When you drop a stone into the water, even the tiniest pebble, the effect is lasts beyond the moment when you let go. Each ring that expands out from the point of impact touches the space next to it, and ripples outward, again and again. Sharing the Gospel is that tiny pebble for Haggai leader Ayaan*.

Ayaan is the consultant at a Christian organization in Sri Lanka that supports churches to accomplish their mission. While working in this organization is what he is trained to do, the equipping he cares most about is in Gospel leaders. Ayaan is a minister at his church and a Haggai leader, and he’s answered the call to spearhead a top-down, nation-wide discipleship movement that aims to share the Gospel across every corner of Sri Lanka, much like those ripples across a pond.

“I was given an opportunity to strategize and create a master church planting program for Sri Lanka for next decade by the largest evangelical and charismatic denomination in my country,” said Ayaan.

Ayaan and his task force team are focused on using this initiative to raise up leaders of faith to end Gospel poverty. They’ve started with regional pastors, and then plan to equip local church leaders who will then equip their congregations. From nine provinces to 25 districts, 331 divisions, and more than 14,020 village officers, Ayaan hopes to one day reach Sri Lanka’s total population of 22 million people.

Inspired by his own Haggai Leader Experience, he was able to take the stories he heard there and the encouragement and support he received from meeting other leaders from around the world and use it to fine-tune his discipleship plan. He uses his strong, goal-oriented work ethic and acumen for achieving results amidst changing environments to make an impact on non-Christians living in Sri Lanka with what Haggai has taught him.

“Since October of 2020 I have been equipping men and women in discipleship and how to share the Gospel using 12 strategies from the Book of Acts in 12 weeks,” he said. “As of now, we have equipped 201 of those individuals and they are actively repeating the process at the next level, equipping others in their own context.”

His equipping initiative sets aggressive goals — in fact, they’ve already implemented the training program’s curriculum in several districts and are actively tracking their student bodies. Whatever the timeline on which those goals will be achieved, this plan prepares a long-term path for fruitfulness. It may just make waves.

Of course, despite excitement and fervor for the program and its momentum, there are challenges ahead. In Ayaan’s own words, they need prayers and support. Battling the long-held traditions of the Church is their biggest hurdle, but they’ve seen the light in the glimmers of hope that those walls are breaking down.

And that’s a ripple worth making a splash over.

Written by Jennifer Colosimo