An Introduction to International Steward

The emerging church around the world wants to do just that. And the world desperately needs His good news. This young church faces two realities; one very encouraging and the other very debilitating.

The encouraging news is that the potential for reaching millions in their own culture rests securely in the lives of nationals in settings of ministry leadership. These are men and women with exemplary dedication and unending commitment.

The debilitating reality is that the potential in these remarkable people lies dormant, unusable because of the economic dependence that has accompanied the birth of the emerging church. By default, this young church has become dysfunctionally co-dependent. Accompanying its birth has been the development of an unintended ecclesiastical welfare system … and her people are robbed of the "grace of giving".

Enter International Steward

It's a fresh approach to a harsh reality. INTERNATIONAL STEWARD (I.S.) pioneers the resolution to the stranglehold economic dependence has on ministries outside the borders of highly developed countries.

The Vision of I.S.		The Mission of I.S.
	Every ministry, in every community, locally funded and, every Christian a maturing steward.		Stewardship Training and Education for Worldwide Advancement in Resource Development
The Goals of I.S.
	To realize… 1) the completion of The Great Commission through the ministry leadership of nationals serving in their culture. 2) The commitment of Christians worldwide to full discipleship as stewards of God's resources and maturity in the grace of giving.

INTERNATIONAL STEWARD trains, equips, and mentors nationals who are currently or will be in the future in positions of ministry leadership. They lead their ministry and organization into financial vibrancy and freedom from stifling dependence on the western church.

The three primary thrusts of the I.S. initiative are:
	1. Current ministry leaders gathered together because of common financial challenges. These men and women attend the I.S. Leadership In Fund Development workshop. Their invitation comes from one of their peers who has volunteered to give regional leadership to the program. Following the Workshop they are invited to enroll in a two-year mentoring program that includes two additional advanced Workshops and several lessons delivered through the internet or postal services. 2. The academies of Christian higher education offering or hosting the offering of I.S. developed stewardship and fund development curriculum for credit or audit. Students and guests in these courses are also encouraged into the mentoring program. 3. Mission agencies desiring their field leadership trained for fiscal sustainability.
The four cornerstones of the curriculum are:
	1. The Biblical basis for fund development … dependency cannot survive this truth. 2. The necessity of strategic planning in ministry effectiveness … without a plan, tomorrow is today's victim. 3. The characteristics of organizational worthiness … good stewardship demands organizational integrity. 4. The basic principles of fund development … theory, principle and a plan of action.

With these cornerstones established, the ministry leader is ready to begin building a comprehensive fund development plan. Ministry expands as increased financial resources are realized. Of equal or greater significance is the growth of individual Christians in these countries as they begin to experience the grace of giving, a vital dimension of discipleship, that will be absent as long as it is perceived that all resources come from "outside".

The introduction of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD has been quickly followed by a resounding chorus of requests for "what I.S. does". It has become obvious that freedom from economic dependence (and from its accompanying emotional codependence) and the empowering that follows financial vitality are dynamics that are both desperately needed and enthusiastically embraced.

Freeing the emerging church from economic bondage is a goal that must be approached from several directions. Initially INTERNATIONAL STEWARD concentrated primarily in the two-year mentoring program initiated by the basic Workshop … Leadership In Fund Development. That program is achieving exceptional results. By adding to it the training hosted by seminaries, colleges and mission agency sponsored mentoring, I.S. has further augmented this program. These additions include:

	1. The implementation of a matching challenge grant that moves the Workshop participants from theory to practice.
	2. Recruiting, training and supervising nationals, in strategic settings, who will thoroughly learn and experience fund development so that eventually they can train their peers.
	3. Development of an interactive web page that would host distance education and training for nationals beginning their fund development ministries.
	4. Assisting ministries led by nationals in the organization and implementation of capital fund efforts.
	5. Formation of the International Stewardship Council comprised of development officers in North America who will give counsel to curriculum formation and offer at least one week a year to teach stewardship and fund development in an international setting.
	6. The development of alternative delivery systems (video, DVD, programmed instruction) allowing the mentoring to be initiated and completed in limited access settings.

I.S. is committed to the eventual replacement of the funds flowing from the "west" with a vast network of effective ministers of stewardship in every country that hosts the emerging church. God's people, whether in villages of poverty or high-rises of wealth, must become effective managers of God's resources in order to live His life to the fullest and in order to locally fund The Great Commission. This imperative is the heartbeat of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD.