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Richard Coleman is a former TMS Global staff member and current cross-cultural witness (CCW) who serves with his family in Ethiopia. He was one of the four emcees at the 2024 Lausanne congress and has been a leader within the Lausanne Movement for more than a decade.

“I can’t tell you how many friends have fallen away from their faith,” says Coleman. “I think this is because they were never discipled at a deep level. They were just put through a program. Hearing the message about the need for discipleship at the Lausanne Congress really impacted me.”

Coleman said this in light of the findings of Lausanne’s research: the number one need across all regions is for more focused discipleship.

In addition, Lausanne also emphasized a type of discipleship rarely mentioned—Intergenerational Discipleship. This is younger and older generations learning from each other to advance the kingdom of God. The idea was a highlight for Coleman, who served as the co-chair of Lausanne's Younger Leaders Gathering in Jakarta 12 years ago.

"I must be willing to listen, be sharpened, and be corrected by my younger brothers and sisters in Christ,” says Coleman. “In the past, there was this idea that the older generation is to pour into or 'pass the baton' to the younger generation. And to some degree that is true, but that pouring can happen in both directions.” (See 1 Timothy 4:12.)

For Coleman, Ole-Magnus Olafsrud is an example of an older leader who seeks to mentor and learn from the younger generation. Olafsrud serves as the chair of the Lausanne Movement’s YLGen Mentoring Team, a team committed to partnering with the global church to mobilize for whole-life mentoring to strengthen multigenerational disciple-making.  

In his 70s, Olafsrud still chose to be part of a peer mentoring group of younger leaders, says Coleman. “We would share deeply about our fears, insecurities, and worries in the group. Ole-Magnus would do the same. He didn’t say, ‘I’m here to fix all of your problems.’ He would say, ‘We are in this together,’ and he vulnerably shared where he was weak. He would minister to us, and we as a group would minister to him. This is a model of an older leader taking a humble posture. Olafsrud would say, ‘We are trying to follow Jesus together. I welcome your input and prayer.’”

“Jim Ramsay, the president and CEO of TMS Global, has also modeled this idea to me. There is a sizeable age difference between him and me, yet he has always treated me as a colleague and has valued my opinions. I have always felt like Jim has been more of a brother than a boss or an elder."

Disciple-making is a top priority for TMS Global’s CCWs, says President Ramsay, pointing to one discipleship effort “on steroids” in Peru’s Andes mountains. About 15 years ago, CCWs Arthur and Mary Alice Ivey began discipling three small groups in their home. By 2019, the ministry had grown to an estimated 10,000 people in hundreds of groups, many of which the Iveys have never even been to. Mary Alice also launched Kids’ Clubs, discipling children and teaching them how to share the gospel.

This thriving ministry in the Andes is just one of many innovative discipleship efforts by TMS Global’s CCW community. In addition, our Who Is My Neighbor? small-group Bible study curriculum is discipling believers in the North American church to cross cultural barriers and build bridges for the gospel, so that we can love our neighbor well.

Thanks to supporters like you, discipleship is a hallmark of TMS Global. We are grateful for your partnership in welcoming people around the globe into deeper relationship with Jesus. Please pray for our CCWs as they seek to display and declare the kingdom of God. And pray that hearts would be ready to receive the good news of Jesus. 

NEXT Story from the Fourth Lausanne Congress! here