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
Discipleship Transforms Communities
Our Foundations Director, Matt Swartz, and volunteer trainer, Greg Jones, returned from Nigeria a few weeks ago. It was a busy and full time of training. We are praising God for how He is moving in the lives of ministry leaders there! Matt and Greg were able to re-connect with 30 leaders that they had trained last year. 25 of those 30 leaders are now implementing discipleship in their local church ministries! We are celebrating these 25 leaders who are multiplying a disciple-making movement through their church. Many leaders shared their stories of how they began to practice discipleship. Their testimonies were deeply personal and humbling. Some of them made statements like, “I am only discipling one leader right now…” and we had the opportunity to celebrate this amazing victory! Please pray for these leaders to continue discipling in their local churches and expanding their influence in inviting other pastors to join them. Not only were Matt and Greg able to re-connect and pour into the 30 leaders from last year’s training, they were also able to train a new group of 30! The new group of leaders were so inspiring. They were younger than the first group, and they were all pastors and leaders personally invited to attend the training from the first group! This made for an energetic and highly engaged group. The discussions were lively. The questions were extremely practical. And the hunger for training and connection were evident. The highlight from this group for Matt was the time of prayer at the end of training where they prayed for wisdom and courage to practice disciple making. Would you pray with us that these young leaders would not only be excited about the training, but also be filled with joy as they see the power of discipleship in their personal lives and ministries? One-on-one Discipleship Multiplies to Communities Your prayers and financial generosity are transforming communities! For many of these young Nigerian pastors, this was the very first training they have ever received. They are hungry and eager to learn, and they long to see their communities transformed. Thank you for all you do to see this work end discipleship poverty. Without prayer and without resources we cannot continue. The level of spiritual oppression Matt and Greg experienced in Nigeria was intense and real. Your financial gifts and prayers support us, and support the leaders we invest in. Thank you. If you are not already part of our Prayer Team, join us and stay up to date on current prayer requests. Join Our Prayer Team
Celebrating and Preparing
Happy New Year to you and yours! Developing Workers is off to a full-speed start this year with ready hearts and hands. Thanks to the continued faithful giving of our community of supporters, we will continue the work of discipleship locally and globally in 2023. Celebrate with us: through our matching gift and your generous donations, we raised over $100,000 at year-end! Off to Africa This week, our Mobilize team of staff and volunteers heads to Tanzania. They will offer 5 days of medical clinic to the underserved people in the area and connect them to their local church. Each day spent serving, our Mobilize Medical team will travel out to a community in the area, partnering with the local church leaders. The medical clinics they lead provide medical exams, nutritional assessments, de-worming, vitamins, dental hygiene instruction, medicine, and community safety (CSI) evaluations. Every patient is led through spiritual counseling and has the opportunity to be connected with the local church for follow up and discipleship. Through the tool of medicine, many will be blessed and impacted by sowing seeds of the Gospel! Pray with us! 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!
No Luggage in Zanzibar
Our wonderfully larger-than-usual Zanzibar team travels in a variety of shifts for the September medical mission trip there, and our first group has just arrived. Unfortunately, their luggage has not. Would you pray with us for the arrival of all necessary luggage, safe travels for the team, and the valuable details of the trip? 15 Bags Missing & Prayers Needed The first group of our Zanzibar team arrived safely! But they’re missing the 15 bags they checked-in. Will you pray with us for the bags to arrive tomorrow without any issues? Our team needs their belongings as well as the many materials necessary for the medical clinics they will run. The next 2 travel groups of Zanzibar team members will leave from Phoenix over the next 2 days. Will you pray for safety in their travels as well as the arrival of their additional luggage? We are sending a large team of 34 people! Will you pray for the team as they arrive and begin to serve? Pray for strength and endurance, for unity of the Spirit and love for one another, for a clear lead from the Lord in each of their interactions with locals through the clinic. May many of the over 1,000 Tanzanian people expected find healing in body and soul, coming to worship Jesus in Spirit and Truth! 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!
