Pastors & Other Church Leaders
Help pastors motivate, train, and resource their congregations.
Out of our many collective years of ministry experience, God has helped us understand some Biblical principals that can help pastors transform their congregation into a life-changing team of disciple-makers.
Motivate Your Congregation
Motivation will come as you – the pastor – develop a lifestyle of engaging in personal evangelism and discipleship AND interweave your experiences into your preaching and teaching, as well as the concepts you learn from our Good Soil seminars.
Download High Quality Video File for Presenting to Your Congregation
Good Soil Basic E&D Seminar
Two Days in May and October
Begin by attending a Good Soil BASIC Seminar , so that you can learn to begin using The Story of Hope, The Way to Joy, and other Good Soil resources.
The Good Soil Basic Seminar equips you to share God’s story of redemption chronologically, so that people will clearly understand, sincerely embrace, and firmly hold on to the gospel. The seminar extends over two days and is followed by a one-day Good Soil Trainer Certification Workshop .
Engaging, Interactive, and FUN Learning!
Day One
Understanding the Good Soil Theology of Evangelism and Discipleship
Day Two
Preparing to Use The Story of Hope, The Way to Joy, and Other Good Soil Resources
Motivation is mostly caught, but seldom learned from just being taught . Model it – as you teach it.
Learn More About the Good Soil Basic SeminarPastor Guy, in DelawareI thought the Good Soil seminar was immensely profitable. I appreciate all the work and effort that has gone into the development of this. I enjoyed being around others who were serious about reaching others for Christ. I have been talking to others about the program and I plan on training a few men and women first and then have them join me in a full scale presentation to the church. Tonight I meet with the Christian education committee here and I will present the essence of the program to them. Just before I left on vacation I presented the program to the Missions Committee and the response was very enthusiastic. Both of these committees want me to integrate the material in the overall outreach and ministry of the church. I have to get going but I must share one more thing: The conference was life changing to say the least!
Train Your Congregation
Good Soil Trainer Certification Workshop – One Day in May or October
Good Soil Trainer Certification Workshop
One Day in May or October
The Good Soil Trainer Certification Workshop equips and certifies you to train your own congregation, using the Good Soil concepts and the Seminar workbook.
Trainer Certification workshop
Certified trainers receive a passcode to access the online Instructor’s Resource Center for Good Soil trainers, which contains the instructional resources needed to lead the basic seminar. In the workshop you will also receive a copy of Training Wheels for Good Soil Trainers, a leader's guide for teaching the seminar in your own ministry and/or incorporating Good Soil concepts in your regular teaching and preaching.
Pastor in PennsylvaniaThe seminar presenters did an excellent job of showing the need to understand a person's worldview and his or her level of spiritual background and how to make a good evaluation of where he or she stands in understanding the gospel. They explained that people need to understand the redemptive story before they can embrace it and go on to retain it as they grow in Christ. The Story of Hope and The Way to Joy are excellent tools to use in this approach to evangelism and discipleship. During interactive sessions we were trained how to use these tools.
Personal Evangelism
FREE Curriculum Guide
For Teaching the Good Soil Seminar Contents in 30 Class Sessions
- Establish a Biblical theology of evangelism and discipleship (E&D) as the foundation for the methodologies and resources presented in this class.
- Teach students to understand and practice E&D in ways that are worldview-relevant, training them to share God’s story of hope in a world of competing faiths and cultures.
- Equip students for ministry in international missions, as well as in multi-faith North American communities.
- Introduce students to resources that have been broadly tested internationally with people of various worldview contexts and that are available in numerous languages.
The Story of Hope
Equipping Teens and Adults for Evangelism in a Bible Class
We have developed a curriculum plan for teaching The Story of Hope in a class setting. Lots of people were teaching it that way, so we decided to make it easier for them and others who would want to do so. A generous donor provided funds so that we could have the class facilitator's guide professionally created and offer it to you FREE—the entire 120 beautifully designed pages!
No boring sessions in this study!
- Lesson plans for 31 class sessions (can be adapted for fewer sessions, or for more sessions).
- Creative learning activities for all sessions that make learning: engaging, interactive, and FUN.
- Strategically designed to equip students to be motivated and confident in using The Story of Hope in evangelistic or discipleship studies.
- "It's Your Time" is the final lesson, where students are launched to use what they have been taught.
- An optional Class Facilitator PowerPoint presentation available for teaching The Story of Hope class, with 400+ slides.
