Mother-In-Law's 90th Birthday

Karen's mother, Hazel Guriel, was born in 1916 in Perry County, Illinois and has lived there ever since except for the last year.

Relatives came from California, Texas, Florida, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio to celebrate with her. As you can see from the photo Hazel is a ball of fire who survived the great flu epidemic of 1918, two World Wars, The Great Depression, the deaths of three husbands and single parenthood to live with joy and vitality. 

Getting to Galina's Office

The Cultural Palace is a wreck
but Galina must pay a great deal
of money to rent an office at the
top of these stairs. 

Steve Shows How Common Russians Live

On our daily walks we passed many homes like these or in much worse shape. A lot of Russians live in conditions similar to the USA in the 1930's and 40's.

Socialism and militarism are evils to be avoided. 

Graduates from Counseling Skills Retreat

These men and women are the future of Russian Healin, Pastoral Care and Counseling. This bunch includes some very influential persons in various churches and faith communities. 

Gary and Steve Wait for the Train

It takes us back to Moscow from the seminary

Having Steve with me again was a real blessing. He travels well, is very low maintainance and knows how to teach all of our material. He is a key man in developing and producing almost everything we do.

 

Our Team at an Evangelical Seminary

From left to right are Galina Chentsova, M.D., Marina, Gary, Yvgenia and Anatoly. We spent all day with the faculty of this Seminary discussing how we could possibly help them design a curriculum in Pastoral Counseling. Steve Griebling took the photo.

Pray that God will guide the faculty and us as we consider future ways of cooperating with them. 

Russia Report #6.

Tipping Points

The photo below is of two Pastors who met with Galina and me the day before I left. They came to ask us to minister to and equip the pastors in their association of over 100 churches. A few years ago, the Russian Government passed a law that requires every church to be a member of an organization that is at least 15 years old. The association of these men serves a wide-variety of independent churches and gives them a legal covering.

While praying about the Spring 2006 trip to Russia I was caused to think that this year would be different. After almost 15 years of ministry in Russia they were ready to take the next step in the evolutionary development of an independent, self-supporting ministry in Russia. The visit by Sergei and Michael showed me I was thinking after God.

During the revival of the Nineties thousands of men and women came to know Christ. Many of them were addicted or co-addicted to alcohol, drugs, violence, crime and assorted other issues. After becoming Christians some felt called to be pastors and church workers so they started new congregations among their former associates.

Unfortunately, most never went through any kind of Christian counseling or recovery so they continued to think, act and feel badly and essentially became addicted to religion and religious activities. In America we call them, "Dry Drunks" of people who stopped drinking but did not get to the heart or root of their problems.

As pastors and leaders such persons show a variety of dysfunctional behaviors such as an obsessive desire to control the flock; anger that comes out as "hell fire and brimstone" sermons;
abnormal suspicion; authoritarianism; workaholism; co-dependency; s exual aberrations, etc.

The pastors pictured here are familiar with recovery programs and Christian counseling and they want to make our ministry available to their leaders. Pray that the Lord will allow to help them establish an ongoing ministry of Pastoral Care and Counseling for this group of churches. It could result in thousands of healthier leaders, healthier churches and healthier membership.

Two Russian Pastors 

Russia Report #5.

Building human capital.

This is what we do. We are not good at building houses, providing funds to buy anti AIDS meds or constructing church buildings. We are good at building PEOPLE. We educate and empower ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things for themselves and others.

The Communists did everything possible to destroy the hopes, dreams and potential of the Russian people. They hate to see anyone develop more skills, more money or more talent than someone else. Russia needs an infusion of faith, hope and love.

This is why we work so hard to help our people get seminar and workshop training as well as state and church sponsored education. That which will make Russia strong is not just oil and gas but a well equipped society-especially Christians. People make the difference. They care, act, give and pray.

We help support some pastors and couselors get more education. We ask our supporters to help us provide very small subsidies and stipends so they can pay the small but prohibitive school fees necessary to complete their education and become certified to teach, counsel and work among the charities.

Almost every airplane has several American "Tourists" going to or returning from Moscow or Vologda or Ukraine where they help the local churches do charitable work. Many Russians continue to live in abject poverty but were it not for Christians and their donations of time, money and encouragement the situation would be even more critical.

