Mission Partners
The Missions Committee is a vehicle to support and promote awareness of the task of reaching the unsaved for Christ. It focuses on providing opportunities for people to have a closer connection to missionary activities. We are committed to reaching orphans with the love of Christ through our partnership with Back2Back Ministries. CrossLife lends support to our Career Missionaries in the following ways:
Prayer for each individual (see current prayer needs)
Communication, education, and promotion to the congregation
Financial support
Care for missionaries on home assignment
Continuing education for missionaries
Career Missionaries
Bala and Carol Balasingham are missionaries with the EFCA ReachGlobal in Southeast Asia. Their ministry is focused on training church leaders for effective minis- try. Because of the political and cultural climate in the areas where they serve, it is often difficult for church leaders to communicate freely and work together. Bala has had opportunities to bring these church leaders together to build relationships and a united vision for their ministries. Also, Bala has worked to found a Bible school for church leadership training and to encourage national churches to reach out to the Muslims in their communities and countries. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Bala and Carol first worshiped with our church during the time he was studying at TEDS for his Master's degree, and later for his doctorate. During his doctoral studies, he was diagnosed and treated for leukemia, and our church was instrumental in supporting he and Carol during that treatment. Recently our church has been involved with their consortium with EFCA to provide short term teams to go to Indonesia to support the local Christian missionaries. For more information, see EFCA ReachGlobal
Ben and Jeanne Beckner are serving as missionaries with International Messengers in France. They are involved in diverse ministries focused on the training and mobilizing of French believers and churches for cross-cultural and world mission. Ben helped launch several French non-profit organizations, including Français Sans Frontières, which is involved in French language and culture outreach to universities, high schools and language institutes in countries from Ukraine, Albania, and into North Africa, Ben also online courses in missions and missiology. In addition to writing chapters and articles for various French missiological publications, Ben is an adjunct professor of missiology at various French language Bible schools and seminaries, such as the Institut Biblique de Genève, Switzerland and the Institut de Théologie de Jérusalem, Israel. Jeanne is involved in international women's outreach and French Christian literature ministries, including the translation of a recent French missionary biography. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Ben & Jeanne began attending CrossLife during their first year of marriage while Ben was a student at Trinity Seminary and Jeannie worked for the missions department at Trinity. Ben served as a member of our missions committee and both Ben and Jeanne were willing volunteers. They loved CrossLife, and we have been privileged to be part of their ministry from the very beginning! We have also been blessed to be involved in Ben and Jeanne’s ministry by sending groups of volunteers from CrossLife to serve in summer French camps. See InternationalMessengers.org for more info.
Mark and Athlee Bowman are serving in Sapporo, Japan with ReachGlobal. Using three platforms, the COEN Life cafe, English Schools and a community of Jesus followers they touch people with the love God has lavished on us. They hope to introduce staff, customers, English students and Community friends to Jesus, the “One” who changes lives. The Bowman’s operate a café and English school because they are ways to meet people’s needs, provide open doors, build relationships and give them chances to live out their faith in front of people in a culturally non-threatening setting. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Our church is privileged to have supported Mark and Athlee through ReachGlobal for a number of years. They continue to serve faithfully in a country where so few know the Gospel. For more information see EFCA ReachGlobal, COENLife.com, and CafeCOEN.com
Wayne and Barb Brink are serving with Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and are based in Mission Viejo, CA. They work with the Jesus Film Project. Based on the Gospel of Luke, the "JESUS" film has now been translated into more than 1,160 languages, with new languages being added every month. This allows God’s Word to speak to people in more than 200 countries in languages they know and understand. Their goal is to show the Gospel story to everyone in the world in his/her own language. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Wayne and Barb were attending CrossLife prior to moving to California with the Jesus Film Project. The Brinks were active members of our church and it is our joy to support them. See JesusFilm.org for more information.
