Multiplication vs. Addition – Does it Really Matter?

Multiplication.
Consider that one FCA staff member could pour his (or her) energy into one high school huddle. He could have a tremendous impact on the lives of the twenty huddle members. Those twenty could go on to reach 200 others who could reach 2,000. Like the million dollars, it’s a good number.

But consider that the same FCA staff member could pour all his energy into five coaches who each go on to impact twenty athletes. Those 100 athletes could then go on to reach 1000 others who would reach 10,000! And that’s only in one year. Consider the impact of this model over decades of FCA ministry, and there’s no question this is the way to go.

A Change in Perspective

Just ask Erik Lofald, FCA Area Representative to northeast Minnesota. “At first, I was all about campus ministry which is where the greatest need was. There were no FCA campus huddles in the area. In the last four years, I have pivoted to seeing the bigger picture of reaching the coach and ministering to the coach as the biggest way to build our presence around the state.”

Erik changed course because he’s seen the impact multiplication can have on the largest physical area in the state. There is no way three staff members alone can reach all the high schools and colleges with the gospel.

But they can train up coaches who can.

And that’s what Erik and others throughout FCA are doing today.

3DMovements

For Erik, it began when he started going through a new way of doing discipleship called 3DM. Erik said, “It’s discipleship the way Jesus discipled. It’s not programmatic or a book you read. It’s looking at how Jesus discipled the Twelve but still ministered to the masses and how His discipleship was really about relationship. We are saying we are ready to enter into relationship with coaches – not so they can go and do ministry for us but so that they are discipled.”

Erik believes in this because he has experienced it himself. Earlier this year, he joined a small group with other FCA staff members. As he was discipled and learned how to disciple as Jesus did, he took the model back to the other staff in northeast Minnesota. They are now rolling it out to coaches in the area. “It gets me excited to think about starting with these six coaches. If we are faithful to following the relational nature of discipleship and holding each other accountable, these coaches will go off and multiply themselves and go from 6 to 36 to 96. That’s how God will provide people to serve in their area.”

E3, 3DM, 3D – It’s all about Relationships

Organizations seem to love acronyms and abbreviations, and FCA is not exempt. Sometimes having so many different things muddies the water, but according to Erik, “E3, 3DM, and the 3D coaching model really do work well together, which isn’t surprising because they are all rooted in Jesus, scripture, and relationships.” So how does 3DM fit in with 3D coaching and the E3 model of discipleship?

3DM is a movement of discipleship. It’s discipling the way Jesus did. In relationship.

3D coaching is coaching to the body, mind, and spirit. Coaching to the spirit is discipleship. And it happens in relationship.

E3 is FCA’s disciple process. It moves from engaging with coaches and athletes to equipping them with everything they need to disciple successfully to empowering them to reach others with the Gospel of Christ. And you guessed it. It takes place in relationship.

God is doing a new work through the ministry of FCA as staff members minister to coaches and athletes who go on to multiply themselves in their spheres of influence as they build deeper relationships and learn how to disciple others as Christ did.