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--Bruce & Lisa Triplehorn return home to Wooster to share about Africa

Grace Church is happy to have Bruce & Lisa Triplehorn back home with us this weekend. They will be in two ABFs this Sunday morning:

• Fidelis at 9am in Room 335 and 
• Common Ground at 10:15 in Room 335. 

On Sunday night, Bruce will teach a Bible Study at 6:00pm in Room 335. 

When you see them, please greet them.  You can keep them in prayer by getting a prayer card at the Welcome Center. 

Grace Church is excited to hear how God is at work through the ministry of Bruce and Lisa Triplehorn.  The past few months have seen Bruce & Lisa equip church leaders for local churches in the country of Chad in the middle of Africa.  They intend to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Chad and in Brazil with Encompass World Partners. 

How to support the Triplehorns:

• Pray.  Please pray for Bruce & Lisa as they renew in Columbus, OH with their family.  They will rest up here in the USA then return to Brazil later this summer. Please pick up a prayer card at the Welcome Centers or by emailing Pastor Daron dbutler@woostergrace.org to request a prayer card.
• Give.  Grace Church supports the Bruce & Lisa financially. So, when you give to Grace Church, your offerings will help support the Triplehorns from our Great Commission budget.  
• Connect.  Please follow what God is doing in and through the Royers by signing up for their email newsletter. Email Bruce to add you to their mailing list:  3horn@encompassworld.org  You can read how they are developing everyone into fully devoted followers of Christ. 
• Share.  When you read their newsletter, please tell friends to pray with you for them.  Follow Bruce on Facebook to discover what amazing things God is doing through their ministry. 

Saved People Serve People--Rescuing at risk children from human trafficking changes lives

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--Pine Ridge Missions Team

My how things can change.

The Pine Ridge team departed with temps in the 60s, sunny, and nice. They arrived in the midst of a snowstorm--temps in the teens, windchill, and cold. 

Despite the challenges, the team has served well. Pictures chronicle highlights from their trip. 

Please pray for their return trip to Wooster, Ohio.  They start traveling back today. They intend to be home late Sunday night.   

Saved People Serve People--Taking a risk to serve others in Sierra Leone

Jeana & Tim

Saying prayers today for Tim Harley from Grace Church. Tim works in the family business in Burbank, OH at Harley Drilling.  He is in Sierra Leone with Jim Hocking of Water for Good to help an NGO, Let Them LOL (Laugh Out Loud).  Tim and Jim intends to help this NGO drill water wells for villages in Sierra Leone. They arrived on April 19 and will spend several days consulting with the Let Them LOL organization.

From WorldAtlas.com

Providing clean drinking water to villages that face extreme hardship is one way to show God's love.  We praise God for Tim and Jim and Let Them LOL.  

Take a moment to pray for this two-man team:

• Ask God to give them wisdom as they try to grasp the complete picture of what God is doing and where they could provide the best help for success.
• Pray for the Lord to keep them healthy. May they get adequate rest, stay hydrated, and discover lively energy for the tasks in front of them everyday.
• Ask the Lord to provide synergy to offer godly counsel from their experience to advance the cause of Christ in the villages of Sierra Leone.  

Jim Hocking, Founder
Water for Good

Saved People Serve People--Brazilians can do more than play soccer

"Though I am not a great evangelist, I dedicate a lot of my time to leadership development," says Edson Silva. Edson Silva and his wife, Ivanise took their children from their home to go to another country.  

Ivanise and Edson

Just like Abraham, God called them to leave their homeland and venture to another place to share God's love with other people. God called Edson from Brazil to Chile.  Edson describes his ministry in the Encompass video (the video was used to get donations for the Encompass' Day of Generosity this past November).  

Edson equips Chilean nationals to reach their people so that the Chilean churches will one day also ask their people to leave their homeland to venture far to share God's love with other people. Brazilians can do more than play soccer. They can follow God's call and do great things for His glory!

Grace Church envisions Chilean families taking their next step of faith towards developing into fully devoted followers of Christ. We pray for ways for everyone to reach the world for Christ because "Saved People Serve People." 

Celebrating 24th Anniversary this month

Edson has a dream to help in other places of the world. His dear friend, Bruce Triplehorn is developing leaders in the Chad in Africa.  Edson hopes to go to help support believers to grow in Christ even in Africa.  Edson is like a modern day Barnabas. He is an encourager.

Grace Church is honored to partner with Edson and Ivanise to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Chile with Encompass World Partners.

How to support the Silva's:

• Pray.  Please pray for the family as they live in Chile, equip the saints to do the work of service, establish faithful church leaders, and do consistent outreach. Send a note of encouragement to them by contacting them via email that you prayed for them. 
• Give.  Grace Church has an ABF that partners with the Silvas. So, give to Encompass World Partners to help support Edson and Ivanise. Follow the link. Select Edson & Ivanise Silva on drop-down menu.  Give. 
• Connect.  Please follow what God is doing by liking Edson's facebook page. He writes in Portuguese or in Spanish. But you can get the gist of his posts and pray for God's work to grow. You can see how they are developing everyone into fully devoted followers of Christ. 
• Share.  When you read Edson's posts, please "like" and comment and share their posts, prayer requests, and pictures to testify what amazing things God is doing through their ministry.

Video: You can watch his testimony on this link from the Encompass Vimeo Channel. Encompass translated his words from Portuguese into English. 

A night market in Curico

Saved People Serve People--Andy and Sara move their boys to Brazil to equip church leaders

"I was born and raised in Grace Church," says Sara Ungerer Royer. "I placed my faith in Jesus (here)! Pastor Bob's sermons laid the foundation for my beliefs in God and His Word."  

