Dr. Steve Leston

Dr. Steve Leston

Steve is the vice president of Training at To Every Tribe.
A missionary and a new local believer sitting together in a quiet, intentional moment of Bible study and prayer, representing the Nurture phase.

Written By:

Moving beyond conversion: learn how the Nurture and Help phases of church planting provide the “nursing mother” care needed to survive persecution.

A diverse group of indigenous believers and a missionary gathered with Bibles, demonstrating the bridge between understanding worldview and sharing the whole Gospel.

Written By:

Learn how the Spiritual and Gospel conversation phases prevent syncretism and ensure the “Whole Gospel” addresses guilt, shame, and fear.

A missionary standing in a circle with village children, listening intently, representing the foundational work of Phase 2 Trust.

Written By:

Discover why Arrival and Trust are the most critical phases of church planting. Learn how to avoid treating people as projects and build lasting trust.

A mature indigenous church elder teaching and equipping local believers to do the work of ministry, while the pioneer missionary observes and supports from the background.

Written By:

Why the Western attendance model fails in cross-cultural missions. Learn why To Every Tribe focuses on the Ephesians 4 model of mutual discipleship.

A missionary sharing a meal with a large multi-generational group, illustrating the communal nature of the Gospel in collectivist societies.

Written By:

Why Western individualism can hinder church planting. Learn how to reach collective cultures by engaging families and clans for the Gospel.

A diagram illustrating how specialized "niche" ministries fit into the overarching goal of indigenous church planting.

Written By:

Learn why church planting requires a holistic approach over “niche missions.” An excerpt from To Every Tribe’s Foundations of Cross-Cultural Staff Training.

A diagram showing the 8 phases of pioneer church planting from Arrival to Affirming local leadership.

Written By:

How do you actually do pioneer church planting? Read this excerpt from the Dec 2017 Ekballo Magazine as Steve Leston explains the 8 Phases of Pioneering.

A To Every Tribe missionary standing in a line with indigenous Papua New Guinean men, arms around each other's shoulders to signify authentic brotherhood and cross-cultural partnership

Written By:

Discover why true missions move at the speed of trust. Learn how the 8 Phases of Pioneering move ministry from transactional to transformational.

A graphic showing a roadmap from initial passion to field-readiness, highlighting the five core competencies of a missionary.

Written By:

Moving beyond passion: assess your readiness for cross-cultural missions across five core competencies. Gain clarity on your strengths and areas for growth.