Page 29 - 2018 Annual Report | Catalyst Magazine

STEPHEN MANLEY2018 ANNUAL REPORT | CITYLIGHT.ORGwas also an adjunct professor teach- ing under Verla Lambert in the Wom- en’s Study Series during several of those NBC years between 1986 and 1992.The Lord soon pointed Stephen and Delphine toward Tennessee. In De- cember of 1998, they responded to the Lord’s leading and moved SMEA’s ministry headquarters from Upland, Indiana to Lebanon, Tennessee; not realizing at the time that this would become the location of the practical ministry school Stephen had long feltof the Nazarene was established in Lebanon, Tennessee with Stephen as the lead pastor.Over the last several years, Cross Style Church has aggressively minis- tered within the community. Whereas some churches are inward focused, Stephen has wanted from the begin- ning for the pastoral sta , the con- gregation, and ministry students to be outward focused. The church now runs an emergency-housing program for the homeless and needy, provides food boxes and serves a daily free hot bu et dinner to the community. Cross Style is invested in nursing homes, the community little league, the local Ki- wanis Club, and has recently started a transformation program for those with addictions and people coming out of prison or jail. The ministry op- portunities have been expanding and opening up in ways that can only be ascribed to Jesus.Now that a ministry foundation has been laid in the community, Stephen and the Cross Style team o cially launched the Cross Style School of Practical Ministry in 2013. The out- ow and ministry potential as well as the practical investment in the lives of these students cannot be overstated. Students spend between a semester to two years at the school and are grounded in the Word of God and learn how to practically live the Truth of Scripture out in practical ministry. It is the passion of everyone in Cross Style, especially Stephen, to have the opportunity to invest in and train up the next generation of leaders, pas- tors, evangelists, missionaries, and ministers.As such, the Cross Style School of Practical Ministry is focused on three types of individuals: high school grad-a divine stirring over.THE FUTUREAfter 41 years in itinerant evangelism, the Manleys felt a clear call from God to come o the road for the purpose of starting the Cross Style School of Practical Ministry. The basis for this school required a church body to partner in the lives of the students and in the ministry training. In Sep- tember 2009, twenty-two years after the dream began, Cross Style Church29