St. John's International Outreach
Ends of the Earth
1. Michael Agwanda (Kenya): Life for Children Ministry
2. Danny and Judy Armstrong (Indonesia)
3. Charlie and Miki Chastain (Russia): The Mission Society
4. Glory Outreach Assembly (Kenya)
5. Honduras Agape Foundation
6.IEET-CSRA
7. Prison Ministry (Senegal)
8. Ben and Jenny Reyes and family (Paraguay): The Mission Society
9. Ron and Amy Smith (Italy): World Team
10. The Seed Company
11. Mark Wittig (Colombia): OMS International
Ends of the Earth
1. Michael Agwanda (Kenya): Life for Children Ministry (LCM)
Information: The HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading rapidly, spiraling out of control to infect 1 out of 10 Kenyans. This statistic leaves over 5,000 children as head of household with over 500,000 parentless, and in most cases supporting their siblings and/or sickened relatives at a very young age. Extreme poverty conditions are especially evident here and the traditional family support system is overburdened. Through our support, and the loving support of many others, LCM works to:
· Screen for qualifying orphans
· Locate extended family members or approved guardians under whose care the orphans can live
· Provide food, clothing, healthcare and education
· Provide Christian teaching and counseling
· Provide Social Workers for case administration
· Provide training for life skills including HIV/AIDS awareness, personal hygiene, and self-perception
How St. John’s is involved with Life for Children Ministry: Since our initial GIC in January 2008 St. John’s has provided significant financial support for LCM. In addition, members of our church (John and Francis Osteen) have participated in several short term trips to LCM in Kenya, including helping to conduct overnight Bible Camps.
Interested in Volunteering: St. John’s member Francis Osteen can answer most questions regarding volunteering. Often there are churches in the southeastern part of the U. S. planning mission trips to Kenya in which St. John’s members can participate.
Contact: Call the LCM office at (770) 396-0844 for more information, located at the North Springs United Methodist Church in Sandy Springs, GA. Email them at info@lifeforchildrenministry.org or visit their website: http://www.lifeforchildrenministry.org
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2. Danny and Judy Armstrong (Indonesia): Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment (ACMC)
Information: Danny and Judy Armstrong are the Southeastern Regional Directors for Advancing Churches in Mission Commitment (ACMC). The ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization. ACMC has served as a catalyst for missions mobilization with thousands of Protestant churches across the U.S. since 1974. Since 2007 ACMC has been a ministry of PIONEERS.
Danny and Judy explain their ministry, “We believe that the local church is God’s primary vehicle for accomplishing the Great Commission. We exist to serve the mission leadership in local church by providing practical assistance tailored to its unique global outreach needs. ACMC helps local churches become more effective in impacting the least reached around the globe and mobilizing their congregation to participate in this task through learning, leading, sending, and engaging culture. We deliver our services to local churches through four vehicles: training events, consulting/coaching, local mission leader networks, and cutting edge mission resources.”
The Armstrongs have been missionaries since 1986, spending most of their time in Southeast Asia. They began their service in Indonesia and helped launched a Bible School in North Sumatra. This school trains Christian workers that are now working literally all over Indonesia. In 1994 they moved to Penang, Malaysia. There they worked with an international team to launch the Center for Southeast Asian Studies in Thailand. This is a training and mobilization center for reaching the unreached peoples of Southeast Asia. Since 2000 Danny and Judy have been living back in the U.S., dividing their time between here and overseas. They began moving more into a role of mobilization with churches and individuals. This change has led them to join ACMC in October of 2008.
