Beyond Sunday - Mission Partners

In this Beyond Sunday episode, Dina, Pastor Greg, and Kate explore how consistent acts of service can make a lasting impact—both in our local communities and around the world. From school partnerships and outreach events to global missions, they share how showing up with the love of Jesus helps people feel seen, valued, and invited into something greater.

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Transcript

Welcome And Travel Catch-Up

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings podcast, where we usually dive a little bit deeper into our sermon series, but this month in the month of July, we're doing something a little different. We're diving a little bit deeper into some of our King of Kings ministries and finding out more about each of them. My name is Dina Newsom, and I am excited to welcome you to today. I have some spectacular guests. They're gonna help us talk about our local and global community engagement. So go ahead, say hello. Hello, Kate Solberg.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Hey, uh Greg Griffith. Kate, were you in Greece?

SPEAKER_03 0:40

I was. How was that? It was amazing. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I've never I'd never been to Europe.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

I've never been to Greece, yeah. So yes, beautiful. Yeah. Well, did you go like did you go into the ocean? I sure did. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

Yep. We were in Athens for two days and then uh islands for eight days. So oh wow. Mykonos and Santorini. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Do you just want to go back? Yeah. Abandon us and go and move to Greece.

SPEAKER_03 1:07

You know, I love traveling. The thing I loved most about it was my kids were trapped with me for 12 days.

SPEAKER_04 1:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

And so, like, they're just old. They're 19 and 21. So they don't want to hang with their mom all the time, which I don't know why. But anyway, that was the best part. We ate meals together, we explored, we swam on the ocean. We did. It was awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

What was your favorite part besides being trapped with my kids?

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Just, you know, you just get so um enthralled with your little bubble of the world, you know, and maybe we're gonna talk about this global missions. You forget there's like this whole world happening around you and people live differently. And we just did things like instead of Uber, I made my kids figure out the local bus system because it was a fraction of the price. So I'm like, we are figuring out the buses, you know? And instead of spending $70 on a round trip Uber ticket, we spent six bucks, you know, and traveled the island. And I don't know. Just I like doing that kind of stuff when I travel.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

That's cool.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Yeah. Wow. So fun. Welcome back.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Thank you. Where's your favorite place that you've gone globally, Greg?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Uh, my wife doesn't listen to the podcast, but if she did, she would laugh right now because she knows what I'm gonna say. Budapest. And I say it the way they say it over there because they're the S is actually a sh. And so, um, but it is, it's a cool city. It's actually divided by a river. So Buddha's on one side. On the, I think Buddha's a hilly side, and then Peshed is uh the flat side. And so it's like Minnesota, St. Paul, um, the twin cities. And so, but but it's just beautiful. The people are great. Um, St. Stephen's Cathedral is absolutely beautiful. Um, once a year they process his actual hand, they still have his hand, they process it through the he brought Christianity to to uh Eastern Europe. And uh and then and then and then Hungarian gulash, there's nothing like it here. Um, though some people make some good hook gulash, but Hungarian goulash is amazing. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

You nowhere has a really good goulash, Greg.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Where?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Cheddars.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

Yeah, I hate cheddars.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

I'm just joking. I learned earlier in a meeting today that Greg is not a fan of cheddars. No. I don't even know if they make gulas, but it's really good.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Like have to take my teeth out.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

I feel like they just warm food up. I mean, uh there's some people that probably love it, but I love it.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I love cheddars.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

I don't know. I mean like I like offended two people in the other meeting where I was complaining about cheddars too. So Kate, you and I can Yeah. Well, so the reason is it's my daughter's birthday week, and we let them pick wherever they want to go to dinner. And she said, I want to go to cheddars. I'm like, oh I'm like, and then as a kind of foodie experience guy I am, I'm like, oh my gosh, there's so many greater places we could do. Like, like uh, you know, but whatever. I always reminded it's not my birthday dinner, but it should be. I think they'd have a better dinner.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

Where will you go for your birthday dinner?

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Um I I will either choose Kanara, uh Biagis. Um, I also Legacy Steakhouse has really started to become one of my favorites too. The best, best, best salad, best salad in the city, for sure. A great salad. I mean, good steak and everything else, too.

