Saved People Serve People--Serving on two continents to develop godly leaders

Bruce & Lisa Triplehorn

Email Bruce and Lisa

Mission Location: Moundou, Chad

Sending Agency: Encompass World
 
Our Missionary Partner: Bruce & Lisa Triplehorn came to Christ at Grace Church. They took their next steps for baptism and began training for misisonary service.  God called them to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Brazil as missionary partners from Grace Church. They have served in Brazil for over 20 years.  Most recently, God has placed them in Uberlandia, Brazil.  


Their Mission: The Triplehorn's have made a transition from South America to Africa.  The need to equip African church leaders is great.  Bruce is an excellent Bible teacher.  Lisa excels at building relationships with women.  Together, God has called them to serve in Moundou, Chad.  

They have spent a few months back in Brazil. But as of January 2016, Bruce & Lisa return to serve in Chad.  You can learn more about their ministry in Chad by visiting their Facebook page.

How to Be Involved

PRAY: Pray for Bruce and Lisa as they transition to Africa. May God empower them to get used to their new city, Moundou, Chad.  Ask God to give them strength in the Lord to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Chad.  Ask the Lord to help them "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)." 
 
ENCOURAGE: Bruce's birthday is November 21.  Lisa's birthday is on October 13. 

CONNECT: Bruce Triplehorn on FaceBook Lisa Triplehorn on Facebook

Saved People Serve People--We care for the most vulnerable

Grace Church is committed to rescuing at-risk children from human trafficking in SE Asia with partner organizations like Asia's Hope, Grace Refuge Outreach Worldwide, and Team Hope International.  We also have sponsors for children in Africa with VisionTrust International. 

One of our values is Saved People Serve People.  Our sponsors faithfully support our sponsored children in residential homes in their home country.  The monthly support provides what the sponsored children need for life: food, clothing, school fees, and special events like birthday party celebrations or excursions like missions trips to their home villages or planned field trips. 

With Asia's Hope, we sponsor three orphan homes, one in Thailand and two in Cambodia.  Each home has house directors who care for the sponsored children. The house directors sacrifice to care for the children.  We praise God for their devotion and willingness to serve.  Saved People Serve People.

With VisionTrust, God has allowed us to sponsor 53 children in orphan care in the Central African Republic. Many children were orphaned from parents who died from AIDS.  Although civil war and disorder remain difficult challenges, God is helping VisionTrust locate displaced children and their families so that they can provide relief.  We praise God for faithful sponsors who give to provide help for orphans and their families. 

What is more amazing is how our Grace Place homes have adopted our values. They embody the same value, Saved People Serve People.  

Vannak Yun, house director at Grace Place Battambang, shared a picture where a young child receives help from Grace Place Battambang.  As Vannak testifies, 

"This is the poor family is informed to us by the chief of commune. She has one son, age 12 years old no chance to go to School because she is unable to provide him at all. So on behalf of Asia"s Hope we provided him School uniform two sets, bag, pens, and shoe. He"s so happy to receive that. For giving is better than receiving. God is good. (this Event is prepared at the commune office)"
--posted on Facebook on Wed June 3, 2015

Vannak facilitated a blessing on another Cambodian family who was under-resourced. The boy needed school uniform and supplies. Saved People Serve People!  May God allow us to continue developing fully devoted followers of Christ all around the world. 

To sponsor a child in one of our Orphan Residential Homes, contact Juana Hernandez (330) 264-9459 x246 or jhernandez@woostergrace.org. 

Saved People Serve People--sharing Christ on university campuses is a challenge

Email mark.johnson@cru.org
Location of Ministry: Bloomington, IN USA @ Indiana University
Sending Agency: Cru

Our Missionary Partner: Wooster Grace partners with Mark and Roxanne Johnson.  The Johnson's serve with Cru on the University of Indiana campus in Bloomington, IN. 

Roxanne grew up in Wayne County, OH, in Apple Creek.  She knew about the Lord but made a commitment to Christ in her freshmen year at Ohio Northern University.  Roxanne wanted to serve God in a significant way.  She served with Student Venture, the high school ministry focus of Cru. She and Mark are now serving college students with Cru.

Mark grew up in North Carolina. He came to Christ while studying music at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN).  God challenged him to join the staff of Cru even taking the Gospel to an unreached city in Asia.  Mark's desire is best captured on his Facebook page under employers, "I get to tell people about Jesus for a living." 

Their Mission: Mark & Roxanne serve with Cru in Bloomington, IN on the campus of Indiana University.  Mark serves as one of the Campus directors.  Cru is an on-campus interdenominational ministry that helps students in their walk with God.  God has called Mark & Roxanne to challenge university students from all around the world to be fully devoted followers of Christ.  

Cru is an inter-denominational ministry on campus that is here to help students grow in their walk with the Lord - See more at: http://iucru.com/about/#sthash.bZg1XKg4.dpuf

Cru is an inter-denominational ministry on campus that is here to help students grow in their walk with the Lord - See more at: http://iucru.com/about/#sthash.bZg1XKg4.dpuf

Cru is an inter-denominational ministry on campus that is here to help students grow in their walk with the Lord - See more at: http://iucru.com/about/#sthash.bZg1XKg4.dpuf

How to Be Involved

PRAY:

• Please pray for consistency & perseverance in their walk with the Lord.
• Please pray that Mark & Roxanne will navigate the new school year challenges as they equip staff and student leaders to impact the campus for Christ.
• Please pray that as the Gospel is presented, not only will it touch people individually to turn to God for salvation, but that it would also influence the city of Bloomington, IN.
• Please pray for an effective, fruitful ministry (John 15:16). May God empower Mark & Roxanne to lead the campus ministries faithfully towards effective, fruitful ministry.
  
• We praise God for His grace in our marriage!  Pray that we continually keep that grace in view so that we keep short accounts with the Lord, and with each other.
  
  

ENCOURAGE: Mark's birthday is April 9.  Roxanne's birthday is August 20.  Anniversary is in August 22, 2009. 

CONNECT--You can read more about the Johnson's from these links:

• Learn more about Cru
• Check out Mark's FB profile
• View the testimonies of life change at IU-Before-And-After on YouTube 
• Send email to Mark Johnson to get their prayer newsletter.

GIVE--Give a gift online here

Saved People Serve People--Your Next Step, Serve your school

As the new school year approaches, Grace Church has challenged everyone to provide help for teachers who are returning to school.  We want you to serve your school. 

But, how?

First, you contact your local school district where you live. Even though you may not have kids in the district, discover how you can help.  Each school will conduct a back-to-school open house. Visit the school district website to contact a local school secretary who can direct you how you might help teachers in your school. She may refer you to the PTO. Ask for name and contact information. Sometimes, the school district will list contact info for PTO leadership. 

Then, gather your family, friends, Grace Group, people from your ABF, or neighborhood to join you in serving teachers in your school district/local school. 

Ideas to encourage local school teachers:

•  Helping hands:  Offer to assist a teacher to unpack boxes, to put up posters, to cut out things in the homeroom.  Confirm a two hour block to help and schedule it with the teacher.
• Strong muscles: Ask to come for one-hour to move heavy items for the teacher.  Bring a strong friend. And borrow or a furniture dolly or a hand truck to move hefty things for the teacher.
• Thoughtful gift:
• Purchase a gift card. Hand to the teacher within a card writing how grateful you are that they get to teach children/students this coming year. 
• Provide a gift bag. For example, fill a small paper lunch sack with snacks, mini-hand sanitizer, travel lotion, and chocolate of some combination.
• Words of encouragement:
• You can call or text a reading of Philippians 1:3-4.  You can say, “I praise God for you,  _(insert teacher’s name) .  In Philippians 1:3-4 the Bible says, ‘I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.’ I pray that God blesses your every effort to educate children this year. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”
• Prayer Card.  You can write a note saying “I am praying for you.”  Then write out the bible verse, Philippians 1:3-4 in the card. Sign it. And bedazzle the card with decoration.

Photo from giftcardkarma.org

You may discover other ways to encourage. If you come up with other ways to offer encouragement, then please let me know. I’ll add them to a list of helping things to do to encourage local school teachers.  

In sum, contact schools/teachers. Gather your group. Encourage teachers.  

So, serve your school. Bring encouragement at the start of the school year.  Fully devoted followers of Christ serve others because saved people serve people. 

Saved People Serve People--Caring for Orphans around the world

 
Email tomp@visiontrust.org

Country Lead: Central African Republic,Togo, Sierra Leone, Haiti
Sending Agency: VisionTrust
 
Our Missionary Partner: Pastor Tom and Sue have served in our church for many years. Pastor Tom served as Missions Pastor for ten years.  Sue has always worked helping special needs kids in Smithville at Green Local Schools.

God called them to develop fully devoted followers of Christ first in Africa. Then God called pastor Tom to serve at Grace Church.  Later, God called him to serve in Africa with ICDI, now with VisionTrust as country lead for orphan care in Central African Republic, Togo, Sierra Leone, and Haiti.  We support Pastor Tom as our missionary partner from Grace Church.  


Their Mission: Pastor Tom oversees the orphan care ministries of VisionTrust in Africa and Haiti.  He travels a lot. He has logged over 78,000 air miles in one year for VisionTrust. He quips that it is no wonder he has a sore seat. 

The needs of orphans and their extended families is exacerbated with war, displacement, and disease.  In the Central African Republic civil unrest hampers the care of orphans.  In Haiti, the recovery efforts from the devastating 2010 earthquake are slow and challenging.  In Togo, sustainable income to support families is daunting, but God is making a way for families to support themselves. In Sierra Leone, Ebola ravages families and brings death and despair.  If you want more information, please contact Pastor Tom Peters via email. Or you can learn more about the ministry of VisionTrust by visiting their webpage.


How to Be Involved

PRAY:

• Please pray for consistency & perseverance in their walk with the Lord.
• With helping to oversee four countries for VisionTrust, sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming.  Please pray that Pastor Tom will see the work through God’s eyes, and with the end in mind, so that the immediate challenges don’t overshadow what God is doing in each country long-term.
• For the last three years, the Central African Republic has been subjected to war, continued violence and a virtual total lack of law & order.  For a period of time under the rebel Muslim government, it looked like there would be restrictions enforced on the ability to share the Gospel.  God intervened & the rebel government was overthrown, but the violence continued.  Please pray that as the Gospel is presented, not only will it touch people individually to turn to God for salvation, but that it would also touch the society as a whole so that the violence would subside & people can live at peace with God and with each other.
• Please pray for an effective, fruitful ministry (John 15:16). A couple of the countries that we’re working in are looking at trying to expand their outreach to orphans and vulnerable children.  Two of our national leaders in particular need special wisdom from the Lord right now; Josué, and Semira.
• We praise God for His grace in our marriage!  Pray that we continually keep that grace in view so that we keep short accounts with the Lord, and with each other.
  
  

ENCOURAGE: Pastor Tom's birthday is April 28.  Sue's birthday is December 15.  Anniversary is June 25, 1982. 

CONNECT: Pastor Tom on FaceBook

 

Pastor Tom with their sponsored orphans. Scan his blog