Kingdom Not Castles

Kingdom Not Castles: Multiplying at Every Level
What if we didn’t focus on building our own little kingdoms, but focused on the Kingdom of God? What if the measure of a church was not how many people it gathers, but how many it sends out?

At Wilshire Ave, this question has reshaped how we think about faithfulness. God has placed it on our hearts to be a church that sees itself as a river, not a lake. A lake gathers and holds, but a river receives so it can give life beyond itself (John 7:38). Our goal is not to preserve comfort or grow in isolation, but to send out some of our best leaders, resources, and support beyond our walls.

As we often say in the Aspire network, we don’t want to build castles; we want to build the Kingdom of God. It has to be more than buildings, programs, or even numbers. It is about sending people, raising leaders, and joining God where He is already at work (Matthew 28:19-20).

Investing for Kingdom Multiplication
Growth matters, but multiplication matters more. As Dave Ferguson reminds us, addition grows a church, but multiplication grows a movement. Research has shown that in America, more churches are closing than getting started each year. That is why I love Aspire. I love Aspire's heart to see more and more churches get planted! If the gospel is to advance in our nation, we must see that it will take much more than an individual church for a movement to happen.

As Wilshire Ave dreamed about planting churches, we began by allocating part of our budget to plant new churches, even when it meant fewer toys, gadgets, or comforts for us as a church. Sacrificing for Kingdom impact taught us that God’s work is worth far more than our comfort. This intentionality laid the foundation for a bold step of faith to acquire what we call our Legacy Buildings. In 2023, we purchased six buildings across the street from our campus with the goal of creating long-term revenue from the rental properties, generating income that continues to fund new church plants each year. Stewardship is not about accumulation; it’s about creating ongoing capacity for multiplication (Matthew 6:19-21).

Through this approach, we have helped launch five new churches and plan to support 2-3 each year. As we work with Aspire, we prayerfully discern where the Spirit is already at work and seek to join Him there.

Rooted for the Sake of Sending
While there is still much for us to grow into, we are convinced that God is leading us to take the next steps in faithful multiplication. People are responding to the call to live fully in their identity in Christ and walk in greater obedience.

We are learning that sending cannot outpace formation and movement cannot outpace maturity. This is shaping how we develop leaders, form disciples, and release people for mission. Our prayer is to send people who are grounded in the gospel, confident in Christ, and ready to go with joy. We want to raise leaders who raise leaders, sending them out in obedience, not just urgency (Acts 1:8).

Raising the Next Generation of Leaders
As studies show that fewer young people are choosing pastoral ministry, Wilshire is responding by forming a Young Worship and Leadership Academy to raise the next generation of leaders for the capital C Church. This training equips students in worship, music, the arts, and leadership, preparing pastors, worship leaders, ministry leaders, and even business leaders who are deeply formed in God and ready for long-term faithfulness (2 Timothy 2:2). This work also forms the focus of ongoing doctoral research, and as it continues to develop, we hope to share what we are learning and walk alongside other churches who are sensing God’s call to a similar ministry.

We are still learning, still listening, and still depending on grace. We don’t have it all figured out, but we are deeply convinced that the Kingdom of God advances as churches choose faith over fear…sending over keeping… and multiplication over comfort.

Rob Burke - Lead Pastor Wilshire Ave Church