In 2007, FaithSearch partnered with Sowers of the Word, an indigenous Philippine ministry, to train about 100 Filipino Christian leaders in Manila to teach FaithSearch Discovery. Although not initially identified as a target region for ministry expansion, at their request, FaithSearchagreed to visit. Dr. Don Bierle and Roy Kruse spent a week there, training pastors and lay leaders, and conducting public outreach events as well.
By April of the following year, 32 of those trained by Don and Roy had themselves conducted further local training, and had equipped another 1,238 teachers to use FaithSearch resources in their ministries. This is precisely the intent of the multiplication strategy we have undertaken: those who were trained were training others (2 Timothy 2:2).
Sowers of the Word then requested the following for ongoing multiplication:
We seek your approval to video reproduce your November, 2007, [FaithSearch] Discovery training for continued use; to translate Surprised by Faith and the Discovery materials into the Tagalog language (at our expense); and authorization to equip another 200 FaithSearch Discovery trainers for the islands.
It may come as no surprise to hear that we gladly agreed to let them continue expanding this ministry in our absence–again, bearing fruit from our "Maturing the Vision" strategy, precisely as we had asked of God.
