Perhaps FOI’s greatest contribution to the Christian church and caring organizations is our work of identifying and training leaders. We do this in a host of formal and informal ways. Because the military is a ‘rotating’ community volunteer leaders serving in our network of ministry centers, churches and fellowships are continually moving on to new assignments. This requires new leaders to continually be trained and given a chance to serve. Every year scores of new teachers, youth and teen camp workers, worship leaders, musicians; benevolence workers and host of other creative team members must be trained and given a chance to utilize and expand their talents for the good of others.
FOI believes every person has a life purpose assigned by God and a unique gift to develop and invest in the body of Christ. In discovering and fulfilling this God-given purpose the soldier, his family, their community and our world all become a better place to live and work. Military personnel, regardless of their rank or time in service, are people of extensive training and are no strangers to discipline, hardship and teamwork. FOI is committed to helping persons discover, develop and use their God-given talents in the midst of a caring Christian family. This is a fellowship where the message of Christ is ‘preached’ by the way we serve and help others. This is what we mean by the term “missional Christian family.” One of our missionary leaders calls this “living as the culture of Christ.”