"to equip the saints for works of ministry..." (Eph. 4:12)

The Christian Church is growing at a staggering rate around the world. In no other generation has there been more people making a first-time commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. An estimated 50,000 - -80,000 people are giving their lives to Jesus every single day. This explosive growth is stretching the Church's established training structures. While at least 2.2 million pastoral leaders around the world are functioning as shepherds, only 5 percent of them are trained for pastoral ministry.

Our response to this great need in the body of Christ is to provide both training for ministry and the equipping for you to train others so that the numbers of both disciples and trained ministers can grow exponentially as is the need in our day.

We are setting up classes on Lystra Global so you can join with others for fellowship and support during your training and can be granted trainor status for each course you sucessfully complete. There are no fees for any of the courses - the cost is your time and dedication to the task of studying to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)

God's desire is always to train our lives, not just our minds. If we do not live what we are learning our learning is in vain. That is why we encourage you to study with others and open your heart and life up to them as you study. This is best done in person by gathering a group in your area to study together. Please indicate on the form below if you want to lead or join a study group in your area.

If you are unable to lead or join a study group in your area we will join you with an online study group through Lystra Global.

You can also sign up for other courses offered offered by the following online training institutes: Third Millennium; Online Bible College;Harvestime & Our Daily Bread Christian University. Some of these provide courses in a number of different languages.

For those called to missions or church planting we also recommend the course Sacrificial Succession. Discover the power of multiplication in serving your successors, sacrificing leadership for them and sustaining successors in hostile nations or environments.

When you study with us we can also give you a digital copy of the Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible and a huge discount on the Discovery Bible.

To Enrol please fill in this form (you may need to wait a moment for it to download if your internet connection is slow):

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Every member of the body of Christ is gifted and called to diakonía (that is to minister or serve; Spirit-empowered service guided by faith).

In serving (ministering to) God we are a royal priesthood:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

As members of Christ's body each and every one of us receives manifestation(s) of the Holy Spirit as He chooses to give them so that the whole body may benefit and be built up together (1 Cor. 12:7-12):

"the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same[b] Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.   But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.  For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ."

We also fulfil different functions within the body of Christ according to which gift(s) He graces each of us with (Rom. 12:4-8 BSB ):

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If someone’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a member of it.  And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then those with gifts of healing, of helping, of administrative guidance, and various tongues.

Likewise, it is God who gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip everyone in the body of Christ for works of service (ministry) through which the whole body of Christ will be built up (Eph. 4:11-12).

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ

Since every member is to be equipped to build up the body of Christ we are all exhorted to be burning with zeal for the greater gifts (1 Cor. 12:31)

But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.

But all of this is worthless without love motivating us to use everything for the benefit of others in the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 13) so that we all attain unity in the faith and Christlikeness (Eph. 4:13):

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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