SPEAKER_02 4:31

But I've had a good salad there. A steak salad.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Their salad is, and then their salad bar is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Interesting. Now I'm gonna have to go check it out. Yeah, you will. You heard it here, Legacy Steakhouse. It's good. Way better than cheddar's.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

That's very true.

unknown 4:45

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

I'm telling you though, the vegetable plate is the way to go. I'm probably gonna go with that today.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

I'm gonna do the vegetable plate. So pizza on the way. You go and you eat, but then you get something else later. T Bell on the whale. Right. Right without the lettuce.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

That's what my son does, but that's just because he's 19 and has the metabolism of a 19-year-old.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

I know. So unfair. It is unfair.

Local School Partnerships That Last

SPEAKER_01 5:20

All right. So today we are talking about local and global partnerships in the ministries that we're involved with, both locally and globally. You guys have a preference on which we tackle first. What do you think?

SPEAKER_00 5:33

Well, Kate's looking super excited. Like she's actually over here like asking point me, point me. So for sure. I think I think we gotta go local. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

All things.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

So, yes, here at King of Kings, we develop our local partnerships one way, primarily through the public schools that we're partners with. And Kate, as a former public school teacher, this really speaks to your heart. Tell us more about what we do here.

SPEAKER_03 5:59

What grade did you teach? I taught fifth, fourth, third, and second.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Fifth, fourth, third, and second. I remember all my fifth, my remember my fifth, fourth, third, and second grade teachers.

SPEAKER_03 6:09

I love I and everyone's like, what was your favorite every time? And I'm like, whatever grade I was teaching at that time was my favorite because there's like there's something spectacular about every age. I love um just the quirkiness of each of the grade levels, you know. So I miss it. And so this was a great fit um when I went from public school teacher to ministry, and I love still being a part of Standing Bear at Northwest. So and Concordia.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

So yeah, yeah. Yeah. So as the associate director that you have been at our Northwest campus, their partnership is with Standing Bear Elementary. And then they also have a partnership with Concordia, who is their home, who they because they live there. So explain kind of how that partnership works. What are the some of the things that we do?

SPEAKER_03 6:57

Well, um, it all began with Disney, of course, here at Millard. Um, Millard's paired with uh Disney for quite a few years now.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

I think it's been eight, if I remember. I could be incorrect.

SPEAKER_03 7:10

Okay. Yeah, I think it was prior to COVID. I don't know, right around there. But anyway, Laura really paved the way beautifully and started this friendship, partnership um with the principal at Disney. And um, it was such a beneficial relationship that um when we started to look at a partnership with a public school in Northwest, um, the principal of Disney said, let me go before you ask. And so, and that kind of paved the way for us because principal to principal, um, they speak the same language. They know um how grueling a day in public school can be and the demands on staff and administration. And so um Cindy was able to speak to Bridget at Standing Bear. And I we really don't know what exactly she said, but it must have been good things because um Bridget O'Malia was like, yes, we would love to have a partnership with you guys. And um we do a number of things to support the staff there. Um, we have a month-by-month touch point that is often a snack cart that we wheel around from classroom to classroom and offer staff um a snack and a usually a cold soda pop or water or some type of beverage. And that seems really simple, but it is teachers rave about it. And what Peter and I found was usually when we go there, they start texting each other like, they're here.

SPEAKER_04 8:46

Today's the day, in case you're like a recess duty, you better wrap it up.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

But um, we try not to miss anyone. But other things we do is we might um bring in a staff breakfast on an in-service day. Um, when they have events like the carnival, um, they'll share their volunteer sign-up list. And so we'll try to um spread the word and see who's available to help out. They do a fun run each year to raise um funds for Standing Bear. And we've gone to that for three years now, just helping them run that event. And then also we give a birthday gift to each staff member each year, and it is branded with their school's um name and logo, and it's usually something that is useful. Like last year, it was like an insulated container to bring your lunch in. Was that last year? Yep, it was. Yes, okay. Yes. And so they're wrapped up and they have their names on them and it has their birth date, and we just deliver them to them a few months at a in a batch. And it's just a way for us to show like we're cheering you on. Um, as a public school teacher, it's a very, it can be very isolating because you don't work with other adults much, other than like you see adults at lunch in the morning, but otherwise you are, I hate to say the word trap, but you're kind of trapped in a classroom with, you know, 25, 10-year-olds or whatever you have that year. And so um, it can be a thankless job. And so when people from the community um encourage you, it goes so far and it's so meaningful. And just the fact that we keep showing up to encourage them, that's that's the thing that surprises them every time. Each time we come, oh my gosh, you guys are back again. You guys are here again. Oh, you're with us this year again. So we hear that over and over. And it's so funny because the students a lot of times will be like, Did you bring a snack for us? And we're like, oh, it's just for the staff. And then I always usually whisper, like, it helps your teacher be in a good mood.

