REACH OUT

ACROSS THE STREET & ACROSS THE GLOBE

Connecting to God’s mission…

Connecting to God’s Mission, both near and far, is a primary desire at Live Oak.  We will pursue, pray for and support what is God is doing, through His people,  across the street and across the globe!

YOUR MISSION FIELD?

First and Foremost, you can connect with God’s mission outside these walls by realizing YOU are a missionary. WE believe you are, and hope to equip you to be a light at home, work, school, on your sports teams…really anywhere you find yourself. Where YOU find yourself on Monday morning is YOUR mission field!

As you develop relationships with people in your life it is important to be ready to share your faith. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us, “But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Here are some helps for you as you live in your Monday morning mission field!

LOCAL OUTREACH

Live Oak supports some local ministries, on an on-going basis, both financially and by serving in-person when possible:
Lubbock Impact
Kingdom Come Ministries
Children’s Home of Lubbock

We also wade into needs that we discover along the way, such as providing coats or backpacks to impoverished children at under-resourced schools, doing a diaper drive for an emergency intake center for foster care, and helping a church get a new roof.  There has also been many ways for us to serve and support local efforts since the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Every summer (except this one due to Covid-19) we have provided a free quality sports camp to children in our city who live in need. It is fully staffed by Live Oakers who take half days off work to serve and bring this camp to life!

There are opportunities for you to engage with local ministries and you can always pray for them. And know that when you give financially, you are supporting them too.

National & Global Outreach

As we look at God’s mission outside the walls of Live Oak, you need to know that bc of Live Oakers financial generosity our current overall budget for missions and local outreach support is about 10% of our total yearly budget. We increase this percentage every budget year. And if there is unspent money from the general budget at the end of the year, it rolls over into designated funds for missions and support. For instance, we’ve been able to send funds to “feet on the ground” efforts with hurricane relief and Covid related needs.

We support missionaries all over the globe, near and far, understanding that THEY can have an organic and long-standing relationship with people we, here at Live Oak, will never get to meet ourselves.

They need our prayers and that’s where you come in! You can also know that when you tithe, some of that money goes directly to these missionaries.

STACEY BAUMANN

Stacey Bauman is a missionary to the hockey world with Hockey Ministries International (HMI) as Youth Hockey Ministry Coordinator. Stacey has served with HMI for 10 years as a volunteer on-ice instructor for summer camps and as a volunteer chaplain for college hockey teams including the Texas Tech Red Raiders for the 2006-2007 season.

In November 2010, Stacey retired from his career as a player, which included 3 seasons with the Lubbock Cotton Kings from 2004-2007, and joined staff as a full-time missionary in February of 2011. Stacey’s role with HMI will be to seek God’s vision and direction in the development of ministry to the youth hockey community through the provision of chaplains and chapel programs for youth hockey teams, beginning in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas and expanding, Lord willing, across North America and to the worldwide youth hockey community. Stacey will also continue to serve at HMI camps in the summer as a lead on-ice instructor and will serve this season as the chaplain for the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League. Stacey and his wife Ronna live in Oklahoma City with their daughter, Lydia Max, and their dog Nelly.

ROBYN GREEN

Robyn Green is a support missionary with Ethnos 360 outside of Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Ethnos 360 seeks to establish mature churches in the least reached people groups by working in tribal languages and presenting foundational Bible teaching.

As a support missionary, Robyn teaches secondary math and science at Numonohi Christian Academy at the NTM headquarters in PNG; her students include children of NTM missionaries, as well as other mission organizations and PNG citizens.

Before joining New Tribes in July 2011, Robyn was a secondary teacher and curriculum director in Lubbock. She is a member of Live Oak, and there is a special place in her heart for the children of the Tree House Club and for the missions partnership with World Mission Builders in Piedras Negras, Mexico.

YOLANDA SESSIONS

Since 1980, Ken and Yolanda Sessions served the peoples of Latin America through an organization called World Mission Builders. Since Ken’s passing, Yolanda continues their ministry. Currently ministering in Piedras Negras, in northern Mexico, the she not only constructs physical foundations from which to share the gospel — churches, orphanages, Bible schools, parsonages — but she also works tirelessly at the unfinished task of spiritually building disciples among the nations — equipping national pastors, discipling men, women and children, and meeting the basic physical needs of their community through providing food, clothing, and medical care. The current focus is the completion of the Lighthouse Training Center (Misión el Faro) auditorium which will enable greater numbers to attend pastoral leadership training opportunities, women’s teas and seminars, children’s summer camps, youth conferences, and marriage seminars. 

