Harry’s Reflections on 2024

Stories of Transformation

harry christmas 2

I don’t remember the exact date, but about 35 years ago, I remember reading the first chapter of 2 Thessalonians and being absolutely floored by what Paul was saying…

“We pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power” (2 Thess. 1:11, emphasis added).

At that point in my journey, I had been in full-time ministry for about 15 years. But as those years flashed before me, I realized I had never truly experienced ‘the work of faith with power.’”

That thought unsettled me, and lead me to say a simple prayer: “Father, someday let me participate in the work of faith with power.”

God honored that request in ways that surpass anything I could have possibly imagined (Eph. 3:20-21). But there was a problem: What was happening was beautiful, but it started and stopped with us. The fruit was real but only happened when we did the plowing, planting, and watering.

In a diagnosis that was very insightful but also pretty painful, I heard the Lord say, “The problem is you’re planting and harvesting seedless grapes. The fruit is real, but it’s one generation and done.”

For me, it was like when Jesus told the disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat (John 21:6). Their life-long expertise wasn’t enough. Things had to change.

This meant our goal became ordinary people multiplying disciples in their networks and repeating the process without our involvement. Our role became to be a catalyst and a coach.

What has God done through this shift? Over 140,000 new churches, 2.8 million new followers of Jesus, and more than 250 movements spanning up to 35 generations. Currently, 69 new churches and 822 new disciples emerge each day!

The only way that this can be true is that we spent the last 20 years reinforcing with everyone everyday: No more seedless grapes!

Disciples make disciples. Churches plant churches. And leaders train leaders.

And what does this look like on the field? Every place I go the circumstances are different, but the story is always the same: Everyone talks about their family tree.

Generations upon generations of spiritual kids and grandkids flowing from cabbage farmers to army generals. From taxi drivers to politicians and from witch doctors to priests and scholars from religions dedicated to destroying Christians.

On a recent 3-day trip to Ethiopia, I took 15 pages of bullet point notes of the testimonies of miracles and multiplication that the Lord was granting in incredibly difficult circumstances. It was like drinking from a firehose! 

When I realized that this was just the proverbial “tip of the iceberg” in one small corner of what God was doing, my mind went to John 21:25: “There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”

And the best part is, I’m fully convinced that the days ahead will be far greater than the days behind. After 50 years of ministry for Audrey and me, our season is coming to an end.

But God has answered our prayers to raise up a new leader, Andy Lehmann, that we believe by God’s grace can lead New Generations to even greater things for the Kingdom of God. Andy and I are in the early part of a two-year transition and here are his thoughts on where we are headed…

“My vision is simple: to deepen our commitment to the principles of disciple-making movements, expand into new regions, and equip even more leaders to catalyze lasting Kingdom impact. Together, we can press forward, confident in God’s power to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.”

Andy Lehmann with his wife, Lindsey, and 3 daughters, Olivia, Zoey and Eliana.
Andy Lehmann with his wife, Lindsey, and 3 daughters, Olivia, Zoey and Eliana.

God has truly answered my prayer to be a part of, “the work of faith with power”! To God and God alone is the glory for what is happening, but it would be impossible for these things to happen if it weren’t for you.

Ministry is a team sport. Your prayer, your encouragement, and your generosity in 2024 has been a vital part of this incredible story. Because of you, the seeds of the Gospel have grown into vibrant movements, reaching into places we could only dream of.

As Audrey and I reflect on the past year, we’re humbled and deeply grateful for how God has used your faithful partnership to transform lives and multiply disciples. So thank you for walking with us on this journey.

We’ve seen God’s power at work, and again, I believe the best is still to come.

Click here if you’d like to support Disciple Making Movements with New Generations.