CMA Update on our Movement August 2003
Neil Cole

The ice is melting, the birds are singing again and Aslan is on the move.One of the hardest things I have to do is count churches and people in our movement. Every year we must do so for the sake of those who are helping to support us. But it seems so inorganic and just doesn't feel right with my postmodern soul. Nevertheless, it is part of the responsibility I have been given.

I promised to those whom I surveyed that I would post the results, so here they are:

• Total number of churches: 332
• Total number of networks: 42
• New churches started in 2003: 123 (as of August 1st)
• Number of churches dying in 2003: 31
• Number of churches in other countries: 43 (these are counted in the total above)
• Total number of people involved in CMA churches: 5100 (estimate based on averages reported)
• The average number of people a part of an organic church in our movement: 16

Who we are:

Church Multiplication Associates (CMA) is a growing association of organic church planting movements bound together by a like-minded commitment to organic church multiplication. We are not a denomination or a mission agency. We are less an organization and more of an epidemic. We do not have any vertical hierarchy or positions and titles.

Organic church planting is applying natural and biblical principles for starting churches out in the good soil of lost peoples so that the churches emerge (super)naturally and reproduce. Organic churches are usually small reproductive churches that have a strong core value of multiplying new churches rather than growing larger. These churches meet wherever life happens-houses, offices, campuses, bars, restaurants, coffee houses and even parking lots. There are about 42 expanding networks of churches globally affiliated with CMA. We currently have churches in 15 states and 12 different countries. We began the organic church concept five years ago. In our first year we had 10 organic churches planted. The second year we had 18. The third year we started 52 churches. Our fourth year we started over 100 churches and this year we are on pace to see over 180 start. If our current pace for the year continues (averaging 15 church starts each month) This will put the total number of viable churches close to 400 in only five years (including some attrition). We currently have an estimated 5,100 people involved around the world. The average church has about 16 people in it.CMA Resources has sponsored 11 Organic Greenhouse Intensive Training Events in 2003 so far and have six more scheduled before the end of the year.

Our current condition and focus:

That's good news. But I also want to be honest with the facts. While it appears by the numbers that we are multiplying, upon more careful examination I find that our growth is mostly addition rather than multiplication. A few of our networks are forming with new converts and reproducing, but many are forming churches from Christians who lost their passion for the kingdom and have now been reignited with our vision and form of spiritual community. This is not a bad thing, but we must not be content until we see the lost found and the communities we live in transformed by the powerful presence of the kingdom of God. Keep your eye on the ball!

I would say we have done well at reproducing disciples (LTGs) and even churches, but we have not yet begun to see the reproduction of leaders, networks or movements. We have added leaders and networks to our family but not yet multiplied them. With that in mind our commitment this next year is to focus on what it takes to reproduce CMA itself. Pray with us as we pursue this calling.

This year, in obedience to the Lord's leading, we are making these two ministries more distinct. Pray with us as we pursue this.

Pressing on,

Neil Cole

See also the article on Pass the Ammunition: an open letter to soldiers on the field

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