Gerry Buchholz is serving with CRU, (Campus Crusade for Christ) and the JESUS Film project. One of her primary responsibilities is as a coaching co-ordinator within Cru.Her leadership abilities and experience as a teacher also enable her to teach a moral/ethics curriculum in a number of Middle Eastern and Asian countries.Gerry is also part of the Cru national executive team that provides direction for Cru’s US ministry. Gerry’s ministry areas are diverse and through them, she finds so many open doors that God gives her to reach others with the gospel. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? CrossLife has supported Gerry and her late husband for many years. Whether it is through the Jesus film or teaching a curriculum to adults in Middle Eastern countries, Gerry says “I love serving Him in partnership with you all”.All praise to God for letting us be a part of what He is doing throughout the world. For more information see Cru.org
Youssouf and Awa Dembele: The Lord has opened many doors in service for the Dembele’s in Mali and elsewhere in the world. They are involved in Pastoral Ministry, Bible Translation, Training, Teaching, writing, and Church Administration. They exercise pastoral ministry with Eglise Evangelique Protestante du Mali (EEPM: Evangelical Protestant Church of Mali). HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Youssouf and Awa Dembele were part of our church while Youssourf attended TEDs. Youssouf taught adult bible classes and Awa was active in the children’s ministries. In our ongoing relationship, we have been able to support the Dembeles by providing additional funds for projects to support individual pastors in Mali. For more information see AvantMinistries.org
Cheque and Hope Garcia have been serving with Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico since 2008. In their role as children’s home captains, they work as a bridge between “Casa Posibilidades” (Possibilities Home) and Back2Back. They are responsible for supporting the directors of this home as they bring teams there to serve, help them grow a financial support base, recruit and train local volunteers to help work at the home, and support the home spiritually, physically, educationally, emotionally, and socially (the five point development model of Back2Back). They are active in training, leading, and debriefing teams as they serve in Monterrey. Additionally, they each mentor teens in Back2Back’s Hope Program and lead and train others on staff with Back2Back. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? CrossLife has sent teams of adults and students to serve in Monterrey with Back2Back since 2010. Cheque and Hope have been very involved in training, leading, and debriefing our teams.
Dick and Robin Hart serve in the Middle East with World Venture. Dick is the director of the PTEE (Program for Theological Education by Extension), which has provided leadership education to over 1800 Middle Eastern church leaders in ten different Middle Eastern countries since its founding in 1981. PTEE provides classes in local churches and allows students to earn their Bachelor of Theology degrees. Many students are lay people who have other careers but want to learn to serve God and know God more deeply. Robin serves in Amman, Jordan as the principal of Whitman Academy, a school for missionary kids through grade twelve, that she and Dick helped to found. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Dick and Robin Hart have a longstanding relationship with our church...they were a part of our church family from 1992 to 1996 while Dick completed his doctorate at Trinity International. Their daughter, Christie, came to know Jesus as her savior through the Pioneer Girls ministry and was baptized here at the Evangelical Free Church of Libertyville. Dick and Robin remain in close contact with our church and give us a chance to be servants in the Muslim part of the world. For more information, see the PTEE web site.
