FTLT - Focus Team Leadership Training trainees are drawn from our interaction with churches, secondary schools, youth groups, universities and various other learning institutions. Although there is no age bracket, our target group is between 18 and 35 years of age. Any person interested in doing their missionary training at FTLT needs to be, first of all, a believer in Christ that has gone through a basic discipleship process. Secondly, the minimum educational requirement is a grade 12 school certificate or equivalent.
Nearly every person that has gone through FTLT is serving in some ministry capacity. Some are mobilising their congregations to missions, while others are at university mobilising their friends. Others have gone into the business world supporting missions financially. On amore full-time basis there are graduates currently serving the FTLT in a leadership capacity, some at the World Mission Centre in the office, and also in Malawi, reaching out to the people along the southern part of the lake. Another gas started a mission school with the help of WMC in Zanzibar, training locals to reach out to their own people.
At FTLT we make use of the Live School curriculum. The Live School is a video curriculum developed by the World Mission Centre, available on DVD. An International coalition was assembled to design the curriculum by Pastor Willie Crew, founder and International Director of World Mission Centre. Some of the important issues addressed are:
Character development
The high rate of attrition
The difficulty of adjusting to culture and ethnic customs
The skills needed for a successful mission outreach
The school has a policy of continual change. Our objective is to train young people who will impact their sphere of influence through a focused lifestyle, working with others in a team, expressing Godly character and continuing to develop themselves and those around them into better leaders.
Here follows a list of the subjects taught at the FTLT training school:
Live School:
Introduction to Missions – Willie Crew
Intercession – Daleen Gibbens
The Devine Plumb Line – Sam Jacobsen
Process of Preparation – Willie Crew
God’s Ways – Leon de Jager
Relationships – Graeme Lennox
Discipleship – Randy Pope
Kingdom Economics (Finances) – Clive Pick
Spiritual Authority – Gunnar Olson
Spiritual Gifts – Clement Anegbe
Community Development – Gavin Porter
Community Health – Marlene Porter
Cell Church – Lawrance Khong
Overview of Theology – Kevin Doran
Acts in Action – Willie Crew
Perseverance in Ministry – Bill Taylor
Folk Religion – Phil Steyn
Cross Cultural Communication – Phil Steyn
Islam – Herbert Behrens
Chronological Approach – Gerson Celeti
Study the Bible – Gray Poehnell
Principles of Communication – John Kayser
Communicating the Bible (Preaching) – Kevin Doran
Ethnograpic Process – John Kayser
Cultural Anthropology – Phil Steyn
Preparation for Outreach – Willie Creware
Other:
Discover your God-given gifts.
The CAR of Leadership.
The Balance of Leadership.
Sending Cells.
Ordering your Private world.
The Character needed to be a witness.
Leadership in Practice
Planning and Management of Kingdom Projects.
Apart from the subjects mentioned above, various other activities are included in the overall theory period of the curriculum. These activities are done in the afternoons, evenings and weekends:
Writing of Reports
Evangelism and Outreaches
Community up-liftment projects
Fundraising
Bush Phase
Physical Training (PT)
Recreation activities
Scripture memorizing
Work duties
Home cell
Journalizing, etc.
Community Involvement
Because of the uniqueness of training at FTLT - Focus Team Leadership Training, we have the privilege to see students empowered, at the end of each year, returning to their local communities with not only knowledge but also the know how to have a radical impact in the transformation of their community.
Throughout the year students are exposed to various settings, including a three month outreach to a village in a foreign country. They also receive training in Community Development, Community Health, Character and Leadership Development, Communication skills, as well as Planning and Management of Kingdom Projects.
All this encourages them to make a lasting difference, based on Biblical Principles, once returned to their local community.
Part 2: Non-formal and Community-based Learning
The length of our training program is 11 months. For the first month, the major focus is on character development and dealing with personal issues of the past. Thereafter the students are introduced to the biblical fundamental issues regarding missions; why missions, who we are in Christ, perseverance in ministry, etc. In the fifth month they are taken on a one month “Bush Phase” training where they are exposed to some of the realities they might face in a pioneering field; sleeping in tents, limited water, food preparation on an open fire, hiking, training in radio communication, navigation and even evacuation. After the bush phase there is a greater focus on the practical issues important to missions; Cross-Cultural Communication, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnographic Process, Chronological Approach, etc. For the last three months students are sent on outreach to one of the least reached people groups of the world, situated in a least targeted geographical area. After their outreach they go through a re-entry phase lasting one week, after which comes graduation.
