Fourth Generation Leader Development
We are seeing massive multi-generational impact from our leaders!
God is pouring out His Spirit in powerful ways across East Asian countries. In one corner of the country, He is calling unreached people groups to Himself through two Spirit-empowered ConneXions graduates.
Linda and Sarah (names changed) are two powerful leaders of the very first church of the “X” people group in their country. They were saved as early teens, and were two of the first believers in this people group.
Tossed back and forth in their faith during the rest of their educational years, Linda and Sarah ultimately came out of school feeling a destiny to serve God, yet knowing little about Him. Providentially, God brought them to a one-year ConneXions training program, through which He totally transformed them, built them in their faith, and equipped them for ministry. Though young in age, they have done amazing things for God among their people group.
Since returning after graduation from the program, they have started a fast-growing, self-multiplying church. This is the very first church in the “X” and “Y” people groups – two of the least-reached people groups in this country today – who have been deeply bound by Buddhist beliefs and practices for hundreds of years. This church is the beginning of a profound “breaking” in this difficult mission field, and is effecting powerful transformation and historic impact.
BEFORE THE CONNEXIONS TRAINING
Linda and Sarah grew up together in the same village and went to the same school. As teenagers, together with a few other “X” youth, they were shown the movie The Life of Jesus. As they watched, they couldn’t help but weep. When asked afterward if they would like to receive Jesus as their Savior, they both raised their hands, along with others around the room. Thus began the very first group of believers in this unreached people group.
However, the girls didn’t receive any direction at this time on how to live for God, so they continued living their lives as they had before – fighting, stealing, skipping school, and generally living in rebellion. They continued living like non-Christians, even after attending regular Christian meetings, growing to love Jesus, and becoming passionate about worship. They still didn’t know what a personal relationship with God looked like.
As Linda and Sarah were preparing to enter college (their biggest dream in life) a spiritual mentor challenged them both to seek God for their future. Grudgingly, they did so. They both separately heard God speaking to them from Matthew 6:33, to seek His kingdom first! So they gave up the dream of going to college, and asked God to show them what the next step should be.
The same mentor suggested that they go teach in a primary school of the “Y” people group in another place, among an isolated tribe. Linda and Sarah spent two months serving there. It was the most difficult experience of their lives so far, yet they experienced God in a unique way as a God who speaks, protects and provides.
After this experience, they met one of our team and heard about her ConneXions training school. They knew that this was God’s way of building and equipping them, so they enthusiastically applied and were accepted to the ConneXions one-year training program.
REFLECTIONS ON THEIR CONNEXIONS TRAINING EXPERIENCE
It is worth noting that Linda and Sarah are the third generation in four generations of leader development starting with our founder, Malcolm Webber. One of the leaders that he invested in raised up scores of emerging leaders, and two of those emerging leaders started the ConneXions program that Linda and Sarah attended. Now, these two young leaders are reaching a new generation of leaders among their own people group.
Each generation has used the same LeaderSource models and principles, proving both their power and their potential for tremendous multiplication and longevity.
Linda described what her training meant to her:
“The one-year ConneXions training meant everything to us. When we went, we were such babies, and didn’t know anything about God or His Word. But that one year totally transformed us and laid a solid foundation for our lives. We were filled with the Holy Spirit, equipped in the Word, had lots of ministry practice, and received nurture from multiple mentors, coaches and intercessors. It was there, by watching and hearing our leaders’ passion for their people groups, that God put a very deep, genuine burden and long-term vision in our hearts for our own people. We had never thought that we had any responsibility for our people before. But now this is what we are living for, and we are so greatly privileged to be used by God as pioneers to bring salvation to our people… we are completely renewed and transformed in our thinking. We are completely free!”
Sarah also had this to say about her training:
“It is indeed God’s amazing provision and grace that we were led to the ConneXions school to be trained. Being there has built in us a very solid foundation of knowing God and His Word, and we have grown in many practical ministry capacities. It has given us courage and confidence to start the first church in our people group. If it weren’t for that one year in the ConneXions school, we wouldn’t be here to-day and the “X” and “Y” churches wouldn’t exist. It is not only the two of us acknowledging and saying this – all those who know us, especially our spiritual mother and mentor who sent us to the ConneXions school, say this all the time. We are so blessed and thankful!”
When asked if they found the ConneXions training practical, and if they have used what they learned in their ministry since then, here is what they said:
“The ConneXions Model deeply impacted us and the church we have started. The 5Cs are our goal and standard, the 4Ds are our process; we always keep it in mind so that we don’t go astray.” (Sarah)
“The ConneXions Model is deeply built in us. All our trainings and other ministries are conducted using the ConneXions Model. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit reminds us to give attention to a certain dynamic. Sometimes we intentionally evaluate ourselves, and realize maybe one of the 5Cs needs to be strengthened. It helps us to see things very clearly and know where to improve.” (Linda)
At the end of the ConneXions training program, Linda and Sarah couldn’t wait to get back to their own people and start serving. When they returned to their people, the first thing they did was to gather their friends who at different points had acknowledged that they were willing to believe in Jesus. There were seven of them, all in their late teens. Together they became the very first church in their people group and began meeting and training together regularly.
CHURCH PLANTING THROUGH BUILDING LEADERS
Even though new leaders were few in number, they had clear ministry responsibilities. Sarah focused on providing pastoral care and leading passionate worship and praise. Linda focused on teaching the Word and conducting trainings. Due to their understanding of the importance of building leaders, Linda and Sarah intentionally built an intense discipleship program into their small church life.
Initially, God provided them with a living and meeting place in a coffee shop where some of them were working. They met together every day, studied the Word, engaged in praise and worship, and built very deep union with each other. In addition to developing one-on-one discipleship relationships, they also ran three- to four-day short-term focused trainings.
Linda and Sarah replicated the mentoring and coaching they received in their original ConneXions training. The impact was so obvious that in two months, two of their leaders made genuine commitments to give their lives totally to Jesus! These two believers have been growing so rapidly in the Lord that in less than two years, they were ministering shoulder- to-shoulder with Linda and Sarah as a team.
In only a short time, there were seven strong leaders in a two-year-old church. Because of this strength, this church was able to send Linda and another co-worker to plant a new church in the “Y” people group. It will be the very first “Y” church of its own.
CHURCH PLANTING THROUGH THE RELATIONAL DYNAMIC
It is extremely difficult to evangelize the “X” and “Y” people groups through simply sharing the Gospel. Their minds and thinking have been deeply penetrated with Buddhism and thus are very hard to change. However, they are a very hospitable people. Under this circumstance, the strategy of evangelism through genuine relationships is more suitable. Everyone in the church builds a deep relationship with at least one non-believer, befriends them, prays for them, shares the Gospel with them, brings them to church activities, and even lives together at the church with them.
Due to their ethnic background, “X” and “Y” people are quite comfortable living together in very large families (sometimes 30 people together), sharing all possessions. Responsibilities in the house are shared as well. Yet amazingly, they live harmoniously together – a true community of shared life together, just like the early churches in the book of Acts. In this setting of a church family, the new people make friends with a broader group of people. Sometimes several people focus on one new visitor. In their one-on-one relationships, these young leaders aim to strengthen the people’s relationships with their Christian friends, even if they initially refuse Christ. Sooner or later, these relationships will bring them back to God.
OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Linda offers this perspective on the work she and Sarah have seen God do:
“When we first came back, we had such zeal and expected things to happen very quickly. But the first hard reality we faced was that it was almost impossible to change minds deeply entrenched in Buddhism. After repeating the same teaching for many weeks, people still could not ‘get it.’ In great despair we cried out to God, asked Him to help us and grant us His Holy Spirit. At the same time, we devoted ourselves to fervent praise and worship.
Then one day in our meeting, amazing things began to happen. Some people had a dramatic encounter with the supernatural presence of God, some began to weep, and some demons began to manifest. We were all shocked! Apart from Sarah and me, none of the rest had seen anything like that before and so were scared. Initially, I didn’t know what to do. Then I remembered what the leader in the ConneXions school did in those situations and began to do the same. Some were delivered from demons, some were healed physically. Many received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. That day became our Pentecost day.
Immediately after this experience, we organized the first ‘X’ believers’ special training event. The theme was the Holy Spirit. It was the largest meeting Sarah and I had ever led up to that point. Over 40 people attended, all ‘X’ people. I was so scared and worried right before the event, tortured by the thought, ‘What if the Holy Spirit doesn’t show up? How am I going to face all those people who traveled a long distance to this meeting? Why did I get myself into such big trouble?’ Stressed to the point of not being able to eat or sleep, I finally cried to God, ‘Lord, if I die, I die. But You do whatever You please!’”
As I finished preaching, and asked for the Holy Spirit to come, it was like a big fire being set up – the Holy Spirit came with great power! Many experienced God’s presence; many were delivered from demonic bondage; others received physical healing. Lots of miracles happened. From then on, the church among the ‘X’ people has grown more rapidly and with great power.”
FIRST BIBLICAL MARRIAGE CONDUCTED AMONG THE “X” PEOPLE
In the “X” people’s matriarchal culture, the woman is the key figure in the family. When girls reach a certain age, they begin fulfilling their responsibility for the family by starting “walk-in” relationships and producing children, in order to maintain the family clan. A particular occasion will be chosen for the news to be announced, and then men will begin to visit them at night, leaving early the next morning. Any children born will be raised by the woman and her side of the family (in the “X” language, the word “father” does not exist). If for some reason the girl fails to begin “walk-in” relationships within several years, they will not be considered eligible for future visits; they will have become too old and will have “missed” their opportunity. This has been the traditional belief and practice for over two thousand years.
As the first “X” church, consisting of around 80% young people, they were faced with the incredible challenge of establishing the biblical practice of marriage. With amazing courage and boldness, the young church decided to follow and commit themselves to the ways of God instead of following their tradition on this matter!
Two years ago, Sarah reached the age for “walk-in” relationships to start and faced the most challenging year of her life. As the older of the two girls in the family, it was Sarah’s responsibility to engage in these “walk-in” relationships and produce children for the family. Knowing that this was a perfect opportunity for her to be a pioneer and set a victorious example for Christian girls coming after her, Sarah considered it a privilege to suffer through this experience by taking a stand. Throughout that whole year, first her mother, then the whole family, and eventually the whole village placed incredible pressure on her to fulfill this responsibility, but she unwaveringly refused, willing to face any consequence.
When that year ended, she had won! Then the pressure transferred to her younger sister, who then became the only hope for the family. Also a strong Christian, and mentored by Linda and Sarah, she too stood firm and strong under the pressure. Now both girls have passed their year and are freed from that responsibility. This was such an incredible example and encouragement to other girls in their church.
Not long after that, the church performed the very first public “X” Christian wedding, which was the most sensational news in the whole region. The wedding was planned and prepared under huge opposition from both the bride’s and bridegroom’s families and relatives. Nobody could anticipate what would happen at the wedding ceremony, what the families or relatives might do to stop it or cause trouble. Maybe nobody would even show up. Through faith and prayer, the couple and their friends were prepared to face any consequence.
To their amazement, many families and friends came, with great curiosity, wanting to understand why this couple chose to enter relationships differently and see what a Christian wedding looks like. The wedding ceremony became an outdoor evangelistic event. There was worship and praise, prayer and blessing, and Linda’s anointed teaching from the Scripture on the biblical view of marriage and family. God’s presence was strong there; one crippled man who came with crutches was healed on the spot and threw the crutches away. It was just like the wedding in Cana, when the disciples saw the miracle Jesus did and they believed in Him. Similarly, people at this wedding gave their lives to Jesus after seeing the miracle, and many more left pondering what they heard and saw that day. Positive words about this group of courageous and capable young people spread rapidly. They have won great favor in their people’s eyes and are excited about the potential to change their people’s history and transform their culture.
A “LIVING BUDDHA” COMES TO CHRIST!
The bridegroom used to be a “living Buddha” before he was saved – the highest rank of religious leader in Buddhism, a highly influential public figure whom people worship as a god. Knowing that he was not a god but just an ordinary mortal, he admitted that he had lived in terrible horror and emptiness before he was saved. Many people were greatly affected by his conversion to Christianity and the announcement of his faith by publicly participating in that wedding! He is on Linda and Sarah’s leadership team now, working to expose Buddhism’s falsehood and advocating for the Truth. Today he is fully committed to bringing the Gospel to the “X” and “Y” people groups.
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
The fruit of the ConneXions training that Linda and Sarah experienced continues to be borne through their church-planting work among the “X” and “Y” people groups in their country.
Initially, a foreign missionary provided Linda and Sarah’s newly-formed church with a coffee shop as a place to live and fellowship. However, the group rapidly out-grew the coffee shop, so they soon moved out and rented a storehouse as their base for living and training. Over 20 of them were living together in that place. They did everything together, just like true family, building very deep bonds.
Eventually they were unable to rent even that place, however, so for the next 10 months they were like Jesus, without a place to lay their heads. Every day, they looked to God for His provision of a place to stay, to meet, and to eat. They moved from house to house, and sometimes they didn’t even know where they would sleep at night. They had church meetings on hilltops, in the wilderness, in forests and by lakes. For 10 months they struggled, cried, prayed, and looked to God for a place. Finally, God opened the door for them to rent a very comfortable, large house at an incredible price.
To their surprise, many new people came when they had the first church meeting there, and since then there have been new people coming to every meeting. God gave them a great revival after the 10-month trial period. Today the church has 80 committed members, and the meeting place is home to 30 of them – it is their church, their training center, their retreat place, and their reception center! Linda knows that this experience was one of the best things that could have happened to them.
“Now when I look back, it was as if God stirred our nest and forced us out of our comfort zone. We had to look to Him for everything and He faithfully provided for us. And it was through that experience that we became truly indigenous and independent. If we had always lived in the first place and depended on foreign missionary support, we would be in serious trouble today. Thank God He has enabled us to stand on our own feet today by His grace.”
HOPES AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE CHURCH PLANTING
Linda and Sarah are excited about the future, and have many plans to use the ConneXions Model moving forward.
“At the current stage, while there are not so many people in the church yet, we want to give a lot of attention to building leaders to prepare for the future. Our vision is to plant indigenous, self-multiplying churches among the ‘X’ people and ‘Y’ people (Romans 15:20). We are sending Linda and another co-worker to the most challenging place to plant new churches among the ‘Y’ people. In the future, we hope to even have our own ConneXions training school!” (Sarah)
“I love the way Jesus built disciples. My favorite ministry is leader development and it is also my main responsibility in the church. In the last two years, I have done a number of three- to seven-day short-term trainings on the ConneXions Model, and the model itself allows me to effectively customize the training to our specific cultural background. My biggest dream is to one day have our own ConneXions training school that provides training for people who come out of Buddhism, to raise healthier leaders in the minority people-groups.” (Linda)
REFLECTIONS ON THEIR CONNEXIONS TRAINING EXPERIENCE
When we asked Linda what shaped her the most in the one-year ConneXions training, she shared the following:
“One of the things I appreciate about the ConneXions training was the deep intertwining of the training process with the local church life. I lived and served among the church people, I saw their lives and ministry. They are ordinary, like my family. They are farmers and village-dwellers, like the people in my village. They are not highly educated, like my people. If they can evangelize and preach, so can my people. If they can do powerful things for God, so can we!
I was immersed in a real-life ministry environment that was so close to the environment in which I would live and minister later on, and I was greatly encouraged by what I saw and experienced there. If I were sent to be trained in some other sophisticated place, I might be sitting in the classroom watching a screen, learning things about God and hearing testimonies of other people’s lives. I might believe what I hear and see, but I would not be deeply affected. Here in this program, through the ConneXions training, I experienced the Presence of God, was taught the Word of Truth, was surrounded by godly examples of life, and saw powerful miracles of healing. My faith was built in a solid way.
