“How do we get this in the other schools? The kids are better behaved, the conversations in the hallways have changed, and there’s a shift in the school.”

That’s what one principal of a middle school asked Dow Tippett, who participates in the LFM EntrePastors Journey Group and works with the Released Time program in Clinton County, Ohio. This initiative allows public schools to release students for part of the school day to attend off-site Bible studies.

This past winter and spring, 186 students participated across four campuses in the county. Dow shares, “We get these kids, many who do not know Jesus, studying the life of Christ together. One week recently, we had three children at one table who indicated they wanted to give their lives to Jesus, and two were baptized later.

In the high school Released Time program, 25–30 students read the Gospel of John together. Volunteers asked them, “What is God calling you to do with what you’ve been told?” In a noisy world full of distractions, seeing teenagers choose the Word of God is one of the clearest reminders that God is moving.

Eighteen years ago, fifteen pastors like Dow from eleven churches in their city began praying together. And they never stopped. Today, consequently, a spirit of unity among Christians marks the area. “When one Baptist church baptizes five people, other churches celebrated. When one has a youth program they can’t find leadership for, the other churches pay for an intern to do their program. When the Church of God does a community food drive, forty kids from across the churches show up to volunteer, bless people and pray. This praying together for eighteen years has produced so much unity in the body, and it’s like oil running down the beard” (see Psalm 133).

“So much of the struggle and tension is gone. No, we don’t agree on every doctrine together, but we agree, ‘I love you and will pray for you.’ We’re on the same team.”

Together, these churches formed an interdenominational ministry called One Mission Clinton County. In addition to staffing the Released Time program, they run a Hope House for women and children in need, a New Life Clinic to assist with pregnancies and other related issues, and they serve the homeless and hungry in their area.

The EntrePastors group consists of pastors who have developed streams of income as entrepreneurs in addition to church-related ministry. They meet to encourage and sharpen each other. With today’s changing demographics, more pastors find it necessary to create additional ways to provide for their families. And in doing so, they discover more ways to get into the marketplace and impact lives.

Dow owns and operates a martial arts school called The Way Karate in Wilmington, Ohio, which he started in 2015. Their purpose is “training Christian leaders through the martial arts.” He uses the sport to teach concepts about following Jesus. Next year, Dow plans on scaling his model and making it available to martial arts instructors across North America.

The Way currently has about 120 students, offering ten classes weekly. Dow explains, “Martial arts is just a tool. What we do is more about discipleship, but kids are being saved.” Brian* is one example. His father died after his parents divorced. He was falling apart in school, and he got connected to Released Time and then Dow’s martial arts program. Dow says, “Now, Brian wants to follow Jesus. I am meeting with him one on one for discipleship.”

Their Truest Callings 

Leighton Ford Ministries exists to come alongside Christian leaders like Dow, who exhibit a heart for the Gospel, a unity for the Body of Christ, and a commitment to making a missional impact in their communities. We walk alongside leaders and ministries, helping them hear God’s voice, discern their truest calling, and live it out with courage.

Through mentoring, coaching, and spiritual discernment, we invite leaders and their ministries into sacred spaces to listen attentively, rediscover direction, and move forward with renewed joy and purpose. In essence, we help them LiveCalled. Recently, we began a new devotional video series called LiveCalled Today, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

For forty years, Leighton Ford Ministries has provided an arm around the shoulder to ministry leaders, offering safe times, safe places, and safe people for those committed to sharing the Gospel as a way of life. This year marks the fortieth anniversary since Leighton and Jean Ford stepped out in faith to start this ministry.

Soul Sisters

LFM has a network of more than 100 Journey Groups worldwide. These communities are relational groups on a spiritual journey together, where leaders connect to listen deeply, pray together, and support each other in biblical friendship.

One of those groups is the Soul Sisters Journey Group in the Pacific Northwest, led by Lynn Gill, Vice President for InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries. The Soul Sisters include high-capacity female leaders who have served in a variety of roles, including directing the Urbana missions conference, teaching as professors, and leading training for businesses on preventing human trafficking.

One of the Soul Sisters, Ruth, serves as Marketing and Communications Director for Marketplace and Development Enterprises (MDE), a faith-based nonprofit connecting Christian business professionals and entrepreneurs with global opportunities to support church planting and community development.

One of the members Ruth serves has worked as a missionary in Russia for many years. Ruth shares, “In the past year, she purchased an existing coffee shop/café in partnership with a Russian woman. They provide a natural, safe space for people from their fellowship to meet and interact with others who do not know Jesus. They also want to provide sustainable employment at fair wages. And, they want to live their lives as business owners and employers authentically as followers of Jesus.”

At times in his life, the apostle Paul supported himself—and blessed others—through his work as a tentmaker. Today, like Dow Tippett, the EntrePastors Journey Group, and this missionary in Russia, more pastors and ministry leaders who are missionally minded are learning to think, act, and thrive as entrepreneurs.

Ruth continues, “This past year, one woman they have walked with in friendship decided to repent and follow Jesus. She works as a barista at the coffee shop. This long season of their coming alongside of her for several years contributed significantly to her discipleship journey—and continues to do so.”

And perhaps best of all, the missionary discovered for the first time in all her years of service in Russia that she feels like she finally belongs to a community. Ruth says, “She is no longer an outsider with an agenda. She is a contributing member of the community.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:4–5, NIV). And that is how I feel. Thank you for your partnership in this Gospel ministry.

You continue touching the lives of leaders like Dow, Lynn, and Ruth. And they keep spreading the Good News of Jesus, serving others, and impacting their communities.