I first met the author and his wife at an underground training event in 2003. This highly dedicated missionary couple had given their lives to the peoples of Indonesia, yet were willing to risk losing access to the country they loved to attend my training. For five days we walked together through the biblical basis and processes of the church-planting movement I had led.
There was no way for me to know how to train local peoples all over the world, so my hope was the audience would adapt the approach in a culturally acceptable format for their context. Basically I said, “Here is the material. You will have to make it work in your context.” But this was a horrible way to train, even though the audience was primarily Western.
Globally, my ministry has trained more than 60,000 people since 1997. But most gave up on the process because they were looking for a quick and easy way to reach people for Christ. This approach requires years of hard work, holding fast to the principles that outsiders must diligently train local leaders at all levels, and God will teach those seeking Him through His Word.
When I met this couple I had seen more than 20,000 churches started in my own ministry, but there were no success stories from Indonesia. Yet, the author and his wife were willing to try pursuing a movement there.
Many of us in Kingdom work have seen the value of story-based discovery Bible studies to help both oral and literate learners discover and share the gospel. Stubborn Perseverance shows how this proven method can help any believer, new or old, quickly grasp and pass on the core values of disciple-making and church-planting movements. This is unique!
Faisal’s story will lead you on a learning adventure to experience the truths of Scripture in a simple, reproducible pattern for training others in church-planting movement principles and processes. Don’t worry about getting so caught up in the story that you forget to note the core principles. Questions following each chapter will help you identify the key lessons.
Have fun with this book! Study it with fellow laborers. Adapt it to your context. Dramatize the material for visual and oral learners. Apply it by conducting your own “Person of Peace” searches and then reading, discussing and retelling the Bible stories and studies.
Use Stubborn Perseverance also as a reference. Chapter headings will help you find answers to your questions, and the appendices are a storehouse of information.
Enjoy the story. Learn the lessons. Pass on what you learn to others. Launching a church-planting movement is not easy, but it will be the most enjoyable hard work you ever do.
Blessings!
David L. Watson,
Co-author of Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Other on a Journey of Discovery