We take the call to spread the Gospel message to the world very seriously. That’s why we partner with organizations we believe in. Here are the partnerships we are currently invest in.
Howard and June Crowl, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: hjcrowl@swiftkenya.com
Howard and June Crowl have served the people in Africa for over 50 years. Their work in Kenya includes:
- Teaching in the Kenya Christian Institute of Pastoral Ministry with emphasis on training poorly prepared preachers who are already involved in active ministries. Young men are also trained for the ministry.
- Teaching special seminars to men and women in the local Kenya churches.
- June is especially gifted in translation so she prepares and translates materials for use in Kenya and Congo churches.
- Care for abandoned HIV babies one at a time.
- Rainbow Boys are ex-street boys who live in a home on the mission. They receive care and education from Christians who love them.
The Association for Benevolent Care of Canton Christian Home (CCH), a continuing care retirement community located at 2550 Cleveland Ave NW in Canton, offers living options that range from apartment living to 24-hour nursing care. The home is committed to providing excellent, resident-focused service in a caring Christian environment. The Association for Benevolent Care is the funding corporation for CCH. Through donor gifts, no-one has ever had to leave CCH due to depleted funds.
Some of the numerous volunteer opportunities are teaching a craft or woodworking class, leading an exercise group, sharing in a literary program, playing cards with residents, teaching art or drawing, assisting with seasonal decorating, talking with residents.
Read more at www.cantonchristianhome.org.
Safaa and Moni Fahmi, Egypt
Mailing Address:
PO Box 1763
Hillsboro, OH 45133
Safaa Fahmi began reaching out to the poor villages churches in 1989 with the help of longtime Christian missionary Laverne Morris. Today he continues to work among the Egyptians and Sudanese and others in surrounding nations of the Middle East.
- Conducts at least 3 medical clinics each year
- Trains church leaders throughout the Middle East
- Has an extensive writing and translating ministry, providing materials written in Arabic for Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible School
- Has an extensive work among Sudanese refugees who live in Egypt, with many churches being planted among them
- Provides charity through food, clothes, medicine, blankets and vocational training to those in need
Bringing Healing to Hurting Children and Families… In His Name
Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) began in 1969 when local Christians saw a need for a home to serve needy children in a family-style setting. Located on a 175-acre farm just north of Wooster, the ministry of the home has frown through the years. The campus is now home to 5 large cottages, offices, a counseling center, an adventure course, an equestrian therapy program, and a worship and retreat center.
In addition to residential programs at Wooster, CCHO has Foster Care and Adoption Services that comprise a network of over 100 foster families. The New Beginnings Counseling Center has locations throughout the area, including one here at First Christian.
Read more at www.ccho.org.
The Christian Education Foundation (CEF) was formed in 1945 at the First Christian Church to encourage and lend money to young men and women to attend colleges in preparation for the Christian ministry or related full time Christian ministry. The CEF is made up of members of First Christian Church and they consider and approve loans for qualified students who are members of First Christian Church. The students don’t have to pay back the loans if they stay in a Christian ministry or work for at least two years after graduating. The amounts of the loans are $2,000 per year.
The colleges or universities that the students can attend include Cincinnati Bible, Kentucky Christian, Milligan, Ozark Bible, and Central Christian and a few others that are accredited and are part of the same brotherhood as our Church. Students receive an excellent education and they are in a Christian environment during their time in college or university.
Many people heading for college are going to pursue careers that will help them do well financially. The colleges most students will go to are highly secularized and generally don’t offer any formal classes on the Bible. If you agree with those of us administering the CEF, the way society is trending, there is a growing need for young people to go to Christian Colleges more than ever. It would be unfortunate if a good student had a calling to do Christian work but was unable to go to a Christian College due to a lack of financial resources. First Christian Church wants to help students with a Christian calling.
Well over a hundred students have been helped to go to Christian colleges and universities by the CEF. Many have become preachers, missionaries, music ministers, children’s ministers or have gone into other Christian work such as Christian Social Work and Church office administration. The ones who haven’t been able to remain in full time Christian work became better representatives for Christianity in their families or the work place due to the Christian College education they received.
If you are interested in applying for a loan in this program, please contact Pastor Jeff Bullock at jbullock@firstchristian.info or by phone at 330-456-2600, ext. 2100 Click here to download a PDF Application Form.