How St. John’s is involved with the Armstrongs: Following our initial GIC in January 2008, St. John’s partnered with the Armstrongs and provided financial support through the use of Faith Promise funds.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may email the Armstrongs at dannyarmstrong@acmc.org or visit their web site: www.dannyandjudyarmstrong.com/?page_id=20
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3. Charlie and Miki Chastain (Russia): The Mission Society
Information: In partnership with The Mission Society, Charlie and Miki Chastain work to meet the physical and spiritual needs of disabled orphans and street children in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2003, the Russian Ministry of Health indicated that the number of orphans in the country was still on the rise. According to the Ministry of Education, there were 700,000 institutionalized orphans in Russia in 2000, representing an increase from their figure of 620,000 just two years earlier. Today there are an estimated 842,000 children growing up in Russian state-run institutions. Unlike in most other countries, as many as 95% of these children have a living parent and are considered social orphans. Poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse and other social problems are the primary reasons that parents abandon their children to Russian orphanages or lose their parental rights. In fact, the Russian Ministry of Education has reported that 30-40% of the country's orphan population is children from alcoholic families. The Russian government cannot adequately care for the overwhelming number of orphans. Consequently, these children often lack proper nutrition, medical care and education.
How St. John’s is involved with Charlie and Miki Chastain: Since our initial GIC in January 2008 St. John’s has provided significant financial support for the Chastains. In addition, members of our church (Deedee Vaughters, Susan Callahan and Pam McCollum) participated in a short term trip in June 2009 to assist the Chastains in carrying out their mission. Future trips are in the planning stages.
Interested in Volunteering: St. John’s members Deedee Vaughters and Susan Callahan can answer most questions regarding volunteering.
Contact: For more information you may email the Chastains at info@actsofadvocacy.org or visit their website: www.actsofadvocacy.org.
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4. Glory Outreach Assembly (Nairobi):
Information: Glory Outreach Assembly (GOA) exists to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission, reaching out to both the churched and the un-churched peoples of Kenya, East Africa and beyond and to develop fully mature disciples of Jesus Christ. Begun by Bishop David Thagana, GOA planted its first church in Ndungu Njeru in 1991. Since then, over 70 churches have been planted. The ministry has also started several orphanages in an effort to improve the quality of life of vulnerable children in their communities, including those affected by HIV/AIDS.
The following are the Core Values of the foundation upon which all GOA ministry activities are built:
· Embrace People: Because people matter to God, and Christ died for all people; we treat all people as His children while fulfilling the Great Commission – making disciples of all nations.
· Compassionately Serve: Jesus has given us the model of caring for the poor and suffering, which we strive to follow to the best of our abilities.
· Pursue Peace: We will strive to bring an end to conflict in our communities.
· Embody Godly Leadership: Our leaders will practice ethical and accountable governance and management, governing and managing our ministries with excellence.
How St. John’s is involved with Glory Outreach Assembly: In early 2009 St. John’s partnered with GOA and has provided financial support through Faith Promise funding.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit the GOA website: http://www.goaweb.org/
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5. Honduras Agape Foundation
Information: The Honduras Agape goal is to manifest the love of Jesus Christ to the people of Honduras by providing medical and health care and education. The Honduras Agape Foundation began as a foreign mission ministry of South Aiken Presbyterian Church to Quimistan, Honduras in response to Hurricane Mitch in 1999.
Ongoing efforts address the following problems:
· Unclean drinking water
· Need for medical treatment and facility
· Sub-standard housing
· Educational needs
· Nutritional needs
· General support for the Agape Church family
How St. John’s is involved with the Honduras Agape Project: For many years members of St. John’s have participated in mission trips to Honduras with the Honduras Agape project and we also provide financial support as available to help with certain missions.
Interested in Volunteering: Multiple short term mission trips are taken to the Quimistan area each year. Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information, you may visit the Honduras Agape Foundation website: www.hondurasagape.com
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6. India Evangelical Education Trust- Central Savannah River Area (IEET-CSRA): India
Information: The purpose of the India Evangelical Education Trust (IEET-CSRA) is to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ in India through its support of the India Graduate School of Missiology (IGSM). IEET-CSRA is based in Aiken, South Carolina. The organization's roots date back to 1974 when many churches in the Aiken area began prayer and financial support of the work of Rev. Dr. Andrew Swamidoss. Dr. Swamidoss dreamed of having a graduate school in India to train indigenous pastors in the areas of mission and evangelism. This was mainly because, in the past, all pastors who wanted to get graduate level degrees had had to leave the country to do so. This created a "brain drain" to India as many students did not return from abroad after obtaining their degrees. Therefore, the level of training needed to create missiologists was missing. Thus began the vision for the India Graduate School for Missiology (IGSM).
At IGSM, students are able to study and obtain Graduate-level degrees at one-third the cost of the same level of training in the United States or other countries around the world. The focus of IGSM is to train missiologists, students who are educated both in the culture and environment of those missionaries they will be training, who will in turn serve and plant churches on their own. This type of training is extremely important as there are more than 4,300 people groups in India who speak many different languages. Christians make up about 1.8% of the population - that's roughly 19 million....with the total population numbering over 1.07 billion. India is about 80% Hindu and 12% Muslim. In addition, there are remote tribal village areas as well as metropolitan areas. Therefore, India is the epitome of what it is to be "DIVERSE." For missionaries to be effective in a land such as this, missiological training is a necessity.
How St. John’s is involved with IEET-CSRA: Following our GIC in January 2009 St. John’s partnered with IEET-CSRA and has provided financial support through Faith Promise funding.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit IEET-CSRA’s web site:
http://ieetcsra.org/
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7. Prison Ministry (Senegal): General Board of Global Missions
Information: The General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) oversees three prisons in Dakar, Senegal-- two women's prisons and one youth prison for boys. Before the GBGM’s involvement, conditions left much to be desired:
· Women prisoners were fed only once a day while boys and men received three meals a day
· People stayed in prison for up to two years without sentencing
· Young boys were imprisoned for months without their parents being notified
· Women were released from prison with no place to go
Through the efforts of GBGM missionaries in the region, several improvements in living conditions and sentencing practices have taken place:
· Female prisoners are now fed two meals a day
· Prisoners are allowed to return to their homes after being released
· Prisoners are now allowed visits from family members
· All files and charges are handled in a timely manner
· Youth charged with minor offenses no longer spend long periods in jail
· Parents are now notified if their sons are in prison
Further goals for the Prison Ministry are as follows:
· To provide literacy and skills training to those incarcerated
· To provide legal assistance to prisoners and those just released
· To decrease the number of repeat offenders in the system
How St. John’s is involved with the Senegal Prison Ministry: For several years St. John’s has provided financial support for the Prison Ministry through the use of Faith Promise funds.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit the GBGM web site: new.gbgm-umc.org/work/initiatives/senegal/
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8. Ben and Jenny Reyes and family (Paraguay): The Mission Society
Information: Ben calls Louisiana home and Jenny is from Brazil. Ben previously served in Brazil, Mexico and Paraguay. Since his marriage to Jenny in 1989, they have ministered in Brazil and Paraguay. Recently, they have pastored two churches in Paraguay, one composed of Paraguayans and the other of Toba Indians. In addition, they served as chaplains at the Methodist Bible Institute in Asuncion, worked with children, provided medical assistance, and translated Christian materials into or from the three languages they speak: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. On their return to Paraguay they will be studying Guarani, which is the "language of the HEART" in Paraguay.
How St. John’s is involved with Ben & Jenny Reyes: Since our initial GIC in January 2008 St. John’s has provided significant financial support for the Reyes family.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information, you may email the Reyes’ at ben@reyes.org or visit their website: www.ben.reyes.org
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9. Ron and Amy Smith (Italy): World Team
Information: Italians esteem beauty in nature, the arts, and people. Ironically, with such rich appreciation for their environment, the Italians live in spiritual darkness. Most know little to nothing of the Scriptures. The majority of Italians culturally observe the main Roman Catholic rites while freely living and believing their own version of spirituality. Some turn to materialism, Buddhism, New Age, meditation, fortune tellers, or just their own idea of spirituality.