SPEAKER_04 10:57

And and the tea, and usually the kids are like, Oh, yeah, you know, so that's fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

I know it's really great. You saying, like showing up. I actually I think I think it's been seven years we've been at Disney because I I was here when we started it. And so um one of the things I remember Cindy saying is the first time we went, and I think we did like a registration for them. Um, we basically it was school registration night, and we basically manned the tables so the teachers could be more free and all that stuff. And so um, but I remember Cindy eventually saying, like, we thought, oh, this is nice. They showed up once, they'll never be back. And then she's like, the next month you were back. And then we're like, huh. That's cool. And then she said, the next month you came back. And she's like, and then you just never stop showing up. And so that's a huge piece of the consistent that we're there, and we're there truly with zero expectation except to simply love.

SPEAKER_03 11:56

Right. And we're able to usually um, you know, cut them a nice size check from our all-in funds each year, too. And that comes with no strings attached. That's for the principal to decide how I can best use this to benefit my staff and my students at my building. And I can promise you, no principal expects that from a church. And so to do that, you know, more than one year is amazing. And it is so appreciated.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

I always find it interesting how grateful the staff are when we come around with the snack cart because I feel like I'm giving them a cheese stick and a Dr. Pepper. And it's like I just gave them a million dollar check. I mean, they just are so grateful because they're feeling valued and seen. And we forget how important that is in the school system. They're building our community, and so we're just trying to help shape that and help love on that. Yeah. That's one of the favorite parts of my role is going into the schools.

SPEAKER_03 12:59

And just like when you keep seeing the same person over and over, no matter where that happens, a lot of times that person will start to share a little bit more of their life. And that has happened. Um, the last time Peter and I took the snack cart to Stanny Bear, this teacher came out in the hallway and she looked at both of us and said, My daughter went into the hospital to have her first baby this morning. You know, and you could just tell the excitement was bubbling out of her. And she was so excited to tell someone who she knew would care about that piece of information. And, you know, Peter and I were like, Oh my goodness, is it in Omaha? Like, do you know if it's a boy or a girl? And and we said, you know, like we're gonna be praying for your daughter, the health of the baby, you know, like may everything go beautifully today. And what a gift. That was an honor. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

All right.

Events That Open Doors To Faith

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Another way that we reach our local community is through our attractional events that we do at each campus. And that is a way that we're looking to bless our community and hopefully invite them to our campus to come, maybe um just for something fun and that's gonna benefit them. So, Greg, do you want to talk a little bit about your heart behind our attractional events and and how we bless people through that?

