Can I ask: what is important to you? What have you invested your time, money, and energy into that really matters? Now let me ask, is it eternal? Is it something or someone that continues to impact others for generations to come? Through your ministry alongside globalLead, you are involved in something important, eternal, and that continues to impact multiple generations across numerous countries around the globe. Let me go back to August of 1999. By this time, I had been traveling for a few years to Kenya to train youth ministry leaders. I did not realize the impact this training would have for decades to come.
There was an energetic part-time youth leader, Nick Korir (pictured above with Chris), from the small Kenya city of Kericho attending this August training. Honestly, I do not remember a lot about Nick during this training, but what I do remember vividly is that Nick came back for more training prematurely during my next trip. Typically, we ask leaders to wait a year before returning so they have time to implement the training, see results, and have challenges to discuss in Level 2. When Nick came to our Level 2 training, the host asked if we should send him home. Though I wanted to, I realized he had sacrificed a lot for travel expenses, so I allowed him to stay.
I soon realized that Nick was special. He had implemented what we taught him regarding ministry in the patterns of Jesus and had seen his small youth group grow exponentially in just a few months. I could see Nick’s impact and
leadership right away, so even though he was not yet a certified trainer, I asked if he could share with the Level 1 group. The next 24 years were amazing!
Fast forward to today, Nick is the Senior Pastor of one of the largest
churches in Nairobi, Kenya and has established church plants throughout Kenya and into other nations. Throughout these years, we have walked together with Nick and Julia through their marriage and adoption of two local boys (Dan and Don). He has walked with Penny and me through our adoption of Levi. We have walked with Nick through many life and ministry decisions along the way. Nick has served in multiple roles with globalLead and is a champion for this ministry wherever he travels.
On my recent mission trip to Kenya, I took time for breakfast with Nick. It lasted until the lunch hour! He continues to serve and disciple young leaders. In fact, he sent three of his top staff to the Heart of the Leader event we led in Nairobi.
One of the great joys Nick and I focus on is eternal, generational, and global gospel impact. One of the young men Nick and I have discipled and mentored is Festus Omato. I met Festus in 2020 at our first Africa-based Heart of the Leader event. Since then, I regularly mentored Festus and during my trip to Nairobi this May, he was serving beside me as a mentor in our Heart of the Leader ministry. Over the past 2 years, I have ministered to and mentored Festus. And now, I’ve
multiplied with and through him so he can serve other leaders. Not only did Festus and I serve in Heart of the Leader, but he insisted that I meet his “children in the faith”: a group of young men he disciples who kept asking Festus if they could meet me. Festus said that he mentions things we discuss with them and they wanted to meet “great-grandpa.”
When you serve for over two decades in one location, God produces spiritual fruit that grows and multiplies globally. You, as a partner of globalLead, have been a wonderful part of this generational faith-passing, ministering, mentoring, multiplication ministry that is not limited to this one story or country.
What started as a vision to launch a mission to train young ministry leaders back in 1996 continues to grow today from God, through you and me (and other globalLead staff) to Nick, Festus, and now those he is discipling. Even Festus’ young men are asking when they can add more people into their group so they can personally disciple. Wow…great-great-grandchildren in the faith that you have developed through globalLead’s multiplication ministry. As I often say, “we get to do this!”
Thank you for your eternal multiplying ministry!