MISSIONS
In Acts 1:8 Jesus told His first disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Ever since that day, Christians have been spreading out all over the world to “make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Crossroads is absolutely committed to reaching every man, woman, boy and girl we can reach with the Gospel message beginning in the South Valley of California and extending to the ends of the earth. One of the major ways Crossroads accomplishes this is by supporting various missions works and individual missionaries. At present we have committed to monthly support for 16 different missionaries that minister throughout the world. We support missionaries who work in the following continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and North America.
These missionaries work alongside church planters, develop Bible Schools, assist in Bible translating, help with drug and alcohol recovery and disaster relief, create vocational training centers, youth and children’s evangelism, feeding programs, rural church assistance programs and university outreaches. They also reach out to disenfranchised Christians, agnostics, and atheists. Many of our ministry partners are in countries that severely persecute Christians and the workers risk their lives doing the work they are called to do.
In order to fulfill our commitment to our missionary partners, we need you to faithfully support our General Missions Fund on a regular basis. We have made a commitment to missionaries who minister throughout the world. This is a vital part of Crossroads fulfilling the Great Commission Jesus commanded. Our philosophy in supporting missions is that we are called to give, possibly go and always pray for the work. Our goal is to give 20% of all Crossroad’s income to missions works, globally and domestically. This is our goal! We have been commissioned to reach the entire world with the gospel—we do this through our partnerships with people called to go and serve on our behalf. Let us give so that all the world may know Jesus!
Lucknow, India. KCTL is a ministry partner with Crossroads and is instrumental in training church planters for the missions field of Northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan. These regions are some of the most unreached nations on the planet. This school provides excellent training through diploma, bachelors and masters levels programs. They are the main pipeline for new church plants and associate pastors in northern India. In addition, they are producing powerful women leaders. For the first time in the history of India, there have been women pastors ordained at an unprecedented rate. God is calling all genders to the harvest field in this region of the world. We are pleased to partner with this great school. The primary focus is to raise up workers for the harvest.
YWAM. Jacob and Tatum Green are missionaries with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). This dynamic couple work out of the YWAM center in Redding, California and travel throughout the United States and around the world sharing the love of Jesus. They are both incredible leaders, trainers, and missionaries. Pray they have divine favor, financial backing, and Holy Spirit guidance in all they do.
Poland. Earl and Tammie Shorrocks are missionaries to Poland. Please pray for their safety during this COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to work with church planters and are raising up leaders for the harvest in Poland.
Grace Guys. Christine DeCurtis Crossroads for a number of years before attending Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry. Her current ministry interviews guests from around the globe who are bringing the kingdom in all different spheres of influence. Christine hosts “Kingdom Conversations,” a Facebook podcast that interviews believers helping to bring the Kingdom of God into the workplace, business, arts, music, literature, entertainment, education, finance, government, religion, media, social justice, family, etc. Christine currently is located in Pella, Iowa; however she ministers in a variety of locations. Christine serves believers in the business world and non-profit arena through conferences, retreats, school programs, and youth and children’s ministry. Christine hosts a variety of training classes, conferences and experiences that release the prophetic ministry to this generation. In the words of Pastor Lynn, “Christine is a gifted person with high emotional intelligence. She follows through with her responsibilities and fearlessly jumps into new projects with refreshing creativity.”
Rural Compassion is a national initiative dedicated to encouraging, strengthening, and empowering small and rural churches to work outside their four walls to address the needs of their surrounding communities. We provide inspiration and action to help the pastor and congregation to be Christ’s hand extended by meeting the concerns of poverty and restoring self-respect in the hearts and minds of rural communities. Rural Compassion has responded to thousands of emergent requests in many states throughout the US in areas of health, hunger, hygiene, school supplies and outreach. With strong supporters of Rural Compassion we can answer the call and take action in poverty relief in hopes to break the bondage of hardship for destitute families living without proper necessities of life. The great reward in this ministry is when a pastor comes to us after a year of working in his community and reports on the amazing open doors the Lord has provided. With tears of gratitude he will say things like: “I was so discouraged before I came to your workshop, our church attendance was low, and I couldn’t see any hopeful change. Then I began to introduce the church and myself to the mayor, the fire chief and the school, and discovered a welcomed hand.”
Laurel and Kim resource, empower and partner with rural churches through training, mentoring and coaching so they can help strengthen their communities by enhancing their presence. The strategy works best when church leaders partner with other community leaders and stakeholders. They travel around the United States helping smaller churches to reach their communities with the love of Jesus Christ.
“I have seen the worries of the father who cannot provide a decent shelter for his kids or the mother who is embarrassed because lately meals are few and her kids clothes don’t fit right or the hand-me-downs are out of style. I think of the 5th grade boy being made fun of because he is wearing his older sister’s jeans that don’t fit. I think of what the little girl said who received a new toothbrush then clutched it to her chest with tears running down her cheeks; ‘now me and my sisters can each have our own toothbrush.’” Kim Harvey
India. Jyoti and Pradeep of Light, Life, Freedom Ministries in New Delhi, India. This dynamic couple help slum children with free education and they work on the front lines to rescue children from human trafficking. They are under constant battle and opposition due to the legal and spiritual battles they wage. Both are lawyers and attempt to use the legal system of India to protect the most vulnerable from a life of abuse and torture. Pray they have divine favor, financial backing and Holy Spirit guidance in all they do. Many of these children come to Jyoti and Pradeep severely abused in every way. Please pray for healing over these precious children! This awesome ministry is close to Jesus’ heart!
Nepal. Kiran Pal is a former student of Pastor Lynn and David’s who has established church plants and an orphanage in Nepal. These young children all have stories and need sponsors to help with their care and development. We feel privileged to partner with Kiran in the Harvest Loving Home Ministry as well as invest in these children and love them.
Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship in Standford is a community of students earnestly following Jesus in one of the toughest academic environments. They’re not a fraternity or a sorority (although they’re a great place to find brothers and sisters); rather, their name is Greek because the New Testament was written in Greek. Their name comes from 2 Corinthians 5:20 which says “we are therefore Christ’s (Chi) Ambassadors (Alpha).” This ministry provides an opportunity to reach students for Jesus on one of the premiere campuses of the world.
Chi Alpha is one of several Christian ministries at Stanford but what makes it different is their emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for the leaders, Glen and Paula Davis. They have been faithfully serving the students, faculty and staff of Stanford for decades.
India. Pastor Swapna Nayak is a church planter in Lucknow India. Pastor Swapna was widowed about 5 years ago. She became the first female pastor in India with the Assemblies of God. Her position as a mother of four children (teenage daughter, two boys, and a recently adopted 4 year old girl), church planter/pastor and widow places her in a unique position in the Indian culture.
She has been responsible for growing a wonderful church, hosting regional leadership and family conferences, planting new churches, raising up new believers and baptizing them in water. She is a fireball preacher with a passion for reaching India for Jesus. In addition, she has just been appointed as the Women’s Ministry Director for Northern India. She is also influential in helping advance women leadership in the nation of Nepal. Pray she and her family are kept safe and protected. Pray that the Lord opens doors for her and allows her to be a successful mother, pastor and evangelist. Pray that all her needs are met!
France. Mark and Dalene Good and their daughter Emma are church planters based in France who have pioneered a missional faith-community in the strategic city of Grenoble. They and their team have a vision for reaching the many unreached Muslim peoples, secular French, refuges, migrants and victims of human trafficking. Their ministry serves as a training hub for new pioneering missionaries coming to Europe who need training prior to being sent out to plant more communities of faith on the continent. The Goods also serve as strategic leaders on the Europe Leadership Team, facilitating the development of training and mentoring for all new missionaries coming to Europe. Dalene also serves on the Global Training team as a spiritual formation leader.
Ecuador. Henry and Ivonna Smith and their family are our missionaries to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The city is home to 3.5 million people. The Smiths minister to the slum areas of the city and have been doing this for over a decade. Both were raised in Guayaquil and have a great heart to reach the city for Jesus. Like many parts of the world, half of Latin America is 18 years old or younger. The potential that rests in this generation is immeasurable. The Smiths are convinced that this generation is key, not only for Ecuador’s tomorrow, but Ecuador’s today. Their desire is to play their part in seeing this generation loved and restored. Pray for ministry success, favor and opportunities to share Jesus with the residents of Guayaquil. Also, pray for health, protection, and safety for their family as they are back in the United States for a year to raise additional support and partnership.
India. JanPragati is a group of young professionals from Lucknow, India who have a burden for the children of that most people look at as throwaways. It nurtures immeasurably precious children! They have a unique passion inspired by the life of Jesus Christ. In 2011, this ministry was formed by Nitin and Blessy Sam, a couple who’s hearts were burdened with love for the disadvantaged in this area.
Jan Pragati serves the poor of India by providing free education for slum children, supports pro-life initiatives throughout Northern India, has a home for unwed mothers called “Mekhi House,” provides natal care for pregnant women in the slums, and sponsors empowerment centers for skill training and education for high risk women.
Teen Challenge is a ministry that works on a holistic model of drug and alcohol recovery. This means they are concerned with the body, mind, and spirit of those who come to their addiction recovery centers. Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.
Teen Challenge assists men, women, teenagers, children, and families who are struggling with destructive, addictive, and abusive lifestyles. These include drug abuse, alcoholism, behavioral reactions to sexual and physical abuse and other problems. The salvation offered by Jesus Christ is the main avenue to create true, lasting change in a person’s life. Teaching students about Christ and leading them to salvation is essential to the work of Teen Challenge.The beginning of the discipleship process involves 3-4 months of Bible study, character development, and junior high or high school education for the adolescent programs.
Teen Challenge is one of the most successful programs of its kind because of its unique approach. The combination of mentoring, education, training, and spiritual direction through the 12-18 months program, makes it very successful.
Teen Challenge Ministry has six centers in Northern California and Nevada. These centers are designed to help those on the road to recovery. While in our centers, people are able to get control of their lives and become productive citizens of our community.
Hope For Africa. Todd and Amy Churchill. Todd now serves as the communications coordinator at Africa’s Hope, a ministry training arm of Hope for Africa. It’s an exciting role for him because it allows him to interface with Bible schools and national church leaders in Africa as he endeavors to provide them with support services and training resources. At Africa’s Hope, the mission is to facilitate training that equips the church in Africa to disciple the nations in the power of the Holy Spirit. Africa’s Hope currently serves more than 350 AG Bible schools and extension training centers with more than 20,000 students across the continent.
“Thank you for partnering with us to impact Africa as we seek to train leaders and multiply the number of workers in the harvest field. We are so grateful for your prayers and support! May God richly bless you in return.” —Todd & Amy Churchill
Spain. Jose and Ashley Talavera are our missionaries to Spain. For the last few years Jose and Ashley have been diligently spreading the gospel in Spain, a country that is less than 1% evangelical Christian. They have been part of a church-planting team and have established a new ministry for secularized families in Granada, Spain.
Pray for ministry success, favor and opportunities to share Jesus with the residents of Granada! Also, pray for health, protection, and safety for their family as they return back to the United States for a year to raise additional support and partnership.
India. House of Hope is a boys home in Madhya Pradesh (MP), India which is located in the central part of the nation. Currently this home has 18 boys who have been abandoned by their families throughout the region. This home provides food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, and a sense of family to these boys within a nurturing Christian environment. This ministry is located in a rural part of the country and is home to many indigenous people. Pastor Moses Rao is the Director of the home and also serves as the leader of church planters in the rural villages of this central Indian state. In this area it is illegal to proselytize which results in persecution of the Pastors and Christians. Pastor Lynn’s ministry, Women of the World International, partners with this ministry through financial sponsorship and spiritual development of both leaders and children. Many of Crossroads members sponsor these children and generously contribute to the needs of House of Hope and the church planters in this region. Every year a team visits the boys and pastors to encourage and support them. Madhya Pradesh is a spiritually dark area and we are called to pray for safety over the leaders and children. In the midst of this darkness the light of Jesus is shining brighter and brighter. In the last two years WOTW and Crossroads has partnered with the Pastors in this area to build 7 church buildings! We believe it is time for a great revival and harvest of souls in this area. We also believe the House of Hope boys are God’s selected ministers for the next generation. Some of these boys come from unreached people groups and when they become adults will return to their villages to share the gospel! What the enemy meant for harm, the Lord is turning around for good!
Japan. Brad and Roberta Shimomura are missionaries to Japan. Pastors David and Lynn were able to spend time with Roberta and their eldest son Zane recently in Orlando, Florida at the General Council of the Assemblies of God Bi-Annual Ministers Meeting. They wanted to let the church know how very much they appreciate our support and prayers.
Praise
1. Brad continues his studies at Japanese language school and is getting a grasp for the language. He is conversational now, and is now in an intermediate class!
2. Roberta is able to attend a Japanese language class at a local community center, and it is a great place to build relationships as well.
3. Zane just finished 2nd grade and is making progress with adjusting to life in Fukuoka. Oliver will finish at his Japanese kindergarten on July 12th. Zane will start 3rd grade and Oliver will start 1st grade on August 20th.
Prayer
1. Please pray for wisdom for our family as we need to make some decisions about schooling for Addie. Education choices are always a hard decision for any Missionary family.
2. Please pray for our language ability to increase so we can adequately share the Gospel in Japanese.
3. Please pray for our teachers and tutors who are teaching us Japanese, and pray for opportunities to share the Good News with them.