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What happens when churches embrace agriculture as ministry? Frank Sindler, Executive Director of Equipping Farmers International, reveals how biblical farming principles are transforming both landscapes and lives across the Global South.

The numbers tell a striking story: approximately 70-80% of Christians in developing nations are farmers, yet for decades, mission efforts have overlooked this crucial aspect of discipleship. While churches planted throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America continue growing rapidly, many struggle with chronic food insecurity and dependence on Western funding. This disconnect between faith and farming has limited the church's ability to demonstrate Christ's redemptive power in tangible ways.

Frank shares remarkable stories of transformation from multiple countries where EFI works. Farmers implementing conservation agriculture principles consistently see four to five-fold yield increases in their very first growing season—without expensive inputs. These dramatic improvements enable families to pay for education and healthcare while empowering local churches to fund their own ministry initiatives. In Liberia, one church network is already on track to replace half its outside funding with local agricultural revenue.

Perhaps most surprising is the evangelistic impact. Without explicit proselytizing, these farming programs consistently lead to conversions among Muslims, Hindus, and adherents of traditional religions. As Frank explains, "Creation is like a doorway into God's heart." When people witness barren soil transformed into abundance through principles that honor the Creator's design, they naturally encounter the God behind those principles. Even an 85-year-old lifelong Christian described the training as "life-changing."

The implications for global mission strategy are profound. As tens of millions come to faith in previously unreached regions, agricultural discipleship offers a sustainable pathway forward, unlocking local resources that far exceed what external support could provide. It challenges our compartmentalized thinking that separates "sacred" from "secular" activities, demonstrating that Christ's redemption extends to our relationship with creation itself.

Ready to get involved? Visit www.efi-intl.org to learn about training opportunities, internships, and how your financial support can equip farmers to feed both bodies and souls.

https://www.efi-intl.org/giving/

https://www.efi-intl.org/get-involved/

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Step into the rich soil of discipleship as we explore the profound connections between farming and the Great Commission with Curtis Sergeant, a discipleship multiplication expert whose methods have catalyzed movements resulting in millions of believers and churches worldwide.

Curtis shares his remarkable journey from an unreached island in China to establishing a training center that has equipped disciple-makers in 174 countries. The key? A simple, reproducible approach that mirrors agricultural principles—where multiplication is the natural outcome of healthy growth.

For those called to agriculture, this conversation reveals that your vocation isn't separate from discipleship but divinely designed for it. Genesis shows us that tending the earth was God's original intention for humanity before the Fall. Every agricultural principle—sowing and reaping, pruning for growth, patience in waiting for harvest, dependence on God for rain—parallels spiritual truths that make the gospel tangible and visible.

The "three-thirds process" Curtis teaches focuses on obedience rather than mere knowledge, equipping believers to spiritually self-feed, foster authentic community, and pass these skills to others through a training cycle of modeling, assisting, watching, and leaving. This approach has proven effective across cultures and contexts.

Whether you're a professional farmer, homesteader, or backyard gardener, your agricultural calling provides unique opportunities to demonstrate the gospel holistically by addressing our broken relationships with God, self, others, and creation. As you steward the land, you're positioned to steward souls as well, participating in both temporal and eternal harvests.

Ready to see your farm or garden become fertile ground for discipleship? Discover practical tools and approaches that will help you integrate the Great Commission into your agricultural calling. The fields truly are white for harvest—in more ways than one.

Key Take-aways:

• Discipleship means teaching obedience to Christ's commands, not just sharing information
• The "three-thirds process" focuses on accountability, hearing from God, and application
• Agriculture is a divine calling established before the Fall, not just a profession
• Farming provides natural illustrations of spiritual principles like sowing, reaping, and patience
• Effective disciple-making requires multiplication, just as seeds produce abundant harvests
• Sharing the gospel with farmers can begin with the Garden of Eden narrative
• Agricultural stewardship helps restore our broken relationship with creation
• Simple tools like Zume training and The Only One book can equip anyone to make disciples

Check out Curtis's resources at TheOnlyOneBook.com, Zume.training, and ObeyGC2.com to learn more about multiplying discipleship in your context.

