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LifeWay trains English-speaking consultants from 15 countries


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Thirty-five English-speaking Christian leaders from 15 countries were challenged to make changing lives their top priority during a Jan. 30-Feb. 2 training conference at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The leaders have agreed to serve as contract consultants with LifeWay. They will lead conferences for church leaders and local distributors on the use of LifeWay resources in equipping Christians to grow in their faith.

The workshop was the first training conference for English-speaking consultants conducted by LifeWay’s international department. Similar training for Spanish-speaking consultants was held in 1999 and 2000 and 55 consultants are now serving in 13 countries.

English-speaking consultants represented Australia, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, Kenya, Lebanon, Philippines and Latvia.

LifeWay resources in Spanish and English currently are available from local distributors and in local currency in approximately 70 countries.

“We are relying on people like you with a heart for the world who are willing to share part of your lives,” Luis Aranguren, director of the international department, said. You will be the fingers for LifeWay — touching lives.”

During the conference, participants attended workshops on the life development process as well as beginning, developing and multiplying progressive discipleship experiences. They were introduced to LifeWay resources in each discipleship category.

“Discipleship for me is a passion,” Aranguren said. “Discipleship is about relationships — a relationship with God and relationships with others. Discipleship is Jesus’ strategy for winning the world.”

Isaac Yim, a pastor from Malaysia, told employees in a LifeWay chapel service he is “a product of the Lottie Moon missions offering” collected each Christmas season for Southern Baptists’ international outreach. “We are linked to Southern Baptists by missionaries. We are able to continue what they left behind,” Yim said.

Discipleship “should not emphasize just teaching but should include bringing people to the likeness of Christ,” Yim said. “I believe the primary task of the church is to transform lives.”

Ted Warren, executive vice president and chief operating officer, told workshop participants LifeWay “made a commitment several years ago to be good stewards of the resources God has given us. We want to share these resources all over the world.”

LifeWay President James T. Draper Jr. said he told the presidential search committee in a 1991 interview, “If I were president, I would dream of a day when our resources were available all over the world.

“We readily admit we don’t have all the answers,” Draper continued. “We want to find ways to work with you, your nations and your people.”
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(BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS.

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