- FREE online access to the online Instructor's Resource Center, with files for class activities.
Church member who is a missionary to military in VA“I just finished teaching The Story of Hope for our church on Wednesday night. The material was received with enthusiasm and greatly appreciated. We had a variety of students. One guy was not saved but later trusted Christ outside of class. Two elderly women who have been in church all their lives said they learned much and were very thankful for the material. We gave an opportunity to three students to each teach one point in the last class. Our goal was for them to grasp the concept that they can use it. Using The Story of Hope needs to become part of the DNA of our church!”
The Way to Joy
Discipling Teens and Adults in a Bible Class
The Way to Joy was originally developed to be a one-on-one or small group basic discipleship study. But, many churches found it very useful for teaching in class settings. Now, we have a FREE resource that provides the adaptation and curriculum design work done for you—for teaching a The Way to Joy class. Thanks to a generous donor, we are now able to offer this professionally designed resource to you for FREE.
A fun way to teach a basic discipleship class and train believers to make disciples
No boring sessions in this study either!
- Students learn best when they are having FUN, and this study combines learning with FUN, so the truth sticks!
- Thirteen (or more) class sessions covering topics essential for basic, foundational discipleship.
- Great for baptism or new converts or new members classes, but for equipping disciplemakers as well.
- The final session is called “It’s Your Time” in which students are challenged to put into practice what they have learned, by discipling someone else.
- The 42-page professionally designed Class Facilitator’s Guide is available as a FREE download.
- FREE access to the online Instructor’s Resource Center for The Way to Joy Bible class.
Tim, pastor in New JerseyJust thought I would pass along a few comments regarding The Way to Joy workbook. Everyone loves it and thinks it explains things clearly. But, we are finding that 45-50 minutes is not enough time to get through the material in class. The questions that they are asking are great. There are five new believers in the class. The new babies are just soaking it up! I have a second group forming for this Bible study and I am even thinking that I will offer it to the whole congregation. It would be good to have them all on the same page with regards to Bible study, prayer, etc.
Chronological Bridge to Life
Teach the BIG Story of the Bible to your congregation, based upon eight key concepts that emerge chronologically from Genesis through Revelation:
- God
- Man
- Sin
- Death
- Christ
- Cross
- Faith
- Life
A walk through the Chronological Bridge to Life
Gene, pastor in the USAI find Chronological Bridge to Life to be a great way to present the gospel. I am interested in using it in my church.
Hooks for Hanging the Bible’s Storyline
Believe it or not - in just a couple of hours you can teach people to think their way through the Bible, from Genesis through Revelation! You can do so in this FUN workshop that helps them hang the storyline (the BIG Story plot) of the Bible on 25 "Hooks"–major Bible eras that summarize the Bible, from beginning to end.
The activities for teaching Hooks are FUN for students of all ages, even the teachers.
And there are FREE instructional helps.
FUN and effective for teaching elementary kids, teens, and adults.
The 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the Old Testament Storyline
The 1 + 12 "Hooks" for Hanging the New Testament Storyline
Gaining Ground with Good Soil
Learning to Share God's Story of Hope in a World of Competing Faiths and Cultures.
Gaining Ground with Good Soil is a story about missionaries. In an interesting narrative form, the story explains Good Soil's theology of evangelism and discipleship. You will love the story of a missionary couple, and their national colleagues, who learn some Biblical principles that revolutionize their ministries—Good Soil principles that can help you and your congregation to become more effective as well.
The audio book can be downloaded to your phone or pad. Audio clips from the audio book can be used to spice up teaching sessions.
There is a FREE Leader's Guide for teaching the contents of this book in 12 or more class sessions. See the FREE resources below.
Gaining Ground with Good Soil
Want to understand more about Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship? This is the place to start! NEW Visually Enhanced 2016 Edition - An evangelism and discipleship training narrative that is a scaled-down version of the Good Soil E&D seminar in a narrative format. Full color throughout.
More
Audio Book
Gaining Ground with Good Soil - Audiobook
A 4 hours and 7 minutes audio narrative that will help you understand worldview-relevant evangelism and discipleship and their importance in a world of competing faiths and cultures. A professionally produced audio book version of Gaining Ground with Good Soil.
More
All the resources needed for teaching Gaining Ground with Good Soil in a small group or class.
