How training trainers well multiplies gospel workers around the world
On the surface, how does a person go from church member, to ministry apprentice, to theological student, to ministry worker? They just get started and it all flows – right? It’s a bit more involved than that!
We’re peeling back the curtain on how the work of the MTS team enables more and more people to go into vocational ministry well trained and supported.
One person who plays a big part in this is Russell Smidt!
Russ is our MTS Director of Training and the person responsible for seeing MTS trainers be equipped and sustained in their training ministry.
Russ says, “My job is to help trainers be great trainers. And that’s everything from helping pastors set up apprenticeships at their church, recruit an apprentice, train an apprentice well, and keep getting better and better at training and practices.”
The role sees Russ spend his time empowering and equipping pastors and other ministry workers to be their best as trainers. This includes resource development and training through events and conferences put on by MTS and its partners, but it also involves a lot of time with people in ministry.
He shares, “A typical day or week has lots of one-to-one interactions with trainers all over the country. Almost all of that happens via Zoom. Four to six hours a day, I still spend on Zoom and I love it!”
At MTS we have seen how enabling effective ministry trainers enables well-trained apprentices who become valuable ministry workers in countless churches, mission fields and ministries around the globe. And through the work of Russ and other members of our team, trainers and their apprentices get the resources, mentoring and longer-term vision they need!
Russ explains, “Often when I talk to a trainer, they’re thinking about one particular person who has an interest, or an ability to come alongside them in a training. As I talk to the minister they then see not just one person, but 25 years of apprentices that can be raised up. And they also start to see that it’s no longer about one enthusiastic person, MTS helps our pastors to see that this is a whole church commitment to a future of gospel workers being raised up.”
From one trainer starting with one apprentice, there is a vision to be sown of countless gospel workers coming from one church!
This MTS Head Office support for the training of trainers is just ONE way that our team enables effective ministry trainers, and in turn, sees more workers raised up for the harvest. And we need your support to continue multiplying the number of MTS trainers who are trained to take on ministry apprentices throughout Australia.
Give to the MTS EOFY Harvest appeal and empower MTS to pursue our ministry with confidence, allowing us to continue growing the MTS movement of trainers and apprentices in response to Matthew 9:37-38.
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Not only that: your gift will help us continue to support trainers to be the best they can be, building longevity in training ministry and increasing the number of ministry apprentices who can be trained!
As Russ says so concisely, “The MTS movement is training. Without training MTS is nothing!”
For Russ, his prayer is for the continuing future of ministry training. He shares, “I pray that God will continue to raise up men and women who give themselves to training others, and that there is a wider Christian community who will support MTS to be able to help with that.”
We are seeing God answer this prayer. In the past 5 years we have seen ongoing growth in trainers numbers which in turn has brought ongoing growth in apprentice numbers! You can read more about this in our latest Impact Report.
But we need your help to meet the growth God is creating within the MTS movement.