I’m strengthened by a God who proves faithful to His Word, steadfast in His love and gracious in His provision. In these days we are ministering, many people fear a future rooted in uncertainty, uncontrollable circumstances and unreconciled relationships.
This reality is an opportunity for us. We are at our best when we bring the gospel’s Good News to a world limited by futile and temporal options. As you stay faithful to your calling in this season, I am earnestly praying for you to personally walk in the fullness of the gospel we preach, that you would be filled with the joy and confidence of trusting in a God who goes before us into our future, who is enthroned over all, and who will do what He has promised.
These are great days to serve in Jesus’ church; Jesus is still building His church, the harvest is still plentiful, and more growing leaders, missionary workers and ministry laborers are still needed (Matt. 9:37, 16:18). Resist discouragement, give no place for fear, and keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
As we build on our commitments to prayer, health and togetherness, the priority of discipleship will be the focal point as we courageously grow and go together.
At the beginning of my term, I wrote a letter that outlined my four main priorities: Prayer, Discipleship, Health and Together. As we build on our commitments to prayer, health and togetherness, the priority of discipleship will be the focal point as we courageously grow and go together. It’s one of the only ways we will be able to hit our compelling target of “more and growing leaders together on mission.”
I wonder if we may have lost some of the urgency Jesus called us to as our mandate (Matthew 28), which is ironic given the history of Foursquare. Since 1923, making disciples and developing leaders has always been the foundation of our movement and at the core of our missiology.
Our missiology spawned a global movement whose impact is disproportional to the size of our denomination. The Four-Stage Model, articulated by the late John Amstutz, DMin, has served as the guiding framework of The Foursquare Church. It sets forth the infinitely reproducible life cycle of making disciples and healthy church development.
In stage one, we evangelize and make disciples. Stage two follows with training disciples and releasing them into ministry. During stage three, we train pastors and plant churches. With stage four, we send missionary workers.
As this simple model illustrates, church planting and missionary movements are the result when we prioritize discipleship and leadership development.
Our missiology is a wheel that only turns when all four parts are in continual motion. I hear the Holy Spirit calling the church back to its mission of making disciples. And that will require all of us to create relational contexts for rising generations of leaders, giving them access to equipping, mentoring and opportunity.
As a movement, I see so much potential. We still have so much to do together for God’s kingdom.
I’m excited to see the Holy Spirit release a healthy new season of unity and mutual love among us, birthed and sustained in prayer, as we send a new generation of disciples into fields ripe for harvest.