Listed below are some of the Christian Colleges/Universities First Christian Church supports.
Gene and Melba Morden
Providing Clean Water to the Turkana people of Kenya
Email: gmmorden@ejoak.com
Gene and Melba are part of a team of Christians who serve together in Kenya. Gene has taken the lead in the project to provide clean water. Each year, he oversees the installation of clean drinking water wells and garden plots to meet the needs of all church members.
This work strengthens the Church and opens many doors for the love of God in Christ to be given by church members to their neighbors. It is also used as an evangelistic tool in areas where new churches are planted. The goal is to install 24 new systems each year.
Other ministry activities for the Mordens include:
- Teaching classes in the Turkana Bible Training Institute
- Leading two church leader seminars/retreats, one of which focuses on Christian marriage
- Assist Turkana leaders in the planting of new churches (at least 5 in 2009)
Email: DLF92@aol.com
Skype: david_and_teresa
David and Teresa have served in England since 1991, focusing on church planting and training British leaders. In 2003, their family relocated to Nottingham to focus on new work.
David and Teresa volunteer in local schools, teaching Religious Education classes and leading school clubs. These activities bring them into contact with with more than 1300 students, ages 11 to 18. Their goal is to plant a church among youth and young adults in Nottingham.
The Fittros also work with other church planters and British leaders in developing a national church-planting strategy. The target is to plant 10 reproducing churches by 2010. In order to accomplish this, they are seeking prayer partners, planting partners and resource partners.
Gary and Becky Colvin
Website: www.goDM.org
A Christ-Focused Adventure Camp
Discovery Ministries, founded in 1983, uses outdoor experiential education principles to teach about living the Christian life. The ministry seeks:
- to help people develop a caring attitude and lifestyle toward others, the environment and themselves
- to encourage people to be courageous and faithful, yet humble
- to help people develop an understanding of who they are and what their responsibilities are in relationships to God and others.
Gary Colvin grew up at First Christian Church and is the son of Lloyd and Betty Colvin.
George Repetski & George and Vera Bajenksi
Email: gmm@gmmeuro.org
Website: www.gmmeuro.org
The primary mission of Global Missionary Ministries is to present Christ’s unchanging message of salvation to the people of the changing world of post-communist Central and Eastern Europe.
Today Europe is the at the point of spiritual bankruptcy. The new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe face the danger of losing their former Christian fiber. GMM ministers to five countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Poland), all of whom claim that Christianity was introduced to their people more than a thousand years ago.
However, the percentage of Bible-believing evangelical Christian believers in these nations is now less than 2%. By working with national church leaders, GMM builds self-supporting, non-denominational Christian churches, which effectively reach the younger and older sectors of society.
Various ministries in which GMM is involved include:
- Establishing and equipping churches
- Organizing and conducting church camps
- Reaching out to Jewish communities
- Enabling short-term mission trips
Website: www.harvestprayer.com
Since 1993, HPM has existed to equip the local church to become a House of Prayer for all nations, releasing God’s power for revival and finishing the task of world evangelization. HPM is
- teaching – The staff of HPM teaches about prayer in local, national and international seminars, helping people to do a better job of talking to and listening to the Father.
- resources – Prayer Shop Publishing develops and prduces books, booklets, prayer guides and teaching DVD’s and CD’s. Over 400 prayer resources are available in the online prayer resources store at the HPM website.
David and Kim Butts provide leadership to HPM. David has served as chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee and has authored books and articles about prayer. Kim serves as editor for Harvest Prayer E-Messenger and delveops resource materials for the ministry. She is the author of The Praying Family.
Impacting Lives in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador and Cuba
Website: www.Lifeline.org
Lifeline began in 1980 with a Christian church and school in Gran Goave, Haiti. Throughout the years, Lifeline’s ministries have grown to serve people in many countries. Jesus Christ is at the center of Lifeline’s programs.
Through him, Lifeline seeks to take the Good News to a lost and dying world and to teach Christians God’s will about mission responsibility. Lifeline works with people spiritually and physically. Spiritual programs include: personal evangelism, church planting, and congregational development. Physical ministries include Christian schools, vocational training, medical/dental ministry, nutrition and clothing programs and many other efforts.
