Studying Some of the Greatest Leaders Ever
Dear Partners in reaching the world,
Last week I taught nearly 200 team members this study of some of the greatest leaders ever, to help them multiply generations of gospel workers. They are currently training 2615 Christians through whom we will reach over a million people this year. Take a look at our strategy. You may gain insights you can apply to your ministry!
How To Get Ministry Accomplished Through Your Disciples
Moses Trained Joshua
Joshua the son of Nun was an assistant to Moses from his youth. (Numbers 11:28). Moses prepared him to lead Israel to victory.
Elijah Trained Elisha
Elisha used to pour water on the hands of Elijah. (2 Kings 3:11). Elijah invested his life into him until he was ready to take the mantel of spiritual leadership.
Jesus Trained the Apostles
Jesus appointed twelve to be His companions, to ready them to preach the gospel throughout the known world. Mark 3:13
Later the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them.
"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Jesus Taught the Apostles to Do Something
They in turn developed the fledgling 1st century church into a mighty spiritual army that reached their generation!
Matthew 14:16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”
Jesus didn’t teach them to just learn something, but to DO something – to participate in His miracles, to evangelize, and to train up their converts to do the same.
Paul and His Apostolic Teams
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. 20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of his proven worth that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. 23 Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me; 24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also shall be coming shortly. 25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need.
Notice how Paul imparted his vision, his passion, his courage and his love into his disciples to such an extent that he could send them all over the place to do what Jesus would do. In fact Jesus was doing it through them!
Training for Trainers (T4T)
The main purpose of the training method we use, Training For Trainers, is to train group members to start their own training groups so as to train believers to win souls and disciple them – 2 Timothy 2:2
Jesus told His apostles to pray for workers, and I’m sure they did. But they also trained up people to be harvest workers!
You, our partners, and we are getting Nepal reached through the 2600 trainees we have. Soon we hope to send Nepalese teams into surrounding countries. Your faithful prayers and donations are creating a spiritual revolution in Nepal and parts of India.
Wouldn’t you love to have your own disciples to pour your life into? I hope you already do, but if you don’t yet, let me suggest you start with your own kids and grand kids. I know some kids aren’t ready for that, but God is not done with them yet. Just this week two of our grand-children were baptized. They had not been following Jesus, but He got ahold of their hearts (through their parents’ love, prayers and encouragements), and now they are all fired up about living for Christ!
If you’re looking for disciples to train, start with your extended family. Another way to find potential disciples is volunteer to teach a Sunday School class or lead a home group. God has built a lot into your life and you have a lot to offer! You too can be getting ministry accomplished through disciples!
With you to reach the world,
Mike and Su Keator and the RUN Global teams
