Developing Leaders

Discipling Developing Leaders
Discpling is so much more than a set of rules to memorize, activities to attend or statements to recite. Becoming a disciple weaves the story of our life into the story of God’s people. Scripture lays the foundation of that story. Three elements of the Bible text help us to find our place in God’s story: theology, context, and praxis.

Theology: One of our challenges is that Christianity has presented itself as a system of dogmatic and disjointed belief instead of the unified story that God intended. Speaking generally, we understand stories but we have a harder time with systems; we understand conversation but we have a harder time with lectures; we understand community well-being but we have a harder time with church denominational lines. We need to understand the comprehensive story of God, from creation to culmination, for all other details to make sense. A solid theological framework is a necessary prerequisite for thoughtful praxis.

Context: In the West, we are familiar with the term "post-modern", indicating the end of modern ways of thinking. In many areas of the world, it is more appropriate to speak of "post-colonial", the era after colonial power and influence. How do we understand the Gospel apart from colonial and modernist missionary-era constraints? A Gospel not of coercion, power and evacuation strategies, but a Gospel that cares for the poor, the marginalized and those suffering under unjust systems. Leaders need to explore the gospel imperatives in light of their cultural context. What will the Church in the post-colonial world look like?

Praxis: How does your story and your life in your community serve the purpose of the big story, the story of God? With an improving theological framework and more astute cultural understanding, leaders will have greater resources - spiritual, intellectual, and theological - to address thoughtful praxis. Our hope is that a foundation will be laid for developing national leaders to begin to sketch out praxis for their unique communities. Nationals are people of action; we hope to equip them with tools to marry reflection and action for stronger outcomes.

We are a community of developing leaders committed to the rediscovery of God's original design for His church. We believe that this means a complete integration of the key elements that define the local church in mission: evangelism, discipleship, worship, community service, and a prophetic role. We believe that the integration of all of these elements, along with an appreciation of regional culture, uniquely position the local church as the hope for its community.

The vision is to see a vibrant and effective network of regional leaders working together throughout the world to further God's Kingdom on behalf of those suffering from physical and/or spiritual poverty. We hope to facilitate an environment in which these leaders will be able to join their strengths together, combine their learning and pool their resources to release the justice and mercy that Jesus spoke of and exemplified in His life.