GUIDEBOOK
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. ACTS 9:31
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 6 12 14 25 30 31 33 34
Letter from Pastors Aaron and Amy Where We’ve Been Who We Are Our Growth and Impact The Multiply Vision Next Steps The Multiply Journey What is a “One Fund”? Commitment and Gift Chart
36 40 44 48 52 56
MULTIPLY SERIES GUIDE Week 1: Grace Multiplied Week 2: Desire Multiplied Week 3: Integrity Multiplied Week 4: Joy Multiplied Week 5: Generosity Multiplied Week 6: Gospel Multiplied
60 FAQs
DISTRICTCHURCH.ORG/MULTIPLY
DEAR CHURCH
We believe God has called us to be a thriving 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. We also 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. 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! This guidebook is meant to lead you on a journey with us in this season. In the following pages you will learn about the key milestones in the history of our church, our impact over the years, our vision to multiply, sermon notes, discussion questions, and a prayer guide. PG | 4
Our desire is for you to grow in your relationship with God and in your generosity discipleship as we also grow as a church into this next season! Together in the gospel,
PASTORS AARON & AMY GRAHAM
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WHERE WE’VE BEEN
We are just one part of the story that God has been writing in the DMV area over the last 300 years.
1803 First African American church planted in DMV: Alfred Street Baptist Church.
1712 The first recorded church is planted in DC. St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek.
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“they overcame him (the enemy) by the blood of the lamb and the Word of their testimony.” REVELATION 12:11
1947 Church of the Savior is planted by Gordon & Mary Cosby in Adams Morgan. 1987 Christ Our Shepherd Church is planted by Stuart & Celia McAlpline in DC. The Triumphant Church is planted by TL & Mable Rogers in DC.
1816 First African American Church planted in DC. Mt Zion United Methodist Church (Georgetown).
KEY CHURCHES PLANTED THAT HAVE INFLUENCED US.
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february 2010 Pastors Amy & Aaron Graham receive a call from God to leave their jobs by faith and plant a church in Columbia Heights. With no people. No sending church. Just a call. With a toddler and a big mortgage. God was doing something in us so he could prepare to do something through us.
april 2010 The District Church was born in Aaron and Amy’s living room in Columbia Heights. Every week church, small group, worship practice, Leadership Community, Newcomers Dinners... every meeting was held in their house.
sept 2010 The church outgrew the house and moved into Next Step Public Charter School. Within 3 years it grew to 3 services and planted another parish.
2013 God broke our hearts for the foster crisis in DC and DC127 was born with a mission to reverse the foster care wait list by caring for children and families in crisis. PG | 8
2013 The East Side Parish is planted off H Street NE in Miner Elementary School and becomes its own church four years later. 2014 After years of praying God opens a door for us to move next door into Columbia Heights Educational Campus to worship on Sundays.
2016 We celebrated 19 baptisms at the conclusion of Learning to Live.
2017 Just Homes launches to mobilize churches to respond to the affordable housing crisis in DC.
2018 In response to our desire to be known as a place where the sick can come find healing, we launch both an addiction recovery and a counseling ministry.
2020 We move into our newly renovated Ministry Center in Northeast DC as a result of the generosity of over 850 people who gave to the Impact DC Initiative.
october 2020 We discover The District Church is made up of over 74 nationalities. Executive Pastor Kevin and Lucy Nderitu move to DC from Kenya with their two boys with a call to help reach DC for Christ.
march 2020 In-person gatherings are suspended due to the spread of COVID-19 and we launch online services.
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2020 Bold Generosity - The church raises a record $571,651 for outreach causes in the midst of a pandemic, more than double what we raised a year prior.
spring/summer 2021 The church is able to gather in person again with many health and safety precautions in place. First at the Ministry Center and then back again at CHEC. We welcome hundreds of newcomers within a few months.
2015-2021 The District Church helps convene local pastors’ gatherings and supports new church plants in DC including Revolution Church, Grace Capital City, Redeemer City, Passion City, Union City, Thirst Church, Neighborhood Church, Restoration Church.
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A Glimpse of Who We Are 12 years of impacting our city for Christ!
VISION
Impacting our city for Christ, one neighborhood at a time.
MISSION
To make disciples who live out their God-given mission in life. PG | 12
ANCHORS
MISSIONAL
MULTICULTURAL
MULTIPLYING
Living out a generous, spirited-led faith, in everyday life.
Making disciples of all nations.
Developing leaders and churches in DC and beyond.
VALUES
WORSHIP
COMMUNITY
JUSTICE
Upward to God.
Inward to one another.
Outward to the world.
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Our growth and impact over 12 years
worship
IN-PERSON GATHERINGS
ONLINE CHURCH
Over the last several years we have seen thousands of people from across our country and the nations around the world walk through our doors for our Sunday services. We have seen and heard stories of people who came and found a place they could belong. This wasn’t just a building, this was a place we can do life together. We have shared joyful moments, breakthroughs, pain, loss, struggles.
