discipling pastors.

An army of 118 national church planters in our denomination are laboring in cities or remote villages spanning four states and five languages (here’s a clip of me preaching in four).  For these men, some new to the faith, few with any formal theological training, a robust, flexible, mobile, contextual discipleship effort is needed.

Our goal is to launch healthy, sustainable, multiplying churches in the least reached corners of the country.  It is an enormous task.

This past week I spent several days between three groups of pastors, preaching, teaching, and discussing church planting.  During these times I get to hear incredible stories from the front lines where the gospel touches lives which have never been exposed to the good news.

In the center of a huge city east of us, three siblings were baptized last Sunday.  One, a carpenter, has been witnessing to neighbors about Jesus long before he actually became a Christian.

Around the airport, one pastor is gathering 300 children for food and tutoring.  He hopes to plant a church in that very place.

Recently a high caste family came to faith when they learned about Jesus’ miraculous birth.  In that same fellowship, seven people have received baptism this month.

Earlier this month a village fortune teller suffered a terrible stomach ailment.  One of these pastors prayed for her.  She was miraculously healed, gave her life to Jesus, and has become an outspoken witness to the shock of her neighbors.

One pastor was driving with a real estate agent.  She told him, “I had a dream that I piece of paper fell on my face while I was resting.  It said, ‘Salvation.’  What does that mean?”  Several hours later, after much explaining, she bowed to receive Christ.

I used to read about these kinds of stories in exotic missions publications.  Now I am meeting the men, seeing their churches, and being introduced to brand new believers.