 

PAUL & DONNA TOCCO

American missionaries Paul and Donna Tocco, founders of Word Ablaze Ministries, have been Christian evangelical missionaries in Kenya for over 16 years. Donna and Paul are originally from Pennsylvania, USA. Paul graduated with a BS in Business from Richard Stockton State University, NJ, as well as a BA in Theology from Beacon University, GA. Donna also has a BA in Theology from Beacon University.

Donna and Paul Tocco’s purpose is to help the people of East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rawanda and Ethiopia) receive Jesus Christ. They want to see the lives of others changed by His love and power – just as their lives have been changed. At The Word Ablaze Bible Institute, Donna and Paul prepare disciples … who go on to prepare more disciples. This is how the Good News is spread! The Tocco’s outreaches include teaching and training pastors and leaders; a refugee ministry (Kenyaid); community development; and outreaches to the poor of Kenya and Tanzania. Through their diverse mission outreaches, the Toccos have traveled extensively teaching, preaching and showing the love of God to the African people.

Paul and Donna have three children: Ashley, Jason and Josiah. They are also the proud grandparents of Tiana. Ashley and Jason reside in the US. Kenyan-born Josiah lives in Nakuru with Donna and Paul.

THE KILGORIS PROJECT

The Kilgoris Project educates and feeds the children of a Massai village in southwest Kenya. We partner with the community to operate schools, provide daily food and clean water, and foster economic development.

BRIAN AND AMY JONES, CHURCH PLANTERS, CALIFORNIA

San Diego county has over 3.3 million people, and over 90% of them are lost.  That means there are almost 3 million people who need Jesus.  That seems overwhelming, but Brian and Amy Jones felt led to be used by God to change that statistic one heart at a time.  They moved to San Marcos, CA to plant a church in September 2020.  Brian and Amy, and their team need big prayers:

-Please pray for christians in San Diego to engage their neighbors, friends, and family in order to build relationships and share Jesus both with their lives as well as in conversation. 

-Be praying for the city of San Marcos

-Pray for the transitions of relocating for Brian and Amy and their children, and two other team members

-Pray for a core team of 15 who currently live in San Marcos and will be joining this endeavor with the Jones

-Please pray that God grows the faith of our team and that from the very beginning we would be praying big expectant prayers.  Pray that the Lord would put within each of us a resilience when hardship and adversity starts to happen that we would trust the Lord and have an eternal optimism as we face opposition. 

GRINGS FAMILY in the Democratic republic of Congo

– Daniel and Cristine Grings arrived in Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in August of 1983 and ministered in the village of Longa until December 1995. Due to political unrest, the Grings relocated several times as ministers within the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, their heart for ministry persevered and the Grings found a new home in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, in 2000.
– Since 2002, Daniel has served as pastor of the local church in Nsango na Bomoi and Christine plays an active role in women’s Bible study and teaching Sunday school. The church of Nsango na Bomoi had a role in planting five other churches, which are also spreading God’s word. The Grings and their seven children pray that the Lord will give them faithful Congolese leaders in Congo and more missionaries to evangelize and disciple souls for Christ within the Democratic Republic of Congo.
– Home Church: Berean Bible Church, 8630 S 60 E, Sandy, UT 84070, 1-801-255-6035
– Mission Board:Independent Faith Mission, P.O. Box 7791, Greensboro, NC 274071-336-255-1255

Global Leadership Network

The Global Leadership Network is a community committed to learning from each other and using our influence to accomplish God’s purposes on earth. No matter where your influence is, when you commit to grow your leadership, everyone around you wins—businesses work for good, communities are transformed and churches thrive! Both global and diverse, our network includes partners in 1,500+ cities and 135+ countries. We are committed to deliver fresh, actionable and inspiring leadership content both at The Global Leadership Summit, and year-round through events and digital platforms.
Our Vision
We envision a movement of Christians and churches maximizing their full leadership potential to impact the world.
Our Mission
To inspire and equip world-class leadership that ignites transformation.