While I was in the ConneXions school, I got to know some people in the church there who are illiterate, but can miraculously read and understand the Bible. I was so amazed and encouraged by this miracle. In my people group, there are many illiterate people. I need this kind of encouragement to believe God for the same thing. Now in my church, we are experiencing the same miracle! We have two girls in their early twenties who have never been to any school and are totally illiterate, but they can read the Bible without any mistakes!
Another part of the ConneXions training that shaped me was the strong use of the relational dynamic. Throughout the training process, we were put in teams for learning and for different service projects. The deeper purpose was for life transformation through positive and painful relational experiences. The leader of our school intentionally put people of different personalities in the same group. After each three-month period, we changed to a new group. This design worked powerfully in my case in particular.
I had particular difficulty in getting along with one other girl. I have always been a person who is very quick to act; she is absolutely the opposite. It was extremely painful for me to do things with her – we couldn’t stand each other! I eagerly waited for the day to arrive when we would change groups and I would not have to put up with her anymore. Finally, when the new groups were announced, the two of us were still in the same group!
Without any hope of escaping the relationship, I had to honestly learn to live and work with her. In our second and third three-month slot together, I truly learned to thank God for her, appreciate her, accept her differences, and admire her strengths. God helped me to see there was so much I could learn from her! And we finally became great friends and worked together really well.
Through the fire of this relationship, God exposed the many deep problems in my character and refined me. And He did that as specific preparation for me. Today, many of the people I work with are like her! I am so glad to have been transformed in order to be able to work effectively with people now.
Actually, the hardest trial of all was my relationship with Sarah, which was totally unexpected. Apart from being born into different families, we went through all other life experiences together. Same village, same school, saved together, ate together, lived together – we even shared clothes and money together. We thought we were so much like each other. Then we came to this school together.
It was in the process of training that we discovered we are so extremely different from each other. We became stingy with each other, easily irritated and offended – we could not stand each other! The relationship between us was so sharply painful that I felt as if I were being cut into pieces with a sharp knife every day. But there was no escape. We were held accountable, and I could not hide or ignore the problem. We had to deal with it, and do what the Bible says: confess our sins, repeatedly forgive, bless each other, learn to love and die to self. We wept and prayed a lot together. Our spiritual mothers and intercessors wept and prayed with us, and walked with us through it. It was during this process that we truly came to understand the love of Jesus; to love with His love, to die as He died. Our lives were transformed, and our relationship was transformed!
Today, we are serving together like one person – we are so different, yet so complementary to each other. We are so united in spirit, in mind and in purpose. We are each other’s closest friends and lifelong co-workers. We fight the good fight together, encourage each other, support each other, serve each other, and we would lay down our lives for each other. God knew what calling He had placed upon our lives, and He prepared us for it. That’s why He did that wonderful work of transformation in our lives and in our relationship – so that today we can serve Him so wonderfully together.
Apart from these relational experiences, we experienced the work of the Holy Spirit every day, not only through devotional times, but also in the teaching times, and in many occasions of practical daily life. I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and several deliverance experiences in the Presence of God. My mind was also renewed through the teaching of Truth. The renewing of my mind was especially significant for me due to my religious background. In fact, one of the biggest blessings of the ConneXions training for me was the total deliverance of my mind from the Buddhist way of thinking. The difference made in my life was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Another aspect of the training that I really liked was that we were not sitting in the classroom all the time. Instead, we combined learning with practice while fulfilling other responsibilities in life and ministry together. There was a construction project going on in our school for an extended period of time, and we all worked on it. At the same time, we did all the learning and homework required, and also served in the church several times a week. It was a very rich and diverse training, a holistic process that touched and built our whole person.”
ONGOING CHURCH PLANTING
Linda and Sarah continue to faithfully plant churches among the “X” and “Y” people-groups. Your gifts and prayers are making this exciting breakthrough possible!
Pray for these two remarkable servants of Christ as they persevere in their challenging work. Please ask God to continue to refine and renew them, particularly through the constant application of their ConneXions training. Pray also for the young people from the “X” and “Y” people-groups who are now in our training programs. Ask God to build strong and visionary leaders in the new churches. Finally, please ask God to continue to strengthen the body of believers who have come to faith and are growing in grace through Linda and Sarah’s powerful witness!
