On stateside assignment, when I realized that I had to leave the mission field to take care of mom and dad, I uttered one prayer. “God, I want to die a missionary.” I never prayed it again. Six years later, when that season had come and gone, I answered the phone to someone I had never met. “Let’s talk missions,” asked Jimmy Barry. Six hours later, Jimmy asked, “Come to Africa, pray about this and see if it’s something you would like to do.” I answered, “Don’t have to pray about it, I already did.” 
Now, I’m watching a movement of God. People are on their knees from country after country, tribe after tribe bowing to the one called Jesus. The power of Jesus through a simple four stage process is changing hearts, lives, families, and communities as fast as feet can run. In Kenya last year we printed and distributed 150,000 books. We needed to print 42,674 more, but we were at the limit of our resources, so now new believers in Kenya patiently wait for their very first discipleship book. There will be a lot of you who say this is a great problem to have. In fact, what missionary or pastor would not want a waiting list of people needing discipleship materials? Yes, it’s a great problem to have, but still it’s a problem that demands a solution. It’s not a problem with the guys and gals on the ground. They are running as fast as they can with the gospel. It’s mine and Jimmy’s problem. You see God placed these two old geezers here and gave them that problem to solve, and we uttered together one more little prayer - “God, give us the wisdom to know how to solve the problem you gifted to us.”
Then we went to work. We began a little rebranding to be more inclusive than just Uganda. You may have noticed our logo changed from Uganda’s colors to a brownish logo on a dull gold background on our new website - www.imfcworld.com. We restructured the constitution and by-laws to facilitate stateside growth. We learned the in’s and out’s of online fundraising. Now there is a method whereby people can raise funds on behalf of the guys and gals in Africa instead of just the ability to donate themselves. We’ve created a system for people and churches to partner in more ways than just sending a mission team from time to time. Very soon a worldwide multicultural prayer network will come online. I’m currently looking for just the right volunteer that could maintain and grow it. Now that the administrative groundwork is in place, Jimmy and I believe that God gave us the wisdom to know that he never asked us to be promoters of an institution, rather he called us to be just what we have always been - disciple makers. So. . .
We are bringing 4 Stage Discipleship to the United States. God has placed in our paths certain individuals (some of whom are pastors) that have seen that discipleship works, and is allowing us to influence them some as they seek to use 4 stages where they are, where they worship, and where they live, work and play. God seems to be blessing this wisdom. Just last week the Noonday Baptist Association asked me to teach a seminar on 4 stages, and then mentor some pastors as they try to revitalize their churches. Soon I’ll be interviewed online in front of many of the Baptist associational missionaries around the US. I’ve been asked to participate in a non-denominational podcast about discipleship. There is a conservative evangelical Methodist pastor that is looking to open doors especially among those that are quite Wesleyan. Things are happening all around us right now.
Will following our mandate result in increased resources for the brothers and sisters in Africa? We don’t know, but that is not our question to answer. We simply need to continue producing disciples who make disciples wherever we happen to be, and for that to happen we are praying one more little prayer: “God, keep us holy, so that we can continue to be your servants.” Could you - would you partner with us in that one little prayer? And together we’ll see what God has in store.
Blessings,
Steve D
www.imfcworld.org
Blessings,
Steve D
www.imfcworld.org
