The name of an organization is the first opportunity to vision cast. One of the most rewarding opportunities as a vision navigator is the opportunity to speak into the naming process. Year ago we chose the biblical term Auxano (to cause to grow) to represent our team, ministry, our vision, and what we hope becomes God's movement. Luke uses this term to describe the early growth of the church and the spread of the word in Acts.
As will all elements of vision, the opportunity arises for the vision to keep giving back to those who birthed it. In the process of preparing for Sunday, Rich Kannwischer, one of our navigators stumbled into Auxano again. Here is what he wrote:
I noticed that in the seminar we taught, you referred to the Septuagint translation for "be fruitful and multiply" of Genesis. I thought that was a great reference for those who might misunderstand Auxano to be about the church growth movement. Another Biblical usage of auxano is in the first chapter of Colossians (verse 6) when it says, " In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing (auxano) throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace."
In short, true growth (quantitative) must always be connected to the gospel bearing fruit (qualitative). The two commands must be held together or something is lost. These two commands are the twin engines of re-creation, God's plan of redeeming the world he has made. According to Paul in this passage, this growth is always connected to the depth of understanding God's grace. You only are able to bear fruit and grow to the extent that you receive and comprehend his grace.