Many volunteer opportunities exist for those of us in the United States. You can check these out on the web and then email us to get involved in this ministry stateside.
Dr. Bungu
Website: www.asheisusa.com
Mashoko Hospital assists those who preach the gospel to anyone who is in need of treatment for physical ailments. Those who work at the hospital seek to give the best health care possible to those who enter its doors so that in the end, they see Jesus’ compassion in the workers.
Dr. Bungu who was born in Zimbabwe was sent to school in the United States by Dr. David Grubbs, one of the founding physicians of Mashoko. He has his PhD in Physiology from Purdue University and received his MD in the Carribean. He returned to Zimbabwe and has been at Mashoko for 20 years.
Providing Support and Education on Issues of Pregnancy, Sexual Lifestyle and Sanctity of Human Life
PSC is a medical, faith-based center designed to provide practical support and factual information in a caring context to women and men who are involved in an unplanned, untimely or unwanted pregnancy. Since opening in 1985, over 20,000 services have been provided here in Stark County by PSC.
PSC seeks to provide:
- prevention – a team of young men and women promote abstinence throughout the community, speaking in schools, youth groups and colleges
- intervention – practical support and information for pregnant women, help with decision making and referrals, advocacy and shepherding programs, birth and parenting classes
- reconciliation – ministry to women experiencing the after-effects of abortion, offering hope, forgiveness and healing
Volunteers
Volunteers are needed in various areas. Training is provided to those who serve directly with clients. Opportunities range from preparing mailings to committee work to counseling. A full list of opportunities is provided at www.pscstark.com
At Refuge of Hope, our mission is to provide spiritual hope, food, clothing and shelter to people in crisis in Canton, OH. In addition to offering Bible studies, devotional times and chapel services to anyone who walks through our doors, we offer emergency shelter and housing for men in transition, serve meals and maintain an inner city youth program.
Ministries Include
- Men’s Homeless Shelter
- Soup Kitchen
- Gospel Gus Kids of Hope
- Hopemobile
- Open Door Chapel
Read more at www.refugeofhope.com.
Cadets and Hammonds
Port de Paix, Haiti
The Cadets and the Hammonds are both our mission partners with Sonlight Ministries and Sonlight Academy in Port de Paix, Haiti. If you would like to become a Prayer Partner or Financial Partner with either family, please contact them through their websites/blogs (listed below).
To stay in the loop with our mission partners, Marc and Brooke Cadet, click here.
To follow the Hammond Family‘s journey you can do so by reading their blog, visiting their website, or following them on facebook.
Sonlight Ministries exists to reach and train Haitian people to reach and train others for the kingdom of God. This mission began in 1983 when Roger and Norma Alexander moved to Haiti to teach and train church leaders. Various aspects of the mission are:
- Sonlight Academy was established in 1986 to reach the people of Haiti before they become completely devoted to Voodoo. Today more than 300 children attend annually.
- Sonlight Church where over 400 people gather to worship on Sunday.
- Student Sponsorship in which stateside sponsors help cover the educational and medical expenses of school children.
- Translation of resources for Christian teachers into Haitian Creole.
- Sonlight Bible College, begun in 2004, gives further training to Christian leaders in the areas of preaching, doctrine, practical ministries and leadership skills.
To learn more about Sonlight Ministries go to www.sonlightministries.org.
David and Philomena Morris
Website: www.siccmission.org
This mission was founded in 1950. It now consists of 6 Children’s Homes with over 300 children in residence, Disaster Relief Ministry, Medical Ministry, Evangelism, Leadership Development and Training with the Southern Asia Christian College.
One of the mission goals is to have planted 1000 churches by 2015. They are now in the planning phase for a new Children’s Home near the latest church plant. Teaching the members of the local churches to reach into their own communities with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is always a priority.
Dave and Brenda Atkin
Website: www.atkin.teamexpansion.org
Email: datkin@teamexpansion.org or atkinb@mca.org.tw
The Atkin family are actively planting churches in southern Taichung, the 3rd largest city in Taiwan. Through various outreach activities, such as Bible studies, adult English classes, children’s after-school programs, cooking classes, youth groups and movies nights, they are building relationships with people.
Through these relationships, people of all ages are learning about Jesus for the first time. To receive a weekly email update from the Atkins, contact Dave at the email listed above.