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Yeah, I'm I'm a big proponent as a pastor of attractional ministry. Um, I think attractional ministry uh can't be your only thing. Um, I think you have to look at attractional that then leads into um true discipleship ministry that is there. But I think attractional opens a door in a in a super simple way. I started this in Michigan. We started with attractional ministry. We did um uh ended up growing up to like four or five, but we had back to school events and we had a trunk and treat and we had an Easter egg hunt and we had a living uh nativity at Christmas time and all led to invites and stuff like that. And just saw the power of community. Um, and then more to what the power does, which is um for for many, especially when you're trying to reach families, um, it becomes a way where they get onto your campus in a way that's comfortable and meeting them where they're at. Um, and and then their first time at your campus on a Sunday is never their first time. Um, and so they already know where things are. Um, sometimes they even know some people. Um, also for your people, it's an easy invite. Um, an invite to church is hard. That's a pretty high bar. Um, but if I have a neighbor with with kids and I know they're going back to school, or I know that um their kids uh love candy, um it's a super easy invite to say, hey, my church is having a trunk or treat or a back to school event. Um, would would you guys like to come? Um and here's the information. And so um, so so again, it it does two things. One, it empowers the people that are saying, we want to invite people to our church, but we just don't know when that door will open. Um, it now opens a door um to be able to invite them and gives them confidence to be able to do the invite. And then the second piece is um it it opens a door for someone to say, I'm gonna come to your church, but I'm not coming to church. And um, and then realizing it's not as um scary sometimes as they built up in their head, or you know, they they recognize how fun and and and and welcoming all the people are uh that are there. So I think attractional ministry works. Um, it's a great funnel. Um, but I also think what really happens is is as a church body that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit, um, it's where the Holy Spirit just begins to put on their heart that this is a place where they belong. And uh we believe in in the biblical model, belong, believe, become. And so so they know right away, I belong here, like I'm part of this community. And I think attractional ministry um again says to the whole community, uh this church is here for you. And lastly, I believe that it's it's those types of things, our local school partnerships, it's this type of stuff that if if we closed our community around us, not our people that go to this church, but our community around us would notice and care. They would grieve that moment. And and that's what the church at its best is to be.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

That's the question that you asked in one of my first meetings here when I came on staff is if this church went away, would our community notice? And I just think it's really powerful to think about that. And what are we doing that to make sure that they would?

SPEAKER_00 17:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Kate, do you want to tell a little bit about Izzy and how Izzy started at one of our events and kind of what her story is?

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Yes. So Izzy um came to vacation Bible school last year for the first time at Northwest, and she loved it. Like most kids really like VBS. It's fun, they talk about it, it makes a big impact in their life. But Izzy was kind of next level. Um, and she loved it so much she wanted to keep coming back to church after vacation Bible school ended. And so she convinced her parents. I want to say she's 10 now. So maybe at age nine last year, she convinced her parents to come to church. They're like, okay, we'll try it out. So they came. And at first, it it took a while to figure out okay, a Sunday morning does not look exactly like big a day at vacation Bible school because King of Kings goes over the top for BBS. And um, and so we talked through that, you know, Izzy was like, it's different, you know, and it took a few Sundays for her to get into the Sunday routine to where she's like, okay, this is good, it's different, but I still like it. And so um, her and her family came consistently for an entire year, and she was super excited when it came to register for VBS again this year, and you bet she was gonna be there. And she brought her mom to actually lead a crew, which was great. And um she decided she wanted to get baptized when she heard that was an opportunity. And again, this came from Izzy, like not her parents. And so the Sunday after vacation Bible school, um, she was baptized at Northwest, and it just a blessing. The joy that radiates out of this child is infectious. And um yeah, I would just say if we had a vacation Bible school mascot, it would probably be Izzy. Um, but just one story of how God uses that to work in children's lives and to grow faith that hopefully will last forever.

unknown 19:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

I really like that story.

Global Partners In India And Cambodia

SPEAKER_01 19:54

All right. So we have our local school partnerships and we have our attractional events. That's kind of the ways that we engage in our community. Um, but then globally, we also have some partners that we work with. And we have four identified global partners that we work with in different ways with each of them that are doing different things in different parts of the world. And do you kind of want to highlight what those are, Greg?