The Roots of Faith Bible Courses
Old and New Testaments
The Roots of Faith - Old Testament
The Roots of Faith - New Testament
Specifically created and designed for teaching believers to understand the Bible chronologically, from Genesis through Revelation, and to equip them for effective personal ministry in a world of competing faiths and cultures.
The Roots of Faith in a Local Church
Calvary Baptist Church of Kalkaska, Michigan
Calvary Baptist Church is a small congregation in northern Michigan. Some of the men in the church began teaching The Roots of Faith - Old Testament in September 2015 and completed the New Testament course in October 2017. The classes were held during the Sunday School hour in the church's multipurpose room. The teaching team worked hard to use the same instructional distinctives that they learned in attending The Roots of Faith at ABWE — creative, interactive teaching methods, table group learning, flip charts, etc.
Attendance grew from about 27 to 38 adult students.
Here are some of the comments from participants:
Church leader: What has the Roots of Faith meant to Calvary Baptist Church? We started the Roots of Faith class for all our adults just as our pastor left for another ministry and over two years we studied through the OT and then the NT course. It was a key factor at that crucial time to establish unity in our church and provided continuity through the calling of a new pastor. The number of adults attending SS increased to nearly double over the two years. I have heard it stated, "I hate to miss a Sunday and miss a lesson."
I have been attending church since a child, but the Roots of Faith class reinforced my past learning and taught many new things. The chronological approach to teaching really puts the Bible stories in a context to help our understanding of them. The interactive approach really helps in learning also. This course was a huge game-changer in how we teach as a church.
Long-time church member: We found the Roots of Faith very interesting and informative. The history in the OT helped us to understand the reason for what's happening in the world today and it also ties into the NT clearly. So much information is packed into each lesson and we had to move on a little too fast to digest all of it, but we are glad we have the lesson notebook to go back to.
We never knew Abraham's family worshipped the moon. I can understand why God told him to move away. I always thought he knew the truth about the one true God. That tells us why so many people are confused about salvation.
How can you be certified to teach The Roots of Faith Bible courses in your church?
Provisional Certification Option: Purchase The Roots of Faith Instructor Kits
Daniel, pastor in Washington, D.C.The Roots of Faith format of 50 Old Testament events, categorized in twelve chronological eras, makes teaching the Old Testament manageable for witnessing and teaching classes to adults, teens, or even older elementary students. Many times I have been asked to provide an overview of the Bible and The Roots of Faith provides a method that can be done in a relatively short period of time or in a classroom situation. The 50 events provide the foundation to teach Bible doctrines in a consolidated manner.
The Roots of Faith seminar was truly enjoyable and informative. We covered the entire Old Testament in five days in sufficient depth to bring meaning and definition to the text of Scripture. Each day was Biblically stimulating and each evening was spent reviewing and recalling all the principles that had been covered during the day. The week was personally enriching.
The Roots of Faith Course leader-training goal will equip the future leader to be able to use the materials in evangelism and/or discipleship with people who knew very little about the Bible. By using the 50 Old Testament events workbook, Middle Eastern maps, group training exercises, and helping the student create key content notes from each event, the Old Testament became a manageable and effective body of information for personal interaction or the classroom.
Moving Beyond Lecture Workshop
Two days in October - Becoming a creative facilitator of teaching and training.
Moving Beyond Lecture will enhance your ability to teach and train, beyond what you can probably imagine.
- Learn a seven-step process for developing lessons for teaching and training.
- Enlarge your teaching toolbox with lots of creative techniques and tips for teaching.
- Become more sensitive to classroom factors that can enhance your teaching-learning environment.
- Engage your students more actively and make learning FUN for them.
- Become much more confident in your teaching.
Chip, pastor in WisconsinMoving Beyond Lecture taught me more about how to teach the Bible than all of my college and seminary combined! The seminar kept us all engaged every minute of the entire two days. I wish I had attended this seminar 30 years ago. I highly recommend it.
Resource Your Congregation
The Story of Hope
Evangelistic Bible Study Workbook
The Story of Hope is a study of the BIG Story of the Bible, based on 40 events from the Bible's redemptive story—20 in the Old Testament and 20 in the New Testament.
- It begins with the assumption that Bible study participants know nothing about the true God, the Bible, or Jesus Christ.
- It begins with Genesis 1:1 and unfolds the BIG Story of God's plan of redemption, from Genesis through Revelation. In doing so, it provides the overall context in which the gospel of Jesus Christ makes sense, even to people from other faith backgrounds.
