Meet Our Newly Commissioned Workers | the Reach September 2025

by | Sep 29, 2025 | Church Partnership, Events

Dear Friends,

This year at the 44th General Assembly and Gospel Priorities Summit, World Outreach had the joy and privilege of commissioning 15 Global Workers. The commissioning service at General Assembly is a sacred time for the denomination to come alongside those who have undergone a rigorous assessment process and have been appointed by the World Outreach Committee as new Global Workers. We are thrilled to introduce you to the newest members of the World Outreach family.

Jared and Abby are excited to join in the work God is doing with the unreached first through language learning. They plan to move to Jordan to learn Arabic, and afterward, they will shift their focus to church planting among an unreached people group. Abby has a background in nursing, and Jared has a degree in applied linguistics and is pursuing his MDiv online through Covenant Theological Seminary. Please pray for them as they transition to the field and welcome their first baby this December.

If the Lord is leading you this way, Abby and Jared have an urgent need to be 100% support raised by January to be able to purchase tickets and visas. They are currently 65% support raised and need another $3000 in monthly support. If you would like to get involved in their ministry, visit their giving page here.

John and Barbara have long felt the call to missions. They were on the field as part of a church planting team in Southeast Asia from 2003-2011. After their youngest child graduated from college in 2024, God opened a door to an opportunity for them to teach at Grace International School (GIS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. John and Barb will strive to learn the Thai language and the culture of the many Thai Muslims who will be living near them.

Please pray that God will be glorified in all they say and do and that praises will ring out to Him from the mountains and valleys surrounding Chiang Mai. If you would like to join their support team, you can visit their giving page here.

Stephen’s journey in missions and ministry began early, growing up at North Park Church, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In his youth, he was blessed with many opportunities to serve locally and nationally. After high school, he was part of various overseas short and long-term missions efforts. He is now serving in Southeast Asia teaching English to people of all ages and building relationships to share the love and truth of Jesus.

Please pray that those he encounters will feel the love of Jesus. If you would like to join his support team, you can visit his giving page here.

Benj and Corrie Giffone are based in Western Pennsylvania, and Benj’s appointment is to the International Theological Education Network (ITEN) of WO. ITEN’s mission is to train pastors and church leaders among those who are least reached with the gospel. Benj and Corrie bring a wealth of cross-cultural and pastoral experience to their role. They previously served overseas, and now Benj serves as a transitional pastor at Redeemer EPC, Erie PA, and Corrie teaches third grade at a local classical Christian school. The Giffones will remain in Western Pennsylvania for the time being as they develop partners for Benj’s ministry with ITEN and requisite travel.

Pray for Benj’s teaching with ITEN, working with seminaries and non-formal theological education partners in South Asia, for Corrie’s ministry as a Christian school elementary teacher, and for their children, Daniel and Elizabeth, to grow in faith and wisdom. If you would like to join their support team, you can visit their giving page here.

Evie Knotternus has served in ministry for 35+ years in both formal and informal roles. Based in Fremont CA, Evie serves alongside her husband Sam, Pastor of Centerville Presbyterian Church. Evie’s role with World Outreach will be discipling and mentoring those looking to serve in stateside and overseas missions, and she is discerning what this will look like longer term.

Pray that she would be able to prioritize ongoing intimacy with Jesus and serve out of the abundance He pours out on her. Pray for awareness of the Spirit and His voice, leading, and guidance. And pray that she would have discernment to know how to best come alongside global workers. If you would like to join her support team, you can visit her giving page here.

David and Melissa serve in Southeast Asia with their three sons, Isaac (14), Asher (12), and Elias (10). They have been in ministry for 14 years and currently work through Business as Mission to reach university students while contributing to local business development. They are passionate about reaching the unreached through education, coaching, experiential ministry, and connecting new believers with the local church.

Pray for transformative kingdom education for those they serve. And pray for their family in this season of life. If you would like to join their support team, you can visit their giving page here.

