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Some of us have learned the hard way the principle of two (or three) in church ministry. Let me share it with you. The principle of three goes like this: Whenever you start a ministry, begin with two leaders, if not three. When you do, the probability of success increases significantly if not exponentially. Read on to find out more about this important principle.
I first discovered the principle of two in recruiting and training church planters. Whenever a church plant was launched with a lead planter and an apprentice or associate, it usually grew more and matured faster than one with a solo planter. In fact, church planting candidates were encouraged and trained to recruit a #2 leader who has the potential to lead a church plant out of the original church plant.
And if you are a lead church planter, recruit not just one but two associate leaders who will be apprentices. These apprentices will spend the first year or two in the "parent" church before they are commissioned by the new church to be sent out with the beginnings of a new core group for a second or third plant. That's called multiplication instead of addition.
The principle of two (or three) can also apply to ministry leadership in general. This can help your church multiply disciples, leaders, groups, and church plants.
Here are some passages from the Scriptures that support the principle of two:
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Eccl. 4:9-12).
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits (Mark 6:7).
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:1-2).
Here are some book resources that also incorporate the principle of two (or three):
Doing Church as a Team by Wayne Cordeiro
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
Exponential by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson
Making Disciples by Ralph Moore
[Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash]