Ministry Partners
Local, Global, and Organizations
Local Ministry Partners
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Lifeline Global Ministries
A long-time member and former Grace Pastor, Mike is now the Executive Director of Lifeline Global Ministries. The Gospel is making exciting inroads among incarcerated men and women, and Mike mobilizes churches to respond to this opportunity and bring the good news of Christ to those behind bars.
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Athletes in Action
With decades of personal experience in sports outreach, Mike serves with Athletes in Action, bringing the gospel and personal discipleship to the sports teams at UCLA. Mike and his wife Alison are members of Grace.
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Oakland, CA
The Garcias are currently living and working to plant a gospel-centered, multi-ethnic church in Oakland California. The Bay Area is one of the most unreached and dechurched regions in America and is in need for more and more healthy churches. New City Church has launched and continues to work to unleash joy-filled followers of Jesus to love God and love others.
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Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Luke and Katie serve on staff with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on the Central Coast, CA. Using sports as a vehicle to communicate of the gospel, they reach out to high school and college athletes and coaches to share Christ and disciple them in their faith. Luke grew up at Grace, was an accomplished athlete at Canyon High School, and a five-time national competitor as a distance runner in college. In addition to the local ministry Luke and Katie also help oversee FCA’s international ministry for the Western Region and South Asia. They travel to train leaders and run sports camps in partnership with indigenous sports leaders.
Global Ministry Partners
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Asia & Central Asia
Because these couples serves in countries where persecution of Christians is common, we have not published their names, location, or email address. Their ministry and personal safety could be in jeopardy if certain words or phrases are used in communication. They covet your prayers for their ministry and for those they reach.
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Director of Member Care, Converge IM
Mike and Murf Gaston were members here at Grace Baptist for 14 years, after serving with Converge International Ministries for 15 years as church planters in Cameroon and France. That cross-cultural experience allows them to bring valuable insight to their current role on the Converge Member Care Team, providing pastoral care and encouragement to Converge missionaries around the world. They are the primary caregivers for Converge workers based in North America, and Mike is the director of the Member Care team. They also provide their home in beautiful Northern Arizona as a place of ministry. Murf's hospitality gifts are put to good use as they welcome their colleagues on home assignment for a few days of refreshment, and whatever pastoral care that their guests might require. Both of the Gastons have come to realize the value of Sabbath rest, and are eager to encourage their Converge colleagues to explore that gift and make it a regular part of their lives. Mike is also developing a training program to teach Converge's international partners to better understand and preach God's word.
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Czech Republic
Landen and Jenny, Grace members, are serving with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic, Jenny’s home country, and the location of several Grace team ministries that Landen has led over the years. They reach out to students, attempting to change Eastern Europe for Christ by bringing the Gospel to the next generation.
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Kander, Germany
Scott and Karen Miller serve at Black Forest Academy in Kandern, Germany. Black Forest Academy serves Third Culture students from all over the world, enabling their families to remain in vital, often remote locations, for Gospel ministry. Scott and Karen are utilizing the first few years of their retirement to serve this vital ministry with the skills God has given them.
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Papua New Guinea
David and Shari Ogg are church planters among the Simbari people of Papua New Guinea. The Oggs arrived in PNG in 1991 and began learning the language of the Simbari people. After becoming fluent they began translating and teaching the Bible. When the Simbari people heard the message of God’s Word in their heart language a church was planted that continues to grow. The Oggs continue working toward the goal of seeing thriving local churches developed among the Simbari. The Oggs are now ministering itinerantly to the Simbari churches while they work toward completing the translation of the New Testament into the Simbari language.
Where they live: David and Shari live in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea. They live at a cool elevation of 5000 feet amid green valleys and rainy mountains. The Simbari tribe is located about a 30-minute flight from the nearest town where the Oggs now live. The tribe numbers around 4000 and the people are scattered around in dozens of villages across 4 river valleys. The tribal borders stretch out about 20 miles wide and 15 miles long. There are no roads into the Simbari so the only way in and out is via the mission’s Kodiak aircraft. (ntm-aviation.org). Many of the rural people have moved to the cities looking for work so there are now as many Simbari people living in the cities as there are out in the ‘bush’. Papua New Guinea is a country full of diversity, from beautiful tropical coastlines to rainforest-covered mountains over 10,000 feet high. But even more than that is the fact that Papua New Guinea has 841 unique tribal languages many of which still do not have God’s Word in their own language.
