Partnerships

Cru’s focus is to make the message of Jesus known by all college students at Mizzou, Stephens College, Columbia College, and MACC. They train students in sharing the basic message of the gospel with their friends, classmates, and anyone they meet. Their weekly gatherings are on Thursday nights in Jesse Wrench Auditorium at 8pm as well as small group Bible studies throughout the week.

Partners:

Dylan Moore

RUF works with college students at the University of Missouri. Through Bible studies, one on one relationships, conferences, and retreats, they seek to help students develop the kind of faith that lasts a lifetime.

Partners:

Nick McDonald

The mission at FCA is “To present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.” As Regional Director, Scott oversees the four “C’s” of ministry (Campus, Coaches, Camps, and Community) in 17 counties of Mid Missouri as well as works with the athletes at the University of Missouri. At Mizzou there is a Tuesday night weekly meeting and Bible studies specific to each sports team.

Partner:

Scott Ashton

K-Life is a community wide interdenominational Christian ministry of discipleship and fellowship for youth and their families. Through a variety of activities (weekly clubs, small group Bible studies, mission trips, ski trips, and monthly events), K-Life kids grow in their faith and have lots of fun in the process. They learn that following Christ and discovering His plan for their life is the most exciting adventure of all, and that they can count on friendship and support from leaders and peers who care.

Partner:

Young Life in Columbia is part of a world-class organization for teenagers. YL staff and volunteers enter the world of kids, focusing on what matters to them—fun, adventure, friendship and a sense of significance. In doing so, we earn the privilege of talking to them about something that we think matters most of all—the truth of Jesus Christ.

Partner:

Luke Neal

Cor is a non-profit organization which provides male student athletes in Columbia with educational, experiential, athletic and relational support. Our hope is that through quality resources and caring relationships, Cor will give young men hope for the future and a way to a productive and redemptive lifestyle.

Partner:

Angie Azzanni

Travis Craig

After experiencing some injuries in my basketball career at the University of Northern Colorado, God began to show me that He is the answer to all of our needs. He began to burden my heart to help athletes understand what it means to have a relationship with God. I am beyond excited to join the AIA team at Mizzou. We want everyone to know someone at the University of Missouri who is truly following Jesus so they can see what God is doing at Mizzou!

Partner:

Cam Michael

Scott and Sunshine Piland are Missouri natives and have been friends of The Crossing for several years. They serve with Serge in Ireland, where in recent years, the religious heritage of Ireland has been shaken due to the failures of the institutional church and the rapid rise of secularism. While vestiges of religious traditionalism remain, wholehearted Christian faith has been widely lost. They serve with Trinity Presbyterian Church in Cork, and focus on church planting and revitalization. The Pilands are called to invest long-term with the Irish people, and work alongside Irish pastors to empower them through mentoring, teaching and training lay leaders, leading evangelistic initiatives, as well as preaching and teaching. They’re the behind-the-scenes catalyzers, always looking to promote and serve the Irish leadership, and help raise up new Irish leaders.

Partner:

Scott Pilands

Derek & Ashley Jenkins became members during the early years of The Crossing. They are fundraising to serve in Barcelona, Spain with Avant Ministries which focuses on church planting among unreached people groups. Sent by the Crossing to Barcelona in 2005, they are called to return long-term, sharing Jesus with the Catalan people (0.5% Christian). In an exceedingly secularized post-Christian culture, Catalans are struggling for statehood, fighting for identity, and remain deeply wounded by the state-sponsored church of their past. Derek & Ashley dream and work to see the body of Christ grow and thrive in new ways among Catalans, bringing them life and hope that can only be found in Jesus.

Partner:

Derek Jenkins

Corazon de Esperanza is an orphanage project in Northern Peru. They run the Hugar Luz de Vida (Light of Life Home),
the only transitional home available for at-risk older kids who would otherwise age-out of typical orphanage care on their 18th birthday. These young adults are targets for human trafficking and often get drawn into a life of crime, alcoholism and/or drug abuse. At Hugar Luz de Vida, they live in safety, learn about God’s love, have the opportunity to attend college or vocational training and work hard to transition from poverty to independence. Corazon de Esperanza also recently expanded to reach women in rural areas with a sustainability project. They encourage one-on-one involvement through sponsorship and offer bi-annual missions trips, as well as, long and short-term volunteer positions in Peru.

Partner:

Tim Brooks

Gyorgy and Timea Suhai serve the Gypsy (Roma) people of northern Hungary. The Gypsies make up the largest, most discriminated-against minority and are among the poorest of the poor. By cooperating with other Gypsy pastors and churches, they are growing a network of house churches through gospel-centered Bible teaching, preaching, discipleship and mercy ministry (teaching life skills and home economics). Gyorgy is also one of the founders and serves as a lecturer with Sonship Academy, a Budapest-based non-accredited 4-year Bible training program for prospective Christian leaders and missional workers (including Gypsies). When Timea isn’t busy raising Beni, their young son and Hanna, his sibling, she uses her skills as a former HR professional to help the Gypsies find jobs. Gyorgy and Timea serve with Presbyterian Mission International (PMI.)