Indeed, there is three times the number of practicing magicians or spiritists than Catholic priests in Italy, revealing a significant hunger for something spiritual other than the Catholic Church (Operation World, 2001). With most of the spiritual and political life in Italy flowing out of the capital, Rome, the real ‘hotbed’ of national influence is found in the economic, banking, fashion, and industrial rich urban sprawl of Milan. Milan leads Italy in virtually every aspect of modern life except the evangelical witness.
Ron grew up in Aiken, SC, and Amy was raised in France with missionary parents. Ron left his position as youth pastor in 2009 and moved his family to the mission field in Milan, Italy. Their goal as church planters in Italy is daunting. They basically offer people something which has already been tried for many centuries. Most Italians are not interested in going back to the same God and institutionalized religion they have known before.
How St. John’s is involved with Ron & Amy Smith: Since our initial GIC in January 2008 St. John’s has provided significant financial support for the Smith family.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit the Smith’s website: www.prayformilan.com
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10. The Seed Company
Information: An affiliate of Wycliffe Bible Translators, The Seed Company’s mission is to complete Bible translations in the heart languages of people without God’s Word through partnering with:
· National colleagues
· Prayer supporters and investors
· Like-minded organizations
There are over 6,900 languages currently spoken in the world today. Of that number, less than half have any portion of Scripture in any accessible form. Of the remaining languages, over 2,200 need a translation and represent approximately 200 million people. These are individual people without access to the life-giving, life-changing hope and power of God’s Word. Each language is unique and perfectly suited for the people who use it, think in it and identify themselves with it. Often people learn a national language for trade or other purposes, but for understanding deep and meaningful concepts they need the language they learned first—their heart language.
Dominant political, social and religious forces often cut off entire people groups from hearing of God’s love. These hostile environments make translation work difficult to impossible for outsiders. The good news is that local people are stepping forward to take up the responsibilities and challenges of Bible translation in their own languages. In places where foreigners are not welcome, local people are the only ones who will be able to do the job. While many are willing, national translators need help. In order for them to succeed, training and technical support are crucial. Moreover, financial and prayer partners are essential. That’s where The Seed Company come in.
Creatively networking God’s people around the world to translate the Bible into every language for His glory is the vision of The Seed Company. By linking the resources of Christians to the needs of translators, we develop partnerships that result in effective translation efforts. Seed Company translation projects are clearly defined in terms of time, cost and results. Linguistic and technical training are provided. Translated Scripture is checked for clarity and accuracy. Close ties of accountability are established. Partners share in the struggles and successes of the project. The result is another people group receiving God’s message in their own heart language!
How St. John’s is involved with The Seed Company: Following our GIC in January 2009 St. John’s partnered with The Seed Company and has provided financial support through Faith Promise funding.
Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit The Seed Company’s website: www.theseedcompany.org
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11. Mark Wittig (Colombia): OMS International
Information: Mark Wittig was accepted as a career missionary candidate with OMS International in 1984. Mark is professor of missions at the Biblical Seminary of Colombia in Medellín (www.unisbc.edu.co). As an ordained minister, he is also involved in a church-planting ministry and supervises a city-wide sports program, which evangelizes and disciples over 1,000 children and youth of Medellín through soccer on a weekly basis (www.cusportsclub.org).
Current Ministries in Colombia:
· The sports ministry is reaching out to young people in Medellin on a weekly basis.
· The Biblical Seminary of Colombia aims at excellence in spiritual formation and high academic standards to meet the necessity of advanced theological and practical preparation for mature believers whom God is calling to pastor or lead Christian institutions.
How St. John’s is involved with Mark Wittig: Since our initial GIC in January 2008 St. John’s partnered with Mark and has provided financial support through Faith Promise funding.
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Interested in Volunteering: Contact a member of GOLT to research volunteer opportunities.
Contact: For more information you may visit Mark’s website:
www.omsinternational.org/missionaries/mwittig