Provided an opportunity for the church to continue gathering during the pandemic.
We have seen prayers for healing, jobs, restoration of relationships, reconciliation answered. And even the prayer requests that haven’t come through, we have found those who can support and walk with us in the most difficult times. Most importantly we continue to grow closer to God every time we gather.
Online church has also given an opportunity for people who are part of our church but posted to different countries for work to continue to engage and be a part of church on a weekly basis.
As a church, we never stopped gathering thanks to online church. We saw many make decisions for Christ. We heard stories of those who were far from God and who made a decision to believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
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185 BAPTISMS Since we started the church!
HOSPITALITY Actively creating spaces and removing barriers so that people can meet Christ. People come from so many different backgrounds and this ministry helps connect with people where they are so that they are seen. The heart of what Jesus did was that He saw people.
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WORSHIP ARTS We have seen our worship culture grow in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Different cultures represented in our community have given us an opportunity to worship God with multiple expressions. We have had worship leaders from different nations, sang songs in different languages and seen many connect with God deeply in their own way.
community
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NEWCOMERS DINNERS For the past 12 years we have faithfully hosted newcomers dinners every month. Started from Graham’s home, then we moved to the Fairmont House and now we host them at the Ministry Center. Newcomers Dinners have been a place where people who attend find community. People coming from different backgrounds get to hear the heart of our church and find opportunities of how they can engage. It has also been a great opportunity for the pastors, staff, and key leaders to get to meet with God’s people. Coming out of the pandemic it was a great place for people to reengage and rebuild community. Living in a transient city, this has been a place where people can get plugged into the community.
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KIDS & YOUTH It is a joy to see our children learn about God especially in a generation where there has been a lot of deconstruction of the gospel truth. Kids and Youth City has provided spaces for our children to build good friendships and have learning opportunities to grow in their faith. We love it when this next generation doesn’t just come to church but also gets involved to serve he church. From one toddler to about 60 kids and youth every week aged between 6 weeks to 18 years.
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ADDICTIONS RECOVERY GROUPS
The Addiction Recovery ministry started in 2019, and has grown to 3 different groups:
50
SMALL GROUPS
The District Church launched as a small group and this has remained at the core of who we are. We have now 50 small groups spread across the DMV area meeting regularly. These groups represent life change and family. This has been a place where many of us have been vulnerable, fallen back in love with God, and realized the need for community to connect and grow. PG | 18
MENS SEX ADDICTION 30 men who break out in 5 cohorts. FAMILY & FRIENDS Support families and friends of those who are struggling with addicting. WOMENS ALL ADDICTION For women experiencing any kind of addiction who are in pursuit of recovery. VISION Disciples living authentic lives of freedom, healing, and purpose. MISSION To equip our community with the tools to overcome addiction.
COUNSELING MINISTRY
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While Pastor Amy has offered counseling in the church for 8 years, the Counseling Ministry officially launched in 2019.
AFFINITY GROUPS
These have been a great resource for those who have been underrepresented in society and a place where we invite the larger congregation to actively engage. We have three groups and we are always creating more groups and spaces for such groups to gather - AAPI - Asian American Pacific Islander. Black Affinity Group. The Latino Affinity Group.
The ministry currently has:
70 CLIENTS
35 SESSIONS PER WEEK
7
COUNSELORS
The District Church Counseling Ministry’s purpose is to provide faith-based mental health counseling and pastoral care to the TDC community and the city. The Ministry’s main goal is to help people experience healing and life transformation as a result of connection with God, connection with self and connection with community. PG | 19
MINISTRY CENTER After opening the ministry center in 2020 we have had countless gatherings for newcomers dinners, ministry teams, worship nights, and most memorably Sunday worship throughout the spring and early summer in the backyard. AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF MEETING VIRTUALLY WE WERE ABLE TO OPEN FOR OUTDOOR SERVICES IN THE TENT OF OUR MINISTRY CENTER!
DID YOU KNOW? PG | 20
We are blessed to have over
74
nationalities as part of our church.
JUSTICE Through the generosity of the church, we are able to support ministry partners both locally and globally.
LOCAL & GLOBAL PARTNERS
LOCAL Our local partners include: Young Lives, Samaritan Inns, Little Lights, Intervarsity, Apartment Life, Columbia Heights Educational Campus, Casa Chirilagua.
GLOBAL We have global partners and projects currently in Guatemala, Colombia, Canada, Greece, Moldova, Liberia, Kenya, Burundi, Jordan, India, and Cambodia.
We have been able to mobilize and equip faith communities in DC to live out their calling to biblical justice by meeting the housing needs of the city. We broadened our educational programming with new workshops on housing advocacy, homelessness, financial stewardship, and other housing justice topics. Through virtual programming, we have been able to reach new audiences and continue to bring more churches into the movement to make a positive difference in the affordable housing space. Our vision of justice housing is not only affordable to households with extremely low incomes, it is also sustainable, accessible, safe, high-quality, and located in areas of opportunity. Justice housing upholds and reflects human dignity. It honors each person as an image-bearer of God. And it affirms the right of every individual to have a just place to call home. PG | 21
Is dedicated to protecting children by empowering and preserving families. We provide wraparound services to [biological, foster, and adoptive] parents and grandparents who are isolated, overwhelmed, and under-resourced. We walk with foster families through every stage of the fostering process--from getting licensed to supporting a child in their home. DC127 is committed to providing prevention services and resources to stabilize families so that every family has a chance to thrive.