Partner:

Gyorgy Suhai

Emese and Riaan Ferreira are missionaries serving with Wycliffe/SIL and Global Recordings International (GRI), a ministry that produces audio recordings of Bible stories and the Gospel in dozens of indigenous languages for use around the globe. The Ferreiras are based in South Africa but travel often to other regions of Africa to work with local translation teams. They also assist GRI with the production of their audio recordings proving translating services as well as tech and administrative support. These recordings can be accessed through a smart phone app or loaded onto battery, solar-powered or even hand-cranked audio players. Gospel workers take these recordings into deep and remote areas of Africa, where lack of literacy is often a barrier to understanding the Gospel. They are then able to share the love and hope of Christ with local people groups in their mother tongue.

Partner:

Riaan Ferreira

Andrew Chernenkov is a West-Multi-Area Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Ukraine (FCA Ukraine). Andrew works with the 8 regions in the west of Ukraine (general population of the Western Ukraine is 10 million people). Andrew’s vision is to see that every region of West Ukraine is equipped with a solid growing team of leaders ready to serve local coaches and athletes by encouraging them, being present in their lives, and supporting them. His main responsibilities are to find, train, and invest in leaders and volunteers to reach FCA Ukraine’s vision of 80,000 coaches in Ukraine for Christ. Andrew says, “God has called myself, and my family to do our part of this vision in Western Ukraine, which includes 8 large regions and nearly 20000 coaches. I believe that a coach is one of the most influential people in our society and a coach that knows Christ can help young athletes to become real men and women who will influence the next generation.”

Partner:

Andrew Chernenkov

Rob was born in St. Louis to Hungarian immigrants and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1990, where He became a Christian through Campus Crusade. While on staff with Crusade, during a one year mission trip to Hungary, he met his wife Tündi. She then joined Rob and they attended Covenant Seminary in St. Louis together. After being ordained in the PCA church in 1999, Tündi and Rob returned to Budapest, Hungary and have been there ever since. Rob taught in a Bible School and led a film club and outreach for singles in Budapest for the first fourteen years. He is now pastoring a new church in Budapest, which they planted in the fall of 2015. Rob and Tündi have two daughters.

ASELSI’s two-fold mission is to provide Bible and ministry leadership training and compassionate outreach tailored to the unique needs of the Mayan and other hispanic cultures of the Americas.  In addition to providing local pastors with Gospel-centered theological training, ASELSI provides a variety of care ministries to help meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those living in the mountains of Guatemala and beyond.  A clinic provides care to those with health concerns along with a milk program designed to combat malnutrition in an area with the western hemisphere’s highest infant mortality rate.  ASELSI also offers a school and physical therapy clinic for children with special needs, a discipleship program, and a variety of community outreach programs.

Ron and Sally Widbin, two members of The Crossing, left Columbia in 2012 to work as missionaries at ASELSI.  In addition to working with the school for children with special needs and the media/communications department, Ron and Sally coordinate the short term missions team program.

The Crossing sends a team of volunteers twice a year to work with ASELSI.

Partner:

Miguel Angel

Partner:

JAMAICA

The Roths work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Musoma, Tanzania, East Africa. Tim is the Linguistics Coordinator for the Mara cluster project, and Jeana works in Member Care. They are currently working in nine languages in the Mara region, most of which are previously unwritten. Tim leads a team working towards creating an alphabet and writing rules for these languages so that Bible translation can begin.

Partner:

Tim & Jeana Roth

11 years ago, Ashley moved to Czech Republic to work with Young Life Int’l where she met Honza. They married 5 years ago and together work for Young Life, a ministry that focuses on building relationships with high school students, sharing the unconditional love of Christ and the truth of the gospel. They work in Brno, the second largest city in Czech Republic, one of the most atheistic countries in Europe but where God is moving in big ways. She spends time volunteering in local high schools and they have started a new YL ministry in their city. They also work closely with the local church developing young leaders and seeking to grow the kingdom of God.

Partner:

Ashley & Honza Velosek

Like more than 99% of the people of Japan, Seima grew up in a non-Christian Buddhist home. He had never even met a Christian until he was 17 years old, and it was through that first exposure to the gospel that he became a Christian. His life changed drastically. The Lord blessed him with a wonderful Christian wife, Naoko, and led them into seven years of college ministry in Japan under Mission to the World. He graduated with honors from Covenant Seminary in 2010 and was ordained as a gospel minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Seima, Naoko, and their four children will be helping to plant Grace City Church Tokyo in the heart of Tokyo in partnership with Redeemer Presbyterian Church (NYC). With 34 million people, Tokyo has become the most populated city in the world and one of the most influential. Only 0.22% of the Japanese people knows Christ as their Savior and more than 95% of Japanese people never have a chance to hear the gospel, much less to accept or reject it.

