Multiply 2023 Vision Summary

Dear District Church Family,

Last February, we launched a two-year discipleship and generosity emphasis called Multiply. So much prayer, planning, and preparation went into getting ready for Multiply. The Lord spoke to us through the text in Acts 9:31, where it says, “So the church…had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” This was a bold time to start a new initiative coming out of a pandemic soon after we were beginning to gather again in person. Yet we sensed God calling us to be bold and faithful with the vision He has given us as a church to impact our city for Christ one neighborhood at a time.

Our primary goal has been 100% engagement, which is really a discipleship goal. It is about going to the next level in our surrender, faith, and generosity. It is about inviting us to engage fully in the life of our church in worship, groups, serving, and giving. We have seen so many people return to in-person worship, people joining small groups, every ministry team growing, and our giving at high levels. God has exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Despite the challenging year economically, through the sacrificial giving of so many right here, we are on track with our goal. We have learned to give not just when it is easy but when it requires faith and trust in God!

Our vision with Multiply has three major components. Multiply Our Mission, Multiply Our Locations, and Multiply Our Generosity. Each represents core values and anchors that have always been a part of our identity and call as a church. As we approach the midpoint of this two-year initiative, the impact has already been amazing! We are confident we are honoring the Lord and that His kingdom is advancing in our hearts and lives. We are excited about the second half of the Multiply journey and for more of us to jump in and join those who have already made commitments. As we continue this journey, please pray about your role in Multiply, whether by joining the mission God has given us with a first-time commitment, staying strong in your current commitment, or by increasing your current commitment.

There is a place for everyone to be a part of Multiply. Let’s prepare for God to continue to amaze us in these months ahead as we each do our part!

In Christ,

Lead Pastor

WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO

01

We believe God has called us to be a flagship church in the heart of our nation’s capital that unapologetically proclaims the gospel and boldly makes disciples who are being transformed, to love, think, and act like Jesus.

02

We believe God is calling us into a new season as a church - a season of trusting that He can multiply our influence as we better disciple the hearts of our people and more boldly advance our mission as a church.

03

We long to see God do supernatural things in our lives and our city as He multiplies the number and quality of disciples in DC and beyond, all for His glory!

PRIMARY GOAL

100% Engagement

We invite and challenge everyone who calls The District Church home to engage with us as we live out the truth that God is first in all things.

NEXT LEVEL WORSHIP:

In what areas of my life is God leading me to move away from the pursuit of my own comfort and toward deeper surrender to Him?

NEXT LEVEL COMMUNITY: What intentional steps can I take to build more Christ-centered community in my life?

NEXT LEVEL SERVICE: In what ways do I come alive in ways that meet a felt need in my church or community?

NEXT LEVEL GENEROSITY: What new level of generosity can begin to express my gratitude for what God has done for me?

SECONDARY GOAL

$11 million

We asked the Lord to show us what kind of impact He wants us to make over these two years in our city. We believe God showed us three specific areas.

MULTIPLY OUR MISSION ($5 MILLION)

Two years of our annual operating budget, which will fuel our ongoing discipleship ministries, including our worship gatherings, small groups, classes, and ministry teams.

MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS ($4 MILLION)

We desire to begin our search for a permanent Sunday home in NW DC while opening new locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

MULTIPLY OUR GENEROSITY ($2 MILLION)

We believe God is calling us to give away two million dollars over the next two years to the cause of Christ in order to plant churches, alleviate poverty, and pursue justice in the name of Jesus.

PERMANENT

LOCATION - We are actively working with a real estate team who is helping us search for a permanent location in NW DC! We had a powerful prayer walk in August where we prayed for our community and asked for God to give us favor. We are talking seriously to existing churches and existing buildings that we can adapt to our use for worship. Please pray for miraculous favor!

Multiply Our Generosity

We have been able to expand our generosity this last year to our 35 local and global partners.

LOCAL PARTNER

Columbia Heights Educational Campus - We’ve been able to organize beautification days for the school, lunch for all faculty and staff, gift baskets for 30 of their most vulnerable families, provide financial support for their non - profit that focuses on after - school programs and scholarships for graduating seniors.

