About Us

Name:

Multiply Ministries (Multiply Christian Church/Multiply Community Development/Multiply Revenue)

“Multiply” was chosen as the name based on Luke 10:2, John 12:24, and Matthew 28:19-20 because:

We believe:

1. The fields are "ripe" and ready for God’s workers to "harvest.”
2. A "seed" must be planted before multiplication happens.
3. Jesus commanded, "Go make disciples," because he wants to see God's kingdom multiply!

Motto:

“Make God the priority in your life.” This motto was adopted with the belief that God wants His people to faithfully pursue His kingdom and His righteousness as their top priority, both personally and corporately. 

Brief History:

In early 2019, Ben and Jody Abbott led a small group of friends and family to plant a new church in Winter Haven, Florida. Multiply Christian Church held its grand opening on March 1st, 2020. At the same time, the church formed Multiply Community Development, a (501c3) non-profit, and began a drive-thru food pantry housed in the church's education building. In October of 2024, the church formed Multiply Revenue, a (502) for-profit corporation needed to process rental income. All three "ministries" (corporations) are owned by the church and exist to support God's kingdom.

As a direct result of faithfully adhering to the vision, mission, and motto, the church management team decided to close the food pantry and sell the Winter Haven campus. It was purchased by Grace Pointe Church in July 2024.

By October of that same year, a 6-unit commercial property was purchased in the downtown area of Bartow, Florida. In order to comply with state and federal laws, "Multiply Revenue" (a 502 for-profit) was formed to handle rental income generated by the tenants of the building. Once renovations were completed in the units the church would occupy, a building dedication service was held on May 11th, 2025. The name "Multiply Ministries" was adopted to reflect the three branches of the church's ministry.

Vision: “Create environments where disciple-making thrives.” 

We believe obedience to the vision God provides is key (see Romans 12:2). Currently, we feel God's will for Multiply is to create environments where disciple-making thrives.

Mission: B.L.E.S.S.—Reach, Reproduce, & Release disciples.

Jesus said, "Go into all the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). As Christ's followers, therefore, we must actively make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples. At Multiply, we’re trying our best to identify and equip new disciples and provide coaching and training to existing disciples. To help the process along, we rely on open accountability. Disciple-making is not just for church leaders; it’s meant for all of Christ’s followers! Our current plan for accomplishing Christ's mission is to reach out to disciple-able people, reproduce disciples, and release disciple-makers to B.L.E.S.S. others.

(For more see: BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Jon & Dave Ferguson: Salem Books, 2021)

B.L.E.S.S.

B- begin with prayer:

In John 6:44, Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." We recognize that God's grace and invitation are essential for anyone to come to Christ. Therefore, we encourage our disciple-makers to begin with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify people responsive to the draw of God.

Identifying disciple-able people is challenging. Getting it wrong means a disciple-maker's time, energy, and motivation can feel wasted. Getting it right, however, has the potential to produce a deep and meaningful relationship which will last a lifetime and beyond. That's why it's best to begin with prayer!

L- listen with care:

Once a disciple-maker feels they have identified a disciple-able person, the next task is to simply get to know that person. One way is through active listening. Multiply's disciple-making training includes lessons on "active listening skills," providing some of the same tools suicide prevention specialists receive. By learning how to listen with care, disciple-makers can assist God in preventing spiritual suicide.

E- eat with sinners:

Finding the right kind of environment (where listening is not awkward or interrupted) is important. Sharing a meal with someone is a time-tested method for building a relationship and often provides opportunities for insightful and open discussion. It's like a "cheat code" for getting to know someone. In the gospels, we often read about Jesus sharing meals with people in an effort to deepen a relationship or expose a blockage. Jesus was often criticized for his willingness to eat with sinners, we encourage our disciple-makers to follow His example.

S- serve specific needs:

S- share our testimony of faith in Jesus Christ:

Reach: At Multiply, we’re trying to live out the mission and the purpose that Jesus has for us by reaching out to disciple-able people the Holy Spirit helps us to identify and create environments to encourage disciple-making to happen.

Reproduce: We want to see God’s kingdom multiply. For that to happen, we must reproduce Christ’s mission in others. Christ's desire is to see the gospel spread from "Jerusalem...Judea...Samaria...to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). We understand that to mean, reproduce disciples willing to spread the gospel in our city, our country, our continent and ultimately to the entire world.

Release: We believe the responsibility to continually encourage and release disciple-makers into Christ’s mission field (Luke 10:2) is vitally important. Jesus promised his followers to become “fishers of men” and sent them out saying, “Just as the Father sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).