Let me remind you that there are no atheists or humanists leading charities over there nor are groups of agnostic philosophers and pagan professors sending massive amounts of money to help the poor Russians.

It is the same there as it is with the Katrina and 911 victims. It is the same as it was with the survivors of the tsunami. Christians; all Christians. No secularists are involved in these acts of love and sacrifice.

Keep giving and keep living. It is making a difference.

Russia Report #4.

Mary came to us for help almost 15 years ago. She was a recent graduate of the Moscow State University School of Law and was in deep emotional pain. She wanted a baby as soon as possible. She and husband Michael had been married for two years but had been unable to conceive. She sought counseling about how to handle her fears and anger about the lack of a quick pregnancy.

Before long we discovered that Mary was a survivor of long-term sexual, emotional and physical abuse. She was a brilliant student and was having great success in a western law firm but her life was in a shambles. Since her situation was so overwhelming one of our therapists was asked to see her on a regular basis.

For the past five years Mary and Michael have been leading groups in their Baptist Church just south of Moscow. Many members of the community have been attending the groups and are showing signs of better lives at home, church and work. The groups are growing in number as the members invite their friends and family. Many people are experiencing mercy, grace and the ability to leave their addictions behind.

This is a composite of several persons whose lives have been touched through the Russian work. One man has recently been reconciled with his father who was divorced from his mother 30 years ago. Because of our class on Family Systems and Christianity Peter searched and found his long-lost father and got into contact with him. Both received great relief and forgiveness as a result.

Our ministry is about people; families; mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren and friends. All of them come to us in a great deal of pain but God's love is allowing them to leave the painful past behind and seek a more fruitful future. We do not hold big meetings for thousands but we meet with individuals and small groups of hurting persons and teach them how to grow in grace, mercy and the abundant life.

Russia Report #3.

I do love to help the Russian people. Since I started traveling to Russia in 1991 as an active counselor and counselor trainer I have seen the people grow in grace, economic security, openness to others and healthy interpersonal relationships. The church leaders are stronger and the local expression of Christian charity is growing---slowly, but surely. However, the works of mercy and charity are facing two major challenges:

1. The ability to actually help widows, orphans and needy people is still largely dependent upon people from other countries.

A. During the Communist Era 80% of the GNP was spent upon military and space development. This left very little for schools, health care, mental health, family life, etc. Secondly, the Socialists were and are callous toward the poor, downtrodden, sick and needy.

B. The economic infrastructure was not developed along efficient and effective lines and this left Russia without a viable source of income. The Socialists refused to build factories, stores or other places that operated on supply and demand principles. Now that they are competing with the rest of the world the old unwieldy system is woefully ineffective and most of them have closed down completely leaving the common people in abject poverty similar to that which we in the USA experienced during the Great Depression.

2. The needs are overwhelmingly large and intractable. Alcoholism, smoking, extremely poor diets and ruinous risk lead to many early deaths. The Communists did not allow their schools to train therapists or doctors that actually counseled people. This left the people with a national death wish and a nationalized but horrible health care.

There is also a strong resistance by the government to any charitable works. The officials demand bribes, high taxes and tough rules that kill or severely hinder the church and charitable groups from doing good works.

Pray for God to change that mind set.

Russian Report #2.

The story about health and welfare in Russia is still bad, very bad. That is what originally got my attention way back in the early nineties. At a conference I heard about the extremely high rates of alcohol and drug abuse among the Russian people due to the despair and brutality of their Communist captors.

Although the needs of the people of the Russian Federation are great helping them spiritually, emotionally and relationally is the key to almost all future progress. People who are falling down drunk cannot care for their children so millions have been abandoned and the orphanages are overflowing with beautiful children.

Christians who suffer from the dysfunctions of past addictions and present struggles cannot lead churches with love, truth and power unless they are healed and restored to sanity and sobriety. The seminaries and Bible schools are filled with former addicts who have come to faith in Christ but who cannot find peace and healing.

People who are high cannot work and produce an economic recovery so there are thousands of abandoned factories and millions of starving families.

Men that fall asleep from dope cannot rear their children so there is an epidemic of divorce, abuse and needy children.