Mattie felt the call to the mission field at a young age. She recently launched to Central Asia where her team works alongside local believers in running outreach clubs to young adults, youth, and special-needs children across the city. They also disciple and equip local believers and are hoping to establish a church plant this fall.

The Lord is very clearly at work in the hearts of the people in Central Asia. Please pray that the few believers there would continue to be encouraged in the Spirit and each other. Pray also for Mattie’s team, that they may be effective in their work and continue to walk with Christ daily. If you would like to join her support team, you can visit her giving page here.

Nathan and Kareen Moser have been passionate about ministry and missions all their adult lives. After 13 years serving the local church, they are excited to join the International Theological Education Network (ITEN) team. Based in Washington State, they will travel between the states and Nepal to minister to local church leaders there.

Pray for them as they transition out of full-time pastoral ministry and into this new role as educators in a cross-cultural context. Pray the Lord would bring people to partner with them prayerfully and financially. If you would like to contribute to their ministry, visit their giving page here.

Noeun and Tiffany desire to serve and partner alongside the local indigenous church body in Central Asia to make disciples and build communities leading to church growth and planting. They began working full time with international students at Auburn University in 2011 and spent a two-year stint in Central Asia. They are looking to return to the field in partnership with WO to focus on laboring with the local church body for growth and further church planting.

As they prepare to launch to the field, pray that they will see a movement of local disciples. Pray for healthy growth in the local indigenous church. And pray that their family will land and adjust well. If you would like to join their support team, visit their giving page here.

Norberto “Pachy” Quesada was born and raised in a small town in central Cuba. He became a believer at an early age despite growing up in a society where the Christian faith was neither visible nor always accepted. He has served as a pastor and currently serves as director of CENCAP (Church Planting Training Center in Havana). CENCAP is a network born with the purpose of training, mentoring, and multiplying leaders for integral missions in Cuba. Pachy is excited to join World Outreach as he continues to work in church planting and overseas-missions mobilization in Cuban communities.

Pray for the Lord to guide his steps and lead him to the right partners in the EPC. If you would like to partner with him, visit his giving page here.

After many years of growing up and working overseas, Rianna “Rye” feels directed by God to move to Japan. She desires to support and encourage the local church as well as other missionaries in Japan through her educational background. She is excited to join God’s mission to save the Japanese people. She plans to launch March 2027.

Pray for her as she begins to learn the Japanese language, and that she will be a good witness to her Japanese teachers. Please also pray for financial and prayer support, that through it all God will be glorified. If you would like to join her support team, visit her giving page here.

Upcoming Opportunities for You and Your Congregation

Pray for WO Workers

Join the EPC World Outreach Prayer Network to care for our workers through intercession. To join the network, click here.

Pray

Support WO Workers

Support the GROW Center here. Otherwise click the SUPPORT button for the WO worker support landing page.

Support

Partner with WO

There are many ways you can partner with World Outreach! Learn more here.

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Join a Mission Cohort! | the Reach April 2025

by | Sep 8, 2025 | Church Partnership, Events, Mission Story

Dear Friends,

Have you ever wondered what the practical, day-to-day lives of missionaries actually looks like in this modern world? Are you curious about how God is moving around the world, drawing people to him who come from peoples that have never heard the Good News of Jesus? Do you want to learn more about how you or those in your congregations can get more involved in missions?

The answer to these questions, for Cate Rivers Shipp, was a resounding, “yes.” As a young adult who grew up in the church, Cate Rivers was not new to the concept of missions, and she served on her church’s missions committee. However, she still hungered to know more. She got connected with EPC World Outreach mobilizers Jesse and Saul Huber and through them she learned about Mission Cohorts (MC).

The MCs are designed for college students and young adults who are passionate about missions. During this year-long program, the MC engages in monthly Zoom meetings where they both study the Bible together and interview WO workers on the field to hear stories and learn what missions practically looks like. The MC also takes two trips together, one within the States, and one cross-cultural.

