In the vibrant, growing cities of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, The Summit Church, led by J.D. Greear, stands as a beacon of discipleship and multiplication. Under Greear’s leadership, the church has embraced a powerful vision: “sending every member to live on mission.” Central to this vision is a commitment to reproducing small groups, which serve as the foundation for discipleship, evangelism, and church planting. Greear says it succinctly, “God has called you to multiply.”[1] He goes on to explain why this is so important:

If you have a choice between receiving $10,000 a day for thirty days, or getting $0.01 doubled each day, which would you choose?

I was like most middle school students. I chose the $10K daily without skipping a beat. I mean, think about it. How much could one do with $10,000? In thirty days, I’d have $300,000. How could someone even spend that much money? After getting an Atari—shoot, ten Ataris—a brand new, enormous, 32-inch technicolor TV, and the fanciest car on the market—a 1982 DeLorean, just like Marty McFly—I’d still have $200,000 left.

But then my math teacher explained that I should have started with the penny. Sure, after the first week, I’d only have a couple of bucks, but by the end of the month, I’d have $10,737,418.23. That’s a whole fleet of DeLoreans!

That’s the power of multiplication. You see, the early church had very little compared to what we have today: no grand auditoriums. No publishing presses, book contracts, TV stations, or political power. No Religious Freedom Restoration Acts. Virtually no money.

What they did have, though, was an ingrained understanding that each Christian was called to multiply and that God himself was in them empowering them to do it. Every disciple was expected, therefore, to make disciples. Every new church was planted with the expectation that it would reproduce.[2]

The Vision for Multiplication

From the beginning of his tenure as lead pastor, J.D. Greear has emphasized that the church’s success isn’t measured by its seating capacity but by its sending capacity. This philosophy has driven The Summit Church’s strategic focus on small groups as vehicles for spiritual growth and multiplication.

“Jesus’ Great Commission is a call to make disciples who make disciples,” Greear often says. “Small groups are where people are known, loved, and equipped to multiply their lives for the kingdom.”

This vision has birthed a culture of intentional reproduction at The Summit Church. From training leaders to sending out church planters, the church’s heartbeat is to multiply disciples, groups, and congregations.

Reproducing Groups at The Summit Church

Small groups at The Summit Church are more than Bible studies; they are discipleship incubators. Leaders are trained to cultivate a welcoming environment, encourage accountability, and inspire members to take ownership of their faith. “Disciples don’t just get counted on the balance sheet once; they multiply into more disciples.”[3] The church’s approach to groups includes these key components:

Leadership Development:

Each group leader is encouraged to identify and mentor an apprentice. These apprentices eventually step into leadership roles, ensuring a steady pipeline of new group leaders.

A current leader, Sarah, reflects, “I didn’t see myself as a leader, but my small group leader saw something in me. Now, I’m leading a group, and it’s been the most fulfilling journey of faith.”

Missional Living:

Groups are challenged to adopt a mission focus, such as serving a neighborhood or reaching out to coworkers. This outward focus aligns group activities with the church’s broader vision of reaching the lost. Greear explains, “With belief in the gospel comes an obligation to multiply that gospel as far and wide as possible.”[4]

Intentional Multiplication:

Groups aim to multiply within 12-18 months. This timeline ensures consistent opportunities for new people to engage in community while maintaining the group’s vibrancy.

One group member, John, shared, “When our group multiplied, I was nervous about losing the closeness we had. But it was amazing to see how God used both groups to bring in new people and make new connections.”

This doesn’t happen by accident. We don’t drift into multiplication. It requires intentionality because it requires daily death:

The principle of death before life permeates Scripture. God often requires his followers to “die” to what is most precious to them before he will infuse it with divine life. God multiplied Abraham’s offspring only after Abraham demonstrated that he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, on the altar. He multiplied the oil and flour of the widow of Zarephath only after she offered the last of it to make Elijah, God’s prophet, a meal (1 Kings 17:7–24). Jesus multiplied the little boy’s five loaves and two fish to feed the multitudes only after the little boy put them in his hands (John 6:1–15). God endowed the staff of Moses with great power only after he threw it down in surrender (Exod. 4:3–4).[5]

This is scary. It is scary for an individual and it is scary for a church. But, life—real abundant living is on the other side of that risk.

[1] J. D. Greear, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2020), 51.

[2] J. D. Greear, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2020), 49.

[3] J. D. Greear and Larry Osborne, Gaining By Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), 135.

[4] J. D. Greear, Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church’s Renewal (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2019), 92.

[5] J. D. Greear, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2020), 68.