Exponential 2013 is causing #exponential13 to take over Twitter as the highest trending hash tag.
Exponential is a non-profit organization that serves a multi-denominational Christian audience, although they tend to have a focus on evangelical groups.
The Exponential 2013 FAQ says, “Exponential seeks to come alongside and serve church planters and the organizations they are affiliated with. We seek to impact church planting by accelerating the multiplication of leading organizations who are planting churches.”
Exponential 2013 is currently hosting a major church planting conference in Orlando that focuses on discipleship. They primarily are using webcasts to get the message out to millions.
Rick Warren was planning a Exponential 2013 webcast to talk about his son’s suicide. Rick Warren has not been seen in public since April, but apparently Rick Warren decided to cancel the webcast at the last moment.
Apparently, Rick Warren is saying media exposure is the reason he pulled out. Warren posted on Twitter: “#Exponential13 Sorry I’m unable to have my heart-to-heart with you pastors I love today but the media heard so I pulled out.”
Many other pastors are using Twitter to get out the main message of Exponential 2013. One says, “Churches must shift from ‘we can do it and you can help’ to ‘you can do it and we can help’” The Exponential organization itself tweeted: “If discipleship is important to Jesus it is important for us to learn how to do it right. Discipleship is not about a building. Never was & never will be.”
Within Christianity, discipleship is the way Jesus taught his twelve apostles and how they in turn taught future followers. Discipleship is the concept of intimately becoming involved in the life of another person while at the same time teaching them, with the end goal being that the disciple takes on other disciples in the same fashion in the future.
What do you think about Exponential 2013 and its stated goals?