Ernie & Donna Manges have served as missionaries with EFCA ReachGlobal in the Philippines since 1987 where Ernie serves as Professor of Theology and Church History at the Cebu Graduate School of Theology. Ernie now divides his time between Asia and America. In the Philippines and other Asian nations, he continues to train the next generation of pastors, missionaries, church planters, and evangelists for the Asian church. In the USA his main ministry is leading the team that trains all new missionaries for ReachGlobal worldwide. They summarize their ministry as “training Asians and others to reach the world.” HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? CrossLife has been their church home since 1979. In 1987 we became their sending church when they went to serve in the Philippines. We continue to partner with them in prayer and funding. They have been members since 1981 and attend CrossLife regularly. For more information see EFCA ReachGlobal
Tim and Nancy Navratil spent over eight years in China and Malaysia where Tim was an Asia Division Area Leader for ReachGlobal. Recently Tim has transitioned to a new role as a Latin America/Caribbean Division Area Leader. Tim's years of experience in corporate management provides the skills needed to be part of the senior leadership team of ReachGlobal in the region.Tim is involved with divisional goal setting and decision making, as well as coaching/supervising all the team leaders in Latin America. Tim also represents the region on the PrayGlobal team. Nancy and Tim were extensively involved in local ministry while in Asia and they plan to do the same in their new location in Central America. Nancy's qualifications as a registered nurse and her experience working with refugee/immigrant communities in Asia equip her well as they move into a new community. The needs are large and Nancy's, as well as Tim's experience and background, are highly valued. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? We have had the joy of supporting the Navratils financially and in our prayers for many years as they have served in both Asia and Central/South America.It is a special privilege to support a couple devoting their retirement to serving God on the mission field.
Leon and Mandy Poplawski work with Cru. They lead Cru City in Lake County. They are involved in building leaders who can reach, engage, and equip others in their world. Leon and Mandy want to help leaders in the workplace, community, and church live out their callings and learn to communicate their faith. They lead groups, teach classes in Lake County churches, and mentor individuals in living out the Gospel, helping them to see that their work matters and what they do adds to the flourishing of Lake County and brings shalom to the Chicago area. Leon and Mandy are also involved nationally with Cru City by field testing materials on Integrating Faith and Work). HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Leon and Mandy have been a connected to CrossLife since 1995. They have taught many training classes, the most recent on “Integrating Faith and Work.” They have also led several small groups including two “Destined for Harmony” groups with couples from CrossLife. Leon has served in leadership and leadership development and Mandy served with the Worship Ministry for 14 years. They continue to build leaders and mentor individuals at CrossLife. Mandy currently serves with CrossLife MOPs. We have been privileged to have been mission partners with this couple since 1999. See the Cru website for more info.
Nate and Emily P. are serving in the Balkans, a strategic part of the world torn apart by war and ethnic violence. The vision for their work centers around providing opportunities for community development. Nate will potentially be working in a business context through job creation. Emily will be looking for opportunities to contribute to the local education system. Emily’s background as a public school teacher and Nate’s administrative skills provide opportunities to partner with members of the local community and share the love of Jesus as they live out their lives in various contexts. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Nate and Emily have been very involved at CrossLife, active in church service, and in a LIFE Group. Emily was born and raised in the CrossLife family. She met Nate at CrossLife while Nate was a student at Trinity.
Lonnie and Debbie Smith are serving with EFCA Reachglobal in Marseilles, France. They are involved in church planting. The Smiths are sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in a culture that is becoming increasingly atheistic. They are using friendship evangelism to reach out to various people in their community such as Armenians. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? Lonnie and Debbie Smith approached our church for support upon the recommendation of EFCA Reachglobal. Entering the mission field with a large family already in place provided a challenge for this couple when they felt God’s call. We have enjoyed watching and praying as their ministry grows and their children mature. For more information see EFCA ReachGlobal.
Mike and Ann Wheeler are serving in Cochabamba, Bolivia with SIM. Mike teaches Bible, Theology, and Greek at the Bible Seminary. He also coordinates the Seminary's master's program, which is an extension of SETECA in Guatemala. SETECA is one of the leading evangelical seminaries in Latin America; so it is a privilege to have their master's program. He is also heading up the accreditation process for the seminary. Ann helps at Mosoj Chaski, a ministry to the Quechua, Bolivia's largest people group and descendants of the Inca. The ministry not only has a radio station, but also other aspects like the Mobile Bible School and Bible study aids to help Quechua pastors. Also, Ann works with mission administration, helping other ministries improve their governance and finances so they can become self-supporting. HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? We have given a special gift to help make the accreditation possible for their Bible Seminary. For more information see SIM.org