* How did your ministry get started?

In January of 2000, God awoke me in the middle of the night and instructed me to help others speak well of His Son. That night my understanding of “doing the work of an evangelist” radically shifted. While I continue to make Christ known anywhere my two feet carry me, I spend a large portion of my time training and equipping other Christ followers to cherish Jesus before others in “irresistible” ways.

* What have you learned from your experiences of guiding God’s people into outward focused living?

I began the journey with somewhat of a cynical view that most Christ followers were “wimping” out when it came to sharing their faith. As I’ve listened to the heart of God’s people, I’m convinced that most have the will, they just lack the skill. Furthermore, many have opted out due to the “resistible” kinds of evangelism they have been exposed to. One of my most gratifying moments takes place when someone says to me something like “For the first time in my life, I’m truly excited about evangelism because you have talked about in a way that’s natural and doable.” Watching an “innie” transformed into an “outie” fires me up because I know the Kingdom of God will grow because of it.

* How did God’s GPS evolve?

After traveling to 36 different countries and throughout most of the U.S., I questioned the effectiveness of much of the evangelism I witnessed or participated in. It seemed like many ministries had one piece of the puzzle, but lacked the humility to admit that other pieces of the puzzle were missing in their equation. As I observed, listened, and prayerfully pondered the matter for years, I was sensed that the body of Christ was operating like the proverbial 7 blind men with the elephant. When asked to describe the elephant, each was convinced based on his experience that he had described the elephant accurately. Only someone with eyes to see could help them realize that they were only partially right. I have witnessed first hand what happens to God’s workers, and to the field they are working in when they are partially right. Evangelical frustration, fatigue, fear, manipulation, over emphasis on numbers, bruised fruit, inoculation, and unbelief dominate the landscape. In most cases, if God’s people understood His never changing divine process that leads to faith, much of this could be avoided. I am committed to being part of the solution in my lifetime by guiding God’s people into the fullness of His revelation (A.K.A. God’s GPS).

* How is your ministry funded?

I have a faithful support team that makes it possible for me to devote myself full-time to training and equipping church / para-church and mission agencies in practical, doable, and authentic ways to share Jesus in “irresistible” ways.

* Why do you charge for your workshops if you have a support team?

In a faith ministry, raising funds for administrative costs is often very difficult. Funds generated by workshops help take the edge off of this historical challenge. More importantly, it serves to create a healthy interest indicator. I have found the old axiom of “nothing ventured, nothing lost” to be quite true. As a committed family man, I want to make sure that when I leave home I’m being a good steward of my time. The booking fee I require not only locks up that date, but insures a good faith effort to make the most of my visit.

* Are you still on staff with Athletes in Action?

Yes, but as an affiliate staff member. After the book I co-authored came out, numerous opportunities to speak and train God’s people in the principles of “Irresistible Evangelism” came my way from all over the world. I believed God wanted me to respond to these opportunities despite the fact that most of them were coming from outside AIA. While no one inside the organization was opposed to this, I felt like there was a conflict of interest that needed to be resolved. In January of 2006, I made the transition from full-time AIA staff to affiliate staff. I still serve as the Evangelism Director for AIA, but I no longer office out of our national headquarters in Xenia, OH. This decision has freed me up to guide God’s people all over the world into outward focused living. My experiences with the larger body of Christ have allowed me to more effectively train and equip our AIA athletes and staff.