Andy, Sara, Miles, Jack, Jude Royer

Andy and Sara Ungerer Royer are moved to Brazil in December 2013. Andy & Sara are moved their boys: Miles, Jack, and Jude to Jacutinga, Brazil (3 hours North of Sao Paulo). Andy equips Brazilian nationals to reach the unreached people groups of Brazil teaching at the Peniel Bible Institute with New Tribes Mission.

Sara shares, "Cross-cultural trips with the youth group (at Grace Church) ignited a desire to be a part of taking the light of Jesus into dark places." She took her first overseas trip to Berlin with Grace Church.

Penial Bible Institute, Juctinga, BRAZIL

Grace Church envisions boys and girls growing up with the DNA of developing everyone into fully devoted followers of Christ. We seek to offer ways for students to reach the world for Christ.

"Over the twenty years growing up in this church, I was able to witness that Jesus Christ and His Word changes lives," reflects Sara. Now the family moves from the USA to Brazil to teach Brazilian nationals to reach the unreached people groups within Brazil.

Grace Church is excited to partner with Andy and Sara Royer and their boys to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Brazil with New Tribes Mission.

How to support the Royers:

• Pray.  Please pray for the family as they live in Brazil, learn the language, adjust to the new culture, make Brazil their new home, and make new friends. Pick up a prayer card by emailing Pastor Daron dbutler@woostergrace.org to request a prayer card.
• Give.  Grace Church supports the Royers' financially. So, when you give to Grace Church, your offerings will help support the Royer family from our Great Commission budget.  
• Connect.  Please follow what God is doing in and through the Royers by reading their blog, www.anotherdaytolove.blogspot.com. You can see how they are developing everyone into fully devoted followers of Christ. 
• Share.  When you read their blog, please post encouraging comments and share their blog posts, prayer requests, and pictures to share what amazing things God is doing through their ministry.

Links:

What the sending church, Christ's Covenant Church says
What the sending agency, New Tribes Mission says

Saved people serve people--Leaving home, family, friends in Ohio to equip pastors in Africa

Jason & Christy Carmean

Jason, Christy, Micaela, Alyssa, Josiah

 
Email:  jcarmean@encompassworld.org 

Place of Ministry: Yaounde, Cameroon
Sending Agency: Encompass World Partners 
 
Our Missionary Partner: Jason and Christy left Lexington, OH with the kids to go to Africa.  God called them to Yaounde, Cameroon to equip African leaders to shepherd the local churches in Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.  Encompass World Partners directs their endeavors.   

Carmean family packed for Africa

God called them to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Cameroon, Africa.  Grace Church is part of a coalition of churches who support and provide resources and guidance for the Carmean ministry. 

Their Mission: Jason expresses their passion--we want to train pastors and lay leaders in Cameroon to lead their churches towards all that God wants for each church family. Jason asks us to pray for the partnership of US churches and African churches to work together for the glory of God.

If you want updates, then please LIKE their Facebook page.  You can discover the stories of the Africans that they are training.  You can see their faces, pray for each family, and know that when you give to Grace Church, part of your gifts go to support the ministry of the Carmean family.  

Street scene in Yaounde, Cameroon

How to Be Involved

PRAY: Pray for Jason as he pursues the development of the leadership training program for pastors. Ask God to give Jason strength in the Lord to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Cameroon.  Ask the Lord to encourage the family to be encouraged and to get rid of discouragement and negative thoughts when they feel lonely, separated from family in Ohio, and physically wore out from the hard life in Yaounde.  
 
ENCOURAGE: Jason's birthday is October 15. Christy's birthday is November 27.
Micaela's birthday is November 16. Alyssa's birthday is October 27. Josiah's birthday is July 25.  Anniversary is June, 7, 1997. 

CONNECT: Carmeans in Cameroon on FaceBook

Men from Douala preparing to be equipped

Saved People Serve People--George & Cindy Swain share the Good News Far and Near

George & Cindy Swain

Cindy & George at home

 
Email:  proneho@gmail.com 

Place of Ministry: Ashland, Ohio
Sending Agency: Ashland Grace Brethren Church 
 
Our Missionary Partner: George & Cindy Swain served the Lord in Prague, Czech Republic for many years seeking to establish a Czech Church.  They canvassed the city of 1.2 million with the Good News of Jesus Christ many times over.   Together, George & Cindy served faithfully with Encompass World Partners.  In 2014, God called them back to the US with counsel from their home church, Ashland Grace Brethren Church.  

The capital city, Prague, Czech Republic

God called them to develop fully devoted followers of Christ wherever they live.  God allowed them to start work with SEEDNet in Ashland, Ohio.  They enjoyed their time with SEEDNet, but God seem to be leading them to a transition.


Their Mission: George and Cindy want believers to be equipped for serving in the Church.  They want God's people to know the Bible, to share the Gospel, and to go out and share Christ with others.  

If you want more information so you can pray for the Swain's, please contact them via email so you can be added to the email list and to learn more about their next ministry opportunity. When you give to Grace Church, part of your gifts go to support the ministry of George and Cindy Swain.  

George & Cindy helped at VBS in 2010

How to Be Involved

PRAY: Pray for George and Cindy as they pursue how to equip believers to share the Gospel and to serve their neighbors and family. Ask God to give George and Cindy strength in the Lord to develop fully devoted followers of Christ in Ohio.  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: George's birthday is August 5. Cindy's birthday is March 30. 

CONNECT: George and Cindy Swain on FaceBook

Petr, George, and Cindy