In Moscow, a city of 7 million population and 4 million addicts there are only about 30 regular Alcoholics Anonymous Groups. That is less than one group for over a million addicts. On a normal weekday morning one can see hundreds of men and women walking to work from the subways drinking beer and vodka while drawing deeply on a smoke. As Steve said, "That is the breakfast of champions."

In all of Russia, population 190 million, there are fewer groups than we have in Cincinnati.

The churches in our networks have set up hundreds of Christian 12 step groups, Renewed Thinking, Listening with Apples of Gold and Family Healing Groups that help young people and adults break the cycle of addiction and return to responsible parenting, work and family life. They are earning a living, volunteering at their churches and helping others recover. This is a widening spiral of good works, right thinking and family reconstruction.

A few seminary leaders and denominational leaders are interested in how we can help them train Pastoral Counselors and establish ministries of health and family restoration. PRAY for them to have wisdom as they consider our proposals.


Look at the first photo on the www.liferoute.ru web site to see a photo of a key seminary that is praying about asking us to set up their graduate program in Christian Psychology.

Russian Report # 1.

Thanks to all who prayed and supported Steve's and my trip. The flights were smooth and we made most of the connections. Jet travel sure is glamorous with those 10 hour trips with 300 people on a crowded steel box surrounded by sneezing adults and crying kids. Welcome to modern travel. Despite these challenges our health was good and we avoided the viral infections so prominent in Russia.

Our time in Russia was fruitful. We had the sense before going that our 15 years of ministry trips there and bringing people here were about to "TIP" into a broader opportunity for leadership development. Our goal has always been to set up a training program and process that enabled nationals to expand their effectiveness and reach. Many things point to that happening with this trip.

Our first week was spent in a Roman Catholic retreat center just outside Moscow. We have met there three times and it is a great place of peace and quiet to study, pray, train leaders and experience God's presence. We celebrated Pentecost/Trinity Holy Day in the chapel with Brother Michael preaching a great sermon on Unity in the Spirit.

Our ministry in Russia is unique in that it includes folks in the leadership team from Russian Orthodox, Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and Reformed backgrounds. In Russia that is almost miraculous. The Communists did almost everything possible to divide and conquer the faith community and they are still recovering. Our ministry is a strong leader in developing fellowship across denominational lines in our groups, classes and training sessions.

We spent several days of learning and small group work empowering over 20 men and women leaders who already have key positions in their local and regional ministries. Some are clergy, some teach in seminaries and schools, some are lay leaders, some are professional counselors and all are influencers.

Our topic that first week was "Advanced Counseling Skills" and we showed them how to move beyond 12 step groups and addictions to deal with other issues. They are amazingly open and eager to learn and apply their insights to their personal lives and ministries. Their healing testimonies are incredible and encouraging.

(See www.liferoute.ru for more information.)

Last Blog Until June

The Air Conditioner went out this week and I can't get my laptop to open Outlook. It is time for an international ministry trip. Maybe it is my paranoia but every time I leave for Asia, Russia or Scandinavia some major appliance or ministry machine breaks down.

But living with heat and humidity brings back many memories of our childhood. Karen and I both grew up when there was no AC and neither got indoor plumbing until our teen years. As we talk about the "Good old days" we have many good laughs but let's face it, we do not want to go back to them for very long.

Living and overcoming Adversity is an essential ingredient of joy. Far too many of us have ADD: Adversity Deprivation Disorder from rarely if ever facing and overcoming difficult times. One of the reasons international travel does not overwhelm me is due to the fact that I grew up in poverty and had to work hard with my hands to get out of the situation.

The Russian people face many difficulties and challenges. Pray that Steve and I will be able to help them face and overcome them through the Lord.

Russian Trip Itinerary
May-June, 2006
Gary Sweeten and Steve Griebling

I was mulling over the past 15 years of ministry in Russia and thanking the Lord for allowing us to be involved in a global revolution of democracy. The Bolsheviks raped, pillaged and stole everything they could from the people they dominated after the 1917 Revolution. The march toward democracy has just begun and it will take many more years of godly, compassionate and strategic interventions before Russia will gain its rightful status as a modern nation.

The Russians have suffered from all three levels of emotional/ spiritual assaults.

