What Now? What Next? - What's Next for Living on the Edge?

God promises to take the worst that we go through and use it for our best. It will trust the lien in just say God I'm open do what you want to do in today I want to tell you about how that actually has happened in the life and the ministry of living in stay with. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry start helping Christians live like Christian vapor in this program she brings his new series. What know what's next close by sharing the journey Living on the Edges than on the past 18 books, impacts of this ministry is directly applied to help support countless believers around the angel here, God has opened so many doors for Living on the Edge. We like to share with God's been doing that, but stewardship for today's program was we wrap up the series of what now what next, making disciples in the disrupted world. I just want to pause and I want to end this entire series by sharing some some pretty personal things that I pray will give you hope and give you encouragement during this last year year and 1/2 all the different things that happen. It's been a really really challenging time, but is not new, is not unprecedented.

God uses times like this, if we trust him.

You know I gave you that acronym about God's calling in my life and Living on the Edge to let's get back to Jesus right you know, let's make our focus Christ, not causes. Let's make our response, healing the hostility. Let's make our priority relationships, not just real estate or buildings or sort of, you know, big stuff that's happening. Let's make our attitude innovation not indignation. Let's make our passion substance not success by substance member.

I talked about the power of God's word inner life of really knowing him and making him known. And finally, our response is that God wants us to trust him, not technology, not waiting for the next miracle technology or the next silver bullet that's going to make everything wonderful and what I want to share today is out of our weakness. I've seen God pour out his power reveal himself do things that quite candidly.

I'm amazed I meet him in all of whether was mentoring individuals whether it was things we've done internationally, whether it's open doors in China, whether it's God working in people's lives like never before in their communication to us and so I wanted you to Sharon that because it's not something he quote did for me or our staff are our board. He did it for us.

Thousands and thousands of you are on the Living on the Edge team you that Living on the Edge family you've prayed and you've given and you've been a part of everything that were to share, so I just wanted to stop today and I'm not very good with details and I don't remember a lot really well and so I've asked Kara, president and chief operating officer Andrew Accardi to join me here in studio Andrew, good to see you buddy, Grace, Egypt, and he is really I tease and he is a Guru of strategy, organization, technology, and literally building organizations that fulfill their mission and so Andrew, I just thought rather than me bouncing all over the place as I tend to do. I would love for you. Maybe take a minute and let people know a little bit about you so they could hear your heart and then give a highlight of what God's done through us in the Living on the Edge family will get your grace be with you today and that's the great privileges to talk all the people who move in supporting and listening to us over the years and this has been an amazing year as I look back as someone who's a pastor's kid and I grew up living in the fishbowl if you will.

It's all very familiar with the church and ministry of the church and I think what God is doing throughout the world and it's it's exciting to see the role that we get to play what God is doing globally. In my years working with the Saddleback Church purpose driven Church, the purpose driven life or working in the wing of the church leaders. I've never been more excited. What's happening here Living on the Edge right now because he could see God's hand working, you know, every week, whether it's on the radio on the truth nearly 400,000 downloads millions of podcast downloads about a million people are listening every week while that's just amazing and only that it's increasing in others there's these rumors that the impact of radio might not be growing. Bullet is what we seen those marriages restored relationships, restored people overcoming anxiety when I'm really excited about is that people are applying with their learning and sharing it with other people is at the end of the day that's what really what were all about why I think about probably 18 months ago you and I and our executive team run assume call and I think the pandemic was about 10 days in and we were asking ourselves.

How do we help people and out of our conversation came this idea of a daily discipleship with chip mentoring people maybe could tell us a little bit about what happened from that very first idea to hear we are 18 months later, while first thing that happened was panic as I really do this thing in 10 days) it's it's the moment. So you need to respond to the moment and just this thing of what was God calling us to do is rally the troops and we do and since that time. Now we've released several daily discipleship's this last winter with true spirituality.

