Transformation Multiplication From Small Beginnings to God-Sized Multiplication ✨
Aloha! My name is Max Fowler, I am the Lead Pastor at Salt and Light Hawaii. We meet at Waikiki School, in the shadow of the world famous Diamond Head.
Transformation Multiplication. That’s not easy to say, is it? Say it a few times really fast, “Transformation Multiplication, Transformation Multiplication!” In fact, multiplication isn’t that easy either! When it comes to anything to do with math, it gives me a little bit of a headache! I may not know the most about mathematics, but I do know one thing… We are praying for and working towards transformation multiplication.
The God-given vision of our church is for Jesus to redeem and transform our hearts, our families, our community and the nations!
With a small church like our’s it’s easy to think small, dream small dreams, and have a human sized vision. But God has put it on our hearts to dream big! He wants us to go from normal addition to God’s multiplication!
Let me share a few small testimonies that are adding up to the fulfillment of a giant, God-sized vision!
The Ivy is a Retirement Home in Hawaii Kai. We found out that they didn’t have a service there and teamed up with New Hope Hawaii Kai to send in teams there on Sunday mornings. We’ve been sending teams there for almost 4 years now one Sunday a month who do a worship service for the residents. New Hope sends a team on a separate Sunday. They had a baptism last year and 16 people ended up getting baptized in their pool!
Last year, a member at our church found out about it and God put it on her heart to start another Ekklesia at The Plaza Waikiki! They have another team that goes in once a month with a message, arts and crafts, and food. It’s really growing and more and more residents are coming out and hearing the gospel, getting prayed for and developing relationships with God’s people! One of the residents has even become a part of our church ohana!
As a pastor this is especially exciting for me! I’m not a part of either of these Ekklesias. This is the church being the church. God is empowering our church of ordinary people to love like Jesus and live like missionaries! To inject the leaven into the dough of society! To go and be salt and light!
I’d also like to share about a woman in our church who is shy and doesn’t say much. But over the years I have seen her really grow in her faith and desire to see people redeemed and transformed. Susan Miyashiro is a basketball mom. Her daughter plays for HBA and their middle school coach passed away recently. Susan was the team mom and organized a prayer group at the hospital where team members and their families would gather and pray and worship together in the room. The Spirit of God was moving and the coach’s family and the tribe families were comforted and even encouraged.
There are a lot of other testimonies, which we celebrate and are grateful for, that encourage us. I can think of many other groups, mission ventures, or Ekklesias birthed over the last few years as people are taking their faith into their families, workplaces, and to their neighbors!
We have seen an online Ekklesia birthed with a group meeting regularly to worship Jesus in Central Asia! One of the women in the group has been inspired to connect with 9 of her neighbors and start a weekly Bible study! She said it was always her dream and it finally became a reality!
I may not be a mathematician, but I do know that these stories are adding up! They are stacking upon themselves one after another and even starting to multiply!
We are living for transformation multiplication!
The vision of Transformation Multiplication is becoming contagious! Our church is starting to live for God’s vision of redemption and transformation, and starting to actually believe God will use our church to transform East Honolulu over the next 20 years!
In 20 years what will our “7 mile miracle” of East Honolulu look like?
Thousands of people, families, businesses, and schools from Kaimuki to Kalama Valley - from Diamond Head to Koko Head, will come to know Jesus! They will be disciples and disciple makers! The culture of East Honolulu will love Jesus and the Spirit of God will dwell in our hearts and homes.
Of course we can’t do it alone, so we unite with other churches. We already have a hub of pastors who pray together and partners and brothers in this mission.
I’m living for Transformation Multiplication of everyone in our church, and their families. But it doesn’t end there, I am living for Jesus to transform all of Hawaii, and all nations!
What about you? What vision are you living for?
Start right where you’re at. What’s in your hand? Start there. Start small, and soon these testimonies add up and pretty soon the testimonies will start to multiply!
Zechariah 4:10
Don’t despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…
