Continue to Serve – Join Us!
At Developing Workers, we strive to empower pastors and their churches to thrive and reproduce.
Global pastors who serve in impoverished regions face the need to discern when to help meet the basic physical needs of their communities and also how to disciple them spiritually.
As an answer to this tension in areas where both the physical and spiritual needs are great, Developing Workers began Mobilize Medical.
Why the Witch Doctor?
Indigenous witch doctors desire to be great leaders, and we introduce them to the greatest leader there ever was: Jesus Christ. Most have never heard the Good News.
Incredible Impact in Zambia & Mexico
Spring has been exciting and full of ministry for Developing Workers! Most recently, we welcomed teams back from Zambia and Mexico.
3 Easy Steps to Invest in Discipleship
We know you faithfully follow us here by email, and many engage with us at Facebook, Instagram, and on Linked-In. Thank you for staying connected to Developing Workers and for partnering with us along the way! Your support directly equips leaders for discipleship here and abroad. As you continue to consider your involvement with DW, we encourage you to prayerfully answer a question: Am I a sender? Am I a goer? Can I participate in both capacities? We’d love to help you discover what ways the Lord might call you to get involved even more! For this edition, here are 3 simple but impactful ideas to remain plugged-in as our ministry friends and senders: How to Double Donations through Employers Did you know that hundreds of companies match their employee’s donations to Developing Workers? These matching gifts help raise even more support so we can end discipleship poverty! Take part by… Partnering: If you haven’t done so yet, make a financial contribution to Developing Workers. Searching: To find out if your employer has a matching gift policy, enter your company’s name in the search box online. Filling In: If your employer has a matching gift policy, complete your employer’s form(s) either electronically or by paper and denote that your contributions were to Developing Workers. Be sure to check deadlines for your employer in case these forms must be submitted by specific dates in the year following your contribution. Your employer will then send details to Developing Workers after your application is reviewed to complete a matched gift. Your Individualized Donor Portal Did you know you can manage all your financial support of Developing Workers at-a-glance? Visit your Donor Portal (or register today if you haven’t previously), and utilize the features that allow you to review and adjust your giving as well as your personal details like contact information and credit card details. Join our Prayer Efforts Prayer is the lifeline that sustains our efforts and is an integral part of everything we do. If you have a passion for prayer, we would be so grateful to add you to our team! Also, watch for opportunities to join us by Zoom when we periodically meet for group prayer through the web. Developing Workers exists to equip leaders locally and globally for the work of discipleship. This work is both fueled and funded by friends of our ministry. Thanks to our community of partners like you, all financial contributions quickly transform into pastoral training, service opportunities, coaching and mentorship, special projects in underserved communities, and impactful resources that all bring us one step closer to ending discipleship poverty. We’re so grateful for you!
Worldwide Updates
This spring is a wonderfully active season for Developing Workers globally. Your generosity continues to expand our mission to end discipleship poverty here, near, and around the globe. Thank you for partnering with us! Follow along for some updates from around the world: Egypt Matt Swartz, Director of Foundations Training, just returned from Egypt where he connected with leaders of the largest Evangelical church not only in Cairo, but in the entire Muslim world! This time together served as an opportunity to get to know one another’s ministry goals and to learn from each other. We will continue connecting and intend to be together again next February in Egypt, attending their annual conference in April to connect with leaders from all over the Muslim world. We are excited at the common goal we share for discipleship and look forward to seeing where God takes this relationship. Mexico Foundations Trainers Matt Swartz and Bruce Ciotta return to Tabasco, Mexico this month to continue our work with the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. They will be complete 9 training workshops in 3 cities, spanning 6 days. These workshops continue to expand the shared vision between Developing Workers and our ministry partners to see local churches in Mexico multiply disciples. Our key partner in Mexico, Pastor Juan Marcos, has expressed that this movement of implementing discipleship in the churches continues to aggressively expand into new states of Mexico. Praise the Lord! In May, trainers Matt Swartz and Mike Fike plan to launch new training centers in the North of Mexico. Please pray for God to give us both wisdom and trainers as we seek to seize this unique opportunity we have in Mexico. In June, our Mobilize team under the leadership of Kelly Ramsland will venture for the first ever Mobilize Medical trip to southeastern Mexico. Please pray for good fruit in disciple-making to spring forth in the lives and communities of the ministry leaders that are trained. Pray for the continued preparation and connections for the team and our ministry partners there as we seek to engage both remote and rural parts that are currently underserved and in need. Zambia This month, Michael Parker will launch Foundations Training in Lusaka, Zambia with Pastor Mulenga Chella and Christ Life Church. Christ Life Church is committed to making an impact in Sub-Saharan Africa by meeting physical needs and also planting churches throughout Zambia to impact people’s lives spiritually. This training will impact many Zambian leaders and set the stage for future partnership and training. The time in Zambia will include a Mobilize Medical clinic lead by a team through Kelly Ramsland. Together with our ministry partners, Developing Workers will work to bring healing and share the Gospel in underserved villages there. Matt Swartz will return and continue with Workshop 2 in June as he leads a training team with Rock Point Church. Please pray that God will open hearts and minds to receive these trainings and also a spirit of willingness to implement what is learned. Pray for the engagement of the many physical needs as our team utilizes medicine in the impoverished areas to serve and bring the good news of salvation in Jesus. Learn more about the 3 arms of ministry at Developing Workers: Leader Coaching and Development Foundations Training Mobilize Medical