Justin and Jonna Hester, Navigators Pacific NW, Washington State

Justin and Jonna Hester currently live in Corvallis, Or. and serve college students with The Navigators in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).  The vision of the collegiate Navigators is “To know Christ, Make Him Known and Help Others Do the Same.”  We desire to help college students come to a saving relationship with Jesus and mature spiritually to the point where they can help others know Jesus as well (spiritual multiplication).The Hesters were members of Live Oak while leading the Navigator campus ministry at Texas Tech from 1999 – 2004.  Since leaving Lubbock, they have led ministries at Penn State University (2004 -2010) and the University of Georgia (2010 – 2014).  In 2014, Justin accepted a role as the PNW Regional Director where he oversees the collegiate Navigator ministries in the PNW (WA, OR).  In addition, in 2017 he was asked to take on an additional role as the Western Divisional Director where he oversees the leaders of the campus ministries in the Rocky Mountain region (NM, CO, WY, and MT) and the Sunland Region (CA and AZ).   He also serves as an elder for his local church in Corvallis.

 

Oleg & Marina REUTKI
NEW HOPE URASIA

New Hope Eurasia, has it’s roots in 40 years of ministry in Eastern European countries, and started with the efforts of the former team of Eastern European Bible Mission, smuggling Bibles into former USSR, and supporting persecuted churches in the work of outreach. They are proud of thier heritage of being missional & transformational. Thier values are networking, integrity, care, quality work, meaningful relationship. They believe in the Gospel proclamation and in the empowerment of Churches to accomplish the Great Commission.

They are at work in Eastern Europe: Republic of Moldova, Eastern Romania, Southern Bulgaria, Western Ukraine, Western Turkey, Central Azerbaijan and Central Asia: Southern Kazakhstan, Northern Kyrgyzstan, Eastern Uzbekistan, Northern Tadjikistan.

 

Gideons international

The Gideons International is the result of a meeting between two men who wished to band commercial travelers together for evangelism. What began in 1908 as an Association of Christian businessmen placing Bibles in hotel rooms has evolved into an expanding mission to provide Scriptures to all people in nearly every facet of life. Today, they have taken more than 2 billion Scriptures in more than 95 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe. They exist as an advocate for the lost, to bring them the saving knowledge of the Word through not only placing and distributing Scriptures, but also through personal witnessing and by associating together for service. As a united force for the Gospel, they remain rooted in tradition, but operate under the firm belief that anyone can be a valuable asset to this invaluable cause. They provide many opportunities to partner with them through either prayer or financial support. 

Global missions resources

 

At Live Oak, we believe that a life that is meaningfully connected to Christ and community is a life that thrives. We want to see families and individuals connecting to and pursuing God, God’s word, God’s people, and God’s MISSION. 

We can see God’s heart for his people in Revelation 7:9…

“… I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every NATION, from ALL tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…”

We can see God’s call for his people in Matthew 28:18-19…

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

In today’s day and age, there are several ways to participate in God’s global mission. Here are a few resources to get you started in learning and participating:

BOOKS/ARTICLES

1. Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper (10 copies available for free at Live Oak)
2. Is the Great Commissions for Every Individual Christian?
3. How Do I Know God’s Calling for my Life?
4. What About Those Who Have Never Heard?
5. Worth a Thousand Years of Waiting: The Staggering Rise of the Church in Iran
6. May I Help You Discern Your Calling?

PRAYER

1. “Unreached of the Day” App

This iPhone app is designed to make praying for people groups simple! Each day, a people group is feautred and prayed over. It offers many resources such as a description of the people group, prayer guidance, scripture focus, and map, as well as tangible ways to get involved if one so chooses. Here is a preview:

Lubbock Community Opportunities

1. Volunteer Center of Lubbock

This is a great resource if you, your family, and/or your small group is looking for ways to serve the Lubbock community.

 

2. TTU Cultural Exchange Program

Did you know that 80% of international students in America NEVER step foot inside an American home? This program is designed to bridge that gap. It pairs families, individuals, and/or small groups with an international student. Learn more about the Cultural Exhange Program HERE, and apply HERE

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