MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Firm Foundation In Christ Ministries (FFICM) is to train nationals not only to evangelize, but also to follow-up with new believers; training them in the basic knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the Christian faith that are necessary for them to become lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.

Our purpose

  • The purpose of FFICM is to help new believers build a foundation for their faith–a foundation that is firm because it is based on a strong relationship with Christ. After conversion, most people are inadequately followed up and are not taught how to have a strong relationship with Christ, with the result that most people who become Christians do not continue in the faith. In other cases, believers may continue to identify themselves as Christians, but do not follow Christ with the commitment or passion that He desires.

Our Vision

  • Our vision is to ground believers in their faith so that they will have a lifelong, active faith in Jesus Christ.

Activities

  • TRAIN
    • FFICM trains national pastors, church leaders, and church members in evangelism and follow-up so that the people who come to Christ through their ministry will be established in lifelong discipleship.
    • We train until not only the information is understood, but trainees can confidently lead a group of new believers towards the development of their faith in Christ. Most of the training work of FFICM is to church leaders and lay leaders; however, there are times that teaching directly new believers is necessary.
    • The training materials used by FFICM have been written by Dr. Richard Gardner based on his doctoral work, with assistance from the Community & Rural Life Enhancement Initiative and input from the team of FFICM trainers around the world.
  • ORGANIZE CONFERENCES
    • FFICM organizes conferences around the world to teach biblical methods of evangelism and new believer follow-up. We invite international evangelists and trainers to speak at the conferences.
  • DEVELOP MATERIALS
    • FFICM develops culturally contextualized materials for evangelism and new believer follow-up and discipleship. They are written so that the basics of who God is and how to live life with Jesus can be accurately communicated and understood by members of any specific culture or subculture. We translate our materials into local languages on an ongoing basis.

Statement of faith

We believe…
  • That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and practice.
  • In one God, the Creator; eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • That Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and that He was and remains true God and true man.
  • That God created Adam and Eve in the divine image; that they sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death; and that, as a result of Adam’s sin, all human beings are now born with a sinful nature and stand guilty before God.
  • That the Lord Jesus Christ died for sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified before God and have eternal life.
  • In the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord and His ascension into Heaven.
  • In the blessed hope of the personal and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
  • That all who put their faith in Lord Jesus Christ alone are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
  • That the Holy Spirit indwells and gives spiritual life to all believers, enables them to understand biblical truth, empowers them for godly living, and equips them for growth and ministry.
  • In the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

Rationale for ministry

  • New believers are often combined in groups with mature believers and do not understand the content of what is being taught.
  • Most Church or para-church programs either concentrate on helping people making a decision for Christ or discipleship programs that are often too complex or confusing for a new believer to understand. There is a pressing need for ministry geared towards the unique needs of the early stage of discipleship, to ensure that the follower of Christ fully understands and masters the basics of the faith. We call that initial discipleship with new believers “follow-up.”
  • Certain foundational knowledge, attitudes, and practices were unintentionally omitted in the early stages of most believers’ lives and cause fundamental problems that need to be corrected.