On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, we had the exciting opportunity to conduct our first international webinar. This live webinar was our first major step in a new direction toward the vast possibilities of online training. Although we had started exploring this option before the spread of the Coronavirus, this new endeavor is largely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the obstacles it has posed for our face-to-face training events. However, there is no obstacle that can prevent the mission from moving forward, and we are continuing to trust the Lord for wisdom and guidance to navigate these challenging times. While it has been greatly disappointing to cancel and postpone training events this year, God is using even these obstacles to challenge our status quo and open new doors to advance His Kingdom—as He is doing all around the world in the midst of this global crisis.
The topic of this webinar is “Learn How to Launch Disciple-Making Movements.” In the first hour of the session, students hear from Richard Greene, President of The Keystone Project, and learn the basic elements of The Keystone Project Training, including our vision, mission, and core values. This session unpacks the strategic genius of Jesus’ command to make disciples, identifying it as the only strategy that has the potential to fulfill the Great Commission in this generation. After establishing the biblical foundation for missional discipleship and the dire need that remains in the unreached people groups of the world, this session then gives you the basic steps to making disciples, helping your disciples make disciples, and ultimately launching disciple-making movements in the world around you. The last half hour of the webinar is spent on a live Q & A session, in which Richard answers questions submitted by attendees.
At the time of the webinar, we had 198 students tune in and attend via Zoom. At least 48 of these students have already attended a training in Keystone, SD, USA. For these returning students (about 24% of the class), this was a refresher course, designed to refocus their vision and refuel their passion for reaching the lost and multiplying disciples; for the new students (about 76% of the class), this was a first-time introduction to the vision and mission of The Keystone Project and our training on missional discipleship. These students attended the webinar from 32 different countries around the entire globe. The three countries with the highest number of attendees were the United States with 75 students, India with 33 students, and Nigeria with 28 students. Other nations that were represented at this online training event included the Philippines, Nepal, Oman, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Egypt, France, Sweden, Peru, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. In addition to the students who attended over Zoom, this webinar was also livestreamed over Facebook, and it can still be viewed on our Facebook page. You can also watch the recording of this webinar on Zoom by clicking the button below.
It is encouraging to see such a variety of nations represented at our first virtual training event, and we look forward to expanding our digital resources and online programs. Stay tuned for future webinars and other training opportunities! This is only the first step in a new long-term journey. While we miss our face-to-face training events for the current season, we are excited to make this training accessible to many others—especially those who might not be able to come to a training in person and would not receive it otherwise.
