A Big Vision Makes a Big Difference
In 1987, Cesar Fajardo had a small ministry with just thirty young people in his youth group. However, Fajardo had a big dream. He took a photograph of the nearby indoor soccer stadium and hung the picture on the wall of his room. He began to dream and believe that God would one day fill it with young people. By the year 1999, there were eighteen thousand young people lined up on Saturday nights to get inside that stadium for his youth worship service.
Within twelve years, Cesar raised up a family of eight thousand youth small group leaders for his church in Bogotá, Colombia. His success began with a dream. His dream spurred him to pour his life into developing twelve multiplying group leaders, who in turn have each raised up twelve multiplying group leaders and so on. He states, “The vision must take hold of your life, and you must be able to transmit that vision.”
- Fajardo’s success has eight simple, discernible elements:
- He saw it. His vision was so vivid he could take a picture of it.
- He saw it big. He saw an eighteen-thousand-seat auditorium filled with students seeking God.
- He saw it through the eyes of faith. He only had thirty kids in 1987, yet by faith he believed God would one day multiply thirty into a stadium full of young people.
- He saw himself in the picture. He believed God could use him to make it happen.
- He started where he was. He trained the twelve he had in order to get the eighteen thousand he did not yet have.
- He diligently poured his life into raising up others to lead. The focus of his time, energy and effort for the next dozen years was training his twelve to multiply more “multipliers.”
- He kept focused on the vision over a long period of time. He stayed with it for twelve years until the dream became a reality.
- God brought great results. The stadium was full on Saturday nights.
With God All Things Are Possible
You probably aren’t ready to envision eight thousand small group leaders today. But if you are an effective small group leader, there is no reason you should not be envisioning cooperating with God in raising at least one healthy, growing, effective multiplying spiritual leader a year. You can do it if you catch a dream from the Lord. Many small group leaders already possess a vision of multiplying their servant heart into others, and this is just one step further.
But it is not enough to have a vision. The vision only becomes a reality when you follow through on your part and begin to pour your life into potential leaders.
A Vision for Multiplication
A vision to multiply your leadership abilities will give you passion and purpose as a small group leader. It will also help you to keep growing and learning as you raise up others to minister to your small group members. And last, a vision to multiply leadership will leave a long legacy of leaders well after you have died and gone home to be with our Lord! Ask the Lord for His vision for your life as a multiplying leader and he will begin to birth that vision within you.
Action Points and Questions to Consider:
- What is your vision for your ministry as a small group leader? Write it below. Does it include multiplication?
- If you don’t have a clear vision for your ministry, write out a prayer asking God for a new and powerful vision for your future to develop others as leaders.
- Who can you tell about your vision? Your spouse? Your pastor or coach? Your group? Talking about it will help you refine and reinforce it.
