop leaders, we not only show them how things are done; we also explain our thought processes. Paul had a long list of mentees that he was preparing for leadership, including Silas, Timothy, Titus, Luke, and others.

VCP leader, what emerging leaders are you mentoring?

Assist – The next step is to do things together. We work alongside the learner. We offer real-time feedback, answer questions, and provide the support they need to build both confidence and competence. Barnabas mentored Paul in their early days working together. We read in Acts 11:25-26 that “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.”

Watch – At this point, we take a step back and observe. We allow the learner to take the lead while we monitor their performance. We also offer constructive feedback afterward, focusing on refining their skills and reinforcing their strengths.

The Assist and Watch steps are an iterative process as multiple opportunities to work together and to observe the mentee are often required in their leadership growth process.

Leave – Finally, when the emerging leader is ready, it is time to step away and to empower their independence. We must be willing to transition full responsibility to the learner, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to succeed without our direct involvement. However, we must remain available for occasional consultation, and our ongoing encouragement is vital to their continued growth and success.

Stepping away, or leaving, is often difficult yet it is necessary for their full growth.

I very much appreciate Peter’s and Fidélité’s leadership and their willingness to share these thoughts with us.

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

Spiritual Warfare and Church Planting

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

One of the greatest privileges of being a church planter is to be an ambassador of Christ. As the Lord’s ambassadors, we go to places where he is not known and proclaim the Good News. It is a beautiful thing to share the Good News. God saw us struggling in a broken world trying to save ourselves. He sent his Son Jesus to set up a new kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. Jesus defeated Satan by the power of his sinless life and his bodily resurrection.  This is the Good News we proclaim as ambassadors of Christ.

Even so, Satan, the defeated adversary of God, works to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10). He wants to prevent us from being reconciled with God. Each of us, when we began living in this world, was dead in our transgressions and sins. We followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among the disobedient at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:1-8).

So, as church planters, saved by the grace of God through the work of Christ, we go to places where Christ is not known. We invite those who are dead in their trespasses and sins to be born again as children of God.

This, of course, is an act of spiritual warfare. Every time you proclaim Christ, every time you announce his love, every time you lift up the name of Jesus, you are resisting the Adversary. Every time you clearly and truthfully proclaim the word of God, you are advancing the Kingdom of God. Every time a lost person repents of their sin and puts their trust in Christ, the Kingdom of Christ advances against the Kingdom of our enemy.

And Satan is not happy when the Kingdom of God advances against him. He fights back like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour. But we are not of those who fear and shrink back. As wise church planters, we put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 – 18). To protect ourselves, we take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We mobilize God’s people to pray for us and for the people who will find abundant life in Christ through our message. And we go forward. The battle is not easy. Our foe fights us at every turn. But greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

So, dear church planter, put on the whole armor of God. Pray without ceasing. Mobilize intercessors. Love your neighbor as yourself. Share the Good News in the power of the Holy Spirit. Trust God to deliver whole families from the power of the enemy so that they too might have abundant life in Christ.

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

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #SpiritualWarfare

Why Make Disciples

 

         This is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and today I want to look at the question: Why make disciples?

Jesus commands us to make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

This is important for followers of Jesus Christ to do what He asks of us. We have work to do in helping people to grow in knowledge of Him. Go and make disciples of all nations. In the Greek, nations are defined as tribes, nations, or people. This covers everyone. We disciple them to grow in understanding, and one of the first steps, according to Scripture, is to testify of what Christ has done in our lives, and that public testimony comes in the form of baptism. Baptism is such a powerful tool God can use in our lives to teach what it is to serve Christ and follow Him. This step also sets up the opportunity to encourage others to step out, and this is a simple first step of discipleship; baptism is one of the ordinances of the church. The other ordinance of the church is Holy Communion. This is again a great moment of teaching and growth within each of our lives.

The celebration of each step is so important, and that is why Jesus gave us a simple plan in helping lives to grow in understanding of who He is and what we all can do to follow Him more closely. Discipleship is teaching God’s word and how to apply it to everyday life. We have a great responsibility to teach every follower to observe, and again, in the Greek, one definition is to keep, to hold fast. We must hold tight to God’s word when challenges come, and this can be taught to new believers. There have been many challenges in my life, and if I were not discipled to hold tightly to God’s promises, I would not have grown through the storms. This time of growing in God’s word equips believers to be mobilized to make disciples. We are preparing others to go and continue the work God has. Discipling disciple makers is how we continue the cycle of God’s plan for every village and for every household and every family.  

We have a wonderful opportunity to mobilize many followers of Jesus to go and complete God’s plan for every heart, every household, and every village. This is why we need to disciple so that there is a gathering of disciples to grow together in Christ to change households and villages. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today?

Work in the Present Pray into the Future

 

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

Farmers and church planters have a lot in common. Both farmers and church planters work by faith. Neither one knows for sure that the work they are doing today will result in a harvest in the coming months. But both work hard today so that there might be a great harvest in the near future. Farmers till the ground day after day getting ready to plant the seed. They carefully plant the seed so that it has the best opportunity to grow and produce a crop. They cultivate the growing field to control weeds and when harvest comes they work diligently to gather all of the grain. 

