GLOBAL MISSIONS
Each year our missions committee prayerfully considers how to best support missionaries with our resources. We believe that expanding the kingdom of God means reaching out beyond our borders to those in need. We're proud to partner with the following missionaries to help serve the less fortunate and to spread the good news of the Gospel around the world.
amor
HOUSE-BUILDING MINISTRY
Amor Ministries organizes house-building projects in Mexico called Impact Trips. These projects along with financial donations to the organization benefit local families in many ways, including the following:
Keeps Families Together:
Having inadequate shelter provides stress for a family that can lead to separation with individuals looking for work in other cities. It can also cause parents to decide they cannot care for their children which could lead to institutionalization of the children, children being sent to live with friends or family members creating separation of parents and children, or outright abandonment. A home keeps a family together and a job that provides a living wage allows a family to care for itself.
Promotes Health & Education:
Having a cement floor and shelter that protects a family from the elements dramatically increases their health. Kids are more likely to attend school when they aren't sick, and with the solid foundation of a concrete floor, they aren't as sick as often. A home helps children get education that could break the cycle of poverty.
Promotes Dignity:
Parents want to provide for their families. A job that provides a living wage allows a family to care for itself.
Averts Trafficking:
Human trafficking, in many parts of the world, is a migration problem. When people are separated from their community because of their need for work, they are vulnerable to traffickers. A home allows a family to stay intact.
Battles Extreme Poverty:
Shelter is a basic need, and lack of it creates stress. When someone receives a home, a basic need is cared for that allows them to put their energies and resources toward activities that will further provide for their family. This allows them to plan and dream for a hopeful future. A home is a stepping stone.
Strengthens Communities:
Creating jobs allows individuals to provide for themselves and their families and this in turn creates a thriving community.
RICHARD & BETTINA COLLINS
LIVING LEADERSHIP
Richard and Bettina Collins live with their family in Southampton, England and have been missionaries to the U.K. for over eight years. They are involved in various areas of ministry in addition to serving with Living Leadership. Richard assists at a food bank, serves breakfast to the homeless, disciples young men in his church, presents a gospel radio program to the south of England, and helps with various kinds of training in the church. Bettina runs two Bible studies, counsels a number of young women, and is a lecturer at The School of Missional Disciple-making, which trains young leaders from the south of England.
Living Leadership is a growing network of leaders, churches and supporters who are committed to training and sustaining Christian leaders for God’s glory.
Identifying, training, developing, and sustaining leaders is a key task for the church of every generation. The Collins long to see leaders developed who make a difference for Christ.
rob & karen jaworski
AVANT MINISTRIES
Since 1892, Avant Ministries has focused on planting and developing the Church in the unreached areas of the world. Through church planting, church support ministries, media, education, camp and business, Avant hopes to establish churches among the unreached – mature, nationally-led churches that desire to plant more churches, first in their own city, and then all over the world. Avant trains, sends and serves missionaries in over 30 countries globally.
Rob and Karen Jaworski, serving with Avant in Spain, feel deeply the importance and urgency of sharing the message of Christ with the people of Spain and to help them in their spiritual growth through Bible teaching, small group studies, one-on-one get-togethers, scripture memorization and prayer.
The focus of their ministry continues in Toledo through the association 14:6 Vida with the aim “to prepare believers to live out their faith in all spheres of their lives.” Worship services, Bible studies, training in expositional preaching, and English conversation are some of the activities taking place.
Rob continues to serve as a team leader and as president of the mission’s legal organization in Spain with a total of 27 members currently.
JUNA AMAGARA ministries
OUTREACH TO ORPHANS
Juna Amagara Ministries is unique in that they deal not just with the physical needs of orphans but also life skills and spiritual needs as well. Their intention is to nurture the few from a variety of locations so that they can become leaders, go back to their villages and change the lives of many.
They are not an organization collecting child sponsorship money just to do community development, healthcare programs or build agricultural models. Instead, they are facilitators of needs as identified by indigenous people in crisis. They are adept at running schools, children’s homes, foster childcare, community health programs and community evangelism.
It is also important to note that Juna Amagara is an indigenous organization, run by Ugandans for Ugandans. As such, it was decided at the outset that they would not place children in “orphanages.” Too often kids who grow up in orphan homes or orphan villages carry a stigma of their orphan-ness for a lifetime. They believe orphan kids grow up well-adjusted when they are part of the community in which they live.
Their orphan kids go to schools with non-orphans and participate fully in village life. It’s been gratifying to watch them, as adults, return to the villages where they regard everyone as extended family. All decisions for operating the ministry are made by Ugandans based on their native knowledge of the culture.
Armenian Evangelical Union of North America
UNITING CHURCHES
AEUNA is a fellowship of churches in the United States, Canada, and South America, united by a common history and tradition dating back to the founding of the first Armenian Evangelical church in 1846 in Constantinople, Turkey. Their purpose is to unite their member congregations, pastors and organizations within an ecclesiastical fellowship for ministry, mission and service in the name of Jesus Christ. They strive primarily to serve those of Armenian descent living in the Americas.
The AEUNA unites member churches with Armenian Evangelicals and Christian believers around the world in mission, ministry and fellowship.