Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed

and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.   

 2 Timothy 2.15

The vision of PathwaysAfrica is to train pastors who train pastors to study, obey and teach God’s life-giving Word

Our training is:

• Relational – We work with the same small group of about 16 pastors who meet together in three, five-day workshops each year for three years—nine total workshops, with the same PathwaysAfrica workshop leaders—experienced, trained Evangelical Free Church of America pastors from the United States and Great Britain.
• Interactive – While there is some lecture in the workshops, we believe learning happens best when pastors interact with the materials and each another, practicing with and encouraging one another in what we are learning in each workshop. 
• Biblical – We use the Bible to teach Bible study skills.  What better way to grow in learning to study the Bible and develop good Bible study skills than studying God’s living Word together?  We want to faithfully preach what the Bible text teaches—that is expository preaching—keeping our finger in the Biblical text! 
• High level commitment – We ask for a high level of commitment from all, but always with grace.  We expect and challenge our pastors to complete each workshop’s pre-assignment, be present and fully engaged each day at all of the nine workshops, yet understand that sometimes we are sidetracked.
• Transferable – Everything we do will be transferable, and must be passed on to other pastors, 2 Timothy 2.2.  We see the pastors we train as trainers of others and make it mandatory that each pastor train other pastors with what they are learning before they attend the next workshop. Plus, we always learn better when we are training others.

Here’s an overview of our nine, one week each, PathwaysAfrica Workshops. Each workshop builds on the previous workshop, reviewing and reinforcing these Bible study tools and skills:

1.   Jonah Workshop: The Bible Pathway, Careful Bible Study, Context

2.  2 Timothy Workshop: Asking Questions, Preaching Statement, Staying on the Line, Application Statement

3.  Genesis Workshop: Sections, Pre-understanding, Flow of the Message

4.  The Bible’s Salvation Story Workshop:Understanding the Bible’s Salvation Story

5.  Psalms Workshop: Poetic Tools, Sections: Psalms, The Salvation Story in Psalms

6.  Mark Workshop: Literary Types, Sections: Mark, Parables

7.  Romans Workshop: Linking Words, Sections, Preaching Tools

8.  Habakkuk Workshop: Putting It All Together in an Old Testament Book Study

9.  Colossians Workshop: Putting It All Together in a New Testament Book Study

In the United States we have 1 trained pastor for every 250 people.  

Around the rest of the world there is 1 trained pastor

for every 450,000 people!

 

Pastor Corey Kugle (on the right) and I are on our way to the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, to begin our Pathway training of a group of sixteen Zambian pastors in nine, week-long workshops over the next three years. In growing relationships around God’s Word, we will be coaching them how to better observe, understand, interpret, accurately apply and teach God’s Word. Between each of our nine workshops, each of these pastors will be training other pastors in these same bible study skills and tools. Please pray for Corey and me (and my future teammate, Simon Mawdsley, on the left) as we meet, connect with, and work together Monday May 28 through Friday June 1.

On Saturday, June 2, I’ll travel with my Zambian brother Teddy Kamfwa to the town of Livingstone, Zambia where I will be leading a Pathways pre-training of about 50 local pastors. Our hope is to begin a second Pathways training workshop in Livingstone with a second group of 16 pastors who will then train other pastors. Please pray God will challenge and raise up His group of pastors in Livingstone.

You can always follow our journeys, and learn more at pathwaysafrica.org. 

The Sunday after I return from Zambia I’ll be sharing about God’s workings through PathwaysAfrica at Paseo del Rey Church. You’re welcome to join us Sunday, June 10, 9am and 10.35am.

I am so thankful and encouraged by many of you who have joined me with your financial partnership. I’m currently about one third of the way to my goal of $2800 per month. Your partnership will pay rich dividends in these pastors and their families and churches’ lives, and the pastors they train, for all of eternity. 

I’d like to invite others of you to invest prayers and finances with me in PathwaysAfrica. Would you prayerfully consider partnering in training pastors who train pastors by committing to $25, $50, $80, $150 a month, or a special annual gift?

If you would like to join my team, go to pathwaysafrica.org and click Support Pathways.  Or you can send your gifts directly to Paseo del Rey Church, memo “Pathways”, 900 Paseo del Rey, Chula Vista, CA 91910. All gifts are fully tax-deductible and you will receive a year-end receipt from the church.