MULTIPLY QUARTERLY UPDATE JANUARY 2024 SEVENTH UPDATE + VISION RECAP
FAITH. SURRENDER. GENEROSITY
“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
HELLO DISTRICT CHURCH, HAPPY NEW YEAR! As we embark on this New Year, we want to take time to thank God for what He has done and all that is in store in the days ahead. If you can believe it we only have three more months to go in MULTIPLY! Our primary goal in this season has been 100% engagement in discipleship generosity. It has been so encouraging to have so many of you lean in and engage your hearts in this season! God always does something IN us before He does something THROUGH us. Our secondary goal with Multiply is Mission Advancement. This is where we have set a God-sized goal to raise the resources necessary to Multiply Our Mission, Multiply Our Locations, and Multiply Our Generosity. In this quarterly statement we wanted to give you some exciting updates on Multiply Our Locations. And then ask that you join us in these 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting as we seek to eliminate distractions and SEEK FIRST God’s will for us in this next season as a church body. If you have already committed to Multiply I want to thank you and encourage you to finish strong! These last few months can be the most sacrificial and challenging, and yet the most rewarding as we put God first in all things. If you are new here, it isn’t too late to join Multiply through your giving. Everything given to the church in this two year season that culminates in April is going to Multiply Our Mission, Our Locations, and Our Generosity! Together in Christ, Aaron Graham Lead Pastor
WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO 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. 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 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 MISSION ADVANCEMENT - $11M INITIAL GOAL APRIL 2022 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 Two years of our annual operating budget, which will fuel our ongoing discipleship ministries, including our worship gatherings, life groups, classes, and ministry teams. MULTIPLY OUR LOCATIONS 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 We believe God is calling us to give away $2 million 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.
WHAT HAS GOD DONE? SINCE APRIL 2022
Total amount given/ designated to Outreach: $ 1,823,435
Total baptisms: 48
Multiply Our Locations VA LOCATION We have determined that Northern Virginia (Arlington / Alexandria) will be the site for our next location! We are beginning launch team gatherings in NoVA with plans to launch in the next year! If you live in NoVA please sign up to get involved! MD we are coming!
Permanent DC Location We have signed a Letter of Intent to partner with National Baptist Memorial Church (just a block south of where we meet) to redevelop their facility to provide a permanent home for both of our churches. This is a huge (50K square foot) facility and has exceeded what we could have ever asked or imagined. There are many important details to still work out but we sensed the need to bring this before you all to begin actively praying. These next few months will be critical to the success of this partnership and to us being able to accomplish one of the key goals of Multiply. Please pray for God's will to be done and for our discussions with the leadership of National Baptist! We look forward to keeping you updated.
WHERE ARE WE GOING? EXPANDED GOAL | $13.7 MILLION We asked the Lord to show us what kind of impact He wants us to make over the years to come in our city. We are trusting God to move in the hearts of His people so we can invest $13.7 million over the years ahead to boldly advance this vision.
21 DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING Join us starting January 8th as we make seeking first God’s Kingdom our top priority – not just one among many, but THE PRIORITY that orders all aspects of our life. Seek first the Kingdom in every area of our life, including in bringing this vision of Multiply continually before God. Pray for God’s will and God’s glory in this partnership with National Baptist.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? NEW GIVER 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 as we live out being a committed people unto the Lord and to others-- and consider joining the mission by giving your tithes and offerings to The District Church. Everything given goes to our Multiply-All Giving Fund to advance this vision!
FINISH STRONG Many made commitments to Multiply in the last two years, 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. Persevere to finish strong in this journey you began. We all stand together, encouraging one another. We know the Lord is faithful. He will provide, and we want to finish strong in our commitment to the Multiply Initiative.
INCREASE Some of you made your Multiply commitment one or two years 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 those of you to respond to His generosity by increasing your total 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.
GIVING UPDATE We worship Christ through our consistent and sacrificial generosity! God has given us two primary goals in this season of Multiply: 1) 100% Engagement and 2) Mission Advancement 100% ENGAGEMENT 1,026 households giving to Multiply April 2022- April 2024 457 First time givers MISSION ADVANCEMENT - MULTIPLY OUR MISSION, LOCATIONS, AND GENEROSITY Total Committed & Expected: $13,714,668 Total Given to date: $10,235,727 If you have questions regarding your giving, contact Clara Debnam, Clara@districtchurch.org or (202) 558-9745 Set up your recurring giving at DistrictChurch.org/Give NEXT STEPS / KEY DATES: 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting - Jan 8-28 Worship Nights - Jan 26 & Feb 23 Ash Wednesday - Feb 14 Easter - March 31 Multiply Celebration Sunday - April 28
DISTRICTCHURCH.ORG/MULTIPLY