Partner:

Seima and Naoko Aoyagi

Big Horn Ministries operates from a family-owned ranch in the mountains of SW Colorado where pastors, missionaries and their families are offered a place to unplug from the daily grind of ministry. BHM provides a safe environment in which to process ministry experiences and their impact on faith and family. The mission at BHM is “helping people take their next step” in hopes that their next step will be part of a journey closer to Christ. Relationships and recreation in God’s creation are the context BHM provides for growing closer to Christ. In these ways, BHM helps those in vocational ministry continue to serve God from a place of fullness. BHM also offers retreats for missionaries and relief workers serving in various parts of the world. BHM partners with Samaritan’s Purse in Northern Iraq where they hold annual retreats.

Partners:

Spencer Nicholl

Chris and Elizabeth McKinney hope to bring the gospel to neighborhoods everywhere through winsome, loving & intentional relationships. They want every neighbor to have the chance to be part of community and grow into a relationship with God. Whether it’s through a table discussion, sharing a meal, a party or a simple act of kindness, they want to see people experience how neighboring fits into God’s bigger redemptive story and see believers love their neighbors with gospel intentionality. They serve as associate staff with the Crossing as a Neighboring resource to small groups and women’s ministry.

Partners:

Chris & Elizabeth McKinney

Partners:

Email

St. Raymond’s Society supports mothers who have chosen life for their child, taking particular care to continue support after the baby is born.  We provide resources families need to become self-sufficient and prepare them to give their child the security of a stable home.  To learn more, including how we started, the local St. Raymond’s Society program in Columbia, where we have additional transitional homes, and our faith-based programming

Partners:

Whittley Jones

Partners:

Kyle & Jayne Wenig

The Vitae Foundation is a non-profit, educational organization focused on creating a Culture of Life by using research-based messaging and cutting edge media to inform women facing an untimely pregnancy about local Pregnancy Help Centers; educating the public about the value and sanctity of human life; and restoring the value of life as a core belief in the American culture.

The Food Bank distributes free food to 138 elementary schools through the Buddy Pack program, sending back packs full of food home with the poorest children. The Food Bank also partners with 135 food pantries, shelters for the homeless and abused, soup kitchens, low-income children’s programs and senior programs in 32 counties in central and northeast Missouri. It’s one of few food banks nationwide that does not charge for the food it provides.

The purpose of the Center for Women’s Ministries is to minister to women who need someone to walk through a difficult time with them. CWM creates an environment where non-judgmental listening, sharing, encouragement and prayer support can take place. Staffed by volunteers who have received training in lay counseling, the center offers free counseling for women. Our volunteer mentors guide hurting women towards God’s abundant love and wholeness through Jesus Christ by use of scripture, a listening ear and God’s healing power.

Coyote Hill is a professional home for abused and neglected children; and also for children whose families just need a chance to regroup and get a fresh start. At Coyote Hill, children experience a safe and healthy place to grow, to learn, to laugh, to love, and to understand what it means to have a life that is full and complete. In addition, they provide licensed counseling and professional social work services.

Partner:

Kari Hopkins

Granny’s House is a safe, nurturing place where public housing kids can come each day after school to see values, manners and God’s love in action. We provide loving arms, a safe place to play or do homework and an atmosphere of hope and calm in a chaotic world.

Partner:

Pam Ingram

Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) brings Christian churches together, across denominational lines, to help the poor by meeting immediate needs such as food and clothing, to longer-term responses through relational ministries such as life skills training and transitional housing.  Love INC operates a clearinghouse where we receive requests for help from individuals in need.  The mission is to mobilize churches to transform lives and communities in the name of Christ.

Partner:

Pat McMurry

We are a life-affirming agency that provides medical diagnosis and confirmation of pregnancy, education on abortion and alternatives, education on lifestyle and relationships, and education on sexual health. Formerly known as Open Arms, Life Network has offices in Columbia.

Partners:

Ryan and Kelly Greer

Partner:

Bill Penkethman

City Church is a church plant in the city of Saint Louis seeking to reach urban professionals with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church worships in a 19th century Abbey in Soulard (the southern doorstep of downtown) on Sunday mornings (the church building is a catering business and event venue the rest of the week). City Church launched on Easter Sunday in 2009. They have an energized core team and are excited to bring and gather people together in the name of Jesus.

Partner:

Mike Werkheiser

In2Action’s mission is to provide Christ-centered residential recovery services to individuals recently released from prison in the Columbia/Boone County area. Support includes safe and drug free housing, supported employment, intensive case management, discipleship, and provision of basic needs.

Partner:

Dan Hanneken

Partner:

Patrick & Amber Martin

Kathleen Dunn serves through a ministry called Campus Outreach at Ohio State University after previously going to Mizzou. The vision of Campus Outreach is “Glorifying God by Building Laborers on the Campus for the Lost World.” The goal is establish laborers among the college sphere that desire to finish the Great Commission. She will be reaching students with the gospel and training them to become mature followers of Christ. Her desire is to see students leave college equipped to labor in the harvest field for the glory of God.

Partner:

Kathleen Dunn