our missionaries
Janet Blomberg - Interaction
Janet is Executive Director of Interaction and also Director of Educational Services. In these dual roles she provides educational networking for schools for missionary children worldwide and counsels parents on educational choices, provides assistance for missionaries who home school, and helps missionary children transition to American schools when their families return from the field.
George and Deb Bowater - Leadership Resources InternationalGeorge is the Director of Development at LRI. In recent years, LRI has transitioned from one-on-one discipleship training to a focus on local and international Bible conferences and launching a pastoral training movement worldwide. With this growing ministry, comes a need for more staff, larger facilities, and funds to support the international pastoral training. As Director of Development, George has full time responsibilities for raising funds for the ministry. Working with the support staff, he manages the monthly appeals, foundation proposals, special events, donor development, and many of the published communications. George and his wife Deb have three adult children, Ben, Abe, and Liz.
M
ary Cassidy--China Outreach Ministries, Univ of Chicago
ary Cassidy--China Outreach Ministries, Univ of ChicagoMary does friendship evangelism and discipleship in small group Bible studies with students at the Univ. of Chicago. Many of these students will return to positions of leadership in government, business and education in China.
Don Couwenhoven - Leadership Resources International. Don is Program Director for the Far East Russia TNT training of pastors. Pray that God will be glorified in the existing Russian TNT training and in the new groups to be formed."
David and Lori Ditzler - Child Evangelism Fellowship (Beechpoint Camp INC in Allegan, MI) Dave is the Associate Director of Ministry. He is responsible for discipleship of urban, rural, under resourced, and at-risk youth age 6-18. In addition, Dave is responsible for curriculum and leadership development, teen leadership director, hiring and training of seasonal program staff, outdoor education program coordinator, and is an American Camp Association accreditation visitor. Lori serves as Health Services Director, Camp Nurse, ARC CPR and Standard First Aid instructor, and disciples teen girls with the camp’s Partners in Discipleship program.
Aaron and Christy Hemphill – Wycliffe Bible Translators
Marc and Sandy Henkel - Cru Inner City
Marc and Sandy work with Cru Inner City at the Agape Center on the south side of Chicago. The goal of the ministry is to empower urban churches in Chicago through providing resources and training to reach the city. They also have hands-on ministry in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. Marc serves as a co-director for the staff team that ministers in Chicago. Along with the responsibilities of directing the team, he also has a passion for discipleship and youth development. One of his primary roles is to empower churches to start S.A.Y. Yes! Centers, an after-school discipleship ministry to youth in 1st-12th grades. Sandy's efforts are focused primarily on resourcing their urban ministry partners with evangelism tools (such as the Thanksgiving Boxes of Love). She also serves as a mentor to several women in urban ministry. They live in Roseland and are grateful for the opportunity to share their home with individuals that they have discipling/mentoring relationships with.
Bruce & Paula Hepburn – Mexico Missions, Inc. Reynosa, MexicoWe moved to the TX/MX border in the Fall of '07 from Chicago, IL. We have been coming to Reynosa on short-term missions trips for over 10 years. Each time we left a little bit more of our hearts behind. Thru the circumstances of life Paula and I both agreed that now is the time to do that which gave us meaning and purpose in life. So we sold our home and came to the Rio Grand Valley at the southern most point of Texas. We joined Mexico Missions, Inc. to help them facilitate outreaches to the colonias with groups from all over the country. Our mission is to reach the poorest of the poor in Reynosa, Mexico. We build homes, offer food and clothing to those in need, but most importantly we share the love and hope that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ
Tom and Karen Hill - Leadership Resources International Tom is the Conference Coordinator for LRI. He oversees all the Bible conferences they do in English-speaking churches. In addition he is main “helper” of all the staff, supporting them in any way they might need. He watches over the computer and phone system, fixes anything broken. Tom and his wife Karen have four children, John, Drew, Kara, and Kalli: John is working in Hawaii, Drew & Cindy and daughter Norah live and work in Norway, Kara & Eric McMahan and daughter Bryn live and work in the Crown Point, Indiana area, and Kalli is continuing further education in the Chicago area.
David and Theresa Horecny - Leadership Resources InternationalDavid is the Production Manager for LRI. With the growth of the ministry over the past 20 years, he has transitioned from printing LRI’s books and materials to overseeing and outsourcing all production work. David insures that the proof of the deliverable meets LRI’s expectations before he allows it to go to press. As well as working with desktop publishing, he produces all in-house materials and publications. David and Theresa also enjoy serving at Moraine Valley Church, and consider it their home
Jim and Mary Hunter - Rocky Mountain Bible Mission Jim pastors a church in Hot Springs, Montana and directs a training ministry for rural pastors and church leaders. He also directs the Pathwalkers Ministry (a kid's club) through club meetings and a summer camp. Jim and his wife, Mary, have an adult son, Micah.
Ron and Karen Hutchcraft - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries
Gail Jackson--Leadership Resources International
Gail is the administrative assistant to the LRI international staff. She handles all travel support logistics for LRI as well as managing LRI reports and staff calendars.
Ed and Jan Kotynski - Wycliffe Bible TranslatorsEd and Jan are linguists who have spent many years working with the Tabaru people of Indonesia and translating the Bible into the Tabaru language. They are in the USA as Ed is working on further linguistic studies. He is writing the grammar of the Tabaru language and working on a dictionary. Ed and Jan finished the New Testament translation. They are also developing literacy and Scripture use activities. Ed oversees a team of Indonesian translators who are working on a verse by verse Translation Helps for National Translators in Indonesian for every book of the Old and New Testament. Native Indonesian translators from the over 600 other languages of Indonesia will then be able to use this resource to translate the Bible into their languages. Ed and Jan have two adult children, Eddie and Cara.