Because of our understanding of the importance of personal development for both life and ministry, FTLT includes the following non-formal practices in their training:
Dance and Drama: There are designated days where the trainees are exposed to different forms of art as a tool for communicating the Gospel and in developing their skills and creativity.
Street Evangelism: The trainees’ ability to communicate the Gospel is shaped by weekly exposure in the streets where they are expected to share their faith. This is specifically and purposely done to ensure that all grow in their ability to interact and effectively communicate to people with whom no prior contact had been made.
Weekend Ministries/Mobilisation: Students visit and spend time with various churches and ministries on weekends and learn the different dynamics involved in practical ministry such as planning, coordination and teamwork, as well as public speaking/preaching and leadership skills.
Fundays: To ensure the Trainees’ wholesome growth and development, days are set aside for everyone to go out and have fun as a team or with family and friends.
Fundraising: The ideas and participation in organised fundraising activities enables us to validate the students’ commitment to what they believe God has called them into, as well as to check their individual attitudes.
Physical Training: Physical training is designed to build the students stamina for physical challenges in the mission field and for general health and fitness as we target some of the geographically remote areas where the physical wellbeing of a missionary is as important as their spiritual wellbeing.
Bush Phase/Survival Training: This is specifically designed to prepare the trainee for the harsh realities they are likely to face in the field. Trainees are purposely put under maximum pressure with very minimal provisions and accessories, a reality in most fields. Key values taught in this period are attitude, excellence, determination, perseverance and commitment.
Communal Housing: All the trainees stay is a hostel setup. Everyone rotates as a house leader and is given various responsibilities over others.
Menial Tasks: These tasks are intended to build and cultivate in the trainees the principle of diligence, faithfulness and general attitude to work and leadership.
Time of Encouragement: This is a time during which trainees and leadership mould and shapes one another as they lay their lives before the group for correction, rebuke and teaching.
Coaching/Close Mentoring: Each FTLT staff member is charged with responsibility over a given number of trainees with whom he/she walks a closer road through the whole training period. His/her role is to train by walking side-by-side with his/her group in a Christ-centered relationship.
Three Month Outreach: This is the final phase of the training which the trainees are sent on an outreach/internship where all the theory and informal learning becomes a reality.
Pastoral Oversight: During the tree month outreach phase, an FTLT oversight team visits the trainees in the mission field to encourage, motivate, challenge and prepare the team further for effective ministry.
Basic Motor Mechanics: During this training time each student is taught how to look after the vehicles God has entrusted to them for use and to empower them to understand and address some of the common mechanical breakdowns they might face while on outreach.
Part 3: Program Improvements and Development
The lecture part of the program is more formal with pre-recorded sessions presented on DVD in the presence of a class facilitator who conducts a discussion session after every presentation. All classes run from 08:00 hours to 13:00 hours when the students break for lunch. Various activities occupy the afternoon sessions, from spring-cleaning and office duties to street ministry.
Four days per week, students meet for joint worship before the class presentation commences. Intercession takes place every Thursday and during this time each students is encourage to share what he/she believes God has revealed to them. This creates the opportunity for everyone to grow in their walk with God.
FTLT has created a dynamic sub-culture in which both staff and trainees relate in a serving leadership empowerment process based on a Christ-centered relationship. House leaders stay with the trainee, sharing lives with them.
Cannot expect of others what you cannot deliver. Based on this, upon arrival the students are treated to a special time in which the leadership literally does everything for the students as they seek to model a standard of excellence and clarify expectations. All the trainees will eventually be fully responsible for setting tables, preparing meals, doing dishes, and maintaining the best possible standard of hygiene, health and cleanliness.
Interpersonal relationships, dignity and respect for others are key ingredients in the process. Everyone must be at the table and pray together before anybody can start eating. Each person has a set place at the table. No room is allowed for gossip, name-calling or slander. If anyone has an issue with another person, the biblical principle is followed in facing that person, before talking to another brother or going the third step of approaching leadership.
