Planting a new church is no easy task. Starting a new ministry may require getting rid of some old practices or habits and discovering fresh ways to minister in a new context. This is a process that requires much prayer, wisdom, grace and sacrifice.
Brian Tibbs, CEO at Ardeo Global, takes this difficult task to an entirely new level by adding in a unique cross-cultural element. At Ardeo Global, teams are created by matching five young people from the country where the church is being planted with five young people from other countries. These teams work together for two years to plant a church, with the goal of transferring leadership of that church to national leaders by the end of those two years.
The mixture of multiple cultures and the close-knit community that develops on these church-planting teams leads to a quickened maturity and preparation for future relationships.
One of the valuable factors in seeking young people for this work is that they tend to be are more moldable for leadership because they rarely bring preconceived notions. Of course, age is not enough: A leading from God for ministry to the nations, people who are on fire for the Lord and people who are loyal are keys for a successful church-planting team member.
Tibbs’ final challenge was not to conform, as Paul wrote in Romans 12. There is always room for improvement and to ask, “Why not?”
Listen to the entire interview on Life as Leadership on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
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Josh Friedeman helps leaders live and lead well through leadership coaching. He hosts the Life as Leadership podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network. If you want to operate at a higher level with your team, sign up for a free leadership strategy session with Josh.
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