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Yeah, yeah, I love our global partnership. Um, you know, again, we're called to go to the ends of the earth. And um, we we actually get to do that in relational. So, so one of the things when I first came to King of Kings, I called um a hundred people, and they were the the top hundred people that kind of uh were the most active here. Um, and uh the I asked them, you know, why do you love King of Kings? Why do you drive past other churches? At that time, we only had uh the I Street campuses, it was called. And um over and over again I heard relationships, and that's truly at the heart of King of Kings. We're a highly relational church. Um and so each of our global partnerships also is about building relationships and in different ways. And so our our first global partnership is um India Transformed, which we've been partners with um for gosh, probably 35, maybe, maybe closer to 40 years. Uh Pastor Roger was instrumental uh in starting India Transformed. And they're um they're all about um uh children's sponsorships, um, but also women's empowerment. And so uh in India, when women are divorced or um widowed, um they be they just become uh that they're not they don't have the ability to provide for themselves. And in India tradition, you don't take care of the poor. That's just kind of their lot in life. Um and so so they're out of luck, and especially for their children. So women's empowerment teaches them to sew. We just sponsored another sewing class where nine women each learned how to sew, start their own business, and then each got a sewing machine. Um, and so now they have the resources and tools. And that actually just started. They got their sewing machine starting this year. And that came from a couple of our members that sponsored their own class and said, this doesn't make sense. Like you're teaching them how to do something, but then they don't have the tools to do it. And uh India Transform said, that's a good idea. And so um so they kind of upped how much it cost to do a class and um and so uh you know so we sponsored that class and and now they all have sewing machines. And so and then the third piece is um church planting. And so um I if I'm if I'm recalling correctly I think um King of Kings has been part of over 3,000 churches being planted in India. And so and that means um that means that there's 6,000 pastors that have been raised up and trained out of there because if you go and say I want to become a pastor you have to then promise to like reach and and disciple to others as well. And so um so so it's just amazing what's happening. Our second one is in um Cambodia um and that's through Garuna Ministries. I love this I I've gone on record saying I actually think this is one of the mission partners that will be the most impactful and change a country in the greatest way of any mission organizations I've ever seen in my life. So Cambodia is 98% non-Christian most of it is atheists or what I would say apathetic Buddhists. For anyone probably over 40, you've heard the name Pol Pot at some point he was a terrible dictator was an atheist and he practiced genocide on his own people. So the Killing Fields movie was about him and um uh he killed they think at least two million of his own people and so basically if he knew you were Buddhist or Christian um or religion in any type um he would he would slaughter you um and so um so they're 98% non-Christian. What Garuna Missions does is they they plant a school fifth through or kindergarten through fifth grade um and then the schools there are uh kids go to school for half day at government schools sometimes the teacher just doesn't show up so that's just that's normal. So then the kids are just half day there not getting any education no supervision um and then they go home. Well at Garuna in in one of the schools the kids come to the school and it's free for them and there they learn the the um normal things they'd learn in school so it's just adding on to what they'd learn but then they also learn about Jesus and that's all done by indigenous teachers who are converts to the faith. And so I truly believe that and we sponsor in praying we sponsor the largest school we have 318 kids at our school we had to build on a wing within three months because there are so many. I believe that in in 30 years um Cambodia will be 10 20 maybe 30% Christian because of Garuna missions and what they're doing because those kids are going home and they're telling their family about Jesus and they're hearing and they're learning about Jesus. And so super impactful. And then our third one is um hope or I'm sorry hope chest yeah hope chest um out of we sponsoring Guatemala we're looking at Uganda how we can get into Uganda as well Africa but Guatemala um this is all children's sponsorship and it's all relational so uh this one too we take mission trips to um and so but we don't go build things we don't build houses we don't put on BBS we just go and and we meet our kids we meet the kids that are being sponsored by us we see what they're doing we build the relationship that's there. And what I love about the Hope Chess model is we're helping develop a community that was just trying to survive into a community that will thrive and then succeed. And for them success means in 15 years Hope Chess and us we exit out of that community and it's it's everything is theirs and they're flourishing on their own walking with Jesus walking in their community a stronghold empowerment with children and families that are there. And so that's really good. Then our fourth one's relational um making a difference it's team world vision um and so we run um and the runners are actually building relationships with each other they run the half marathon or full marathon of Omaha um and then and then the runners actually like try to raise funds. So every $50 through Roadvision provides clean water to a person in Africa for life. And so $50 for life and I'll be honest I spend $50 on a meal sometimes when I'm at legacy or something. We won't tonight we'll probably spend $20 at cheddars for all eight of us. But I'm kidding but um but um you know and and so last year we raised $65,000 so that's I think $2,800 and something um uh clean water wells were were provided and this year what I love the relationship that's being built we and have invited and joined with um beautiful savior and water's edge they're also running with us so together all three of us are raising funds and we're doing this together as one church in Omaha want to give a shout out Dave Rettle has a huge heart and passion for this the guy's a running machine Brian Ray has taken this on and if you're sitting there and you're saying I can't run a half marathon or walk a half marathon first I'll say to you I did it my wife won't let me do it again because like for three days I kind of suffered on the couch. But that's because I have foot issues that's my own issue. But I also would say this Neil Fortcamp I want to shout out another champion he is was last year he ran that his very first ever half marathon at 79 years old and the guy like destroyed me which I was fine with but like he just he just ran and he went and so I don't care uh how old you are how young you are how fit you are or how much you love your couch you can do it. And if you're saying yeah I can but I don't want to you can give and donate $50 or much more to to make a difference. So that's our global ministry partners making an impact across the world for sure deeply dives into our connection to the world and and I I love what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