To access the after-show join Redeeming the Dirt Academy! www.redeemingthedirtacademy.com 

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Embrace a radical shift in your gardening approach as we dive deep into the concept of no-till gardening! This episode illuminates how you can cultivate a flourishing garden without the use of a tiller. Listeners will meet Johann, a seasoned farmer with extensive experience from Malawi, who shares invaluable insights on the significance of soil life and encouraging sustainable practices that honor God's creation.

Explore the challenges and rewards of preparing your garden plot with minimal disturbance to the earth. We discuss the importance of understanding the delicate ecosystems beneath our feet, focusing on the myriad living organisms God created to contribute to a thriving environment. By incorporating mulching and organic matter into our gardening practices, we can foster healthier soil that yields bounteous crops.

Join us as we debunk common misconceptions about tilling and redefine what it means to cultivate the earth with respect and care. This conversation not only highlights practical gardening techniques but also frames them within a biblical worldview of stewardship and responsibility. 

Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting, this episode offers pearls of wisdom that can change how you approach your plot. Don't miss the opportunity to learn how to work with God's creation as a steward, rather than suffer the consequences of abusing it. Tune in and discover how to keep redeeming the dirt! Be sure to check out the links and resources in the show notes below for further learning and inspiration.

Click here to download my free no-till gardening checklist! 

Here are some videos by Johann:

Beautiful Crop

Foundations for Farming Story

Further Resources for Planting a Garden without a Tiller:

• Redeeming the Dirt Academy
• The Well-Watered Garden Handbook
  • Free PDF Download
  • On Amazon

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In this episode of the Redeeming the Dirt Podcast, we explore the important connection between agriculture and a Christian worldview, discussing how biblical principles can inform and transform farming practices. You will hear insights from Micah Humphreys, a professor at the College of the Ozarks, emphasizing stewardship and the role of faith in nurturing God's creation while encouraging listeners to engage in agriculture with hearts of humility and obedience to God.

In our conversation we cover topics like:

• Understanding the necessity of a Christian worldview in agriculture
• The role of stewardship in reflecting our faith in farming practices
• Insights from Micah Humphreys on education in agricultural perspectives
• The relationship between daily farming tasks and worshipful living
• Encouraging biblical thinking about different farming methods
• The importance of storytelling in shaping our agricultural worldview
• Navigating the tension of farming in a post-fall world with hope and humility
• Practical ways to integrate faith into agriculture and decision-making
• The significance of prayer and seeking God's guidance in farming practices

A powerful reminder from this episode is the importance of storytelling in shaping our worldview. Just as the world narrates its version of history, we, as Christians, have a narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration—one that is distinctly crafted by the gospel. This overarching story provides context and purpose to our lives, fostering a deeper appreciation for the land that we cultivate.

Links:

College of the Ozarks
https://www.cofo.edu/

Affiliate Book Links:
Born-Again Dirt, Farming to the Glory of God by Noah Sanders
Well-Watered Garden Handbook by Noah Sanders
Pollution and the Death of Man by Francis Schaeffer
Where Garden Meets Wilderness by Calvin Beisner

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What if faith in Jesus could transform your everyday routines and responsibilities? This episode of the Redeeming the Dirt podcast challenges you to rethink how your Christian beliefs can permeate all aspects of life, especially in agriculture. Join me, Noah Sanders, as we unpack the concept of missional stewardship—where faith meets practical living. Discover how the biblical call to stewardship and discipleship can not only redeem our relationship with Creation but also reflect a life of surrender and purpose that glorifies God.

Explore how living as a missional steward isn't just about rule-following; it's an invitation to embody faith in daily actions. From the Apostle Paul's example of a quiet, productive life to practical initiatives like Foundations for Farming, Farming God's Way, and Equipping Farmers International, we illustrate how faithfulness in the ordinary things of life can lead to extraordinary impacts. Learn how these approaches empower individuals to reduce poverty and dependency while showcasing a heart grounded in God's wisdom rather than man's.

