OUR HISTORY

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” – Habakkuk 2:14

Habakkuk 2:14, that’s what we’ve been working towards since e3 Partners began in 1987; filling the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. It started with a vision God placed on the heart of Mike Downey to help nationals plant churches, and over the last few decades, God has used this ministry to do just that. He’s guided us through challenges and growth, and through it all, the vision has stayed the same. e3 Partners remains focused on helping nationals plant healthy, multiplying, transformative churches all across the world, and we will continue to do so until there is a local church accessible to every person, everywhere.

The Early Years

In 1985, Mike Downey led a group from his church in Oklahoma to Mexico for a mission trip. While there, they saw over 100 people accept Christ into their lives, and when they returned the next year, a church had been planted! Mike called it, “accidental church planting.” He was moved by the passion of these Mexican believers, and as he returned from that second trip, God gave him a vision. He founded Global Missions Fellowship (GMF) with the intent to serve nationals and plant churches in Mexico (on purpose), and it wasn’t long before God expanded that vision further.

In 1990, the collapse of the Soviet Union opened doors that allowed GMF to expand into Eastern Europe, and four years after that, we expanded to Africa as well.

In 1996, God expanded our vision to the entire world, and GMF began taking trips to areas within the 10/40 window.

Over the next two years, God revealed to us the concept of church planting movements (CPMs), which we began incorporating into our short-term trips strategy. There then became a clear need for some scalable evangelism and discipleship tools, which led to the development of the EvangeCube.

The EvangeCube provided our trip participants and national partners with a simple, easily comprehendible way of sharing the gospel. We began using it on all of our trips, and we’d train those who came to accept Christ on how to use it as well, encouraging them to go share the Good News with others.

The 2000s

In 2002, God revealed to us another idea that we refer to as “initiatives”. Essentially, the idea was to combine the evangelistic aspects of our short-term trips with an aid/relief aspect as well.

Medical church planting was our first initiative.

We began taking these types of trips to areas that were severely lacking in accessible medical care, and God used our medical service to open doors to countless families and individuals who had not yet heard the gospel. It was amazing to see how God could use the medical expertise and service of our teams to ultimately lead people to Him.

In 2006, we became e3 Partners Ministry.

Equip God’s people, evangelize His world, establish His church. Those are the three “e’s”, perfectly aligned with the original vision God gave Mike Downey in 1987.

Two years later, the I Am Second brand launched in Dallas, TX, focused on reaching people with powerful Gospel-centered stories through the ever-growing presence of digital media. It quickly became a national brand, and has now grown internationally as well, allowing us to spread the gospel to many people and places we may not be able to get to physically.

That same year, e3 Partners started its “Orality” initiative in Ethiopia. Many communities across Ethiopia speak languages that the Bible has not been translated into yet. The orality initiative focuses on developing strategies and scripts to share the gospel and other Biblical stories with these people through oral storytelling.

By the end of 2008, e3 was taking trips to dozens of countries around the world, and we’d organized the ministry into regional and country teams.

Recent Years

In 2014, we added a more focused training element to the ministry. Training new believers and Christian leaders had always been a part of what we did on our trips, but now there was an added emphasis on training outside of our church planting trips as well. Both domestically and internationally, through one on one meetings, discipleship groups, church gatherings, and other opportunities, we began training new believers how to share their testimonies and the gospel, and training more mature believers on how to disciple others and plant churches.

Then, in 2017, through God’s guidance we employed an integrated Four Fields strategy locally and globally to create something we call the “Great Commission Pipeline”.

The Great Commission Pipeline connects our trips, trainings, international workers, national partners and church partnerships all together to increase the effectiveness and speed at which we reach people far from God.

Looking back on the last 30+ years, it’s amazing to see how God has been at work the whole time. The expansion of our vision from Mexico to the whole world, the addition of initiatives and scalable evangelism tools like the EvangeCube, and now 3-Circles, the added training element, the 4 Fields strategy, the Great Commission Pipeline, it’s all been from God. He’s led this ministry the whole time and has allowed us to do some amazing work for His Kingdom.