Yeah I um really like I think there's a lot of maybe global missions sometimes I think gets a bad rap that there's not a lot of sustainability in some of the programs that are offered because a church or an organization or a business swoops in, lays down a bunch of money or takes a couple trips and then goes away and whatever they have done doesn't have sustainability. Just like you talked about teaching women to sew, but if they don't have the sewing machines to do it yourselves. The Garuna program though, like there is a lasting vision there. And I really like that because we helped sponsor right Lisa was part of what we contributed to which is an institution that is teaching other teachers to help and pastors I think that is then going to prolong the number of people and where this school meets here in the US a lot of times a church decides to open a school and that's not the way it happens around the world. This school opened and now there is a church meeting in the school building on a regular basis. And so that again is another way that it's not just kids coming there to hear about Jesus now it's families that are worshiping there and hopefully then telling their friends or telling their friends and and growing that faith there.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

Yeah. Yeah and what I love about where Garuna's making a huge difference not only is our kids going home, right? A child will lead them, but but the the teachers, the principals, everyone who's in leadership there are also converts. And so they're all first generation converts. There's a ton of pros on that there there are some cons. It just means sometimes there's like some messiness that they got to go ah that's not what we do as Christians. But for the most part like it's it's a lot of pros. And so they're they're all in that that first generation convert much like the Axe days where they're talking about I once was but now I am and so that's hugely powerful.

Ways To Serve Soon And Sign Up

SPEAKER_01 30:33

It's a very powerful testimony. Okay so when we're looking at our local partners and our global partners what are some things that you guys know are on the horizon what's happening soon that maybe people should be aware of in either of those well we're just talking about City serve today.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

Yep and we do that each year where we um look to serve in different ways throughout our community and be the hands and feet of Jesus and we have a church that makes it real easy to do that because we set up different um volunteer opportunities depending on your availability. Sometimes it can be a few hours one hour but um so many different ways to serve. And I love that we have a church you know when you some people when they hear global missions are like oh there's so many things we could do right here at home. And I love that we do both you know we're serving here and we're serving where God leads us and God has led us outside of our city, outside of our state outside of our country. And so we want to be obedient to that call. But one way I got involved at Standing Bear was um to start serving as a mentor in the teammates program. And so that was started by Tom Osborne and it's widely known in in Omaha but um when you sign up you can ask for a student at a certain school and you can start as early as third grade. And if that child um wants to continue the program, you can be their mentor till they graduate high school. And so I started as a mentor last year and my buddy was in third grade and um I'll start again in the fall with her and what it entails is basically about a 45 minute commitment each week. I meet her at standing bear over her lunch. So she will get her lunch and then we usually eat in the library. Sometimes I bring a lunch sometimes I don't we do a board game sometimes I bring a craft but basically we just spend 45 minutes together a week and I just am there for her who's someone who's consistent. And so I know in OPS in particular and I think many other districts they're always looking for teammates. And there's kids if young kids aren't your you know your passion, your favorite, there's middle school and high school kids. And these kids are nominated by their teachers for various reasons. They might have had a death in the family um they might have had difficulties who knows why I don't really know why it's it that's kept confidential. But I know that this young lady who I meet with their teacher says she would benefit from a consistent adult in her life each week. And so the I got I get to be that person. So um that's one way if God moves in your heart um it's a that's what I love doing another thing at Standing Bear.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