For some of the MC members, this time is transformational in their discerning their call to the mission field. For Cate Rivers, this experience clarified her call to mobilization: “I knew I was passionate about missions, but knew I wasn’t called overseas. Learning from the amazing WO team, forming friendships with them and being discipled by them, helped me realize that the Lord was calling me to mobilization. Now, thanks to the cohort, I will be joining the WO team as a Mission Assistant in the fall,” says Cate Rivers.

For Cate Rivers, her participation in the MC strengthened her relationship with Christ as well as provided deep friendships with others feeling a similar call. The MC lasts one year, but the relationships with other young adults continue long afterward, with a solid network of cohort alumni. This is an invaluable support system for those looking to enter the mission field in any way.

For those who don’t quite fit the demographic of “young adult,” Cate Rivers encourages, “We as the church pray for the Lord to raise up missionaries, and a great way to answer that call now is to educate the youth in your congregations, your homes, and in your lives. We are the next generation, and we will do great things for the Lord with your support!”

The youth and young adults today are the missionaries of tomorrow, and the church plays a critical role in fostering a heart for missions in young people. The MC can come along side you or the young people of your church to answer the call to go into all the world.

Don’t wait! If you feel the Lord stirring your heart or the hearts of young people you know, click here to learn more and get connected.

Cate Rivers with World Outreach Mobilizer, Andrea

Pray for WO Workers

Join the EPC World Outreach Prayer Network to care for our workers through intercession. To join the network, click here.

Pray

Support WO Workers

Click the SUPPORT button for the WO worker support landing page.

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Partner with WO

There are many ways you can partner with World Outreach! Learn more here.

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Cultivating Kingdom Partnerships | the Reach May 2024

by | May 28, 2024 | Biblical/Missional, Events

Dear Friends,

The idea was to partner with a small African village to help build a church, to join in a mutual ministry of encouragement and prayer continents apart. But how does a small rural church of less than 100 members start the journey of making that happen? We had no full-time missions director, and we’d never taken an international short-term missions trip. It seemed a bit daunting. Eventually a friend of a friend introduced me to Carol, the missions director of a larger church about an hour from our own. Carol said, “It just so happens we’re going to Africa in six weeks. You want to come?!”
 
Fast forward about fifteen years, and not only did we partner to build a church with the nationals in Africa, we partnered with another church in our own presbytery, taking not just one mission trip together, but three. Carol and I developed a friendship that led to collaboration and idea sharing, blessing both our own congregations and many of the missions we supported together.
 
Presbytery Meetings and General Assembly are such remarkable opportunities to bring Teaching and Ruling Elder Commissioners together, not only for the business of the church, but especially for mutual encouragement, collaboration, and idea sharing. Wouldn’t it be great if we had that kind of opportunity for the missions leaders in our EPC churches?
 
The Connecting Mission Leader Conference is just that! It brings together lay leaders, missions directors, pastors, and mission enthusiasts – providing opportunities for missiological reflection, worship, prayer, building relationships for new collaboration in mission, and sharing best practices. EPC World Outreach has partnered with Frontier Fellowship, The Antioch Partners, The Outreach Foundation, and others to plan and offer the biennial conference for mission leaders, this year to be held at Hope Church (EPC) in Memphis, Tennessee, October 24th to 26th.

Whether you lead missions in a small church, are on staff at a large church, or just feel a passion for God’s mission for the world, you are invited and encouraged to attend, make connections, share, and be inspired.

This year’s theme is the Whole Church, taken from the Lausanne Covenant, including the phrase, “evangelization requires the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.” In reflecting on what is meant by the ‘Whole Church,’ Matthew Ellison, plenary speaker and president of Sixteen:Fifteen, will bring the perspective that the Great Commission is for everyone sitting in our pews. Missions isn’t just for the few God calls to go around the world; missions is for all believers! Whether by praying, sending, welcoming, mobilizing, going around the world, or going across the street, the Great Commission is for all of us. We have been blessed to be a blessing—to be used by God to take the whole gospel to the whole world.