Transformation in Kenya
As a Mobilize Medical team heads out, they go knowing they can bring medicine to treat and relieve symptoms, to dress wounds, and to bring comfort. However, our team preparing now for Kenya was recently reminded by Kelly Ramsland, director of Mobilize, that there is much more entailed in their work. “We can go and give out medicine, dress wounds, and make them feel good, OR we can also pray for healing of every ailment, wound, pain, and disease – that every unwanted circumstance would be TRANSFORMED; that fear would be defeated in Jesus name; that a spirit of power and revival would sweep through these churches and villages. (We pray for) breakthrough from every stronghold, every social situation that needs to be resolved – (that) each violation would be made right; that each trauma would be addressed and laid before the throne, and that restoration and hope would fill their hearts. (We) pray that each malnourished child we encounter would be fed. (We) pray that we would have the faith to witness miracles all in the name of Jesus. But most of all, that they would see and know they are loved by a Savior who gave His life for them. (We) pray for TRANSFORMATION.” Our team leaves the States April 22, bound for 2 weeks abroad in Kenya. Pray with us for the remainder of the preparation, that each team member would be fully-funded and in good health and strength for this journey. We ask especially for prayers for our trip leader, Kelly, who recently underwent knee surgery and needs continued prayer for full healing. It’s Developing Workers’ desire to come alongside our hosting ministry partners to support and encourage what they are already doing. Pastor Wilson, our host in Kenya, also emphasized a great desire for transformation as a result of the time Developing Workers has with his community. He explains, “Physical transformation is part of well being after (the) sick are attended to by doctors and the medical team. Spiritual transformation is reaching them through evangelism when they come for treatment. The outcome will be expecting all people will be holistically transformed… they are struggling in culture, whereby we need them be transformed from their culture to godly culture.” Will you commit to pray for the transformational work that is done in Kenya from April 22 – May 3? The work like this done by and through our short-term Mobilize Medical trips is made possible through volunteers and charitable contributions. Interested to learn more? Get notified about upcoming trips or support Mobilize Medical today!
Refugee Response: The remnant in Poland bringing hope to Ukrainians
Our prayer team has been praying with us for our team members, Matt and Onalee Swartz, as they are in Poland looking for the best means to support the church leaders and ministry there. We invite you today to join the efforts of this work through prayer. They arrived last week and immediately saw the impact of the crisis of the war in Ukraine, as evidence of the upheaval and great needs of refugees color the landscape of each city they’ve traveled through. Phillipians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Pray for wisdom. The need in Poland – and surely in the many surrounding nations receiving refugees – is extensive. All over Europe, specifically in Poland, women and children are being housed in arenas and convention centers awaiting options to find a more permanent place to rebuild a life. Almost all men are not allowed to leave Ukraine, so the refugees are almost all women and children. In the photo above, Matt and Onalee are seen with a Ukrainian couple living in Poland who are risking their lives taking supplies in to Ukraine. Pray for this couple and those like them whose burden for the Ukrainian people puts them in the face of real danger regularly. Our team relays stories of the overwhelming gratitude of those they came to serve. The resources are very limited and services under-supplied, so every bit of help is received with humble hearts. Matt shares, “It felt like such a small pebble in the ocean, and yet the worker(s) (were) so grateful for what we brought.” Pray for a clear lead from the Holy Spirit to know where to plug in and respond. Poland is responding to the very real needs of Ukrainians. Working with our ministry partners in Poland, our team delivered supplies to an arena that hosts anywhere from 150 to 700 people a day. The Polish evangelical church is reaching out in love and sacrifice. And our team is there to support their work. This week, the church put on a concert for Ukraine. Remember: Poland is among the most unreached countries in Europe. Less than 0.02% profess to be followers of Christ. The concert packed in over 400 people, and a number were Ukrainian refugees who attended because the Polish people are housing many in their own homes. During the concert, the refugees were invited to stand and be prayed over. Watch the video on our Facebook page, and praise God with us for this moment as the song, “The Blessing”, was sung and prayed over them!