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Portugal
Sam and Tracey have served for several years as church planters in Portugal. After a fruitful ministry in the city of Porto, they have moved to Lisbon to continue to bring compassion outreach, gospel conversations and creative discipleship to residents of Portugal's capital city.
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Mexico
After over 20 years in Spain and Mexico City, the Smiths now serve on ReachGlobal’s Latin America & Caribbean Division Leadership Team, Joshua providing strategic leadership for church planting and training, and Naomi discipling and mentoring women throughout the region. As they travel and minister in Latin America, Kansas will serve as their home base for the next few years.
Organizations
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Greg Barshaw
Greg Barshaw is the founder of Connect 2 Ministries. Early in his career, he studied physical therapy and worked in aerospace, biomedical manufacturing, and construction. His passion, however, has always been for people. After starting a ministry for disabled individuals at Grace Community Church, he became the Executive Pastor at Grace Brethren Church of Simi Valley in 2000. Overtime God transitioned his focus to missions and Connect 2 Ministries was launched in 2009. It was established to help local churches rediscover a passion for lost people, and to support international churches and pastors through sound biblical foundation in ministry. Connect 2 Ministries worked extensively in relief efforts after the 2010 earthquake, and has continued working with churches, orphans, and the disabled population in Haiti. Greg has also participated in famine relief in Ethiopia in 1972, the tsunami in Thailand 2004 and Hurricane Katrina 2005. Greg is married to Nancy, is the father of 3 grown children, and “Papa” to seven grandchildren.
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Converge is a movement of churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus. We do this by starting and strengthening churches together worldwide.
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Gary and Cyndi Hall
Grace members Gary and Cyndi Hall are the founders of Hollywood Impact Studios, a ministry within the LA county jail located in Castaic, California. Founded in 2008, Hollywood Impact Studios (HIS) provides a training ground whereby incarcerated men work alongside Christian Hollywood Professionals learning about the many careers within the TV and film industry. HIS ultimate goal is not to make filmmakers but to develop relationships with these men in order to show Christ's love with the ultimate goal of turning their lives over to Christ. In the process, they learn how to relate to God, others, and their environment. They learn skills and discover new passions and make friends along the way.
In early 2018, Hollywood Impact Studios will expand outside the LA county jail system. HIS will be opening our doors to Hollywood Impact Studios Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Center aka, "Miracle Mountain." Located east of Castaic California is a beautiful 1930's civilian conservation corps. camp built by the Franklin Rosevelt Administration. This 70-acre forestry camp will act as a continuation of Hollywood Impact Studios in-jail program. Formerly incarcerated men who have successfully completed recovery programs like Teen Challenge and Salvation Army will have the opportunity to receive vocational and career development within a Christ-centered environment. To learn more about our ministry or how you can help please email us at: hollywoodimpactstudios@gmail.com
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Hope Gardens in Sylmar is a part of the Union Rescue Mission’s outreach, focusing on caring for the material and spiritual needs of low-income women, children and the elderly in ways that would not be possible (or safe) at the downtown Rescue Mission location.
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Hellenic Ministries is an international, nondenominational Greek missions organization, seeking to serve Christ throughout Greece, the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. HM beckons believers around the world to consider the same Macedonian call that drew the Apostle Paul to this spiritually needy land in AD 40.
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The Union Rescue Mission has been embracing the urban poor with the compassion of Christ since 1891. It is the oldest mission in Los Angeles, and one of the largest of its kind in the world. The URM presents the gospel as the solution to the spiritual needs of its clients. Physical and emotional needs are met by a variety of services, including medical and dental care, legal assistance, counseling, job training, and recovery programs.
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The Pregnancy Center is a pro-life ministry dedicated to helping men, women and teens during the crucial decision-making stages of an unplanned pregnancy. They provide people with the truth about abortion procedures, including risks and the emotional or spiritual consequences that can result, and encourage clients to choose life for the child by considering other alternatives such as adoption or parenting. The gospel is clearly presented, and they see many first-time decisions for Christ every year. Grace members are heavily involved at the Pregnancy Center as volunteers and as employees.
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The Gideons International is an association of Christian businessmen committed to the distribution of God's Word around the world. Best known for the Bibles that they place in hotels, they also distribute scriptures at schools, prisons and hospitals. God has used Gideon Bibles to bring people to Himself on every continent. The local gathering of Gideons, known as a "camp", includes many members of Grace Baptist, as does the Gideons Auxiliary, a gathering place for women committed to the distribution of scripture.