We had 35,000 people join with us, which was amazing. I hear something this most amazing spiritual growth is not done by hundred 56 character tweets. What were offering is you getting to spend time with chip one on one this last was over 17 days where you really learn to hear God's voice when you learn to respond to God's will is your life and I know a lease for me and I'm sure for many other people. Sometimes you like reading the Bible about what is going on here. This is by the way, this is in a Bible study. This is really about chip mentoring you to really live out God's unique calling in your life. And so when 35,000 people sign up for that is pretty cool it really is and I what I love, was that we had like 3000 comments at thousand prayer request yeah and by the way does prayer request don't go into like a virtual pile where we say, oh Lord, bless these people we get a handout that sometimes daily because of how many requested of command and then next to my name in every staff member's name is 234 request, and we pray for them that day and what I heard was people saying I'm hearing God's voice.

No one ever taught me how to study the Bible and I'm studying it and yeah it at first it was a little confusing but I did it each day each day each day and now well the word of God is open and I'm not just here" podcast and inspiration and people teaching I'm hearing God speak to me and I think that brings me greater joy than almost anything that we do because that was a break layer named Dave Marshall who my first year as a Christian every Tuesday morning came down and did that with me Andrew and I'm glad for seminarian learning Greek and Hebrew, and you know there was lots of good things that really what has always change my life has been getting up every morning meeting with God, and I still do Bible study and hear God's voice, the way Dave Marshall taught me and as an aside, because I don't know if Polly or any of the kids will get to hear this Dave at 84 years old. I just went to be with the Lord here about a month ago and you know to his legacy living on of discipling people one on one helping them really grow is just awesome.

So we start a daily discipleship and then we found that families were kind of stuck and our creative team did something that that was really really cool that help people share a meal in a way where they begin to share their faith and pass on the legacy of who Jesus is in the life of their moms and their dads yet so we called mealtime conversations and what we know as culture only wins when you checkout is apparent. And so when you're having feed conversations with her children. That's the number one thing that will lead towards the transmission of your faith. I got teenagers, older teenagers, and sometimes you have to like pretender trip over them a hug right there push you away with what they're really saying is I want you more than ever.

Yes, and so those conversations are more important than ever. And so that's what we did. Mealtime conversations also why we introduce these new intentional parenting cards just really simple tools that parents can use remind them of principles on a daily basis.

It just makes you intentional, you know, in the what we got into some of the thinking for you just to keep reminding what the research is overwhelming that when a family eats together that's in that informal time. How values get transferred from parent to child.

And there's been a lot of challenge that come with being cooped up in the same house not being able to go to school, trying to do your job at home along with you know kids underfoot and I think we had like 73,000 downloads.

That was like six months ago and we provided all that for free and I say all that for free. In other words, we didn't want to charge people any money to help them during a time of crisis, but I think it's probably appropriate to say thank you to thousands of people listening right now. We were able to do that because you gave and as you gave. We passed on those resources that we created to families and and the responses of mice. My favorite one is from Bangalore and I actually sent us a picture of the family doing it together with these little kids and you know we gave them little activities and ways to do it.

And again, who would have dreamed. I mean of course we wanted to serve America but like who would have dreamed that some of these things would get translated into 12, 14, 15, 20 languages, all within the last year year and 1/2 so again these are those you can't explain it apart from God's favor in an opening doors that's exactly right. I'm thrilled to just about the ability we've had to minister to pastor yet, pastors kids, so you know, as I mentioned in other certain pressures that come with being a pastor and I personally believe the pastors are some of the most underappreciated change agents in the world today is a lot of pressure on and so our heart is with them and so in the midst of COBIT on it.

I think it's best trip. If you tell the story about you know how we just help pastors in the Middle East that then went to India and then beyond yet.

In fact this series.

What now what next came after I did webinars for a full year with pastors and then that turned into an 08 or 10,000 pastors in 60 countries and so what we did is hightop this because pastors were asking me what what we do now what we want to open up the churches or its part online and there's all this division and as the Lord showed me that we need to get back to focusing on Jesus, God open these doors and it ended up more than just these webinars.

