Next...(Part 2)

Last week, having concluded my series on how the 4L Model of Discipleship fits my Vision, Mission, Strategy, and Steps, I hinted at what my next venture includes. That venture is named Pastor Training Community (PTC for short).

PTC came to mind last year when I returned from Kenya. Having been a part of a team who trained over 100 pastors in 4 days in two different locations, the question became how to consistently train without having to be there physically. As I mentioned last week, many organizations around the world exist to share the gospel and train indigenous leaders. But no single organization can reach them all. Thus, PTC is seeking to do our part to train a part of the nearly two million pastors who need training worldwide. Our primary focus is to train pastors in remote locations, many of whom may be considered underprivileged.

My focus here is not to elaborate on PTC, but rather to show how this venture fits into my overall plan. If you wish to follow the happenings of PTC, a new blog will begin there in September. You may access the blog through the website. Additional social media outlets include Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can find PTC at:

Website – pastortrainingcommunity.org
For Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, please search for "Pastor Training Community" and if you see this logo, you have the correct account.

As for how PTC fits my plans, let me briefly comment based upon each component of my overall process starting from the bottom (Steps) and moving to the top (Vision). To keep the post relatively brief, this week, I will focus on the Steps and Strategy. I will conclude this short series of posts by comparing the launch of PTC with my Mission and Vision.

STEPS:
LEARN – I am realizing each week how much I have to LEARN. I currently lead a church and have owned a small corporation before, but I have never organized a non-profit organization. Beyond the logistics of effectively leading the organization, because the primary task of PTC is to train pastors and church leaders around the globe, constant learning will be required to understand how to adapt the training to the people we will serve.

LIVE – The entirety of this venture is to LIVE what I know to be true. I must love God, love others and be a part of those who make disciples of all nations.

LOVE – If I am successful in the LIVE step, it should be because I am doing so with LOVE. I know I deeply care for the people I met in Kenya last year and presume the same will be true of the other places that God may send me.

LEAD – Training others abroad also requires me to LEAD those who are serving here. Over time, many of the daily/weekly responsibilities will be executed by others, but I must never lose my focus to LEAD.

STRATEGY:
LOVE – Again, this venture starts with my desire to serve God which requires loving God and loving others. PTC has already required a large sacrifice of time, and a modest amount of money to date, it will require much more in the coming weeks, let alone the years ahead. Of course, these sacrifices pale in comparison to the sacrifice Jesus made for me, but I doubt I would consider the sacrifice worth it if I did not love God and was learning to better love others.

EXERCISE – Discipline will be very important. Spiritual discipline because this venture is primarily focused on the spiritual aspects of life and ministry. Financial discipline (personally and for PTC) in order to accomplish the goals I/we have. Physical discipline because to travel to various places will require a body that is healthy.

ACTION – This relates to LIVE in the Steps portion. I know what I am to do (generally, and in this case, I am learning specifically), so I need to be doing what I know to do.

READ – I have been reading a great deal about a variety of topics this year, but much of the reading centers on leadership, and non-profit principles. Additionally, as I mentioned in the LEARN Step, I have so much to learn in general, that reading will be a constant – and that reading must include the Word of God.

NURTURE – One of the core values of PTC is to train leaders. Of course, PTC was founded to train pastors abroad, but the full measure is to make sure all individuals associated with PTC are nurtured in their faith and life to become leaders in their own right.

So, that is how the practical part of the process – my Strategy and Steps – relates to the launch of PTC. Next week, I will clarify how I see this new venture relating to my Mission and my Vision statements.