What is Surge Anyway?
A couple years ago I was listening to an interview with a General in Iraq on NPR. He was asked to put into laymen’s terms what the “Surge in Iraq” was. He explained that when we went into Iraq we set up a couple mega-bases in the country. But the insurgency wasn’t happening around the mega-bases. It was happening out in the towns and villages and back alleys. So, the surge is a strategy to take the troops off of the mega-bases and sent out into the places where the battle is taking place.
I sat there in my car and thought, “This is such a great metaphor for what we have been dreaming about.” You see, me and three other pastors had been dreaming about a leadership training program that isn’t content with sending guys away for training. Rather, we wanted to see guys trained in their context, in their local church, sent out into the places where the battle is taking place.
That is what “Surge” is. It is an attempt to Surge the Valley with transformational leaders committed to living out the mission of God and committed to their local church.
Laboring for a Surge in Phoenix,
Tyler Johnson on behalf of the Surge Leadership Team
Kind words form our friends:
I am thankful for the leaders of Surge and their heart to thoroughly equip leaders, pastors and planters for the sake of the Gospel work in the greater Phoneix area. It’s a humble privilege for me to be able to serve alongside these men in this work as a guest equipper.”
-Jeff Vanderstelt
Surge is the best leadership training program I have seen. I appreciate its combination of biblical faithfulness, theological rigor and ecclesial relevance. I wish we had a Surge program in Vancouver to train leaders for our churches.
-Dr. Michael Goheen
Surge is a valuable training resource. Surge is a well balanced combination of “classroom and laboratory” training. Participants are exposed the world’s best thinkers and at the same time they benefit from interactive discussion with their peers. The Surge is an effective tool for preparing faithful men.
- Tom Shrader