In the same way, church planters work hard today in hopes of a great harvest in the coming months. Church planters prepare the ground by praying for persons of peace. Church planters carefully and wisely sow the good seed of the Gospel in such a way that it will bear fruit. When the Gospel seed is received, they cultivate the hearts of new believers, teaching them to obey Christ. They help their people kill the weeds of doubt and disobedience that try to choke the faith of the church members before it can bear fruit. 

Farmers dream of having great crops that produce plenty of food. They hope that everything will go well. They want the rains to come at the right time and in the right amounts. They want a big crop; they want to rejoice with their family when the crop comes in. 

Likewise, church planters dream of having healthy growing churches in which more and more people come to know Jesus and learn to live as his faithful followers. As we dream, we pray. We pray for the future harvest, humbly asking God to bless, provide, and protect the work. 

But some church planters spend so much time dreaming about the future and planning and praying for future blessing that they neglect the work that needs to be done today. And there are some church planters who are so busy with today’s work they forget to plan and pray for the work that needs to be done in a few weeks or a few months. We must balance these two tendencies, but how? 

How can new church planters find the right balance between working hard on what needs to be done today and planning and praying for the future? The Four Fields Model can help. Church planters who follow the Four Fields Model know exactly what needs to be done today. They can identify the field they are working in and do the work that field requires. Today. But at the same time, they can see the tasks that will need to be done for the next field. So, they can pray for God to work and move and bless them so that as effective church planters, they will be ready to do those tasks when the time comes. 

The Four Fields Model is our guide. It helps us focus our work today and plan and pray for the future. So, follow the Four Fields Model as you work and pray. It will lead you to a more fruitful church planting future.  

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

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FourFields Model

Leadership Development - A Promotion Story

 

   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 previous podcast, I spoke with VCP Assistant Director Peter Baraka and his wife Fidélité Ramla, Dynamic Women Supervisor for Africa, to obtain their perspective on Leadership Development.  During the course of our conversation, they shared with me a very inspiring story that demonstrates the principles of Matthew 25:14-30. We read in verses 21 and 23, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”

I first met Robert about 7 years ago when I was on a CMF trip with Peter and Fidélité. At the time, he was a volunteer (or unpaid) trainer. Over time, he proved himself to be faithful and competent. Over a period of several years, our VCP Supervisor and Coordinator (Peter and Fidélité) told me that they watched him carefully. 

Fidélité mentioned that at times he even used his own funds for VCP ministry which demonstrated his commitment and passion for the work. She commented, “even if the grant isn’t there, do they still work?” During these years, Robert was trustworthy in assignments, including managing well some chickens that were given to him. Peter and Fidélité told me that he often asked for guidance; he desired to become more effective in his role as a trainer. (To reference earlier podcasts this year, he was manifesting a “strong desire to learn and grow” and also a “teachable spirit.”)  

Peter and Fidélité also shared with me that their relationship with this man – and others whom they lead – is not “all about work.”  They also take time to talk about life, developing friendships while also serving in a pastoral role with them.  

As I close, I return to Robert’s story. When Fidélité recently accepted the role as Dynamic Women Supervisor for Africa, the need arose for a new VCP coordinator in Uganda.  Trainer Robert was the obvious choice for promotion because he had been faithful in his previous roles.  When they offered the new role to him, they did so in a meeting with Robert and his wife. They asked if she agreed as the additional responsibilities will impact her as well. Fortunately, both of them agreed to the promotion.  

May each of us be faithful in the responsibilities entrusted to us. As we do so, we qualify ourselves for promotion and greater responsibility. 

I very much appreciate Peter’s and Fidélité’s leadership and their willingness to share these thoughts with us. 

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

The Four Fields Model Your Guide

 

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

Have you ever asked a great musician, “How do you do that?”  If you have asked this question, you may have heard the musician respond with a question of his own. “How do I do what?’ Then you ask more clearly, “How do you know what notes to play, what rhythm to follow? How do you know how to make such beautiful music with that instrument? Some musicians will say, “I don’t know, I just watched others play and then I got an instrument, and I began to practice and now I just play the instrument.” 

Their way is a good one for people who are naturally gifted musicians, but it won’t work for most people. Most people will need to be taught in a rather systematic way if they are going to be good at playing a musical instrument. 

It’s the same with church planters. There are some great church planters who just started reaching out and gathering others for worship. They had watched pastors do their work, and they seemed to know what to do to start new churches without getting much instruction. But that kind of church planter is rare, and they generally don’t know how to teach others to plant churches. But just like most musicians need to be taught how to play an instrument, most church planters need instruction on how to plant a church. 

The Four Fields Model is the basic instruction ordinary Christians need in order to plant and multiply churches. It’s a great model because it is simple, easy to understand, and repeatable. All of us who want to plant churches would be strengthened if we consulted the Four Fields Model more often.  That is why it is printed on the back cover of new Village Church Planting student books every term. It’s meant to be consulted, and it’s meant to be shared with our disciples. 