In recent years, through our 4 Fields strategy and the implementation of the Great Commission Pipeline, we’ve seen the Gospel reach further and spread faster than ever before. We truly live in an unprecedented time in history. God is moving all across the world.

Come join us as we work to make Habakkuk 2:14 a reality!

Kristie's Staff Support Fundraiser

Donate

Organized by Kristie Layman

Donate Start a Fundraiser for this Cause

While the world forgets how to love...we, do not.

The Bride. The Body. The Church. An ever-expanding movement empowered by the Holy Spirit that is shepherding people to Jesus in un-precedented numbers. I have been graciously allowed by God to work on the e3 Partners Legacy Team. This teams focus is mobilizing families and youth to the harvest field together while being discipled to plant churches that plant churches. The Lord has directed me to bring the Legacy Team to new heights by laboring to get this gospel-sharing medium to Central Asia. We currently work in Asia, Africa, North, Central, & South America.

Your invitation to partner with us is right here. Would you consider partnering with us either financially (tax-deductible) or prayerfully, standing side-by-side with us, to see the people free from the bondage of darkness? Please pray and consider.

For more information about going on a trip yourself or with your entire family, please email Kristie:

kristie.layman@e3partners.org

His love never fails,

Kristie

Genesis 6:22

2020 Trip Opportunities

Posted a week ago

We are only a few days away from Christmas week and wow this year is flying by. As you take time off work and join together with family, we encourage you to pray about joining us next summer. It is the perfect time to start planning and you will not regret your decision to go.
Join us in Kenya from June 3-14th or in Ecuador July 17-26th as we share the love and truth of Jesus.

Posted by:
Kristie Layman
Read More
THANK YOU!

Posted a week ago

Thank you for your generosity on e3 Giving Day! We pray you are blessed richly by it as we continue to plan trips for 2020! May God get all the glory and honor from your giving! You make it possible for us to keep sharing Jesus until every tribe, tongue, and nation hears the Good News!

His love never fails,

DK & Kristie Layman

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
BONUS TIME!

Posted a week ago

Good Morning!

Giving Day has been extended until 1pm CT TODAY ONLY! Any gift given will be enhanced by the $100,000 bonus pool!

Blessings!

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
3 Hours Left! - e3 Giving Day!

Posted a week ago

There's 3 hours left until midnight CT! This is your last chance to have your $1 be worth more than $1!

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
TODAY's the Day! - e3 Giving Day

Posted a week ago

It's finally here!

Every donation made online TODAY to our support account will be enhanced through a bonus pool of $100,000!

Let's continue to share the truth with every tribe, tongue, and nation!

May the Lord's favor be upon you and your family. If you have any questions, please contact us at 972.832.9625.

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
It's Almost Here!

Posted a week ago

We’re less than 24 hours away! e3 Giving Day is tomorrow!

Every donation made to our support account tomorrow will be enhanced by $100,000 of bonus funds! This means tomorrow, every dollar is worth more than $1!

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
Increase Your Impact NEXT THURSDAY!

Posted a week ago

Happy Thursday!

We are only one week away from Giving Day, it's NEXT THURSDAY, September 12th!

What will happen on the 12th?
Every gift given to our support account from 6am until midnight CST will be enhanced by a bonus pool of $100,000! WOW!

Every donation given on September 12th makes an impact for the Kingdom! Will you pray for the 12th and also be apart of it?

DK & Kristie Layman
Genesis 6:22

Posted by:
DK & Kristie
Read More
Let's continue to share Jesus together!

Posted a week ago

On September 12th every dollar given to our support account will be enhanced by a $100,000 pool of bonus funds. This means every dollar will be worth more than $1! More people hearing the gospel. More churches planted. More baptisms!

Posted by:
Kristie Layman
Read More

27636
Days to Go

Powered by Pure Charity