The good life, as they understood it and practised it, depended upon intimacy and small numbers. When the polis sent out a colony, it made no effort, it would seem, to extend either its territorial or its economic dominion: it sought only to reproduce conditions similar to those of the mother city. As between growth by accretion, which became socially inorganic and ultimately led to disintegration, and growth by colonization, which maintained integrity and purpose, the Greeks chose colonization, as the little towns of New England did in the seventeenth century. They had mastered the art of reproducing cities. (Mumford, The City in History, 216-17)
In order to preserve their understanding of the ideal city, they chose to intentionally multiply themselves. Turning now towards church planting the benefits are manifold:
- Intimacy and small numbers are invaluable to church life.
- Intentionally reproducing quality church communities with good DNA is vital the health of the mother church and the daughter church.
- The new churches are started with the purpose of being fully mature, autonomous churches and not controlled by the mother church.
- Growth through multiplication helps maintain integrity and purpose.