Spread the Word
Training Men in Evangelism and Church Planting in Metro Detroit
3 Goals
1. Equipping Men for Church Planting and Evangelism
STW equips interns for church planting and evangelism through dozens of sessions with local pastors, seminary professors, and other local church leaders covering topics such as evangelism, apologetics, church planting, personal growth, preaching/teaching, and more! Interns are also involved in mentoring relationships that provide opportunities for informal Q&A as well as regular feedback.
2. Exposing Men to Ministry Opportunities in and around Detroit
The city of Detroit is a multi-cultural center with several major ethnic groups that need the Gospel. In particular, STW partners with churches that minister in largely African-American areas, majority Muslim areas, Mexicantown in SW Detroit, and on campus at Wayne State University. These diverse ministry experiences provide a wealth of experience in only 10 weeks that have helped many interns take steps in discerning God’s will for their life and ministry after college!
3. Engaging Men in Evangelism and Church Planting
STW is an immersive experience in evangelism and church planting. Interns regularly share the Gospel with people from wide-ranging contexts in one-on-one, small group, and large group settings in partnership with local churches in and around Detroit. Additionally, each intern participates in the “Church Plant Project” under the direct mentorship of an experienced church planter to gather information about an area and build a plan for a hypothetical church plant.
VALUES
Honoring God
To honor God and advance the Gospel by mobilizing a church planting movement in the Metro Detroit area. In pursuit of this, by God’s grace we will build a ministry that equips men for God-centered Gospel ministry while exposing them to the church planting opportunities in SE Michigan (particularly Detroit) and helping metro Detroit churches make and mature disciples.
Church-Centered • 1 Tim 3:15
We believe that the local assembly is the center of God’s plan for this dispensation and must be at the center of our efforts to make and mature disciples; therefore, STW exists under the authority of the local church, seeks to build up local churches, and evangelizes in new areas with the goal of seeing new congregations formed.
Ministerial Multiplication • 2 Tim 2:2
We believe that God’s plan for raising up the next generation of ministry leaders calls for intentional mentoring and multiplication that identifies faithful men and prepares them to teach others; therefore, STW works hard to recruit godly and gifted young men, provide an aggressive ministry context for testing their faithfulness, and intentionally invest in their spiritual and ministry growth.
Bold Witness • Rom 1:16; 1 Thess 2:2–4; Col 4:3; Eph 6:19–20
We believe that the Gospel ought to be proclaimed boldly and clearly whenever God opens a door for the Word; therefore, we aggressively pursue Gospel opportunities, faithfully proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and continually remind ourselves of the accountability that comes with being entrusted with the Gospel.
Redemptive Relationships • Luke 15:1–2; John 17:15, 18; Col 4:5-6; 1 Cor 9:19–23; 10:31–11:1
We believe that the pattern and teaching of Jesus Christ, followed by Paul, show that His plan for disciple-making is built on redemptive relationships through which the Gospel spreads to more and more people; therefore, the primary thrust of STW aims to cultivate and capitalize on redemptive relationships while maintaining an aggressive approach to reaching new people for Christ.
Prayer • Col 4:2–4; 2 Thess 3:1; Acts 6:4
We believe that God has appointed prayer as the means by which we must seek His blessing on His work, and that all gospel ministry must be begun and bathed in prayer; therefore, we will call the churches to focused prayer, expect our team members to recruit prayer partners, and cultivate a ministry pattern that includes regular times of corporate prayer.
Regional Expansion • Acts 13:49; 1 Ths 1:8
We believe that the biblical pattern of church growth includes the spread of the Gospel in a region through the multiplication of congregations; therefore, STW strives to take the Gospel into parts of SE Michigan which need new assemblies.
Details
Team members need to be…
- Motivated and disciplined workers
Burdened to share the Gospel with the lost - Eager to serve local churches
Interested in what God is doing for His glory in Detroit - Living above reproach
- Pursuing personal spiritual growth
Team members can expect…
- All meals, lodging, and transportation to be covered upon arrival
- A weekly stipend of $100
- An academic of scholarship of $2,500 awarded at the end of the summer
- Evangelism and discipleship resources
- A disciplined environment focused on spiritual growth and service for Christ
- Mentoring from STW leadership, pastors at Inter-City, and other church leaders in the area
STW 2024 is scheduled to begin on May 25, 2024 and will conclude on August 5, 2024.
Team members must plan to be present for this entire date range.
Program Leadership
David Doran
Senior Pastor, Inter-City Baptist Church
Aaron Coffey
Spread the Word Director
Riley Woodfin
Spread the Word Coordinator