Leaders need to be trained in order to lead faithfully. 

Read: Hebrews 5:11-6:2
Example: The Tri-Cities Leadership Training Program exists to train leaders by pairing the expertise of a seminary with the practical experience provided in the local church. To date through the LTP, we’ve trained over 70 local church leaders who have served within the Tri-Cities, across the United States, and around the globe.
Prayer:  Pray for the current and future students of the Leadership Training Program. Pray that by grace-fueled effort and pursuit they would continue to grow into faithful, biblically qualified church leaders who model the character of Christ, know the Bible and sound doctrine, teach biblical doctrine while refuting false doctrine, and lead their family and the church to maturity well.

Training leaders helps reach the unreached with the gospel.  

Read:  Revelation 7:9-17
Example: TCBC partners with IMB missionaries in South Asia to reach 23 unreached people groups. Our Go Trip teams help them expand their efforts to share the gospel in villages, strengthen existing churches, train leaders, encourage pastors and missionaries, and meet physical needs. 
Prayer:  Pray for wisdom for this IMB team to best utilize the mission teams that come to assist them and for their national partners to boldly persevere despite persecution as they attempt to advance the gospel among their people. Revelation 7 tells us that people from every tribe and tongue will stand before the throne of God and worship. Pray that unreached people groups would be reached with the gospel and for the hearts of the South Asian people to be softened and receptive to Christ.

Training leaders protects the church from immaturity and heresy.

Read: 2 Peter 2:1-3
Example: Pastor Gene and Gayle Mermilliod recently traveled to visit our IMB partners in Kaabong, Uganda who serve among the Karamojong people. The Karamojong people are immersed in a culture of alcoholism, witchcraft, and sexual immorality, which provide unique obstacles seeking to share the gospel with them. Training leaders in this context helps to plant churches in new villages, assist the young churches in raising up elders, and resource leaders to travel to another part of the country for seminary training.
Prayer:  Pray today for the IMB Team’s resolve to persevere as they serve the Karamojong people. Pray for these young churches and new leaders as they learn and begin to teach God’s Word. Pray that the Lord would send more workers to join this team in this difficult part of the world. Pray that the pastors trained will be well-equipped to deal with the specific strongholds and cultural beliefs that are prevalent among the Karamojong people. Pray that they would be bold to proclaim truth and to call people to respond to the gospel of Christ.

Training leaders helps the advancement of planting new, healthy churches.  

Read:  Colossians 1:3-14
Example: TCBC is partnering with several other local churches to help plant Hampton Community Church in Hampton, TN in January 2025. Adam and Mckenzie Stine received theological training and ministry coaching through their completion of the Tri-Cities Leadership Training Program in May 2023. We rejoice with new healthy churches starting and serving our area with the good news of the gospel.
Prayer:  Pray for Adam and Mckenzie as they continue to build relationships with the people in Hampton in preparation for planting a new church next year. Pray for their marriage and family and those of their core team. Pray that the Lord would give them favor with people in the Hampton community and that from their first day as a church they would pursue health and growth in Christ.

Training leaders serves the church locally. 

Read: Titus 1:5-11
Example: Local churches are led by qualified leaders. At TCBC, we are led by our elders and are faithfully served by many teams of leaders, including our Go Group leaders. Every Go Group is led by a disciple-maker who is intentionally helping everyone in the group take their next step of growth in Christlikeness, seeking to add, expand, and restore edifying pursuits. 
Prayer: Pray for our elders and the more than 60 Go Group leaders currently serving at TCBC. Pray for their continued growth in maturity and the health of their families and Go Groups. Pray as they lead their groups to replicate, intentionally multiplying groups and helping more and more people take their next step of growth in following Jesus.

Training leaders serves the church globally.

Read: Matthew 28:16-20
Example: TCBC Pastor Mike Laughrun also serves as the Director of Global Engagement for Send Network, the North American church planting organization of the Southern Baptist Convention. Send Network partners with the International Mission Board to take trips each year that introduce 100 church planters from all over the country to missionary teams all over the world. The aim of these trips is that every Send Network church plant will begin to actively work to advance the gospel in strategic global locations.   
Prayer:  Pray for Pastor Mike and the Send Network Global Engagement Team as they seek to lead these church planters to develop a heart for the nations

Training leaders equips the next generation to be disciples sent out to work for the glory of God.

Read:  Psalm 127:1-5
Example: Chase and Madelyn Bartlett were discipled, equipped, and sent out by TCBC in May 2024. Chase is serving as the Next Generation Director with our church planting partner Overland Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. TCBC desires to train members to be faithful disciplemakers, help them discern their giftings and callings, and release them to pursue next steps of fruitful ministry to advance the gospel. 
Prayer:  Pray for Chase and Madelyn as they continue to learn to pastor and serve in a new context. Pray for the families of Overland, that they would be faithful to train their kids to know, love, and follow Jesus. Pray that more and more children and teenagers would grow up to be exemplary in their pursuit of following Jesus and would be sent out to serve in various places with the gospel. Like the picture in Psalm 127, they are arrows meant to be shot out for the glory of God. Ask the Lord to do this work in our families!

Leaders need to be trained in order to lead faithfully. 

Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-17
Prayer: As you read the qualities of the false teachers in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, pray against each of them for the church’s leaders. Pray that they would not be lovers of self, proud, arrogant, ungrateful, etc. Pray that our leaders would hold fast to the Word of life even in the midst of persecution. Pray that we would embrace and pursue the teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness of Scripture.

Training leaders helps reach the unreached with the gospel.

Read: Romans 10:9-17
Prayer: Pray for the billions of people around the world who are currently unreached with limited or no access to the gospel. Pray that through His church, the Lord would raise up leaders to go and preach to them, and that the proclamation of the Word would lead to their believing in Christ.

Training leaders protects the church from immaturity and heresy. 

Read: Ephesians 4:11-16

Prayer: Pray for the maturity of leaders in our church and other churches. Pray that they would be faithful to diligently pursue equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Pray for the saints, that we would pursue growing up into maturity as defined by full and complete Christlikeness. Pray that we would be spiritually discerning and would not be susceptible to false teachers who will lead us to be tossed to and fro.

Training leaders helps the advancement of planting new, healthy churches.

Read: Acts 2:37-47
Prayer: Thank God for the gift of His church. Ask God to raise up leaders to start new churches in areas that need to hear the gospel and to grow as faithful Jesus followers. Ask God to give His church a zeal to grow in Him and a sense of responsibility to help one another grow.

Training leaders serves the church locally. 

Read: Acts 1:1-8
Prayer: Pray for the other healthy, faithful local churches in our area. Pray that our community would be changed with the gospel because of the work of these churches to make Jesus known throughout the Tri-Cities.

Training leaders serves the church globally.

Read: Psalm 67
Prayer: Thank the Lord for our mission partners around the globe who are faithfully pursuing training leaders. Thank Him for how this expands our local church’s impact, giving us access to serve and reach people with the gospel who we would otherwise never have access to. Pray that through their work, the nations would come to know God and His works and rejoice in Him.

Training leaders equips the next generation to be disciples sent out to work for the glory of God.

Read: Psalm 78:1-8
Prayer: Gospel missions begins in the home. Pray for parents and families, that they would be resolved to teach and talk with their children about who God is and what He has done. Pray that as a church, the Bible would be our final authority in our families and parenting and that we would treasure Christ above all else.