The Good News for Tanzania & Nigeria
Developing Workers exists to mobilize ministry for discipleship – both locally and globally. This month, we’ve sent teams to actively serve abroad with Mobilize Medical and Foundations Training. Hear more about the impact Mobilize had in Tanzania, and pray with us for the Foundations Training in Nigeria. Pray as Nigeria is Engaged for Discipleship Trainers Matt Swartz and Greg Jones are on the field in Nigeria, ready to train pastors in the Foundations discipleship workshops from January 23-27. During their time there, our team will have 2 days with the leaders who DW trained last year, working through the Story of God workshop with them, also coaching them in their faith and development as leaders. Additionally, our trainers will be working through the first 3 Foundations workshops with a new group of pastors. Pray with us for great fruit from this time – that ministry leaders would walk away encouraged and empowered for discipleship; that our team would be strengthened and effective for their days of ministry in training sessions and ministry with national leadership. Returning from Tanzania Thank you for praying for our team headed to Tanzania! God has done great things. As the team traveled overseas, we sought your prayers for a safe arrival to where the team needed to be in the midst of many potential flight delays and complications. Praise the Lord – the team all arrived with every piece of luggage they set out with! The results are astounding: of the 723 patients this short-term team saw and met with, 165 came to faith in Jesus as their Savior! Dozens were treated for pneumonia, and some were treated for malnutrition. Through the Community Safety Initiative, 17 Tanzanians who were identified as at-risk for abuse or trafficking are now able to connect with a trained local HERO that will walk closely with them. While the days of medical clinics are complete, our Mobilize team is still on-the-ground, continuing their connections with our ministry partners there and preparing to leave. Pray for their last couple days in nation and for a safe departure and arrival home. Thank you for joining us in prayer! Mobilize Medical is the medical outreach component of Developing Workers. We partner with churches around the world providing much needed medical care in impoverished areas. As we host medical clinics, we are drawing in the community so the church can connect with people in the area and share the gospel. Read more about opportunities with upcoming trips or donate to Mobilize Medical today!
Praise & Prayers – Zanzibar and Cambodia
We praise God for the work He has done through our current teams in Zanzibar and Cambodia. Read on to here these reports and continue praying! Zanzibar Reports and Continued Needs Thank you for praying for the arrival of our team members and luggage. Everything and everyone arrived just in time! Knowing that our teams are serving out of Bible-teaching Christian churches in a predominantly Mu$lim region, it is a wonder that our clinics have had lines awaiting their turn to enter the doors of these places of worship. The churches that have faced persecution and mild disdain at-best are now serving and blessing their communities in a new facet via Developing Workers, drawing in members of the community by the dozens. A patient has had access to 3 main services from DW at the Mobilize Medical clinics: – Medical evaluation (including any vitamins and pharmaceuticals determined necessary that we have on-hand) – Screening for high-risk lifestyles of abuse and human trafficking (CSI) – Prayer and spiritual counseling, where the Gospel is shared and a patient can be prayed for one-on-one Each of these facets have been utilized in many of the lives of Tanzanian people coming for care. Our team reports: “Our Mu$lim friends are giving their life to Jesus! We are pairing them up with our CSI “Heroes” who have been trained to go through the Restoration workbook. One lady named A**a yesterday took her role very seriously. I was excited to see her go and talk with the three Mu$lim women who gave their life to Jesus and make plans to meet with them this week.” Pray for the team as they finish strong in their final day of clinic and in wrapping up details with ministry partners. Pray for the pastors who stay behind to continue the work amongst their people, that they would remain emboldened, encouraged, and empowered in the Spirit of God. Pray for those who have made new commitment to surrender their lives to Jesus. Pray they would grow and flourish, becoming devoted to His Word and His Way. Pray for their guidance and protection as the implications of making such a commitment comes with great sacrifice in their culture and region of the world. Cambodia Reports and Continued Needs We are praising God for the 65 leaders in Cambodia who have gathered for Foundations Training in how to multiply discipleship in their communities and churches. It is powerful to hear the testimonies of young leaders who grew up Buddhist and are now preparing to plant churches in rural communities throughout Cambodia! Our conversations on caring for the leader’s heart spiritually was a powerful moment to see leaders commit to not only leading others but also nourishing their own souls. Pray for the very real opposition these leaders and church planters face. Cambodia is only 1% Christian and many of these leaders showed up to training very weary from not seeing fruit in their ministry. Please continue to pray this will also be a week of restoration and healing for these leaders. God is at work in Cambodia! Mobilize Medical is the medical outreach component of Developing Workers. We partner with churches around the world providing much needed medical care in impoverished areas. As we host medical clinics, we are drawing in the community so the church can connect with people in the area and share the gospel. Through Foundations Training, we provide free training workshops, free discipleship material, and ongoing coaching and mentoring to help pastors identify and equip leaders in their churches who will help multiply a disciple-making movement through their church. Read more about opportunities with upcoming trips or donate to Mobilize Medical or Foundations Training today!
