Someone asked me what I thought equipping means.
Ephesians 4:11-12 ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherd^] and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Equip is defined:

• To furnish for service or action by appropriate provisioning <equip an army>
• Dress, array
• To make ready : prepare<wasn’t equipped to handle the pressures of the job>

Biblically it means for the perfecting or complete furnishing.

Too often we devote ourselves to seeing people saved, delivered, educated, but we never equip them. We never follow through to the completion of the process.

I term that which I may do as organic, defining it as, the number of unique people who I touch by my own efforts.  I term that which others do as the result of my efforts, viral, defining it as, the number of unique people reached by people that I have reached.

Using the “target” I am the equipper. I equip those in the next circle, calling them the “organic” or the equipped. The goal is that this equipped group be completely furnished for the work of ministry and that they begin to act as the equipper, equipping their organic group or next circle out. This is my “viral” group. It ought to be much like the rings or waves from a stone tossed into the water. The inside ring affects the next outer ring that affects the next outer ring.

It is my heart that we move from the place of “organic growth” to “viral growth” in the church.

Topics like “time management” and delegation in some respects have taken away from the fullness or the complete process of equipping. Equipping done properly will result in viral results. True growth results in more than numbers. It results in converts, kingdom expansion and true freedom.

Let us begin to evaluate “making disciples” and equipping for the sake of generations to come! Who is the “one” that you can invest in? Equip?

A little leaven, leaven a whole loaf.