DC127
DC127 is well positioned for sustained growth across all program areas. We welcomed two new members in the last year who are making a significant impact in their respective roles. We are adding a newly funded position to increase who we can serve. DC127 remains committed to ensuring families are stable, resourced and children are protected and nurtured in safe loving homes. Our goal is to add more church partners to serve new families by providing faith growing opportunities to serve.
children protected and nurtured in safe loving homes
In the 12 years of the church we have given away over:
OUTREACH GIVING
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$2.5 million to alleviate the effects of poverty on those in our community, toward works of justice and toward spreading of the gospel worldwide!
DID YOU KNOW?
In the pandemic year of 2020 we raised
$571,651
for outreach causes. That was more than double the $282,479 what we raised the previous year!
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“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.” ACTS 9:31
THE MULTIPLY VISION 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. We have two main goals for this season we are calling Multiply.
PRIMARY GOAL 100% ENGAGEMENT Our primary goal is discipleship engagement in generosity. It is about our hearts. We invite everyone who calls The District Church home to engage in asking God how we can honor Him with 100% of what we have each been given. We want to truly live out the truth that God is truly first in all things. We believe God is taking us to the next level of discipleship depth. We invite you to honestly and prayerfully reflect on these three questions in this season with us: NEXT LEVEL SURRENDER
What steps do I need to take to move away from the pursuit of my own comfort and to move toward deeper dependence upon Jesus?
NEXT LEVEL FAITH
How can I joyfully and gratefully honor God with 100% of what He has given to me?
NEXT LEVEL GENEROSITY
What new level of generosity can begin to express my gratitude for what He has done for each of us? PG | 25
SECONDARY GOAL $11 MILLION Our secondary goal is MISSION ADVANCEMENT. We believe God has shown us three specific areas to pursue over the next two years. MULTIPLY OUR MISSION ($5 MILLION) We want to go deeper in the ministry we are already doing. We are including two years of our annual operating budget as part of Multiply. This will fuel our ongoing discipleship ministries including our worship gatherings, newcomers dinners, small groups, classes, and ministry teams which include kids’ city and youth city, worship arts, hospitality, prayer, counseling, addiction recovery, and others. It also includes the work we are doing on becoming a multicultural church. We are including and celebrating what is already given to The District Church in a normal year as part of Multiply.
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MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS ($4 MILLION) Multiplying has always been one of our 3 anchors as a church - to multiply churches and leaders in DC and beyond. We have always been intentional to raise up leaders to start new groups and new ministries. We believe the time has come for a couple things: A. Begin saving and searching for a permanent Sunday home in NW DC. CHEC has been awesome to us, but the pandemic and DCPS rules and regulations are making it increasingly difficult for it to be our long-term home. We believe God is asking us to begin laying the groundwork for having a permanent home in this season. That includes saving and praying. Saving because real estate in DC is so expensive and we need to have a down payment ready when the right property becomes available. Praying, because this is not possible in our own strength. This is going to require a miracle of Biblical proportions. And yet we believe that God is able!
MARYLAND
NV
DC
B. The second thing is to begin laying the groundwork to multiply District Church locations in Northern Virginia and in Maryland. We have had this desire since our founding, and we believe that now is the time to begin to more proactively pursue this and build up a launch team. We believe we will be able to better disciple and reach families in our area if we can help people gather together closer to where they live. We have many great small groups meeting in Maryland and Virginia that we believe can serve as the foundation for helping us become more rooted in the neighborhoods of Northern Virginia and Maryland. We still want very much to be one church, but with different locations closer to where people live. The population of DC proper is just 11% of the population of the DMV area, and a significant portion of our church now lives in VA or MD.
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MULTIPLY OUR GENEROSITY ($2 MILLION) We believe God is calling us to greatly expand our generosity to others. We currently give about $500,000 a year to outreach causes - which includes our signature ministries DC127 and Just Homes, to benevolence, but also to all of our local and global partners through our Advent Offering. We sense God is calling us to expand this dramatically, because the pandemic has shown us that the need is so great. Over the next two years we are trusting God with the resources to be able to give away a record amount to the cause of Christ in order to: PLANT CHURCHES · ALLEVIATE POVERTY · PURSUE JUSTICE IN THE NAME OF JESUS We want to expand our giving to our existing local and global partners that are positioned to be able to effectively do more ministry with more resources. We also want to be able to take on new opportunities.
SUMMARY MULTIPLY OUR MISSION ($5 MILLION)
MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS ($4 MILLION)
MULTIPLY OUR GENEROSITY ($2 MILLION)
$11 MILLION TOTAL OVER TWO YEARS PG | 28
WHAT’S NEXT? We have some bold goals in terms of advancing our mission as a church. But as we engage in doing this work, let’s not forget our primary goal of 100% engagement. We want to go to the next level in our faith, surrender, and generosity. It is about our heart. It is about allowing God to do something in us. And this is the pattern in Scripture. God makes or renews His covenant with His people before multiplication happens (eg. Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David). Covenant is God’s primary goal with us. Multiplication is the result. There are four ways we covenant together as the body of Christ here to be Owners at The District Church. We invite you to honestly and courageously renew this covenant with God and your community in this season:
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DAILY WORSHIP
SERVE YOUR CHURCH
Join us each Sunday for corporate worship and meet with God daily in personal prayer and worship. (Psalm 145)
Use your spiritual gifts and your time to help build up others in the church by serving regularly each Sunday on a ministry team. (Romans 12:4-8)
GROUP LIFE
GIVE GENEROUSLY
Be part of the 100% engagement by fully participating with us in this season by being an active member of a small group and living life in biblical community. (Acts 2:42-47)
Ask the Lord to show you what faith-stretching generosity looks like for you in this season. Act on the promptings of the Holy Spirit to give with boldness and faith. (2 Cor. 9:6-11)
GIVING DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY At The District Church, we believe giving is a journey. Our discipleship in generosity should be approached in the same way as the discipleship of the rest of our faith, and that means it is a process of growing more and more to love, think, and act like Jesus in who we are and how we give.
An Initial Giver is someone who decides to give for the first time, out of a response to God’s Word about giving. This is someone who decides to give something and trust God and the leaders of the Church with this gift. (2 Corinthians 8:7) A Consistent Giver is someone who decides to give something and to give it on a consistent basis to exercise the discipline of giving as a disciple of Jesus. A tithe (10%) is a helpful and Biblically grounded guidepost for your giving, but Jesus shares that He isn’t interested in an outward action void of a heart motivation. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) A Priority Giver is someone who understands the preeminence of Christ and that He is before all things – that all things were created by Him, for Him, through Him, and to Him. This giver places such a significant priority on their giving that it drives their spending and their saving, as opposed to their spending and saving driving their giving. (Colossians 1:15-18, 22-23) A Surrendered Giver is someone who recognizes the power of the gospel and is surrendered to honoring God with 100% of their resources as a result. A Surrendered Giver is someone who gives in a way that changes them, in a way that reflects that the totality of their resources belong to God. A Surrendered Giver isn’t just concerned with what they ARE giving but is more concerned with what they’re NOT giving and why, and they seek to honor God with 100% percent of what He has given them, whether that means direct monetary giving or a Godhonoring use of an existing resource. (2 Corinthians 8:8-9) PG | 31
An Eternal Giver is someone who is thinking about the longer tail of generosity rather than just the shorter term of month-to-month generosity or even year-toyear. They makes decisions in the short term that have longer term effects as it relates to their generosity capacity. They think of what home they buy, what car they purchase, how much savings they choose to keep, all in relation to their generosity capacity. An Eternal Giver is driven by the things of eternity, putting their hope in God and not in the things of this earth. (1 Timothy 6:6-19)
key dates FEBRUARY 24TH ADVANCE COMMITMENT NIGHT MARCH 6TH COMMITMENT SUNDAY APRIL 3 FIRST BIG GIVE TO MULTIPLY
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ONE FUND EXPLANATION WHAT IS A “ONE FUND” INITIATIVE? You may have been a part of church campaigns in the past where you were asked to give a second gift ‘above and beyond’ your usual gifts to make special initiatives like new buildings and new ministries possible. Normally, you gave that gift to the ‘Building Fund’ or ‘Campaign Fund’ and you also continued to give offerings to the ‘General Fund.’ This type of giving is potentially confusing to people who either don’t have a baseline for their “usual giving” or who aren’t able to really celebrate the total giving they are engaging in at The District Church in one single number. We believe that it’s all ONE MISSION that we’re on at The District Church – to make disciples of Jesus who live out their God-given mission in life. So we as leadership have decided that our gifts through The District Church over these next two years will all go into one fund for this next season of ministry expansion – to celebrate the totality of our generosity growth as disciples of Jesus. The Multiply initiative will last for two years. In those two years, every gift that is given to The District Church will go to the key components of this initiative: MULTIPLY OUR MISSION our general ministry budget over two years MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS our search for a permanent Sunday home in Northwest DC while also opening new locations in Maryland and Virginia MULTIPLY OUR GENEROSITY our increased investment in planting churches, alleviating poverty, and pursuing justice in Jesus’ name through DC127, Just Homes, Benevolence, Advent, and other ministry partnerships and investment. PG | 33
We’ve included a sample commitment card so you can begin to pray about your commitment and what that will mean for your journey with God. Please take time to think and pray through this, and then we will provide you with a new hard copy on COMMITMENT SUNDAY, MARCH 6.