So sweet. Yeah we got a uh we're right now taking signups for our mission trip to Guatemala I think we have 11 people right now signed up um we can take 15 up to maybe 20 but um we'd love for anyone to come come to Guatemala experience it I I've just fallen in love with the Guatemalan people. It's really great. And so just spend a week with us. It will be in November you go to kingofkings.org slash Guatemala um find out all the information there. The other thing you could do is if you want to sponsor a child we have 14 children um ready to be sponsored um and so uh it's $45 a month um and you'll build a relationship um those kids my one favorite story I tell about uh Hope Chest is one one person sponsored a child and sponsored her all the way up till she was 18. And when she was 18 they had they had built a relationship monthly monthly letters um you know he knew what's going on in her life would go down on on uh partner visits and see her um and when she graduated 18 um you know they said okay your sponsorship's done and so he connected with her he ended up paying for her to go to college um and pays for her right now she's in law school and he's paying for her to go through law school and uh and every time he goes and sees her um she calls him her father um she's he's her American dad and um and they just have this relationship where they talk about Jesus and she's going to a a Muslim law school as a Christian sharing the gospel and tells him the stories of what she's doing and how she can do it and you know do it in in in win some ways that allows her to stay in the school and stuff like that. So so you really are you are you are investing in a relational life of a child and making a difference.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

So and actually here at Millard in two weeks on July 26th we have a lunch and learn that you can come you can sign up for registration is open now I think and you can come here Greg talk more about Guatemala and global missions. So yeah um locally event wise we have back to school events coming up at two at our campuses we are collecting school supplies at both campuses throughout the month of July that's for Fremont and Millard um there's an Amazon wish list if you like to shop at home and just have it sent straight to the church you can find that in the app and the list of school supplies is available or if you want to serve at that event and come welcome these families it's an amazing time. There's a lot of fun at that event and the first volunteer position that gets snatched up is people working in the store where kids get to walk through and pick out their school supplies that's the place everybody wants to be because they get to see those smiles when the kids are looking through the pencils or the folders to pick out just that right color or whatever they want that's always a fun thing. So you can check those out online.

Prayer Requests And Final Encouragement

SPEAKER_01 36:39

All right what can people pray for for these ministries? What can we leave our listeners with that they can be praying for something you can think of in this area.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Yeah I would I just got an update from John when we were in Uganda a little over a year and a half ago John is the one that his daughter was brutally murdered in a witchcraft sacrifice a six year old daughter um we we received money and sent it over to John to pay for the funeral and to pay for um just some other things that would come up and so um I just got just got word um John's uh other other daughter the twin um who's living is in a different private school thriving and doing well john and his wife are are doing doing as well as can be expected um and uh john is getting back into now uh continuing to share john john was a uh was pretty high up in the Lord's resistance army um a rebel army in Uganda was not a good army um so he shares kind of the story of um the necessity of finding grace and forgiveness um from atrocities of life that were were before and so um he's getting back into sharing that testimony but I just keep praying for John um I think asking God to reveal where he he would have you serve um that's a prayer that I revisit over and over again um I don't think God gives you instructions and then you're done it's ongoing walk with the Lord sanctification and so um even if you're not feeling nudged ask the Lord you know where do you want me to serve um we're called to um worship read the scriptures and then obey and we're commanded to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus and so whether that's in a local way or an international way like Greg talked about um we're called to be a part of God's plan.

SPEAKER_03 38:54

And um if you're not sure where that part is you all you need to do is ask. And sometimes it's amazing God will answer that so quickly and other times it takes a while of waiting and so I would just encourage people to pray to the Lord and ask where would you like me Lord? The the scripture says the um harvest is plentiful, the workers are few. And it might be in a simple way as having lunch with a third grader or you know getting your passport updated to travel internationally. I don't know but God does know and um he takes you know willing willing people who have a willing and loving heart he is able to lead us so that's what I would encourage people to do.

SPEAKER_01 39:40

I would ask that you pray for the people who don't know Jesus yet that are going to come onto one of our campuses or be affected by one of our international missions um that when that seed is planted that it takes root, that it doesn't fall on rocky ground, that it is well nurtured and nourished and that it grows into something beautiful and um our whole goal is to grow the kingdom. And so through each one of these different avenues that we take, it's still about growing the kingdom. And so just praying for those people who don't yet know Jesus, that they're open to it when they meet him. All right well thank you guys so much for being here today. And um next week we're gonna tackle our young adult ministry and find out more. There's a lot happening in that area so we'll find out more about that. We're also continuing our Bible short sermon series on Sunday so check that out. It's a great series and until then let's keep living our faith be on Sunday