Chapter 22

Scripture for this chapter

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8 KJV

Read Acts 1:8 in the UECF.NET NKJV Bible ↗

At a glance

UECF.NET summary

As stories of changed lives at 416 Clinton Avenue circulate — among churches, other pastors, and eventually further afield — Wilkerson begins to sense that the model taking shape in Brooklyn might be needed, and reproducible, in other cities facing similar problems with gangs and addiction. The chapter marks the beginning of a shift from a single local ministry toward something with a wider reach.

This expansion is treated with the same mixture of faith and practical difficulty as the founding of the center itself: excitement about the possibility, paired with the sober recognition of how much work, prayer, and provision each new step will require.

Key points

• Local faithfulness becomes the basis for a wider vision, rather than the wider vision coming first.
• The chapter treats growth with the same combination of faith and realism as the original founding.
• A reproducible model — not just one building — begins to take shape in this chapter.

Related Scripture

• Isaiah 54:2-3
• Matthew 9:37-38
• 2 Timothy 2:2

For reflection and discussion

1. Why might it be wise for a vision to widen only after it has proven faithful in one place first?
2. What would it take for something God has done in your own community to become reproducible elsewhere?
3. How do you hold excitement about growth together with realism about its cost?