How We Stimulate Organic Ministry Growth
FMI works diligently to empower leaders to make an impact wherever they are in the world. Our goal is not to “train and send” but rather to train Christian leaders wherever God has planted them. We do not go out looking for these opportunities; God called us to this work, and He has brought the opportunities to us. How do we accomplish this task? We use these three simple steps:
EMPOWERING EVENTS
Training Hundreds, Impacting Thousands. God has opened the door for FMI to be involved in leadership training on six continents. This usually begins with an invitation to conduct a conference on spiritual leadership. These conferences are aimed at ministry leaders who are already having an impact. FMI comes in to encourage and train them, both in theology (many times those God leads us to work with have no theological training) and leadership skills. We say we “Stimulate Organic Growth” because the people we work with are already engaged in ministry, but we come in to help them get to the next level and be even more effective. One analogy we like to use is that these folks are like flowers that are growing but struggling. FMI is like fertilizer, which is fed to the flower to strengthen it. In this way we nurture sustainable health in ministry leaders around the world. We have seen God use this ministry to save a life, grow and plant churches, heal relationships, and expand ministries.
RELEVANT RELATIONSHIPS
Structures that Promote Long-Term Development. Each event has an incredible impact of its own, but it also leads to relationships that last far beyond the event. FMI endeavors to leverage those relationships for Kingdom impact. For example, when it comes to indigenous training we have national coordinators in a number of countries, like Pastor Phil in Tanzania, who travel around their countries teaching FMI leadership principles. In the case of international churches, our president David serves as the Director for Empowering Leaders with the International Baptist Convention (IBC) and on the International Leadership Team of the Missional International Church Network (MICN). These relationships allow FMI to have long-reaching impact into international churches around the world including many in the 10/40 window. We are also blessed with relationships with partner organizations who are able to create synergy with what we are doing.
ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES
Continuous Training and Support. The relationships that God has given us around the world also allow us to have an impact far beyond the conferences. The work on the ground is continued by national coordinators in a number of countries, and David’s work with the leadership teams of the IBC and MICN allows us to be a part of impacting international churches all year long. We are also currently working on a number of projects to get training materials into the hands of indigenous and international pastors around the world.
There are also opportunities for us to help “stimulate organic growth” through supporting ministries on the ground, such as orphanages, Bible schools, and indigenous missionaries in ways that enable them to have sustainable ministries. For example, we have bought land for an orphanage in Kenya that has allowed them to grow much of their own food, greatly reducing their monthly operating costs. Another example comes out of Colombia, where we have bought motor boats and given them to local missionaries who are taking the Gospel up and down the Inirida River Valley.