We created this resource called the art of survival and that's what I think I want people to hear is in the midst of the challenge rather than waiting for something to get better or waiting somehow for life to get back to normal. We came to the point where we realized when the world is falling apart. I mean, historically, that is when God moves in the most miraculous ways because in our human nature. Andrew, we are just more open were willing to change. We see our need our our arrogance in our idols get revealed for what they are and we realize we need God we need Jesus. And I think what were experiencing is an explosion of people saying we don't need to hear the gospel one more time. We need to know how we follow Jesus. How do you experience the peace that he promised in the love that he promised in the joy that he promised and then these pastors are saying I'm stuck. I'm hurting will you help me know what should I preach and how should I preach it and be honest with you I been so excited. Like you I think I'm doing this for a while and then a pastor for over 35 years I have never been more excited than I am right now to get to do what God is calling us to do. It's amazing times it is. It's counterintuitive right yes it is the me when things feel down there. It's the most opportune time and we've never had more people pray. We have never had more people be more generous. I mean at a time when you would think Christian would say I get a plate really close to the vest.

Right now we have had the strongest response to pray with us about this of people giving generously that have allowed us to do what God called us to do in this moment in history. I was talking to a guy, maybe a month or so ago and he had a really interesting comment. We got up from the lunch and he looked at me and he said the time is now. So what he mean he said he said you know I've watched the world and in he's retired now was very successful in business. He said I don't want to find myself not getting in on what God is doing and so he said, let me know literally when this match comes on it. Help build it because I think we need to step out like never before. This window may never come again like this in our lifetime and we really responded and said you know what we agree and were going to go for like never before. I like to spend the rest of our time talking about the three literally God's size goals that the Lord has given us to move forward.

Andrew, could you walk us through those three things.

Maybe we could talk a little bit about what they are and why redoing them absolutely have the first one is that were committed to doubling the reach were teaching ministry in the next 24 months. Well, that's big is a big goal who dissents we have to do it. The times required and then and and then how it's really there's really three ways obviously were the strategy is primarily a digital one.

So we want to go where your kids and grandkids are listening and create some new programming for them.

So were looking at podcast working at varying programs on YouTube were looking at increasing our reach on you version healed from many of you have it right on your phone is the Bible lab got about I just saw the numbers about a million people of now signed up for our reading plans. Thousands upon thousands are going through daily discipleship, which is also when you version in socialist.

It's just another great way which people who supported the ministry have enabled us to get onto a brand-new platform that is reaching literally around the world.

I saw the statistics in Brazil. Who would've thought I hundreds of thousands of people in Brazil or are doing a replay of while well we can plan that that's what God does.

Just amazing. So you think about podcasting is really growing rapidly. YouTube is really growing rapidly. You version is really growing rapidly growing teaching content in those channels to enable us to reach a whole new group of people and one of the things that excites me and I'm sure people have been listening to my son Ryan is done two or three series. Recently we had John Dickerson on his young millennial bright communicator, Ottoman will be with us. It's exciting to me to begin to have a teaching team at Living on the Edge sword that come out of different decades and different backgrounds that can really the DNA of Living on the Edge isn't Chip Ingram's personality.

It's discipleship is helping Christians live like Christians and I believe that if were going to broaden and reach the next generation. I certainly have things I want to saying that God wants me to say but I I'm seeing some the young communicators that the Lord really wants to use that you bring into the full Lord willing, and let our our audience in our family and their kids and grandkids grow through what they have to say. You know, our second big dog size goal is were committed to doubling our one-on-one mentoring through daily discipleship the next 24 months we just started this, why not just double right off the bat. So our goal 250,000 people going deep into applying God's word over the next couple of years.

By the way, that will change things that really will well change your life will change your church will change your community if you really are starting to hear God's voice.

It changes things. Yet the research is overwhelming Andrew that people that are in the Bible regularly four times or more, let alone studying it like were teaching them life changes their marriage changes the parenting changes.

If your boss you're different, boss. If you're an employee you work in a different way for an audience of one.

