ENGAGING AND EQUIPPING CHURCHES IN MISSION
Easley, SC - Tens of thousands of churches across America have untapped potential for changing their world. What if International Teams helped only a fraction of those move beyond merely supporting a missionary to engaging their congregation in God’s cause in a strategic place of need? Making this happen requires a fresh “Next Ministries” initiative that will create a whole new way to empower - and even transform - churches.It is with this vision of equipping churches across the U.S. to enhance their local and global impact that Scott and Aimee White have relocated to South Carolina.
Scott, the former Director of Resource Devlopment for ITeams USA explains, "The focus of our ministry now is to develop partnerships with churches whereby they might make a long-term impact in specific places of need around the world. Through such partnerships we (International Teams) want to help them become more of what God intended them to be--relevant, spirit-empowered, passionate, outward-focused, sacrificial, and effective missional communities."
Scott goes on to say, "God has a dream for the world. When Jesus said, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand', he was announcing that the time of fulfillment had come - when the transforming power of God has become accessible to the human experience as never before. The Church lives in an age of transformation and is called to help make His dream a reality."
How, exactly, will International Teams do this? Scott has identified three phases of this initiative:
PHASE 1 is a period of research and discovery. Identifying things such as: the most critical areas where International Teams must help the Church become missional, what partnership looks like, and the tools that need to be developed to best serve the Church.
PHASE 2 involves piloting some new models of partnership and new methods for empowering churches. International Teams recognizes the need to develop an effective and sustainable church-equipping process. For this to happen, a number of tools and resources will need to be created that will help churches through a transformation process.
PHASE 3 will be the expansion and multiplication phase. Materials will be polished, other individuals will be recruited to serve in the southeast, and a regional office will be established. Church-equipping consultants will also be trained to work across the U.S.
"Anything aimed at helping churches powerfully proclaim and demonstrate the good news of Jesus will take an intense amount of effort, great faith, and much perseverance," says Scott. "It will take a team."
Scott and Aimee have relocated to begin this work. They are presently putting together a team of people needed to pray for the challenges ahead and give the financial support needed to move forward.
Says Scott, "If we could see a growing number of churches embracing their missional calling and becoming powerful agents of Kingdom transformation, wouldn’t it be worth it?"
For more information about International Teams' Next Ministries initiative, contact Scott White: scott.white@iteams.org.