Shock: An occasional intervention of an assault
Trauma: A pattern of assaults
Abuse: A chronic series of assaults.

Level 1. Shocks leave Victims with ice cubes in the soul that are frozen in fear, anxiety, depression and a desire to deaden their pain with alcohol and drugs.

Level 2. Trauma leaves Victims with souls likened to a block of ice; deadened and numb and looking for relief though any emotional, spiritual cult or drug remedy.

Level 3. Abuse leaves its Victims in an inner state of “Perma-Frost” that never thaws without the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

The Russian people, especially Christians, were chronically abused, leaving millions in a state of Perma-Frost”. Life Way Ministries establishes partnerships with groups to train leaders to “Heal the broken hearted and setting the captives free.”

One of the most powerful insights to come from my years of travel is seeing the awesome response of the Christian community to tragedies around the globe. Every plane to Asia, Russia, Africa and the Gulf is packed with Christians paying their own ways to minister to hurting people they do not know and from whom they expect no reward.

In Russia alone Christians send billions of dollars each year in goods, money, spiritual support and travel. If it were not for churches small and large, ordinary Russians and their small churches would be in terrible shape. Were it not for compassionate Christians almost no good orphanages, drug treatment or prison ministries would exist.

The same is true in Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, India, etc. It was also true for Ground Zero and the Gulf. In none of these places do we see food, ministries, hospitals and workshops sponsored by “The American Atheist Society” or “The Free Thinking Assoc.” Neither Playboy nor Penthouse sponsor the orphans they help produce.

It is Christians and only Christians that reach out to a troubled world in massive numbers. Of course there are bad church leaders who abuse and misuse their power but the Lord has a plan for them. The tiny minority of believers spread evil while millions from every denomination spread the good news in word and deed.

On my high school Internet chat there are several atheists who arrogantly and ignorantly argue that faith is always destructive. Their self-deceit has few bounds and it is useless to tell them the truth. I do pray for them. However, we who follow Jesus Christ ought to thank God daily for the way He is constantly and increasingly sending compassionate Christians to spread the love of Christ through word and deed.

Life Way’s Mission in Russia

We establish centers of training and healing so the local believers can reproduce themselves and spread the good news of Jesus as the Great Physician to every corner of that huge nation. We also speak at large gatherings but focus mainly on equipping pastors, psychiatrists and counselors how to integrate the love, truth and power of God into their work.

Several hundred groups, churches and ministries from all around the USSR have attended our training over the past 15 years. They use our materials and training throughout the year.

Take a look at my blog to get some ideas about the people and places we will see and have seen before. http://garysweeten.blogspot.com/ Go to http://www.liferoute.ru/ to read in both English and Russian about the team and a very small bit about what they are doing to establish a Christian attitude in the former USSR. They recently changed their local name from Lifeways to Liferoute. The new name sounds better in Russian, they say. It also keeps them safer by making no connection between them and our American ministry.

Monday, May 29-Flight on Delta to Rome, arriving Tuesday.
Tuesday, May 30-Flight on El Italia to Moscow.
Tuesday, May 30, arrive at SVU Airport and go directly to the Retreat Center
Wednesday, May 31 Rest and preparation for training retreat
Wednesday evening-Saturday Noon June 3 Training Retreat on Christian Counseling
Sunday, June 4-Preach (Perhaps twice)
Monday, June 5-Leaders Team Meeting
Tuesday, June 6-Meeting at Moscow Evangelical Seminary
Wednesday, June 7-Men’s Group Ministry
Thursday and Friday June 8-9 Myers-Briggs Training @ St. Damian Orthodox Church
Saturday, June 10-Steve Returns to Cincinnati via New York on Delta
Sunday, June 11-Preach
Monday, June 12-Leadership Meeting
Tuesday, June 13-Gary Returns to Cincinnati via New York on Delta

Pray for our stamina, wisdom, protection, health and God’s power.

Guard Your Heart

It is very difficult to live a transparent life when we are in a church "leadership" situation. In my last piece I mentioned the Jimmy Swaggart problem from several years ago. Jimmy, I once read, came to the Lord as a youth of 10, was "filled with the Spirit" at 11 and was "called to be a preacher" at 12.