TWO YEAR GIFT CHART GIFT S NEEDED
TWO YEAR GIFT LEVEL
ANNUAL GIFT
MONTHLY GIFT
GIFT LEVEL TOTAL
1
$1,000,000
$500,000
$41,667
$1,000,000
2
$500,000
$250,000
$20,833
$1,000,000
4
$250,000
$125,000
$10,417
$1,000,000
5
$150,000
$75,000
$6,250
$750,000
7
$100,000
$50,000
$4,167
$700,000
10
$75,000
$37,500
$3,125
$750,000
15
$65,000
$32,500
$2,708
$975,000
18
$50,000
$25,000
$2,083
$900,000
25
$35,000
$17,500
$1,458
$875,000
35
$25,000
$12,500
$1,042
$875,000
42
$15,000
$7,500
$625
$630,000
45
$10,000
$5,000
$417
$450,000
55
$7,500
$3,750
$313
$412,500
75
$5,000
$2,500
$208
$375,000
Many
$2,500
$1,250
$104
$307,500 $11,000,000
As you pray and discern how God would ask you to give during this time, use this gift chart as a discipleship tool. Let it be something that inspires and challenges you towards greater generosity for Christ’s Kingdom as God continues to multiply His impact within us and through us.
MY/OUR MULTIPLY COMMITMENT $
WHAT I/WE WOULD NORMALLY GIVE IN A YEAR (REGULAR GIVING, ADVENT, DC127, JUST HOMES, BENEVOLENCE)
$
MY/OUR EXPANDED ANNUAL GENEROSITY AS PART OF THE MULTIPLY INITIATIVE 2 YEARS
$
$ GIFTS FROM MY/OUR STORED RESOURCES
$
My/OUR TOTAL MULTIPLY COMMITMENT April 2022 - April 2024
$
WEEK 1 GRACE MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
SUMMARY The grace God gave the Macedonian churches enabled them to give out of their poverty. This grace was so great that they would plead for the opportunity to give to their mother church in Jerusalem which was now in dire need. The Macedonian churches understood that when we give first to the Lord, grace is multiplied. SERMON NOTES
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DISCUSSION GUIDE 1. Talking about money is taboo in many households. Indeed for some, talk of money surfaces anxiety and shame. Why do you think this is such a hard subject to talk about? What is it about money that surfaces all of these emotions?
2. Have you ever “shared” in taking care of someone financially? Perhaps you’ve participated in a GoFundMe campaign or personally helped someone you knew needed it? If so, describe what that was like.
GRACE - GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR Paul challenges the church of Corinth to rethink how they view money: to see it as a way to express to others the very grace that God had given them. The churches in Macedonia discovered profound joy through their wholehearted generosity. “Grace” is not just a one-time event that happens at the time of conversion. It’s also God’s ongoing work in his people. God can – and does – do many works of grace. His grace heals what is broken, breaks the power of the past, changes our hearts, and makes us free. RE-READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-7 PG | 37
3. Why do you think the Corinthian church was slow to participate in Paul’s collection effort and needed this story of the Macedonian churches as encouragement?
4. In the midst of their poverty and trials, the Macedonian churches discovered the riches of generosity as they gave to the poor churches in Jerusalem. Why do you think Paul used these Macedonian churches as an example to the church in Corinth of how they should give?
5. What must have happened in the hearts of the Macedonian Christians for them to “beg” to be part of this offering?
6. Paul said that the churches in Macedonia received grace from God. How does God’s grace heal our hearts and reorient our posture towards giving gifts to others?
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REFLECT: This week do an inventory on your own heart. Honestly assess how the surrounding culture, your family history and personal experience have shaped your attitude towards generosity. As you let example of the Macedonians seep into your heart framework, look around you this week at the vast ways expanded generosity can make profound impacts in our community.
PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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WEEK 2 DESIRE MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 8:7-12 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
SUMMARY True generosity starts in the heart with our desire. The church at Corinth said a year earlier that they had the desire to give; now a year later Titus is coming to receive the collection. Paul is urging them to have the same desire they showed previously and to match that desire with the completing of the gift. It’s one thing to have a desire, but that desire is unstoppable when it is matched with action! Jesus perfectly embodies this in his desire for us, “that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor.” SERMON NOTES
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Discussion Guide 1. Have you ever committed to attending an event, only to find out a few weeks later that another event came up at the same time that you would rather attend? What did you do? How did you evaluate what decision to make?
2. Have you ever felt compelled to do something just because everyone else was doing it? Or possibly you were compelled to do it out of obligation but not out of true joy? Be vulnerable and share that story if you would.
RE-READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:5-12 3. Why do you think Titus was specifically encouraged to complete what he had started as it related to his gift? Why is it difficult to follow through on our commitments sometimes?