Bob and Debbie Long – Converge MidAmerica (Midwest Baptist Conference). Bob is the Director of Student Ministries for Converge MidAmerica. Four key words describe Bob's ministry: train, coach, mentor and consult. He seeks to bring youth ministry training to the churches in the CMA. He also created and leads the Next Gen Leadership Academy, a leadership development program for high schoolers. He is available for coaching young youth pastors (he currently regularly meets with 5-7). He mentors veteran youth pastors with the hope that they will join him in coaching younger youth pastors. And, he is available as a consultant for CMA churches when they face youth ministry-related problems and leadership development issues.LRI - Oaxaca Pastors -Oaxaca, Mexico - These Pastors in Oaxaca, Mexico are part of an ongoing training partnership with Leadership Resources International (LRI) and Moraine Valley Church (specifically, Pastor Pat).
Bill and Karen Mills - Leadership Resources International
Bill and Karen Mills founded Leadership Resources International in 1970, and are still working full time in the ministry. Karen handles the organization's finances and assists Bill and George Bowater, our Managing Director. Bill is presently Director of Russia and Central Asia for our TNT (Training National Trainers) ministry. He also teaches Bible Conferences in the developed world, focusing on the US, Australia, Singapore and England. Bill and Karen have two sons, Peter, married to Helyn, and Joel.
Helyn Luisi-Mills--InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
Helyn is the National Coordinator of Global Projects. She oversees all international short-term mission projects. She also oversees the Global Urban Trek, a ministry focused on calling students to serve among the urban poor worldwide.
Craig and Louise Parro -Leadership Resources International Craig is the President of LRI. he gives overall leadership to the ministry, develops staff, teaches in the USA and overseas, and helps launch pastoral training movements (TNT) worldwide. These are in areas where there is a critical lack of training opportunities and resources. Craig and his wife, Louise, have two young adult children, Andrew and Anna.
Kirk and Janis Reynolds - NavigatorsKirk serves the U.S. Navigators' Ethnic Ministries working directly under the Senior Vice President of The Navigators. His leadership, vision, mentoring skills, training and care are helping ethnic staff succeed right where they are, reaching men and women for Christ. Beside this larger role Kirk also serves in various other ministry functions: Kirk is part of the Executive Team for the African American Ministries working to advance the Gospel in African Americans communities and on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Kirk is serving, under the National Field Leaders, on an Ethnic Strategy Team to help the Navigators move forward in all ethnic ministries and strategic national vision. And, Kirk is working to reach African American men, here in the Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland area, meeting weekly every Friday night, mentoring and discipling about 50 African American men for Christ. Kirk and his wife Janis have three children, Abbey, Ethan, and Ryan.
Vic and Laura Rosema - U.S. Center for World MissionsVic is the food service manager at USCWM. Vic's ministry focus is to encourage and staff, students, and conference guests by providing quality food service. Quality food service is important for the health and the overall well-being of missionaries. If you compare missionaries, mission agencies, sending churches, and different parts of the mission effort to an army, you can understand the need for his ministry. Any army knows that several support personnel that are necessary to provide for, train, and feed each front-line soldier. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for front-line missionaries to be effective without the support that people like Vic provide. Vic and his wife Laura have three children, Liz, Teddy and Grace.
Craig and Carol Lynn Rucin - PioneersCraig is a team leader for Pioneers in Szczecinek, Poland, where he leads summer teams and works with youth. He and Carol Lynn lead a neighborhood small group and the college group at their church. He is also trying to search out pastors and church planters working in regions where there are no missionaries, in order to develop a network of these men so that they can encourage and pray for them. It is their goal to see a church begin in Nalenczow. Craig and his wife Carol Lynn have two children, Andrew and Katrina
John and Luci Tumas - Wycliffe Bible TranslatorsJohn and Luci assist those who are engaged in the core focus of Wycliffe Bible Translators, by using their God given gifts and abilities that have been developed during their 26 years serving with the mission, both in Papua New Guinea and in the U.S. John currently serves as Finance Director for the Americas Area, and Luci currently serves as Director of External Communications for SIL International, a partner organization of Wycliffe. The goal of my administrative position is to oversee the organization’s communications policies, strategies, procedures, branding standards and messaging for SIL International. This includes overseeing the implementation of publicity plans and materials production—the biggest task ahead is the management of the recreation of the website. John and Luci have two adult children, Matt and Kristi.
Gloria Twietmeyer - Leadership Resources InternationalGloria's job is to coordinate and direct the work of the volunteer team that assists LRI. Currently LRI is transitioning from producing its published materials on-site, to using outside services for their printing jobs. In this transition they must shift volunteers who used to assist with book production to other areas of need. Gloria is key in developing other outlets for volunteer help as she networks with LRI staff. This is essential to the ultimate goal of training pastors and church leaders around the world. Gloria has two adult sons, Eric and Ben, and a daughter, Megan.
Tom and Dana Yeakley - Navigators
Since turning over the leadership for the US Nav student work, Tom has focused on developing leaders for The Navigators, both in the US and internationally. Tom has been responsible for several areas: First, he is creating a staff and leader development process for the US Nav staff. Second, he is directing leader development events for Navigator's US Field Ministry leaders. Third, he is creating a web based staff and leader development site for the US Nav staff. Lastly, he is coaching and helping develop the international student ministry leaders in Western Europe and Australia. Tom and Dana have three adult children, Michael, Amy, and Steve.