- It engages participants in direct Bible study, allowing them to have "Aha!" moments about the truths of Scripture, especially regarding Jesus Christ—His claims and His provision for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.
- It is visually and colorfully illustrated and designed for easy understanding.
- It is time-flexible. You can use it in one-on-one studies, in groups studies, or individuals can use it for self-study.
- Available in many languages
- There is a FREE downloadable Leader's Guide available.
- Generous quantity pricing.
FREE Leader's Guide
103 Professionally Designed Pages
103 professionally-designed pages of answers to the Bible study questions contained in The Story of Hope and suggestions as to how to deal with some of the common questions you may face, as well as many other tips for making your study successful. Download it for FREE and see for yourself.
FREE Leader's GuideDaniel, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Bellefontain, OHThank you for the quality, gospel centered, Biblically-driven curriculum.
Note from a Chinese lady who had been led through a study using The Story of Hope by Pastor Tim. She was returning to China, a few days after she wrote this note:
Dear Pastor Tim,
I have made a confession to Christ and I want to be baptized by you on Wednesday
evening. I really appreciate your helping me having faith in God. I can never
thank you enough for your generosity.
Best regards,
Emily
The Way to Joy
Basic Discipleship Workbook
The Way to Joy was designed to teach new believers some of the most essential Biblical truths they need to know and help them establish basic spiritual disciplines they need to begin to practice, after receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. The study includes these ten lessons:
- The Joy of Hope: Knowing God's Eternal Plan Gives Us Hope
- The Joy of Eternal Life: Receiving God's Salvation Gives Us Eternal Life
- The Joy of Confidence: Having Salvation Assurance and Security Gives Us Confidence
- The Joy of Guidance: Reading and Studying God's Word Gives Us Guidance
- The Joy of Prayer: Praying Brings Us into an Intimate Relationship with God
- The Joy of God's Power: The Holy Spirit in Us Gives Us Power to Live for God
- The Joy of Purity: Obeying God's Word Helps Us Live Pure Lives that Please God
- The Joy of Sharing: Sharing the Gospel with Unbelievers Offers Them Hope
- The Joy of Fellowship: A Bible-Believing Church Provides Us a Place to Grow and Serve
- The Joy of Service: Understanding God's Plan for Us Gives Us a Sense of Purpose
Bible memory verse cards, as well as a Bible reading and prayer journal are included. FREE Leader's Guide available. Generous quantity prices.
FREE Leader's Guide
44 Professionally Designed Pages
44 professionally-designed pages to help you lead someone through this discipleship study. Includes answers to all of the Bible study questions in the study as well as lesson plans for all 10 discipleship sessions. Can be used for one-on-one studies or small groups studies. Download it for FREE and see for yourself.
FREE Leader's GuideAnd there are resources for every age group in your church!
Good Soil provides an entire toolbox of resources for ministries in your church
For a complete overview of our Good Soil resources:
FREE Book for Pastors
Gaining Ground with Good Soil is an evangelism and discipleship training narrative—a scaled-down version of the Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship seminar in a narrative format. The principles gained from this book are applicable for anyone wishing to serve God through Biblical evangelism and discipleship, but is especially instructive and helpful for pastors.
The realistic, but fictional narrative, around which the book is developed, tells the story of a couple of missionaries who were frustrated and discouraged—to the point of almost giving up—because of their lack of success in evangelism and discipleship on their field. But, the "Good Soil" principles they learned from Bible study revolutionized their ministries. It will help you think through a theology of evangelism and discipleship and help you to present the gospel so that people will clearly understand it, sincerely embrace it, and firmly hold on to it.
Free instructional resources for individual and group study are also available for download. www.GoodSoil.com/FREE
If you are a pastor, with a USA shipping address, and will commit to reading this book , we will send you a FREE (and postage-free) copy of Gaining Ground with Good Soil.
Evangelistic Praying: Prioritizing Congregational Prayer Times: 9th Essential for a TRULY Evangelistic Church
Basic Discipleship: Holding New Believers' Hands Through First Steps: 7th Essential for a TRULY Evangelistic Church
Equipped Congregation: Arming the Church with Appropriate Training and Resources: 6th Essential for a TRULY Evangelistic Church
Good Soil E&D Training and Resources for Many Types of Ministries
The focus of this page has been on using Good Soil in your ministry as a pastor or other church leader. But, Good Soil provides training and resources for many different kinds of ministry.
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