MBP 025: Seven Questions With “The Secret International Pastor of Mystery” (Part 1)

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Show Notes: Seven Questions With “The Secret International Pastor of Mystery” (Part 1)

Summary: In this episode, I interview my good friend, who is currently serving in a country that is not too excited about him sharing the Gospel there. He has been in ministry for many years, and is a church planter and businessman. For security purposes, he is doing this interview anonymously.  Throughout the interview, I call him “James,” “Ralph,” Fred,” and whatever name pops in my head at the moment…

Some Highlights and Links From Today’s Show:

A Few Things He Would Do Differently:

• He would focus more on “multiplication” in his ministry (Working on the things he is gifted in, and delegating/training others to work on the things he’s not in order to multiply the effectiveness and scope of his ministry).
• He would focus on discipleship that is more “life on life,” than “programmatic.”
• With guidance, he would help people begin serving in areas in which they feel called, even before they are fully trained.
• Without it becoming catastrophic, or setting them up to crash, he would allow people to fail more, helping them to learn and grow as a part of the “training” process.
• He would focus far more on people than programs. “It is about the numbers, but it’s more about the people ‘in’ those numbers…”
• He would have dreamed bigger, “God dreams,” regarding what people could go on to do.

Experiencing God – “What is God doing and how can I join Him?”

• He would ask, “God, what do You want to do here? What do You want to do in me, to expand my capacity and dreams that I haven’t even thought of?” Ephesians 3:21-22

How He’s Doing Ministry Now:

• He trains and disciples in the pattern set in 2 Timothy 2:2 (a “four generational” mindset).
• He communicates the expectation to new believers that they are to share their faith. Matthew 28:19
• The process flows like this: New Believer –>Baptized –>Begins sharing their faith. It’s one of the first things they are trained to do.
• “Here’s how I shared my faith with you, now you go and do the same in your culture and context.”
• Believers baptize other believers, without haivng to wait for a “Pastor” to do it.
• He hangs out in coffee shops, and has conversations with people. He tells people that he’s a follower of Christ within the first or second times he meets someone.
• When meeting someone new, he uses a “Red/Yellow/Green Light” approach in sharing the Gospel:

Red Light – (Person is combative) The Spirit isn’t working in that moment, so he waits for another time.

Yellow Light – (Curious, has questions) He uses his “book” the Bible, to show what He believes and how it connects and conflicts with their current beliefs.

Green Light – (Open, Interested, Wanting Direction) He dives directly into the Bible and shares the Gospel.

Join the conversation on this topic by commenting or leaving questions below. If you have a question that you’d like to have heard on the podcast, record your question, and upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or some other cloud based site and send the link to Hello@MinistryBackpack.com

Music Provided by “Artist Unknown” – https://artistunknown.bandcamp.com/