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
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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