I am so excited and of all the things I get to do. I mean, I loved it. You know, teach elective great small group that I really it did turns my crank if you will to get to sit down with a cup of coffee in an open Bible one-on-one with people and help them learn to hear the very voice of the living God, because that's what changes her life and I think you would say for people been listening for one to five years and they're asking the themselves not tripled you happy. Do next. All that would be it daily discipleship. That's the next step. Any listener who is listening right now. Go to living on the outside or inside of her daily discipleship and what I'm finding is people this cool stuff now, even with adult kids like they go through it individually and then a get together on a zoom call as a family or around the table little bit later. I think it has lots of application to help people grow but also to help people disciple others talking some pastors right now about a work it's it's available it's free, why not. I'm glad to mentor the individuals in your church to help them grow so they fulfill the kingdom agenda in the church where you're at here and all around the world so I can get off on this because this is getting translated in a number of other languages and we got some really big plans for that as time is slipping away. What's the third of big goal. The gods given us well were committed to training 250,000 pastors in the US around the world the next five years to grow. High-impact churches. It's such a huge need. Were talking about disciple making churches were not talking about churches that are effective in building a crowd. It's how you grow.

People deep spiritually so they have an impact in their world and I've been a lots of pastors conferences and I think events are very important, but this is just an event. This is a training. This is helping the pastor and his personal life. The pastor and his preaching, the pastor and how I take a small group of people disciple them. How does our church see lost people come to Christ regularly found people grow to maturity and how do we as a church partner with other churches to meet the deepest needs in our community. That's a high-impact church and the doors opening for this coming week talked about the miracles in China and in the Middle East but were going into four new major areas and maybe you can help me with them. I know can you can you in the amazing relationship growing in Kenya, the Middle East, of course, we've been in for a while but Central America India. India has been so ravaged by covert mean that neither so desperate and that's one of the reasons were bringing our survival and their but our investment in I think what makes us different is that we don't just parachute and do some training leave take some pictures where there to build relationships with people. So when we go into a country or region. We want to make sure that were supporting them for the long haul for a relationship oriented not just training and resources which are very important but we want people to leave when we leave. They have someone who is trained to be able to teach what we dig that circle where Andrew, thanks for joining me today. We've been talking about this match.

All this month and it is very very important, but I wanted you all to know what we do with this money, why are we asking them to support us.

I wanted them to have a very clear picture that God is working in Living on the Edge.

She's working in them. I want them to know that as they pray about what they should do what they should give. I want to know where it was going to go and why.

And so with that father I ask you, would you give hope and help to the people that today there struggling in their hurting and their challenged. Would you use this this message of this day to remind them that in our dark moments you leaned in and you were listening and as we took baby steps toward you. You've done miraculous things and you want to take the worst situation in all of our lives if we would trust you and bring out good. So father we ask that you allow us to double our audience in 24 months, we ask you to allow us to double those we mentor one-on-one and we ask you for the rich privilege to impart and train and encourage and give life and hope to pastors all across the world. And so it's to that end, we pray and learn. I would pray for those listening today that you would speak to them that you would encourage them first and foremost in their life and their walk with you in the Lord as they would pray and ask what part might you want them to play in the ministry of Living on the Edge their hearts and minds of the Lord they would just every show will I hope you've been incurred by what ship and shared today as was said multiple times throughout this program. We've been away by the ways God has used this ministry all throughout the world.

If you'd like to learn more about the work of Living on the Edge go to LivingontheEdge.org and read our latest vision report and expounds on many of the points Andrew Winship touched on ensures what are very specific God sized goals are moving forward again.

That vision report can be found on our website LivingontheEdge.org as we wrap up today's program.

I want to say thank you to those who make this program possible through your generous giving of you've been blessed by chips, teaching, and you like to bless others in the same way. There's never been a better time because thanks to some very generous friends of the ministry.

When you make a donation during the month of December. It'll be matched dollar for dollar. If today's your day to join the team. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call at AAA 83336003 that's AAA 333-6003, on behalf of everyone here.

Thanks in advance for your generosity well until next day.

Very saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge