During Foursquare Connection 2011 in Columbus, Ohio, Foursquare pastors and leaders expressed an extraordinary commitment to global missions. The tangible outcome of that commitment was a $1 million offering for Foursquare Missions International (FMI) intended to further the global ministry of The Foursquare Church. As of Sept. 30, $163,315.66 of the pledged offering has been received, including $45,000 received during Connection 2011.
This year’s convention offering continues to serve as a wonderful confirmation of the commitment of The Foursquare Church to pray, give and go so that all will hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. It also affirms that FMI is a partner in many of our global efforts.
Prior to receiving the offering, our Foursquare area missionaries and FMI leadership discussed the possibilities, and determined that the Holy Spirit was directing us to invest any additional funds into three global opportunities:
Least-Reached and Unreached Peoples
In partnership with the global Foursquare Church, we will ask the Lord Jesus to lead us as we commit to reach a specific number of least-reached/unreached peoples in the next five years.
This will be accomplished as one or more of the global Foursquare Churches, individually or together, has planted and established a reproducing Foursquare Church—in each of these identified least-reached/unreached people groups—that is moving from stage one to stage two in Foursquare’s Four-Stage Development Model.
The Joshua Project serves as an information resource and research initiative that seeks to highlight the ethnic people groups with the least followers of Jesus Christ. We will avail ourselves of this research as we pray and deliberate.
Leadership Development
Ministers and national leaders are committed to ministry growth and maturity through the four stages of Foursquare’s Four-Stage Development Model. We consistently find that leadership development is the engine that drives this progress. Lifelong learning is the goal as the Holy Spirit empowers and fills the people of God.
Church-Planting Strategies in World-Class Cities
Cities are full of resources and diverse populations, and also are places of anonymity. They are gateways to their respective nations and the world, and the people of our world gather there.
In reaching these cities with the gospel through the planting of churches, we not only serve individual cities, but also other nations. In many global cities, some of the fastest-growing and largest congregations are either pastored by or largely made up of immigrants, and some new church plants are immigrant-led.
We are grateful for those individuals, pastors, leaders and congregations who have pledged funds toward the Connection 2011 offering. We are finalizing ministry proposals to see that these funds are used for maximum return in the field.
We have great faith that the harvest will bring glory and honor to Jesus. Pray with us that the eternal fruit that results from this seed will be millions of new believers, new leaders, pastors, evangelists and missionaries—and changed cities and nations!
By: Jim C. Scott Jr., vice president of Global Operations / director of Foursquare Missions International (FMI)
