About us

We’re dedicated to helping you carry out the mission God has placed in your heart in a biblical, culturally-effective, and reproducible way.

Our story

Before the turn of the 21st century, Glenn Schwartz, a missionary to Africa, became gravely concerned about how mission approaches took on attitudes and behaviors of colonialism and paternalism. As a result, he started to talk and write about this issue for his generation of missionaries, zeroing in on how mission-generated unhealthy dependency chipped away at the dignity and self-development of those on the receiving end of missions.

We wish we could say that this topic is no longer needed but in this globalized world, the West is engaging with the rest of the world like never before. It’s more critical than ever that missionaries and organizations replace dependency-producing models with approaches that promote local dignity, sustainability, and multiplication.

Our team at Five Stones Global stands ready to coach and train you or your team to create a Great Commission environment that makes Acts 2:42-47 a reality for the people groups you come alongside.  

 

The significance of our name

Much like David opted to use his slingshot and five smooth stones over Saul’s bulky armor in his battle against Goliath, we train and coach mission workers to encourage indigenous people (the Davids) around the globe to use their own “five stones”—their God-given capacity and local resources—to thrive and multiply.

“As a missionary, you set out to change lives and make disciples of Jesus.

At the same time, it’s so important to remember that DAY 1 (your beginnings) impacts DAY 100 (the long-term for the local insiders).

I’m so proud of the work we do here at Five Stones Global to partner with both dedicated missionaries and generous donors who fund our work. This combined generosity and work create disciple-making efforts that are repeatable, multiplying, and sustainable.

We’re so glad you’re here. I can’t wait to learn more about how we can work together to make a biblically-rooted, culturally-relevant impact.”

~ Jean Johnson, Executive Director

A must-have for every missionary’s toolkit

“Five Stones Global provides practical, doable principles for sustainable mission work that should be part of every cross-cultural worker’s toolkit.”

~ Mark Zook

What makes us unique

Our focus: We’re dedicated to helping you carry out the mission God has placed in your heart in a biblical, culturally-effective, and reproducible way.

Our approach: We come alongside you for the long-haul. As the Africans say, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We love creating community for those we train. We’re active prayer partners who deeply care about your well-being and effectiveness.  

Our authenticity: We share our failures and successes so you can truly learn from us. 

Our style: Our coach-led trainings are creative and participatory. We help you chase down the practical and remind you to get back to the biblical. 

Meet Our Team

We’re here to serve you

(Click on each team member to view their bio)

 

Jean Johnson

Jean Johnson

Executive Director and Coach-Trainer

Dan Carl

Dan Carl

Coach-Trainer

Maria Gilbertson

Maria Gilbertson

Coach-Trainer

Diane Campbell

Diane Campbell

Curriculum Development and Training

Kim Foss

Kim Foss

Administrative Manager

Meet Our Team

Board of directors

(Click on board member to view their bio)

 

Doris Dagen

Board Chair

Wes Funk

Vice Chair

Taylor Gilbertson

Board Treasurer

Alison Gochnauer

Board Secretary

Charlie Kreider

Member

Sarah Raush

Member

Our commitment

We believe every missional action will either nurture or inhibit long-term sustainable outcomes in your cross-cultural work. We strive to help you foster cultural effectiveness, sustainability, and multiplication.

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Our ethos

DAY 1 affects DAY 100: We believe that what missionaries do on DAY 1 (the foundational level) will either accelerate or inhibit the local disciples and churches from sustaining and multiplying their own efforts on DAY 100 (in the long term).

Our mission

Therefore, we come alongside missionaries to help them create a culture of dignity, sustainability, and multiplication in their Great Commission efforts on DAY 1.

Our vision

So on DAY 100 the local disciples and churches readily sustain and multiply their own efforts on DAY 100 onward.

Helping you sharpen your mission methods

From custom coaching to online training, we’re here to help you design a missionary practice that’s impactful and sustainable without creating an unhealthy culture of dependency.

Solutions that keep reproducibility, culture-effectiveness, and multiplication at the center of your mission work

Work with a trusted partner

Aim for eternal success

Increase your missional effectiveness

Avoid common pitfalls

Our values and beliefs

Our values

Go to all
with the ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not known, so that we don’t build on existing foundations (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 15:20).
Baptize and make disciple-makers
who make more disciple-makers multiplying 4+ generations (Matt. 28:19; 2 Tim. 2:2).
Teach the commands of Jesus
until (obedience) living them out becomes a lifestyle (Matt. 28:20).
Biblical:
The Bible transforms any and all cultures. The Bible has the first and final word of how communities of Jesus live out their faith, rather than the missionary’s worldview, values, preferences, and denominational man-made requirements. The Bible is the plumb line.
Contextual:
The application of Jesus’ commands (e.g. repent, be baptized, pray, make disciples, love, break bread, give) is formed and shaped according to the people, language, and circumstances of the community.
Reproducible:
We think and act multiplication in all things for all stages so multiplication is possible and spontaneous for insiders and those they model to (Lk. 9:1-6; Lk. 10:1-7; 2 Tim. 2:2).
Self-reliance/local-reliance:
Paul taught, “. . . Work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” ( 1 Thess. 4:11-12). Local leaders and churches that are locally-sustainable win the respect of those they are leading and reaching. Local resourcing decreases the perception that Jesus is the foreigner’s god and dependency on others across an ocean.

Our beliefs

The Bible
The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
God
There is one true God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus
The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
Faith
Faith in Jesus and His atoning death saves believers from separation from God.
The Holy Spirit
In the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the work of bringing people to salvation, enabling them to live lives pleasing to God, and empowering them to participate in the Great Commission.
The Worldwide Church
All believers of Jesus Christ make up the church worldwide and should meet together in local settings for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, etc. in order to become conformed to the image of Christ and to become equipped to carry out the ‘Great Commission’ that Christ gave His followers in Matthew 28:19-20.

How it works

1) Get in touch

Meet our team to explore what virtual course or courses are best for you.

2) Receive practical coaching and training

Learn principles and practices from experienced mission workers to multiply disciples using biblical, reproducible, and culturally effective approaches that avoid mission-generated unhealthy dependency.

3) Produce long-term impact

Be inspired by the birth and spread of biblically-faithful and culturally-effective communities of faith that multiply throughout a people group.

Get involved

Volunteering with Five Stones Global is all about impact. Together, we play a significant part in helping local disciples and churches thrive and multiply. Learn more about our opportunities today.

Free Guide

4-Steps for Making Cross-Cultural Decisions for Maximum Impact

A tool designed to help you make missiological decisions that produce local dignity, sustainability, and multiplication

Stay connected

Hear about upcoming trainings, tools, and blogs from Five Stones Global