Praxis - Friends

Some of Our Friends...

God is surfacing leaders today whose resources are not targeted on advancing their own ministries, but whose goal is to serve, nurture and advance the ministry of each believer--yours, the prospective user (not just "reader") of such content as you find here.

I whole heartedly commend Mike Perkinson and Tom Johnston for their work: I urge believers who want to discover true "abundant living" to make use of it.

- Pastor Jack Hayford
President, The Foursquare Church - excerpt written for The Kingdom Quest: Preparing to Church Plant in the Post-Christian West by Tom Johnston & Mike Perkinson

If you have a vision for church multiplication, Praxis is for you. This team of practitioners can help you implement the systems and strategies necessary to make your vision a reality. Many times people have the tools but don't know how to use them. What Praxis can do is come alongside with coaching and training and empower people to use those tools.

Having formed a strategic alliance with CoachNet International Ministries, Praxis is uniquely positioned to implement church multiplication movements. That working connection, plus my close relationship with Praxis team members personally, gives me confidence to recommend them with great enthusiasm. They are true colleagues and partners in ministry-- proven leaders. Praxis team members have extensive experience working with the resources we've developed for church multiplication, not just in theory but in practice. If you're tired of saying, "We should… we ought to…" Praxis is for you. They can help you get you where you want to go.

- Dr. Bob Logan

Executive Director, CoachNet International Ministries

Wow, I'm excited about Praxis. This is just the kind of thing we need for three kinds of people: 1. Potential church planters and their teams. 2. New church planters and their key leaders. 3. Churches with a willingness and sacrificial spirit that are willing to sponsor church planters.

Tom Johnston is a close personal friend of mine and currently pastors a church that is a fourth generation plant from one that I pastored. He is highly experienced as a coach, having worked with Robert Logan for several years. This man seems to have the key to church planting in New England which is supposed to be the toughest place in America to plant a church. I am proud to be in association with these people.

- Ralph Moore

Pastor of Hope Chapel Kaneohe, Hawaii

Tom Johnston and Mike Perkinson are not only authors we are pleased to publish at ChurchSmart Resources, they are leaders committed to fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus entrusted to the church. When I think of Tom and Mike there are three words that come to mind: Heart, Help and Hope. These men have a heart for the church and church leaders. Everything they write and teach is geared to move people closer to the heart of God. Second, they love to help church leaders increase their effectiveness in ministry with practical nuts-and-bolts training. And third, they know the hope of this world is in multiplying disciples of Jesus. Hang out with them, learn from them and the resources made available through Praxis, and get ready for the adventure God has in mind for you!

- David Wetzler

Owner, ChurchSmart Resources

Tom Johnston is well known in the Foursquare Brazilian Community. He is a great communicator that has proven his skills teaching the Brazilian Foursquare Church leaders with exceptional results.

Through his teaching, new leaders have been raised up and new church planters "awaked". Tom has made a great contribution for the growth of the Portuguese speaking churches in New England. He is a man that has a heart to develop leaders to plant healthy churches.

- Reverend Cairo Marques

Supervisor, New England Foursquare Church - Portuguese Speaking District

For years I’ve watched other leaders gravitate toward and be helped by Mike. He is a knowledgeable, deeply wise, healthy and experienced practitioner who has always been so good at working with other leaders and organizations. His teaching, coaching and consulting are current, clear and super helpful.

- Steve Overman
Senior Pastor, Eugene (Oregon) Faith Center
Supervisor, Willamette District of Foursquare Churches

Mike Perkinson is one of the truly bright rising stars in Christendom today. His innovative thinking, coupled with a passion for orthodoxy, make for the kind of balance that the church is desperately looking for in this generation. Mike’s breadth of knowledge and experiential wisdom flows out of the fresh stream of His developed relationship with Jesus Christ. He is well-versed in Scripture and hands on in his approach to mentoring. And his bandwidth is broad—he can handle more responsibilities than the average Pastor. Mike can do anything for Christ. The question will always only be: what is Jesus asking him to do? Whatever that is, Mike will do it with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. He is a wonderful Pastor, mentor, husband, and father. And I consider him a friend for life.

- Ron Pinkston
District Supervisor (San Francisco Bay Area), International Church of the Foursquare Gospel

I serve as the District Supervisor for The Foursquare Church in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania where we are committed to church planting and church health. Praxis has been our primary resource for both church planting and church health materials. I find that every resource is principle based and works in any cultural setting while not being model specific. Because of the diversity of the three states I serve I can utilize Quest or Vista or The Crossing in both rural Pennsylvania or in The Bronx with equal effectives.

I fully endorse and highly recommend Praxis as a full service resource for church planting and church health materials.

- Art Snow
District Supervisor (Tri-State Metro Area), International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and Executive President, the Praxis Center for Church Development Board of Directors

The dynamic ministry of Praxis is changing the church by changing lives. The direct focus on the application of biblical principles has had a radical impact on leaders who have grasped this vision. It is a joy for me to enthusiastically endorse this ministry and to give my highest personal commendation!

- David Midwood
President, Vision New England and Executive Treasurer, the Praxis Center for Church Development Board of Directors

Church planters in greater Boston are fortunate to have available the expertise and guidance available to them through the services of the Praxis Center for Church Development. Church planting in greater Boston can be even more successful as it takes advantage of what Tom and those associated with Praxis have to offer.

- Rev. Ralph A. Kee

Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative and a founding member of the Board of Directors of The Praxis Center of Church Development

It is with joy that I recommend the ministry of The Praxis Center for Church Development and Tom Johnston. Tom has planted churches in New England. He has also parented churches (who have made him a grand-parent), coached church planters, coached sponsor pastors and coached churches pursuing church health. His wide experience and excellent results all testify to a source of help that we in New England are wise to use for Kingdom advantage.

- Rev. Dr. Kim L. Richardson
Pastor, Coach, Sponsor Pastor, District Coordinator - N.E. Nazarene, Former Coordinator of Church Planting for Vision New England and member of the Praxis Center for Church Development Board of Directors

In a world raging with confusion, it is of significant value to find the inspired treasures of God. Praxis affords these very treasures in practical and intelligent applications that provide clarity and enhance explosive multiplication and discipleship principles for today's church.

I would encourage the serious disciple, who is praying for the Lord to send laborers into the harvest field, to read and employ the tools and principles that Praxis makes available in their books and seminars. Genuine revival is sure to follow.

- Rich Young
Project Manager, Pure Works and member of the Praxis Center for Church Development Board of Directors

Tom Johnston has a profound understanding of what it takes to plant new churches, the communication skills to share that information clearly and the ability to motivate and energize both church planters and their supporters. The Alliance for Renewal Churches is indebted to him and looks forward to an ongoing relationship.

- Ray Nethery
Director of Pastoral Care, The Alliance for Renewal Churches, Former Praxis Board member

I have been actively involved in church planting in New England for 15 years as a pastoral leader, church planter, and now as a lay leader. I have known the joy of seeing new churches successfully launched and growing. I have also known the heartbreak of seeing visions die and people crushed by the failure of a mission. I am convinced that The Praxis Center for Church Development has the tools, the talent, and the vision to help the successful leaders more effectively bring health and growth to their people, and the struggling leaders to find the tools necessary to accomplish what God has called them to do.

- David M. Wheat

Chartered Financial Consultant and former member of the Board of Directors of The Praxis Center of Church Development