The Four Fields Model answers the question. “How do I start?” You start with prayer for God to help you find persons of peace in a village where no church exists. You start by prayer walking. This means you walk around, with your eyes open and your mind alert, through a village that needs a church. You pray for persons of peace, people who are receptive, hospitable, and hungry to know God. 

The Four Fields Model tells you what you do when you find a person of peace: Help him trust Christ as his Savior. Teach him to invite family and friends to hear the Good News of Jesus. Help this group learn to obey all that Jesus commanded.  Finally, the Four Fields Model tells you to train leaders for your new church and release them to go to other villages, villages without churches, to start the cycle all over again by praying and looking for new persons of peace. 

So, the Four Fields Model is a practical guide.  But it is also a prayer guide. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to work in each of the four fields. We need God’s help to find persons of peace. We need his help to clearly and powerfully share the Good News. We need wisdom from on high to make disciples and start worshipping groups. And we certainly need God’s help to equip and release leaders to work in our new church and to plant churches in other villages. 

As you move forward with church planting, let the Four Fields Model guide you. You may not feel gifted, but God will help you as you trust him to apply the Four Fields Model with great love for lost people. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters, and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?” 

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters  #FourFieldsModel

Leadership Development - Thoughts from Peter and Fidélité

 

      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 previous three podcasts, I shared VCP Director Claude’s thoughts about the process of leadership development.

During our recent VCP Supervisor meeting in Nairobi, I invited VCP Assistant Director Peter Baraka and his wife Fidélité Ramla, Dynamic Women Supervisor for Africa, to share their thoughts on leadership development with me as it is very important for me to understand and communicate an African perspective.

We began with some characteristics or qualifications for leadership. The first things mentioned were “are they humble? Do they lead with love? And are they honest?”

At this point, we transitioned to some conversation about the leadership development process, and Peter made two very important points. He teaches those whom he is preparing for leadership “according to the program,” and he watches them to see if they follow instructions.

Peter shared during our conversation that as a VCP Supervisor, he invests much time in the field “inspecting the work.” He likes to ask his coordinators to take him to training centers and to churches that have been planted, and he observes closely if the coordinators know the locations. If they do not, it may be an indication that his coordinators are not visiting the field frequently enough.  

Fidélité talked about the method of Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave as an important part of developing new leaders. This approach is consistent with 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul wrote “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” She commented that she is always preparing someone who can help when she is not around. As a mentor she involves others in training events and other activities so they can see how she does things. As a next step, she invites them to assist her as she leads.  She told me that she initially assigns them to the easier tasks so they can build competence and confidence.

The next step, Watch, is very important in the development of emerging leaders. Fidélité gives her mentees lead, or primary, responsibility for training events or other activities. But she does not watch passively; she provides coaching and feedback. She affirms what was done well and suggestions for improvement.

Lastly it is time to Leave and entrust the responsibility to the new leader, and this can be very difficult. But, it is necessary. We will explain Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave in greater detail in a future podcast.

I very much appreciate Peter’s and Fidélité’s leadership and their willingness to share these thoughts with us.

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

Leadership Development - Director Claude's Thoughts Regarding the Leadership Development Process - 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. In my previous two podcasts, I shared VCP Director Claude's thoughts about the process of leadership development. Today I want to continue with his insights from that morning.

At this point in the conversation, I asked him a very important question. How do you discern when someone is ready for promotion?

His first response is that he wants to know if someone has an interest in the work. A passion for the work. A sense of God's calling for it. We do not want to promote someone who is only looking for a job.

His next point about readiness is an assessment if they have mastered the key tasks required. In one of my earlier podcasts, I talked about someone's "track record" or their history. This is what Director Claude had in mind with this statement.

At this point, Director Claude also spoke about an assessment that he makes of their leadership ability. You may recall my teaching last year from Matthew 25:21 (and 23). "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things..." When someone is being considered for promotion, it is important to know if they have successfully demonstrated effective leadership in the past.

Director Claude next described the importance of an intentional and keen observation of someone's spiritual and emotional maturity over time. Are they growing in their discipleship? Do they treat others well? Do you know how to interact with people in a healthy way?

There is also a very, very important spiritual component to the discernment process involved with knowing when someone is ready for promotion. Director Claude spoke about how someone's name may come to his mind frequently when he is praying. This is firstly a prompting from the Holy Spirit to pray for that individual, and secondly it may indicate that the Lord has something new for this person.

To round out his answer to the question, Director Claude once again returned to his theme of observation. He described to me how it is very important to observe, or assess, someone's capacity. When I asked him to describe "capacity," he spoke about one's spiritual and physical energy level. Will they be able to keep up with the pace of leadership? He also spoke of educational capacity; have they attained a level of formal education that will bring about respect from Church leaders?

I very much appreciate Director Claude's leadership and his willingness to share these thoughts with us.

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