“We have failed.”
“Make sure you make us do our job.”
“Make sure you get all of your questions answered.”
“The status quo is never good enough.”
“Call it a clan, a tribe, a family, a community… but you need one. Thank you for being part of our community!”
These are quotes I heard at the opening address of the 20th anniversary celebration of a software company. In twenty years they went from 1 customer to over 10,000. Many of the first customers are still customers.
Why is it some people of the world understand community and humility and leadership and personal growth so well? This company has even learned from their mistakes.
Some interesting facts… UBF prays for 100,000 missionaries by 2041. So that leaves 30 years from now. That means 3,333 missionaries need to be raised this year, and every year the next 30 years.
The software company above has experienced phenomenal growth rates the past 20 years. Yet their average growth rate is only 500 customers per year, since 1991. UBF is expecting nearly 7 times such a growth rate! If UBF sent 2,000 missionaries the past 50 years (since 1961), so far the average growth rate of missionaries is about 40 per year.
If a successful software organization can only make quality customers at a rate of 500 per year, how will UBF be able to make over 3,000 quality disciples per year, all of whom are willing to support the UBF belief system and model of sending out missionaries? I shudder to think of the sacrifice, obedience and loyalty that will be demanded from members to achieve this goal.
Unfortunately, so many people in UBF (including myself in the past) believe the myth of multiplication. I wonder, what is the purpose of having such a prayer topic for 100,000 missionaries?