‘Plug in’ to PE training event to grow disciples and your churches, pastors urged

Pastors who get plugged in to the Switched On mission now by sending people to the “First Steps Training in Decisive Follow Up Techniques” training workshop in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, July 25, will not only help to grow disciples but will also grow their churches, says seasoned evangelist Allan Verreynne.

“We are trusting God for at least 100 000 people to come to know Christ through the mission in August and the churches that are involved are the ones who will benefit most,” says Verreynne who is a member of the Steering Committe of the mission partnership between the wider church of Nelson Mandela Bay and African Enterprise.

He says Pastor Greg Smerdon, of Pietermaritzburg, who will be presenting the training on July 25, is proof of the benefit of getting “plugged in” to the mission. “Why? Because the last time there was a big event like this in Pietermaritzburg he was the sole pastor who got his people trained [in follow-up] and he reaped the benefit way over and above all the other churches that were involved.”

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Most comprehensive training package
Verreynne says he has been involved in evangelism and training for 42 years and a pastor for 23 years and the Switched On training material — including the First Steps Training in following-up new believers and the Evangelism Training from August 13 to 15 — is the most comprehensive evangelism training package he has ever come across.

The First Steps training is for free and will be presented at the Storehouse Church (36 Vitry Avenue, Lorraine) from 8.30am to 1pm on July 25. It is ideal for pastors, senior leaders, cell group leaders and will provide practical tools and techniques on how to follow up new believers and equip them to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

“It is transferrable training — practical, simple, that you can use — and that you can teach to somebody else. So, for example cell group leaders can go to the session on the 25th and go back to their groups and replicate what they have been taught. And so it just snowballs. If we are going to have 400 people at that training and they just go and teach it to another 5 people we are talking about 2 000 people who are trained and equipped to follow up somebody who has met the Lord Jesus Christ. “

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“I want to encourage the pastors. Don’t sleep. Get yourself going. Don’t be the cork in the bottle. Release your people — those who are eager and keen — and get them trained on the 25th so that you have a really high capacity group who can assist you in discipling  your people and who will be ready to counsel new believers coming out of the many different outreach events during the Switched On mission.”

You can get registration forms for the First Steps training by emailing your request to info@switchedon.org.za or by downloading them from the www.switchedon.org.za .

Newly trained evangelists and follow-up counsellors from local churches will play a key role in serving at outreaches to schools, the university, prisons, hospitals and clinics, taxi ranks, old age homes, businesses and professional offices, police stations, community halls and at open air and tent crusades during the Switched On mission week from August 16 to 22. They will also serve at opening and closing events at St George’s Park Cricket Stadium.

More details about the events, training and volunteer opportunities will be announced soon. You can follow the mission on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SwitchedOnNMB.