Foundations Pastoral Training
Foundations is an intensive training and coaching process for present pastors and prospective church planters, providing a professional Bible school education and practical training, without removing pastors from ministry. Special emphasis is placed on making disciples using the local church.
And, most importantly, every pastor is trained and equipped to not only train their congregation, but to train other pastors in the same manner they have been trained, so that the Great Commission can be finished in their country within their lifetime!
Usually meeting in a local church, 25-30 pastors and potential church planters gather together in “center” to be taught and coached. (Wives are welcome to attend as well.). Costs are generally just above the normal cost of duplicating the materials. (What a small price to pay to be able to finish the Great Commission!) Each pastor will be fully equipped and agrees to recruit and train other pastors just as he has been trained. This valuable training, elsewhere, costs tens of thousands of dollars
Foundations utilizes 6 courses to provide a full basic pastoral education. At the same time, we train pastors how to teach these courses to other pastors. As a result, the ministry impact greatly expands. Courses are typically taught a week at a time, 3-4 month apart where students and instructors travel longer distances or they may be taught part of one day each week for 15-16 weeks where participants live closer together.
- World transformation (Multiplying disciple makers like Jesus.)
- Personal Transformation(becoming like Jesus).
- Congregation Transformation(Serve Like Jesus.)
- Community Transformation(reach Out Like Jesus)
- Church Transformation(Make a Disciple Making Church)
- Bible Study Transformation(Applying Gods Word Like Jesus.)
- Developing Leaders and Launching Disciple-making Ministries
- Managing and Multiplying Disciple-making Churches.
- How to Teach the Entire Bible to your Church
- How to Teach Bible Doctrine to your Church
We have just completed the 4 courses of Foundations training with the First Generation of disciple makers.
Trios Philosophy
Relationship is vital! Pastors serve from a position of relational isolation out of a fear of being found out and thrown out. A safe setting is needed in which pastors and wives can be open, expressing struggles and sins, a place of non-judgmental unconditional loving grace. Only in this light does one have the atmosphere needed for growth and health. Without relationships that develop us personally and spiritually through transparency and vulnerability, secrecy and sickness loom. Intentional relationships are needed where the focus is being transparent and being with Jesus.
Spiritual leaders become exhausted because they live in a mode of always giving and seldom, if ever, receiving. Often the denomination, congregation or even the leader themselves thinks this is how it should be, seeing self-sacrifice as an indication of spiritual maturity when in reality it becomes an unsustainable expression of self-reliance.
Great sustainable leadership requires self-care; Trios supply the structure from which leadership can grow. Sustainability is a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. Sustainable leaders need other spiritual peers, who love, accept and nurture them, helping them stay accountable, encouraged and strengthened. Sustainability is being experienced in the life of pastors and their wives.
For many years Ravah Ministries has witnessed the need for accountability among pastors and church leaders in Mexico. The “machismo” culture tells you if you are weak or have faults you are not good enough. Men do not want to be weak, especially in front of their wives. Trios offers the balance of Scripture and biblical accountability to one another in a loving and respectful way.
The plan for implementing Trios is to present the vision and the material of Trios to key. Individuals (pastors) who with true friendship & recommendation would champion the vision necessary to multiply Trios.