Just before parting from his disciples after his death and resurrection, Jesus commissioned them to go and make more disciples throughout the world, teaching what he had taught them. In obedience to that command, our congregation seeks not only to prepare its own members for the privilege and responsibility of being followers of Jesus, but to extend that good news of his kingdom to regions and lands beyond our own community, in places where often that good news has been obscured or is in short supply.
To do this, we partner with a number of people who have dedicated themselves to extend that gospel to other places, some nearby, but most to peoples in other lands. Following are those who carry on the good news for us.
Tesoros de Dios (God's Treasure)
Managua, Nicaragua
Tesoros de Dios, translated as "God's Treasures," is a ministry in Managua, Nicaragua, that serves over 130 children with a variety of developmental disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Hydrocephaly, Autism, Brain Damage, and others. Through programs offered and family support, the center provides tools to help the children reach their fullest potential physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Website: http://www.tesorosdedios.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tesorosdediosni
Roseland Christian Ministries
Chicago, IL
Palos Heights CRC has been in support of the work at the Ministries Center since the 1970s.
Roseland Christian Ministries is dedicated to serving the Roseland community through service, work, worship and fellowship via their food pantry, Women's shelter, thrift center and Roseland Christian Reformed Church. They strive to carry out the mission that God has given them to display His love to the community they are called to serve.
Website: https://roselandchristianministries.org/
Rev. Jeong and Misook Gho
Resonate Global Mission| Japan
Jeong and Misook, though U.S. citizens, are natives of Korea. Christian Reformed World Missions (Now called Resonate Global Missions) called the Ghos in 1995 to do mission work in Japan. After some struggle in overcoming their Korean hostility to an enemy nation, the Ghos did accept the challenge of presenting the good news to the Japanese, a people who have been very resistant to the Gospel (only about 1% of Japanese consider themselves Christian). But Jeong, who works with the Reformed Churches in Japan, is hopeful that this will begin to change with his switch from church planting to more of leadership training, especially as the new Timothy Leadership Training procedures are being introduced for the pastors of the churches there. The Ghos, who have partnered with our congregation since 2004, have three children.
Website: https://crwm.org/about-us/our-missionaries/jeong-and-misook-gho
Stephan and Alicia Lutz
World Renew | Kenya, East Africa
Stephan and Alicia have been our partners in mission since about 2002, shortly after joining Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (now World Renew). They have two boys, Noah and Oliver and Alicia is presently teaching in high school. In serving with World Renew as their Program Consultant in Kenay, Stephan is enabled to fulfill his serious concern about our Christian and human responsibility to be faithful stewards over the earth and its resources. The Church in East Africa and Kenyan society in general has neglected that responsibility, but there are hopeful signs that suggest the Church there is beginning to grapple with these challenges.
Website: http://dojustice.crcna.org/author/stephan-lutz
Rehoboth Christian School
Rehoboth, New Mexico
Rehoboth Christian School is located just outside Gallup New Mexico and serves children from the Navajo and Zuni tribes providing a Pre-school through High School Christ-centered education.
Website: http://www.rcsnm.org/
Tony and Allison Westrate
Yaounde, Cameroon, Africa
Tony and Allison serve with Wycliffe Bible Translators at Rain Forest International School (RFIS), in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Africa. Tony serves as the school Chaplain ministering to students and staff through preaching, teaching, mentoring and coaching while Allison serves the RFIS community as a part time math teacher and mentor. They have 3 children: Ezekiel, Lucas, & Keziah.
RFIS was founded so that missionaries could continue the work God called them to in Central Africa, confident that their children's educational needs would be met. RFIS offers an international Christian education for missionary kids, other expatriates and local Cameroonian students.
For more info visit Wycliffes website: Tony & Allison Westrate | Wycliffe Bible Translators
Peter and Robin Knapp
Guam/Micronesia
Peter and Robin Knapp have been serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators for nearly 30 years; they have two sons, Joshua (23) and Joel (20). The New Testament in the language of their first assignment (in Eurasia) was published in 2010. Since 2012 they have been serving on Guam teaching at Pacific Islands University, promoting Bible Translation as a ministry to students from different Pacific languages. They are also involved with a translation project of the full Bible for the Mwoakilloa on Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. The Mwoakilloa heard the gospel for the first time more than 150 years ago and have an indigenous church, but they never had any Scriptures published in their own language. The Knapps also assist other translation projects in the area.
For more info visit: https://www.wycliffe.org/partner/KnappGuam