This means that he was placed in a position of moral and spiritual "leadership" as a pre-teen. That is contrary to good sense, scripture and psychological wisdom.

1 Timothy 3
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)

6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

The part here about "rearing his children with respect" uses the term that means "a balance between assertiveness and servanthood". In order to rear children with semnotes or dignity we must have it ourselves, and that takes a lot of time and experience. This means that we need to be in our forties or fifties-elders- before we become leaders.

By that time a spiritual person has an opportunity to develop transparent, open, mutually vulnerable relationships with others, including his wife and kids. This means that he is able to share his temptations and carnal desires openly so God can change them. Keeping our hearts covered and the soul hidden is the most dangerous thing we can do.

Find someone you can trust to speak with. "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed." James 5

Duplicity

In a Postmodern world facts do not seem to be very important, even to many Christians and some Pastors. Do you remember the scandal about Jimmy Swaggart? He was a famous TV preacher who took a very hard stand against sexual immorality, drinking and other moral indescretions. Then he was caught with a hooker in a sleazy motel. Duplicity!

As a therapist I have been trained to watch for the telltale signs of duplicity, avoidance, denial and defensiveness in people. When I heard Jimmy Swaggart vehemently preach against psychology, counseling and therapists I smelled a rat. As Will Shakespeare said, "I think he protests too much." He was afraid of being found out.

One day I was looking at a magazine advertisement for the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College and noticed a photo of text books, one of which was written by a prominent Christian psychologist. I asked a friend who worked for the college about the Freudian slip and he answered that they taught couneling and psychology at the school but Swaggart had to deny it on camera lest he lose financial supporters. Duplicity.

Many years ago the famous pastor Gordon McDonald wrote a best selling book called, Ordering your Private World. We discussed it as a staff at College Hill Pres. It was awful. He proposed a rigid, legalistic self control that had a hard edge on it. I smelled a rat. A short-time later his mistress went public and exposed his immorality. He protested too much. He and his wife later wrote a book telling about their wonderful family life and parenting skills but failed to mention his adultery at the same time. Duplicity.

Duplicity leads to death, especially when we deceive ourselves.

I can remember a bit of an old rhyme.

What a web we all do weave when at first we do deceive.

The truth shall set you free.

Has it set you free? Do you have a testimony?

Mr. Putin's Speech

From the Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114825039030459010.html?mod=opinion&ojcontent=otep

In the State of the Union speech, Mr. Vladimir Putin focused on a critical issue in Russian life.The key problem he addressed was the decline in the Russian population, which has dropped from 148.7 million in 1992 to 143.5 million in 2003. The U.N. estimates that it could fall to 101.5 million by 2050.

Earlier contractions of Russia's population were brought about by the massive losses associated with World War I, the civil war, famine, the repression and purges of the 1930s, and World War II. The current demographic decline is the result of a declining birth rate and a high mortality rate.

To address the former, Mr. Putin announced income subsidies of up to $9,200 for women following the birth of a second child, beginning in 2010. Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said the money could be used for taking a mortgage, paying for a child's education or adding to a pension account.

This will not work. With so many people of child bearing and rearing age doing drugs and alcohol the number of healthy adulst is falling rapidly. Additionally, many of the parents are truly unfit to rear children due to excessive use of drugs and alcohol.

We have been helping change this situation ever since the Lord told Steve Griebling and Tom Fruth that we were to move toward the East from Norway to minister. Now there are several hundred people that are sober, straight and living responsibly. Their numbers grow every month and multiply every year.

Pray for Steve and me as we return to Moscow to take the Liferoute team deeper into ministry and healing. (www.liferoute.ru) They have turned a corner in organizational and ministry structure but have some distance to go before they are able to be totally self supporting.

During our prayer time last Friday the Holy Spirit spoke with Ada Halter and said to emphasize the "Royal Blood Line" so we will do just that.

Inflation and Gasoline Prices

When I was a kid my dad liked to reminisce about "The good old days". He nearly always concluded his stories with a pithy comment that, "The good old days, weren't...Good."

He was fond of saying that back in the depression we could buy a bushel of corn for a quarter. When we said that the corn was cheap he would laugh and reply, "No it wasn't. Nobody had a quarter. Now everybody does."