Looking at the ‘Whole Church’ from the perspective of all generations, Rev. Dr. Lisa Pak, Finishing the Task and Operational Catalyst for the Kingdom Impact Network, will share her own passion for mobilizing the global church, especially the rising generations, towards collaboration in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all who have yet to hear. As we invest in younger believers, as the world is changing, and as we work to reach the unreached, how do we disciple, encourage, and prepare tomorrow’s leaders for the Great Commission? What do we have to learn from them? What synergies can be found by working together? And how can we sustain a long-term call to missions that continues from one generation to the next while trusting in Jesus’ promise to be with us always, to the end of the age?

The third plenary speaker will explore the ‘Whole Church’ from the perspective of all nations. As we enter a new era of missions, how can the global church partner to bring the whole gospel to the whole world? Inspiring the global church, to fully embrace its calling to share the news that is truly good, both in word and deed, at home and around the globe, is the subject of the third plenary. P* founded a youth movement dedicated to fostering reconciliation and leadership development in his homeland, which burgeoned to encompass over 25,000 young adults during the country’s post-civil conflict period. This movement ignited similar initiatives in over 10 other nations grappling with violence and turmoil. Today, the youth leaders of these movements are championing hope in their respective regions, guided by principles of forgiveness and love for their neighbors. P is renowned worldwide as a speaker, driven by his passion for hope and reconciliation rooted in the Gospel, and he inspires young people within the faith to embrace their mission of being witness to the Good News through both word and action on a global scale.

So, what happens in between the plenaries? Worship, prayer, networking, break-out sessions, meals, and time for fellowship. Perhaps you’ll find a new colleague and friend to plan a short-term trip with. Perhaps you’ll be inspired with new ideas to mobilize all the believers in your church to be on mission with God. Perhaps God will lead you to new ways to disciple the next generation for the Great Commission. Whatever God might be calling you to do next as a missions leader in your church, we invite you to come together, to connect, to be inspired, and to inspire others.

You can find registration details here. We hope you’ll mark your calendars now and plan to join us in October for the Connecting Mission Leader Conference. 

– Nancy Cimprich, EPC World Outreach Church Engagement Coordinator

Upcoming Opportunities for You and Your Congregation

Pray for WO Workers

Join the EPC World Outreach Prayer Network to care for our workers through intercession. To join the network, click here.

Pray

Support WO Workers

Support the GROW Center here. Otherwise click the SUPPORT button for the WO worker support landing page.

Support

Sign up for the Conference

Learn more, register, and get connected here.

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World Outreach Annual Report | The Reach August 2022

by | Sep 6, 2022 | Biblical/Missional, Church Partnership, Engage2025, Events, Field Story

Dear friends,

Catching divine glimpses into the work God is doing in and through EPC World Outreach has been an incredible privilege.

A significant focus this year since stepping into my role has been the development of the new World Outreach master plan and mission statement. The process used in drafting this version was unique in its history with extensive research and engagement utilized in order to involve WO global workers, key stakeholders, mission leaders, the World Outreach Committee (WOC) and the National Leadership Team (NLT). It was a seven-month, prayer-filled process, discerning the Lord’s continued call for us.

In the Annual Report, you’ll learn more about EPC World Outreach through numerical snapshots of what God is doing through our global work. You’ll also find three stories that capture the heart of our 5 strategic priorities of Prayer, Least Access Peoples, Partnership and Sending, Word and Deed, and Church Engagement. They are but a sampling of the faithfulness of our God, our global workers in their call and our EPC church partners.

May this booklet honor the Lord as we “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised.” – Psalm 96:3,4.

We at EPC World Outreach are honored to serve the Church and are grateful for the opportunity to link arms together with you in helping fulfill the Great Commission, looking toward the day where we see representatives of every tongue, tribe, and nation following Jesus and worshipping before God’s throne.

Grace and peace, 
Gabriel de Guia, EPC WO Executive Director

World Outreach Annual Report

Engage In Missions And Outreach With WO | The Reach Summer 2022

by | Sep 6, 2022 | Church Partnership, Events

Dear friends,

As Lisa and I returned home from the recent gathering of General Assembly, we had a grateful heart of celebration. So much has grown since we became EPC World Outreach missionaries in 2012. Our role has been in the area of mobilization and the EPC has seen a steady, consistent number of new missionaries being mobilized through these years. And this is true again this year as we saw at this General Assembly at Ward Church in June! We were able to introduce and commission the newest EPC World Outreach global workers.