GLOBAL PARTNER

We were able to fully fund a church plant and child development center for Compassion International in Colombia. Giving $75,000 made The District Church the solo donor to this project.

BENEVOLENCE

We have been able to give at a record level to help meet benevolence needs that have arisen this last year. Since April we have been able to support more than 30 people through our benevolence ministry. We have especially been able to meet the needs of many migrants and immigrants who have arrived in DC and even in our church over these last few months.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

We have asked the Lord to show us what kind of impact He wants us to make over the next two years in our city. We believe God has shown us three specific areas. We are trusting God to move in the hearts of His people so we can invest $12.8 million over the next two years to boldly advance this vision.

EXPANDED GOAL

$12.8 million

Our expanded goal will enable us to primarily invest in our multiply locations bucket where there is the greatest need.

MULTIPLY OUR MISSION -Two years of our annual operating budget, which will fuel our ongoing discipleship ministries, including our worship gatherings, small groups, classes, and ministry teams. Expanded giving will allow us to invest more in our core ministries and discipleship activities.

MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS - We desire to begin our search for a permanent Sunday home in NW DC while opening new campuses in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

MULTIPLY OUR GENEROSITY - We believe God is calling us to give away two million dollars over the next two years to the cause of Christ in order to plant churches, alleviate poverty, and pursue justice in the name of Jesus.

ROOTED - Over the next year, we want to take everyone in our church through a 10-week global discipleship experience called Rooted. This is an experience designed to help you connect with God, the church, and your purpose. It consists of a daily devotional, weekly small group discussion, and 3-weekend experiences. All small groups will be going through this during one of the semesters of Multiply.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

NEW COMMITMENT

You recently joined our church family and are wondering, “What is Multiply, and how do I become a part of it?” Multiply is for anyone who would call The District Church home, and we welcome you to the family! We hope you will join us on this journey and make a 12-month generosity commitment to Multiply.

FINISH STRONG

Others committed one year ago, and perhaps, for some of you, this journey has been difficult - or possibly more difficult - than you envisioned. Maybe you went to an entirely new level in your generosity and are still adjusting your life to it. Perhaps you have experienced job loss, job change, or unexpected financial expenses. We invite you to persevere to finish strong in this journey you began. We believe He will enable you to finish strong in your commitment.

INCREASE

Some of you made your Multiply commitment one year ago, and it is possible you had an increase in faith or finances. Keeping your commitment may not have been easy, and it has likely required many sacrifices, but even now, you may be sensing the Lord stretching you to take an additional step of faith in your generosity. We challenge you to respond to His generosity by increasing your commitment. Generosity is not a one-time event; it is a journey. Consider asking yourself these questions: Am I still giving in a way that challenges me? Am I still living out being someone fully committed to God and to others? Pray and ask yourself if He is inviting you into another step of faith with an increased commitment.

NEXT STEPS + KEY DATES

New Year / New Series

Acts: The Story of Multiplication series begins - Jan 8th

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting begins - Jan 9

Commitment Sunday - Feb 5th

This is the day each of us will celebrate what God is doing in our life by putting pen to paper and turning in our MIDPOINT Commitment Card. This card is for EVERYONE, not just those new to Multiply. If you have been on the Multiply journey already, this is an opportunity to commit to finish strong or increase your commitment.

Rooted Launch - Feb 7th

This is the launch of our new 10-week global discipleship experience where select small groups will journey through a curriculum designed to help you connect with God, the church, and your purpose. All groups will be going through this during one of the semesters during Multiply.

Celebration Sunday - March 5th

We are praying for 100% engagement with Multiply and that God will continue to move more than we could ever ask or imagine! Begin praying now about what the Lord might be calling you to bring for the Celebration Sunday as an offering to represent your first and your best. For those new to Multiply, this is the starting line for giving in faith. For those already committed to Multiply, this is a chance to renew or expand your commitment and respond to God’s faithfulness.