Mountain Movers
Our Mobilize Medical teams travel to underserved areas of the world, ready to serve and ready to see God move. While the teams work together to meet the physical needs of the hurting people in the communities they assist, they also walk many through spiritual counseling and seek to bring salvation to the lost. They commit themselves to prayer – sometimes even audacious prayers asking the Lord to do the seemingly impossible. Hear the results of a recent Mobilize Medical team’s mountain moving prayers and the community who was impacted by them. Last fall, our Mobilize team traveled to Tanzania to work alongside our partners there and provide a medical clinic. The team met a pastor there, a man known as a fervent and unstoppable prayer warrior. Three weeks before our team arrived on the trip, the pastor had a motorbike accident that left him with a crushed elbow. It was so severely injured and painful that he could hardly moved and cried out to the Lord in prayer, day and night. Worlds collided as he came to the clinic in hopes of receiving help. Together, our team prayed with him and cried out to our God, the Mover of Mountains, the great Healer and Provider. Developing Workers Mobilize Medical was able to provide funds for the surgery he so desperately needed. He was treated for an infection they found, and he underwent surgery. All this was, of course, in hopes of providing the relief and care our brother in Christ so desperately needed. What’s more, though, is that these procedures were necessary to restore the use of his arm and allow him to continue traveling from spot to spot in ministry. The results of this trip and the outpouring of care, financial support for this pastor, sowing seeds of truth and in prayer are already visibly evident. Our pastor friend is healed and actively involved in his ministry again, testifying to the goodness of the Living God who sent Mobilize Medical to this Tanzanian village. What’s more, the partners we work with there also attest to the mountains that were moved in prayer and service – more than 90% of the people in the community there attribute healing they’ve experienced to the work of this Mobilize Medical team and the God they serve. Praise Him with us! When God calls us to do His work, He goes before us and hems us in on all sides, He heals, He restores and He provides. If stories like these from the Mobilize Medical branch of Developing Workers move you with a desire to serve or send more volunteer workers, reach out today.
Heading to Kenya
What is God calling you to in 2022? Developing Workers is returning to one of our most beloved communities as we send a Mobilize Medical team to Kenya this spring. Since 2007, Developing Workers has maintained a close relationship and partnership with several of the communities in Kenya. We are beyond excited that in April of 2022, we are returning again! All types of volunteers are needed for this trip. We’re looking for medical and non-medical participants to join us. We will be providing much needed medical care in impoverished areas while also providing a platform to assist the church in reaching their communities with the gospel. Is God calling you to join us? Come be a part! Prayer Team. Calling all intercessors! We know the Lord’s work faces obstacles and resistance in many forms. We’re looking for prayer warriors to help us in this battle as we desire the Lord’s lead in all things. Please respond today, and we’ll include you in our insider Prayer Team e-newsletter list.
Celebrate and Engage
Thank you. Thank you for faithfully praying, giving, following, encouraging, sharing about, and remembering the work of Developing Workers. Did you know we didn’t only meet our 2021 year-end giving goal of $50,000? By God’s grace, we also exceeded our goal by thousands of dollars! We enter 2022 with great hope and more fully equipped than ever before for the work of ending discipleship poverty. Thank you for being a part of God’s generous provisions to continue this calling. Psalm 67:2-3 “That Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You!” Prayer Team. Calling all intercessors! We know the Lord’s work faces obstacles and resistance in many forms. We’re looking for prayer warriors to help us in this battle as we desire the Lord’s lead in all things. Please respond today, and we’ll include you in our insider Prayer Team e-newsletter list. Amazon Smile. Give while you shop! With each purchase you make, you can opt for Amazon to donate 0.05% to Developing Workers with no extra cost to you. Simply apply online or in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones. By designating Developing Workers as your charitable organization, a portion of every purchase made from your Amazon account will automatically be donated to our work. Employers Matching Gifts. See if your employer matches your charitable giving! Hundreds of companies will match employee’s donations made in honor of Developing Workers, doubling the impact of contributions. Simply follow the steps below: Partner: If you haven’t done so yet, make a financial contribution online or through your own personal donor portal. Search: To find out if your employer has a matching gift policy, enter your company’s name in the search box here. If your company is not listed, contacting your employer’s human resources department will reveal whether your company matches employee donations to nonprofit organizations. Fill In: Complete the donor/employee portion of the matching gifts form provided by your employer, noting your contribution to Developing Workers. Be sure to check deadlines for your employer in case these forms must be submitted by specific dates in order to qualify. Your employer will then send details to Developing Workers after your application is reviewed to complete a matched gift.
