We believe God uses local churches led by godly, well-trained leaders to change lives, communities and nations for Christ. That’s why PPI focuses on encouraging, training and resourcing church leaders in Haiti and other developing countries. That’s why we’re committed to offering six foundational courses to international pastors.

We pray and prepare each PPI course to:

• Ground church leaders in key Biblical truths such as the inspiration of Scripture and the gospel
• Move their hearts to live out these truths in their personal lives and their churches for God’s glory
• Further develop pastors’ study skills using the Thompson Chain Reference Bible
• Reinforce Christ-like character and godly habits of life
• Refine ministry and leadership skills and wisdom

Our courses are foundational. We intend for pastors to build on what they’re learning through further study, ministry experience and fellowship with other church leaders. Our training doesn’t replace or compete with Bible college or seminary education, rather we work to complement and encourage more formal ministry training. But the hard truth is, MOST front-line church leaders in poor countries lack access to formal ministry training. That’s why we take foundational ministry training to them!

All that guides us as we put together our PPI courses.

I just finished writing Course 3 – Leading Jesus’ Church (Mission and Strategy). We’ll offer this twice in December in Haiti. What foundational Biblical truths about the church and its mission do pastors need to understand well, believe to their toes, and practice with excellence? What practical wisdom and skills do pastors need to live out and lead their congregations based on those truths? I asked myself these two questions repeatedly in writing this course, and I prayed fervently that the Lord would guide me in answering them. I’m excited about the result!

A Few Highlights

Here are a few highlights to give you a taste of the content of this course.

• From the introduction:

In 30 years’ time, the early church carried the good news about Jesus to the known world. They won thousands of people to Christ, discipled them, raised up leaders and planted churches. These new churches carried on this same mission. They accomplished all this despite problems, poverty and persecution!

How did they do it? What made the early church so effective? How can our churches make that kind of impact today? In this course, we will learn from Scripture the principles and practices of Jesus’ church so that each of our churches can be a New Testament church in our generation to the glory of God.

• Scriptures we study in-depth:
  • Matthew 16:13-18
  • Acts 1-2
  • Matthew 28:16-20
  • Ephesians 4:7-13

• Some of the “topic chains” we study in Thompson Bible:
  • The mission of Jesus
  • The church established by God
  • Christ, the Head of the church
  • The church’s mission
  • Spiritual maturity and Spiritual immaturity

• Key assignments: 

• • ASSIGNMENT 8 (with your group) – Maturity or Immaturity. Study the topics Spiritual maturity [997] and Spiritual immaturity [998] (Fr. Maturité spirituelle [1051] and Immaturité spirituelle [1052]). Based on your study, write your definition of a true disciple of Jesus.

• • ASSIGNMENT 9 (with your group) – Church programs and making disciples? Everything your church does should fulfill Jesus’ mission of making disciples. Everything! Which of your church programs best 1) help people understand and respond to the gospel or 2) help people grow to maturity in Christ or 3) both? Which programs could you improve to make disciples better? Write your answers below.

  • ASSIGNMENT 11 (with others from your church or alone) – My Church’s Strategy. Write a strategy for your church. Make it biblical and practical. Feel free to use your notes from other assignments in this course.

Translation and Printing

Pastor Isaiah and his team just finished their initial translation of Course 3 into the Creole language. This week and next, we will collaborate on the final translation, then I will format the Creole workbook, double-check everything then send it to the printer. It’s a labor of love – and we pray has great impact on the pastors, churches and communities of Haiti!

You’re invited to an upcoming PPI Intro to the Thompson Bible workshops. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible is used to train pastors around the world. Come and find out why! This Bible is a unique tool that gets you into God’s Word for yourself, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. It’s easy and fun to use, and this two-hour workshop will show you how!

There is no cost for the workshop. All materials and refreshments are provided by PPI. Thompson Bibles will be available for sale after the workshop at our cost. Please be sure to RSVP.

I barely held it together in two communion services this summer. The Lord spoke powerfully to me through His Word – though the services could not have been more different. RSVP HERE for our PPI Cookout/Update on Weds, Sept 7 from 6-9pm.

The first communion service took place in Haiti last month. We joined Esau at his church, Église Chrétienne La Boussole (The Compass Christian Church), where he is associate pastor. Esau led us to chairs behind the pulpit and near the praise team. This is the place of honor accorded to visiting pastors, and usually where we’re asked to sit when we attend Haitian churches. On this morning, we had a front row seat to communion preparations. WATCH a video of this post.

While the praise team led the congregation in song, a deacon and deaconess (pictured) carefully unwrapped containers of broken bread. Then as the deacon steadied the tray, the deaconess slowly, lovingly poured wine into each glass, one by one, as I watched.

That’s when it hit me.

I fought back tears as the Lord reminded me that He poured out His life so that we could have not only peace with God but also peace with one another! I looked around me. Three sweaty American believers worshipping the Savior of the World with some 50 Haitian men, women, teens and children. “In this moment, we are a picture of what You died to accomplish,” I thought. I thanked the Lord as the tears flowed. “Lord, you poured out your life to give us peace with God and peace with one another.” Esau then stepped to the microphone, quoted Paul’s teaching on communion in 1 Corinthians 11, and led us in sharing the bread and wine together as Jesus’ people.

After communion, the pastor asked me to greet the church (another common practice in Haiti). As part of my greeting, I read Ephesians 2:13-19:

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility . . .”

Last Sunday we shared in communion at a church here in Michigan, my second communion this summer. We sat with the congregation instead of on a platform – which I prefer – and received an all-in-one communion packet. You’re not in Haiti anymore, Dorothy! Like Esau, this pastor read from 1 Corinthians chapter 11. He also included verses 17-22 and did an excellent job explaining the background of Paul’s teaching about communion. He told us that churches met in homes in Paul’s day, often the larger homes of wealthy people because they could accommodate more people. Paul called Corinthian believers on the carpet for their hypocrisy in eating the Lord’s Supper. Sophisticated church members were feasting in one room, probably attended by servants, and leaving scraps – or nothing at all – for more common believers in other rooms.

That really hit me! Too often we limit Scriptures like this to our own local churches – and certainly God is speaking here to our local churches. But what if verses like 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 also apply to the larger Body of Christ? To the relationships between American Christians and Haitian Christians, for example? I have no doubt they do.

I fought back tears again. “Lord, help us to honor our brothers and sisters in Christ in places like Haiti,” I prayed. “Make it our joy to give them more of the feast, while we’re willing to eat more scraps!”

As our Savior poured out His life for us so He calls us to pour out our lives for one another.

I’d love to beam each of you into one of our training courses so you can see it for yourselves. The eagerness, energy and struggle then understanding and joy – church leaders experience all these emotions as they participate in our courses. Especially in Course 1. We want you to see PPI training in action. Through this video you can!