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PLI is devoted to empowering leaders for wider influence for the sake of the gospel in their communities and effective leadership in their ministries. Learn more about our vision and process here.

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PLI’s 20th Anniversary in 2019!

Last week I noted the obvious…a lot has changed in the last 20 years! I’m not sure any of us really saw it coming. Certainly not coming so abruptly. And, when we don’t know what else to do we either…

  • Give up. Lose hope. Just go through motions.
  • Do what we’ve always done. Faster. Harder…with fewer results.
  • Tactically tinker.
  • Strategize new plans.

And we never recognize that fundamentally we need to embrace the same…

  • Inspired Word of God.
  • Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Mission “As the Father sent me so I send you.”

And adapt to a new, missionary world.

Fundamentally, we hide our eyes from our reality and pretend that the United States has changed…but not that much.

“80% of the professors at the public university where my two sons attended are atheists.” –A University President

“I’m shocked when I walk into a hospital room of someone under the age of 40 and discover that they are connected to any Christian church.” –Medical Center Chaplain, Twin Cities

Last week I noted:

Most churches are missing missionaries today. Missionary leaders. Congregations in 3rd largest mission fields need missionaries in their communities that…

  • Can’t imagine our churches represent Good News to them.
  • Can’t imagine the Bible is an authoritative Word or Jesus as more than one religion’s alternative.
  • Can’t imagine why they’d walk through our unlocked Sunday morning front doors.

James Emory White powerfully illustrated our reality with these two scales. For most of my senior pastor years, the 25 – 35 adult confirmands each year already had…

  • A positive enough view of the church to actually come.
  • Respect for the Bible.
  • Some awareness of our conviction that Jesus was at least central to what we believed.
  • Respected pastors as positive influences.

On the scale, I’d put them “close” to the responding to the Spirit working through the means of grace. A worship service…an evangelism visit…event…class…message…  I don’t want to make it sound easy or simple. Just to say that the journey from where they “were” to “believing in Jesus” was a much shorter distance for many of them.

Today’s missionary world–and with each successive generation it’s more pronounced–the journey is loooooonnnnnnngggggeeeeeerrrrrr! Add lots of time, a place where relationship and trust can be built. It’s a process! Mix in some common interest in a cause to be fixed.

Because today’s missionary world reality? Isn’t likely to….

  • Assume good things in your church.
  • Trust you.
  • Respect what you believe or the heart with which you live.

They land much farther away on the scale.

I’m tremendously optimistic. I see lots of good signs on the horizon. The biggest obstacle I see is not God and His ability to work or even the dismissive posture of our world. The biggest obstacle I see is the church that can’t see that the world has changed…really changed! Good, godly people in your church, I’m guessing, want your church to be vibrant, healthy, seeing people come to faith, hearing young children rustling in church, babies crying, seats filled, singing vibrant, parking lot full…. But they haven’t embraced the fact that wonderful, unbelieving people that actually care about a lot of things need a missionary to reach them.

It’s adapting to a world that didn’t exist a few years ago! And that’s a leadership challenge.

PLI is committed to training young women and men to become missionary disciples where they live, work and play. The next cohort of 1000 Young Leaders starts on April 1! Who do you know that you need to talk to? See the webinar information below or contact 1000YL team.

PLI is committed to training pastors and spouses and congregational leaders to excel in character and competency as they lead their congregations to embrace this new world with faith and boldness. Leadership Essentials Houston begins in March with other learning communities starting later this year. Contact Raechel.

JANUARY 27th – 1,000 Young Leader Demonstration Webinar

We believe that your culture of discipleship and mission can be fueled through the training of your young leaders.

We are hosting an online webinar for anyone between the ages of 21-36 who might be interested in learning more about 1,000 Young Leaders. This 60-75 minute presentation will share the vision of 1,000 Young Leaders and demonstrate our online digital platform. There will also be time for people to ask questions!

Here is how you can help get your young leaders there:

  1. Create a list of the 21-36 year-olds in your life, congregation, or networks who love Jesus and might want to grow in their ability to live on mission and make disciples.
  2. Reach out to them and tell them that you believe in them and what God is doing through them.
  3. Ask them if there is anyway that they could log on for this webinar because you believe it could make a significant impact in their life.
  4. Share this link to the webinar with them so they can log on. https://zoom.us/j/8980935107
  5. If you can, RSVP your leaders, or have them RSVP here so we know who is coming https://goo.gl/forms/Y3UKlGzWCdi2uFAk1.

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