Dad was a rabid union man who was constantly talking about the need to improve the working conditions and pay of blue collar people. But he also understood that inflation was the cruelest tax of all for it secretly robbed poor and middle class families of their hard earned pay. It is not possible to compare the price of corn from my childhood with today's price unless we also look at inflation.

Gasoline prices today are about the same as they were when I began to drive in the 1950's.

There's also the question of affordability. Adjusted for inflation, gasoline prices today are roughly where they were in the 1950s -- but per-capita real income then was no more than half of what it is today. Which means that for a typical driver 50 years ago, gasoline was really twice as expensive, in terms of the bite it took out of his budget, as it is now. (Jeff Jacoby)


We in America are very fortunate to live in such a rich nation. The folks in Europe pay a lot more for gas than we do and it is all because of taxes to the governments that do not want the people to drive.

So, enjoy your automobiles and trucks and SUV's. Gas is cheap.

Things My Mother Taught Me

My Mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."

My Mother taught me MEDICINE... "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD... "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My Mother taught me ESP... (Extrasensory Perception)"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE... "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you... Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me HUMOR... "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My mother taught me ABOUT SEX... "How do you think you got here?"

My mother taught me about GENETICS... ?You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me about my ROOTS... "Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... "Just wait until your father gets home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING... "You are going to get it when we get home."

And my all time favorite thing- JUSTICE... "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU. Then you'll see what it's like."

Our Goal

Life Way's purpose is to Create a vibrant learning/growth community that models and empowers others to be competent in character, relationships, thinking, family life and leadership.

We want to see lively, healthy, growing families and communities pursuing mental, emotional and relational wholeness through the release of truth, talents and character leading to wisdom that blesses the people around them.

We envision transformed communities, families and individuals that build healthy relationships, a renewed mindset and continued growth to be a channel of love, mutual respect and commitment to care for one another.

God by His grace is moving among the churches of all kinds. Many people are coming to Christ and experiencing eternal life and profound relief from guilt and shame. However, Jesus warned in Luke 8, that the seed may fall on rocky soil withless fruit than we had expected.

The words of Jesus to His disciples point us to the way forward for the 21st Century for God's truth is as relevant now as it was 21 centuries ago.

The seeds that fell among the thorny soil are those who have heard the word of God but go on with life chocked with worries, riches and pleasures of this life. The result is that we cannot bring them to fruitful maturity. Luke 8:14

Bringing believers to fruitful maturity means that they multiply themselves a hundred fold. The Greek term for this process puts the pressure directly on church leaders. It is not the responsibility of the new born Christian but our pastors, teachers and minister to show us how to deal with those worries, riches and pleasures of life.

We are in the midst of a crisis of these three issues. Unless the church learns how to deal effectively with them we shall never bring people to mature fruitfulness and multiplication.

Several years ago I was discussing evangelism and church growth with an Asian leader who noted that only 20% of newly converted believers actually stayed in the church for six weeks. This meant a dropout rate of 80%! The church would more quickly if we put as much energy into discipleship, pastoral care, and pastoral counseling/healing as we do with preaching about outreach.

We look at outreach and healing as well as growth into mature multiplication.

• 
  The theology
  1st Century - The Equipping Paradigm is established
• 
  Luke 4: 18 Jesus' Call and Mission
  Luke 6 Jesus chooses the 12 to continue His mission
  Luke 8:4-15 Parable of sowing and maturity in good soil
  Luke 9 Jesus sends the 12 out with Power to do the Mission
  Luke 10 Jesus sends the 72 out with Power to multiply the Mission
  Matthew 28: 18 Jesus sends the apostles out to make disciples of all nations
  Acts 2 The Mission is activated in small group fellowship
  Ephesians 4: 11 The universal Equipping Process is outlined
  Early Church history-The process impacts the ancient world

Constantine -The church march with organic marchwith an "Organizational" paradigm. There is great order but much less ardor. Safety is assured but excitement and growth are stifled.

The Reformation-Theology is renewed but ecclesiology stays mired in the same tired, dead bureaucracy. It is half-way there.

A New Reformation-All God's people do both word and works by returning to the First Century paradigm that integrates both order and ardor.