OUR MISSIONARIES
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
~ Jim Elliot
Gary & Barb Bennett
Rwanda
Gary is passionate about helping the Rwandese church grow and be strengthened. He accomplishes this in three ways. One way is through New Creation Ministries (NCM). He is a support person for the school and oversees the construction of new facilities. NCM equips pastors who come to the center four times a year for a three-week concentrated training session. He also has an agricultural demonstration area on campus to expose the pastors and students to new and better ways of animal husbandry and gardening practices. The second way Gary seeks to help the Rwandese church be strengthened and grow is by working directly with churches. He visits existing churches and encourages the starting of new churches. One aspect of this work is to help new churches acquire and install the iron roofing sheets needed for their new buildings. A third way is through mission administration. He serves as the field treasurer and takes care of much of the government red tape.
Barbara’s passion is to help people discover their God-given creativity. Music is not commonly a part of the general educational practices in Rwandan schools. Currently, Barb is teaching music to children from 4th grade through High School at a local international school. She also teaches music to over 100 Rwandan children from more than seven Kigali schools at our church on Thursday evenings. She and her team of helpers see this as an opportunity for discipleship and evangelism as many of the families these children come from do not attend church. The Bennett’s serve in Rwanda with WorldVenture, which is based in Littleton CO.
Kevin & Melodie Kejr
Kenya
The Kejr’s have been called to work the people to mission in Northern Kenya. They feel a growing calling to reach those living and dying without Christ in the greater northern Kenya context. They desire to help strengthen missions in Northern Kenya through the local church, Kenyan missionaries, and foreign missionaries. They are working with SIM Kenya and leadership from several churches and organizations to help this take place through Kevin’s giftings in networking and organizational leadership. The Kejr’s serve with SIM Kenya.
Dan & Marcy Schuring
Brazil
Dan and Marcy Schuring have worked in the northeast Amazon area of Brazil for many years. Working with the Waiapi people they have translated much of the Bible into their language. They have seen many people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and have discipled many of the people to better understand what it means to be a follower of Christ and how to live the life of a believer. Originally translating many Bible stories, they have also worked on creating films and now digital lessons from the Bible to continue to spread the Gospel to many in the area. The Schuring’s serve with the Ethnos 360 mission group.
John Mark & Sara Sheppard
Liberia
John-Mark and Sara Sheppard have served in Liberia since 2013 with SIM. John-Mark is focused on translating the Bible into Manya, which had been an unwritten language and overseeing dozens of Manya literacy classes. Sara homeschools their three children (James, Noah & Audrey), facilitates adult trauma healing groups and cares for dozens of community children and teens with a daily meal, medical care, tutoring, and informal counseling. The Sheppards serve with the SIM organization.
Mark & Nancy Sheppard
Liberia
The Sheppards have been missionaries since 1982. They served in Liberia until the country’s civil war forced all missionaries to evacuate for an extended period. In 1999, they relocated ministries to neighboring Côte d’Ivoire, where many Liberians had taken refuge during the war. They are back rebuilding the church association in Liberia, thanking God for the UN and democratic government stability in the country. They participate in national conferences, work individually with church leaders, help the local Bible college, nurture orphans, and provide a home for believers needing to visit the capital. We are the sending church for the Sheppard’s and they work under Baptist Mid-Missions.
Sensitive Locations
M&M W and their daughter J work in Southeast Asia church planting in the largest Muslim nation in the world. They have been called to work with a people group that has no believers, no churches, and no preexisting church planting team. To engage with this people group they are required to learn two languages as well as engage in some form of business as missions. Please pray that Christ will work within the hearts of the Muslim people group, that He will be drawing them to Himself, and that as this family learns these languages and adjusts to life overseas God will clearly work through them.