4. Paul makes a specific point about excelling in this grace of giving, just as we excel in other areas of our faith as well. PG | 41
Why do you think he felt the need to single-out giving like this and to utilize other areas of our faith to “persuade” the church at Corinth to give in this way? Why is giving such a particularly difficult – and sometimes even polarizing – part of our faith?
DESIRE - SOMETHING LONGED OR HOPED FOR Paul is ensuring that these believers have a right “why” behind their giving and not just a “what” in what they are giving. He is conveying that God is concerned with the heart behind their giving as they give. Paul also reinforces that we are called to give based on what God has given us, not based on what he possibly has given someone else or based on what we ‘think’ we should have or ‘wish’ we should have. 5. What does verse 9 tell us about desire? “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.”
6. Paul talks about the power of the gospel actually affecting our response to give. What might this look like for you in this next season at The District Church? How might you give in such a way that it is from a sincere and grateful heart?
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REFLECT: This week pray about if you are truly yielding fully of yourself to God in how you give. Paul shares that we are to give according to what we have, not according to what we do not have. We often utilize this statement as an excuse not to give, when actually it is a truth that should compel us to evaluate our giving. Are you giving in a way that honors God as the owner of all you have?
PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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WEEK 3 integrity MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 8:16-21 16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18 And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
SUMMARY In this passage we see Paul bringing credibility to those who will come to receive the offerings. He commends them as trustworthy. Paul makes every effort to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of man. He understands that our gospel witness is at stake in how we steward financial resources for the benefit of others. SERMON NOTES
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Discussion Guide 1. How was money handled in your home growing up? Did your parents have a budget or teach you how to budget? How did they model or not model financial stewardship and generosity to you?
2. Administration means “ad” (toward) “ministration” (ministry). Administration is supposed to move things toward the ministry of helping people. But as we know sometimes it does not. It can become self-serving and bureaucratic. Paul said, “we administer in order to honor the Lord himself.” Do you have gifts of administration where you are able to attend to the details in a way that it moves the mission forward? If not, who are you able to ask to help you who is more gifted in this area?
3. Titus went to help receive the offering on his own initiative. Have you ever taken the initiative to help raise money for a cause? If so, what was that experience like? Do you take that same type of ownership in receiving funds for the church? Should you? Could you? What might it take?
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INTEGRITY - THE QUALITY OR STATE OF BEING COMPLETE OR UNDIVIDED. BEING HONEST AND FAIR. RE-READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:18-9:5 4. Why do you think Paul is taking so much time to discuss the collection process?
5. What do you notice about the process he puts in place?
REFLECT Reflect on how you steward and administer your own finances? Are there any ways to increase the integrity of the process? Are you in a position to steward more resources based on how you handle what God has already given to you?
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PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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WEEK 4 joy MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
SUMMARY How we give is even more important than what we give. This is the age-old “don’t give under compulsion; God loves a cheerful giver.” Sometimes this is taken out of context and it causes people to take a “pass” on giving if they’re not “feeling” it. Yet this is not at all what this passage is about! When we learn to truly give from the heart, God is able to multiply joy not only in other people’s lives, but in our lives as well!
SERMON NOTES
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Discussion Guide 1. Have you ever worked hard towards a goal but never saw or enjoyed the fruit of the goal when it was met? If so, describe the frustration you felt. Conversely, have you ever worked towards a goal, met it, and then really enjoyed the fruit of that goal? If so, describe how that felt.
2. When Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give, they felt under compulsion to participate but didn’t experience the joy of giving. Have you ever contributed to something because you felt obligated to do so? How might what Paul says here regarding enjoying the harvest “flip the script” on the common compulsion we tend to feel associated with giving?
Paul wants the Corinthians to actually enjoy the fruit of their contribution. Part of what makes giving a joyful thing and not an act of compulsion is fully enjoying the harvest. God doesn’t want us to experience giving as just sowing but also “reaping generously” and “abounding in every good work.” 3. Do I really believe that God will bless me - in all things, at all times? That I would have all that I need and abound in every good work?
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JOY - THE PERPETUAL GLADNESS OF THE HEART THAT COMES FROM KNOWING, EXPERIENCING, AND TRUSTING JESUS.
4. What does it mean to truly give from the heart? And to “decide” to give from the heart not reluctantly or under compulsion?
REFLECT This week notice people’s attitudes towards giving. With your family, neighbors, and co-workers, how do they perceive the value of giving? How might having true joy change people’s attitude toward giving?
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PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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WEEK 5 generosity MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
SUMMARY We have been enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion. So if you were God, would you give you more money? This passage speaks both to God’s provision, the multiplicative nature of our generosity when we give, and the challenge to steward our resources well so that we are an effective conduit of God’s generosity to the world.
SERMON NOTES
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Discussion Guide 1. Have you ever had a garden, worked on a farm, or been familiar with someone who has? What did you learn about the principles of sowing and reaping?