FTLT leadership is seeking to develop people who are part of the solution, as opposed to being part of the problem. As such, the FTLT leadership intentionally withdraws from certain active leadership roles to allow for the emergence and empowerment of natural leadership abilities in the trainees. The leaders live open lives, and where possible, take advantage of God’s kairos moments in the students’ lives to offer further guidance and instruction.
On a weekly basis the trainees are purposely sent out to share and learn what God is doing in their own lives and in the lives of those they meet. During the weekends they are exposed to actual ministry in various churches. At FTLT, team work is a key principle. The leadership therefore identifies a church ahead of time where all the trainees will attend the normal Sunday service. Due to the intensity and the ideals of the training phase the leadership tries to minimise outside influences that easily sway students from their focus.
Twice a week, the students have physical training. Team building becomes a key element and not just physical fitness. Although we believe in healthy competition, a team is only as strong as the weakest link or team member. Thus the trainees are brought to the point of taking responsibility for one another. This principle is further reiterated during the bush phase period when strategic thinking and planning, communication skills, submission and personal disciplines are put to the test.
FTLT firmly believes that true leaders are people of character, and that it is character that gives credibility with people. We therefore believe strongly in the “CAR” of leadership: Character, Accountability and Responsibility.
The leadership keeps a watchful eye on each trainee and has weekly meetings where observations are reported and discussed in detail. We also apply the use of a “Character assessment Sheet” in which each student is assessed and areas needing attention are determined so that the leadership, together with the trainee, can work at improvement.
The three months of outreach are the climax of the training. The trainees are sent as a team to a pre-selected least reached people group situated in a least targeted geographical area, where they will spend time involved in cross-cultural ministry. During this time, feedback happens weekly between the teams in the field and the base office, either through radio or other channels of communication.
An oversight team extends pastoral care to the field as well as prepares the trainees for re-entry after the period of outreach. A special debriefing is arranged for the team when the students will reflect on and share those special things that shaped their lives or touched others while they were in the field. To facilitate this process, trainees are required to maintain a journal from which to share.
During this final time the trainees give a comprehensive evaluation of the entire training program as they experienced it throughout the year. This enables us to make necessary improvements to strengthen the program and make it as relevant as possible. While FTLT may be a young school, our aspiration is to see a generation that will rise up prepared to live a non-compromising lifestyle for God.
The South African Theological Seminary (SATS) has acknowledge the training done at FTLT - Focus Team Leadership Training and offers the following credits to students who successfully completed their training at FTLT:
For the Live School Curriculum:Each student will receive 60 credits when enrolls at SATS for the Christian Life Certificate.
If the student enrolls for the SATS Diploma in Biblical Studies, he/she will receive an additional 24 credits for the subject “Mission Outreach 2”.
If the students enroll for the SATS Bth degree, he/she will receive an additional 10 credits for the subject “Cults and the Occult”.
Over and above the recognition for completing the Live School curriculum, if the student completes their year of training at FTLT - Focus Team Leadership Training, he/she will receive an additional 10 credits for the subject “Leading with Purpose”, bringing the total amount of credits for when enrolling for the SATS Bth degree to 104 credits.
SATS is a fully accredited and registered, distance education institution and for more information you can visit their website athttp://www.sats.edu.za
FTLT - Focus Team Leadership Training trainees are drawn from our interaction with churches, secondary schools, youth groups, universities and various other learning institutions. Although there is no age bracket, our target group is between 18 and 35 years of age. Any person interested in doing their missionary training at FTLT needs to be, first of all, a believer in Christ that has gone through a basic discipleship process. Secondly, the minimum educational requirement is a grade 12 school certificate or equivalent.
Nearly every person that has gone through FTLT is serving in some ministry capacity. Some are mobilising their congregations to missions, while others are at university mobilising their friends. Others have gone into the business world supporting missions financially. On amore full-time basis there are graduates currently serving the FTLT in a leadership capacity, some at the World Mission Centre in the office, and also in Malawi, reaching out to the people along the southern part of the lake. Another gas started a mission school with the help of WMC in Zanzibar, training locals to reach out to their own people. 
At FTLT we make use of the Live School curriculum. The Live School is a video curriculum developed by the World Mission Centre, available on DVD. An International coalition was assembled to design the curriculum by Pastor Willie Crew, founder and International Director of World Mission Centre. Some of the important issues addressed are:
Part 2: Non-formal and Community-based Learning