We'll also discuss the power of integrating faith with farming, creating missional opportunities for discipleship in community development. Resources like the Well-Watered Garden Handbook and Redeeming the Dirt Academy offer practical guidance for those eager to engage in faith-based outreach. Whether you're cultivating a garden or a relationship, this episode encourages you to embrace your role in spreading God's kingdom, using your gifts purposefully to make a lasting impact.

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Food and farming matters to God because they are part of his design and creation and impact the life and health of every person on earth. But Satan also cares, because the control of food and farming brings opportunities and power for his agenda of death, theft, and slavery. As we seek to be faithful to steward the land and serve others, it is important that we understand the battle we live in so we can accurately walk in truth and live effective lives. In this episode I talk with filmmaker and speaker Curtis Bowers about the dangers we face in this day and age,  the joy of walking in radical obedience to God, and the opportunities we have as Christian land stewards.

I highly recommend that you check out Curtis' resources and consider subscribing to his weekly newsletter.
https://agendaweekly.com/

If you would like to support the show please visit: https://redeemingthedirt.com/support/ 

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As we seek to follow God, even in stewarding the land, we must be motivated by faith in his wisdom and guidance. Many people are feeling called to build 'ark' homesteads as a protection against times of judgement and difficulty. Sometimes it can be discouraging and be easy to second guess what we are doing, but we must always return to acting in faith, even when it seems foolish. The roles people are called to may be different, and not everyone is called to 'build an ark', but we must persevere in faith and faithfulness in whatever part God has given us in building his Kingdom. In this podcast episode I share some of my recent thoughts and encouragements that I hope will be a blessing. 

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In the United States most of us receive our daily necessities of food, water, energy, shelter and sanitation from the 'grid', a complex system of production and distribution. This grid is a historically unprecedented economic system that is characterized by specialization, centralization, complication, and communication. It is incredible in its ability to create and supply a wide range of services and products. However, it also creates a society of consumers who don't need many practical skills or relationships with local people. Many of us would likely die if the fragility of the 'grid' resulted in its total or partial collapse if the conditions of peace and stability it relies on disappears. But even if it doesn't collapse, the benefits of decreasing dependency on that grid can help us create families and communities that experience greater freedom and health. In this podcast episode I talk with Kemble Hildreth of Acorn Land Labs about practical thoughts and simple solutions for decreasing our dependency on unhealthy, vulnerable industrial systems.

"Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,
    lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues."

Revelation 18:4 ESV

Links:

https://shop.liveoakcs.com/pages/acorn-land-lab

To support the Show go to www.redeemingthedirt.com/support

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We live in an age where the family is viewed primarily as a unit of consumption. Families consume entertainment together, take vacations together, eat out together, and buy gifts for each other on birthdays and holidays. And these are great things to do together. But historically and biblically families were also productive and worked together to create valuable products and services through family households, homesteads, businesses and farms. Families that worked together with a common desire to serve others had unity and were at the foundation of healthy economies. 

For many of us one of the attractions of agriculture is the ability to do meaningful work together with the people that we love most in life: our family.  Fewer and fewer jobs today allow for the participation of multiple ages and generations and agriculture is a space particularly suited for building and investing in relationships. And while this is the intention for many of us, the reality of learning to do this on a daily basis while coming from a culture of fragmentation, efficiency, and production can be challenging.

In this episode I speak with Rory Groves, author of the book Durable Trades, about the blessing and challenge of learning to be productive families that work as a team as we learn to listen to and follow Jesus together.

Rory's Book Durable Trades: https://a.co/d/8uENOz3

Upcoming Agricultural and Discipleship Training: https://redeemingthedirt.com/training/

Lamplighter Guild Horticulture Course: https://themastersguild.net/summerguild

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The new opportunities and potential of artificial intelligence are making waves in the digital world even as many of us are busy working in our gardens in the world of nature. We can ignore AI tools like ChatGPT, but they will impact our families and farms directly or indirectly whether we like it or not, the same way the internet and cell phones have. It is important that we understand the technology,  it's ramifications, and intentionally engage or disengage from it so that we avoid negative consequences and view it as the powerful tool that it is. My friend, Kevin, joins me on the show today to discuss how we as Christians should view any new technology like this and how we should respond to it. The AI generated picture that he created for a project with his boys is the artwork for this episode. Pretty crazy. 

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