2. What are some examples of how God regularly provides for your daily needs?
RIGHTEOUSNESS - RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A POSITIONAL WORD MEANING TO HAVE GOOD OR RIGHT STANDING, TO HAVE NO DEBTS OR LIABILITIES THAT YOU OWE THE OTHER PARTY. BIBLICALLY IT MEANS TO HAVE “RIGHT STANDING” WITH GOD. 3. God doesn’t want us to experience giving as just sowing but also as a “harvest of righteousness.” What are some things you are wanting to reap spiritually in your life in this next season?
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4. When you enjoy a harvest of righteousness, how does that change your heart towards giving to others?
GENEROSITY: THE FULLEST EXPRESSION OF THE LIFE OF A STEWARD, ONE WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN A GIFT, A GIFT THAT MUST BE USED WISELY AND FOR A PURPOSE, BRINGING GLORY TO GOD.
5. If you were God, would you give you more money?
6. What would it look like for you to be a conduit of God’s blessings - for God’s resources to flow through you to others?
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PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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WEEK 6 gospel MULTIPLIED 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
SUMMARY When we give out of a gospel confession, generosity doesn’t just fuel the mission; it IS the mission.
SERMON NOTES
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Discussion Guide 1. Have you ever gotten really good at something? If so, how did you become good at it? What was involved in your excelling?
Paul challenges the Corinthians to give in such a way that produces an overflow of thanksgiving to God. The type of giving that produces this overflow is not foolish, nor is it safe. 2. When you think about giving in a sacrificial way, what fears come to the surface for you? Can you think of times or experiences when giving didn’t produce “thanksgiving to God?
GOSPEL - THE GOOD NEWS OF WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OR US IN JESUS CHRIST.
3. Our giving is not just about meeting needs; it is about the gospel going forth. It is about it leading to many expressions of thanks to God, meaning other people praising God as a result. Have you ever witnessed the type of giving that leads other people to praise God as a result? What specifically do you remember about it?
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4. We often think that we are not supposed to talk about our giving. While we should typically avoid speaking about amounts (because it’s usually not translatable to others), Paul does tell us here that we should talk about the why of our giving. What would it look like to give in such a way that the gospel is truly being proclaimed?
5. In what ways does God’s “indescribable gift” change how we view gifts that we give today?
REFLECT This week spend time considering how the giving you do could actually help other people see the love of Jesus more clearly. What might that look like?
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PRAYER JOURNAL PRAYER PROMPTS What do you sense God is saying to you?
What do you think God is asking you to do?
Turn the answers to the questions above to your prayers for this week. Schedule time in your calendar each day this week to pray about this.
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FAQ’S FOR MULTIPLY IF WE ARE COMMITTING TO MULTIPLY, HOW DOES THIS CHANGE MY GIVING TO OUTREACH, THE GENERAL FUND, AND OTHER SPECIAL OFFERINGS OR DESIGNATED GIFTS? During this two-year period, every contribution to God through The District Church is a contribution to our Multiply initiative. Every aspect of the ministry vision God is calling us towards for the next two years will be funded through Multiply. There will not be separate funds. Every gift that is given to The District Church will go to the key components of this initiative – to Multiply our Mission (our general ministry budget over two years), to Multiply our Locations (our search for a permanent Sunday home in Northwest DC while also opening new campuses in Maryland and Virginia), and to Multiply our Generosity (our increased investment in planting churches, alleviating poverty, and pursuing justice in Jesus’ name through DC127, Just Homes, Benevolence, and other ministry partnerships and investments. WHAT ARE YOU ASKING ME TO DO? First and foremost we are asking that you pray and seek God’s leading on what He is asking of you. Prepare your heart to hear Him, and then listen to what He says. Engage in a Small Group during this season, if you haven’t already engaged in one. Engage in personal reflection with God in the Multiply booklet. Talk with your group, your spouse, your family, friends, or others about what this commitment will mean for this next exciting season of your life. We are asking that you make a commitment to gospel-driven, surrendered generosity – whatever it is that God leads you to do. Follow His leading. Finally, prepare to be amazed. It is an awesome God that we serve, and we anticipate He will move in huge ways as we seek an unprecedented impact from our collective Multiply commitments – something only God can do. Please mark your calendar for Commitment Sunday, March 6, and prepare to experience a life-changing worship service that will forever be remembered as a defining moment for our church and for our own faith. I THOUGHT WE WERE A CHURCH FOR THE CITY? WHY ARE WE EXPANDING TO MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA? Our core commitment remains to be right here in the heart of Washington, DC where we planted. This is why we are looking for a permanent Sunday worship space in DC. While it would be cheaper to look outside DC we remain committed to the city and to have a strong presence in the city with our ministry center and in our efforts to find a permanent Sunday home. PG | 60
