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The Ministry of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD |
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A young church faces two realities -- one very encouraging and the other very debilitating.
The encouraging news is that the potential for reaching millions in their own culture rests securely in the lives of nationals in settings of ministry leadership. These are men and women with exemplary dedication and unending commitment.
The debilitating reality is that the potential in these remarkable people lies dormant, unusable because of the economic dependence that has accompanied the birth of the emerging church. By default, this young church has become dysfunctionally co-dependent. Accompanying its birth has been the development of an unintended ecclesiastical welfare system… and her people are robbed of the "grace of giving".
It's a fresh approach to a harsh reality. INTERNATIONAL STEWARD pioneers the resolution to the stranglehold economic dependence has on ministries outside the borders of highly developed countries.
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An Aggressive Future |
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The introduction of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD has been quickly followed by a resounding chorus of requests for "what INTERNATIONAL STEWARD does". It has become obvious that freedom from economic dependence (and from its accompanying emotional codependence) and the empowering that follows financial vitality are dynamics that are both desperately needed and enthusiastically embraced.
Freeing the emerging church from economic bondage is a goal that must be approached from several directions. Initially INTERNATIONAL STEWARD concentrated primarily in the two-year mentoring program initiated by the basic Workshop… Leadership in Fund Development. That program is achieving exceptional results. By adding to it the training hosted by seminaries, colleges and mission agency sponsored mentoring, INTERNATIONAL STEWARD has further augmented this program. These additions include:
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The implementation of a matching challenge grant that moves the Workshop participants from theory to practice; |
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Recruiting, training and supervising nationals, in strategic settings, who will throroughly learn and experience fund development so that eventually they can train their peers;
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Development of an interactive web page that would host distance education and training for nationals beginning their fund development ministries;
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Assisting ministries led by national in the organization and implementation of capital fund efforts; |
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Formation of the International Stewardship Council comprised of development officers in North America who will give counsel to curriculum formation and offer at least one week a year to teach stewardship and fund development in an internationational setting;
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The development of alternative delivery systems -- video, DVD, programmed instruction -- allowing the mentoring to be initiated and completed in limited access settings.
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From "Is" to "Ought" |
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INTERNATIONAL STEWARD is committed to the eventual replacement of the funds flowing from the "west" with a vast network of effective ministers of stewardship in every country that hosts the emerging church. God's people, whether in villages of poverty or high-rises of wealth, must become effective managers of God's resources in order to live His life to the fullest and in order to locally fund The Great Commission. This imperative is the heartbeat of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD.
The encouraging news is that the potential for reaching millions in their own culture rests securely in the lives of nationals in settings of ministry leadership. These are men and women with exemplary dedication and unending commitment.
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