Dr. Steve Leston

Dr. Steve Leston

Steve is the vice president of Training at To Every Tribe.
A missionary listening intently to local community elders, practicing the cultural exegesis required to understand an animistic worldview.

Written By:

What is animism, and why does it represent a major challenge to modern missions? Learn how missionaries decode animistic worldviews to share the Gospel.

A missionary scouting team gathered around a large paper map laid out on a table, pointing at locations and planning logistics for an exploratory trip to reach unreached people groups.

Written By:

Discover how veteran Ecuador missionary Frank Drown sparked a new frontier of pioneer church planting among the First Nations Peoples of northern Canada.

A missionary and local believers gathered at benches with Bibles, demonstrating the foundational work of relational discipleship over crowd-pleasing programs.

Written By:

Western missions often confuses church planting with trendy cultural adaptation. Discover why planting is actually the natural byproduct of true discipleship.

A chart illustrating the emotional highs and lows of the missionary experience from the initial call to long-term ministry.

Written By:

Explore the emotional and spiritual journey of a missionary, from the initial call to the hard realities of the field and eventual maturity.

Existing church elders laying hands on a new generation of local leaders, symbolizing the public affirmation of indigenous leadership.

Written By:

Learn how the final stages of the 8 Phases of Pioneering—Discover and Affirm—transform converts into indigenous church leaders and partners in the mission.

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.