We are also aware that DC proper is only 11% of the DMV area population. A significant portion of our church lives in Maryland and Virginia. As our church has aged many of our folks simply cannot afford to live in the city as their families have multiplied in size. While we are working to make this city more affordable through our work with Just Homes, some forces like the cost of living in DC proper are beyond our control. We believe we can multiply worship locations in Maryland and Virginia without losing our commitment and priority for the District. Our commitment to this city remains strong and will remain. HOW ARE FUNDS MANAGED AT THE DISTRICT CHURCH? Our Executive Board, Staff, and Leadership Community are all engaged in an intentional and prayerful process to determine our church budget each year. Staff begin the process by working with their ministry teams to discern how God is leading them to allocate resources to advance the mission of the church in the next season. The Executive Board carefully reviews and sends a final budget to the Leadership Community to vote on by June of each year. Every dollar received and spent is accounted for through careful record keeping, tight internal controls, and the work of our outside accounting firm. To learn more about our budget and expenses check out our latest annual report online. ARE THERE ADDITIONAL WAYS BESIDES CASH THAT I CAN GIVE MORE TOWARDS MULTIPLY? Be creative as you explore ways you and your family can give towards Multiply. You might have some stocks, property, or other items of that nature. Or you may have some stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He might be calling you to give out of during this time. Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of property or stock, and we would be happy to help you with that. You can contact Abbie Gration at finance@districtchurch.org or 202-558-9745 to make a gift of this type. HOW LONG IS MY COMMITMENT? We are asking that everyone make a two-year commitment. The fulfillment period for your commitment will begin with our First Big Give on Sunday, April 3, 2022 and it will culminate in April of 2024. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A JOB RIGHT NOW? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MY MULTIPLY COMMITMENT? Multiply is about your total, prioritized, gospel-driven generosity to God’s mission at The District Church. We believe that God calls us to action in times of hardship just as much as He does in times of abundance, and that looks different for every person. Multiply is about a heart surrender - one that is only accomplished by seeking the Lord and responding to His call and His Word. PG | 61
So that may mean that you are being challenged to sell things, to pick up odd jobs, or even to trust God in faith by making a commitment that you don’t quite know how to fulfill right now but that you believe God will provide for as you seek for ways to sacrifice and work towards that commitment. We would love for 100% of us to be a part of Multiply so that we can all be supporting, loving, encouraging, and praying for one another through this spiritually-stretching season at The District Church. WHAT IF I’M MOVING WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS OR IF I AM UNCERTAIN ABOUT HOW LONG I’LL BE A PART OF THE DISTRICT CHURCH? The truth is that none of us know exactly what our future will hold. That’s the beauty and challenge of taking steps of faith! We want to encourage you that even if you’re not sure if you’ll be a part of The District Church for the full span of the next two years, we invite you to still commit to generosity and be a part of this life-changing endeavor God has for our church in this season. If needed, you may modify your commitment at any time. But often, people will continue to support The District Church, even after they’ve left the area – as a ministry they continue to be a part of into the future. If you happen to move out of the area, we would love for that to be your story! WHAT IF I AM SIGNIFICANTLY IN DEBT RIGHT NOW? AM I STILL SUPPOSED TO GIVE? If you are someone currently seeking to make payments to pay off debt right now, we commend you for making progress on that. And you should continue to do so. We would be happy to help you in this journey and/or to recommend a budgeting class that might minister to you. Being in debt does not, however, make someone “excused” from giving. Giving isn’t about what God wants from you; rather, it’s about what God wants for you. So it should be our joy and privilege to give at all times, regardless of the amount or percentage. Please contact us if you need assistance with paying off of debt while still giving or if you would like to speak with a budgeting counselor, and we would be honored to help. WHAT IF I HAVE NEVER EVEN GIVEN TO THE DISTRICT CHURCH BEFORE? Multiply was crafted specifically with you in mind. Multiply is a “one fund” generosity initiative, meaning that it is different from a traditional capital campaign where you are called to give an extra gift above and beyond your normal giving - thus creating two steps for people who aren’t yet giving. Multiply is a call to surrendered, gospel-driven generosity for absolutely everyone at The District Church. If you have never given before, this is your chance to get in the game with committed giving. We really hope you will.
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WHAT IF I AM NEW AROUND HERE? Multiply is about the vision for our church and our personal discipleship in giving as followers of Jesus. We believe that the local church is one of the most compelling missions to give towards, and we would really love for you to make The District Church your home and join us in Multiply. If you are ready for it, this is a perfect time for you to put a stake in the ground and make this your church. We need you on the team! WHAT IF I HAVEN’T BEEN BAPTIZED YET? Great question. People take different spiritual steps at different times. Some people begin praying before they begin attending church. Others begin going to a Small Group before they begin talking to God in prayer. Giving is another spiritual step, and it comes at different times for different people. One thing is for sure, however. Just like other spiritual disciplines, giving draws us closer to God. And God is calling ALL of us to give. Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19) Whether you have taken the spiritual step of baptism or whether you haven’t yet, we would encourage you to still join us in this Multiply initiative. We firmly believe that it will draw you closer to God and hopefully to a place where you are ready to make the decision to become baptized and to surrender your life to the Lordship of Christ.
FOR MORE FAQ’S AND RESOURCES VISIT OUR MULTIPLY WEBSITE
districtchurch.org/multiply
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DISTRICTCHURCH.ORG/MULTIPLY