(Photo courtesy Global Advance)
International (MNN) — Celebration, commitment, and collaboration: three words Global Advance is using to describe 2015.
For a quarter-century, Global Advance has committed to raising up indigenous leaders with a heart for the Great Commission in both the church and marketplace.
“We’re continuing to learn and continuing to just be in awe of what God’s doing around the world,” says Jonathan Shibley with Global Advance. “Globalization has really ‘come on the scene’ and just created great opportunity for missions.”
Shibley says they’re gathering some of those leaders this fall in Dallas, Texas, to celebrate 25 years of ministry and collaborate for 25 more.
They’ll be looking for “ways that we can make pivots and improvements on how we bring leadership into the nations, and the needs and aspects from the different regions of the world,” he shares.
“[Leaders are] going to have a lot of opportunity to speak into that process.”
Global Advance: then and now
(Photo courtesy Global Advance)
Since its founding, Global Advance has helped train and encourage over a half-million pastors in 94 nations. While these “frontline shepherds” were the ministry’s initial focus, Shibley says the Lord has recently directed their attention to additional needs.
“[A few years ago] God sovereignly brought us the ministry of Alpha Relief, which was totally dedicated to serving persecuted Christians in some of the hardest areas of the world,” says Shibley.
“We’ve joined forces to try to bring rescue, aid, and support to families and leaders that are truly on the frontlines and are under, at times, great distress.”
Global Advance has two more ventures in addition to Alpha Relief and their Frontline Shepherds conferences for pastors: Marketplace Missions and the Esther Project.
Global Advance Marketplace Missions initiatives are a conduit for U.S. business leaders to invest their skills, knowledge, and experience into the lives of emerging marketplace leaders. Training Christian business men and women in developing nations increases economic and spiritual capital throughout the world.
Through conferences, church meetings, workshops, and small group gatherings, Esther Project teams of dedicated and godly believers teach women of all ages in leadership, business, ministry, and home life. Vision, strategy, and resources are instilled, empowering women to effectively impact their generation through their wisdom, influence, and prayer.
These leaders in North India are listening to a message on discipling new leaders.
(Photo, caption courtesy Global Advance via Facebook)
“Next Gen” projects are on the horizon, Shibley says.
“We want to continue [bringing] in a Next Generation focus,” he explains.
“There’s a lot of younger people that need spiritual fathers that can speak into their life and provide encouragement and leadership and direction from a biblical standpoint.”
No matter what changes come along, one constant remains.
“Pastors still are very discouraged, in developing countries, and they need a lot of training and support and vision to carry out the task of fulfilling the Great Commission,” says Shibley.
Will you keep them in your prayers?
Pray that the Lord will keep opening doors of opportunity for Global Advance.
Contact Global Advance here for more on how YOU can help.