This General Assembly also gave its approval of World Outreach’s newest master plan. This new document will guide us these next few years in growing more depth, width and purpose in our efforts of the EPC global movement of missions.

We are also celebrating how the mobilization team has grown from more than just Lisa and I, to a competent team of US based global workers. Along with mobilizing new long-term field workers, our team has been able to develop practical, concrete ways to assist Presbyteries and local EPC Churches in engaging locally with those unreached people groups that are moving into communities all around the US. During this General Assembly, we introduced 10 unique ways World Outreach can come along side local EPC church members to help them get more engaged with missions and outreach. Four of these opportunities are coming soon, and we need your help!

Could you forward and share the following with your church members, your college students, any folks who are connecting in anyway with refugees, and with people who sense a call to missions but don’t know where to begin?

Grace and peace, 

Shawn Stewart, EPC WO Mobilization Coordinator

Upcoming Opportunities for You and Your Congregation

Afghan Refugee Cohort

The Afghan Refugee Cohort is a monthly online gathering of EPC members who have been called to welcome Afghan refugees who are resettling in their own neighborhoods. The cohort offers an opportunity to pray together, share, and collaborate. The cohort will have the change to hear and learn from global workers who have served in Afghanistan and/or have experience in refugee ministry. 

Learn More

Kairos

Kairos is a course that helps transform worldviews so that the believer understands God’s purpose for every cultural group in the world, including those that still have few or no churches. The course clearly demonstrates God’s love for the peoples of the world and our call to be a blessing to them. KAIROS is a nine-session course that utilizes a variety of learning methods and covers the biblical, historical, strategic, and cultural areas of mission concern. We invite you to join a KAIROS Course and encounter God’s heart for His world.

Learn More

Mission Cohort

Missions Cohort is a group of like-minded college and young adults, meeting together virtually every month to connect and discern their path forward in missions. We get to know each other, pray for each other, discussion missions around the world and in our very own communities/campuses, watch some videos, connect with global workers, and visit ministry in the field.

Learn More

Connecting with Your Muslim Neighbors

Connecting with Your Muslim Neighbors is a six-week online workshop. Each week, you’ll spend two hours with like-minded individuals, learning how to foster and create meaningful, ongoing relationships with Muslims in your communities. This time includes training, intentional discussion, and application. And is led by experience WO global workers.

Learn More

Summer Mission Jam

by | Aug 27, 2019 | Events, Uncategorized

Join the EPC on a one-of-a-kind mission endeavor!

What are you doing this summer? Don’t miss out an a unique mission opportunity for your high school students. Summer Mission Jam is a new, entry mission and outreach equipping conference for students, serving among Lebanese, Bangladeshi, Yemeni, Iraqi, and Pakistani peoples in America’s most diverse neighborhoods of Dearborn and Hamtramck, Michigan. 

Students will learn how to ‘bridge the gap’ with Muslims and be the fragrance of Jesus through supportive and instructive teaching and service outreach opportunities. Summer Jam starts Monday evening, July 8, and wraps up Saturday, July 13. Registration is $450 per student and includes delicious meals, comfortable accommodations, and the best missions training you can receive. 

If you already have plans for this summer, consider bringing a few student leaders to check out Summer Mission Jam for future summers (Fremont, CA in 2020 & Michigan in 2021). 

Summer Mission Jam is an amazing opportunity for churches, big and small, to invest in their students as they learn more about Muslims and how to interact in a way that is loving and beneficial for the Kingdom. This summer, step out and be a part of something new with the EPC denomination. We are positive it will impact your world and give you new ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus in your own communities. 

You can register and learn more about Summer Mission Jam by going to our website: www.epcwo.org/summermissionjam or reading below!

If you know of anyone that might be interested in attending Summer Mission Jam,  we invite you to pass it along and share on social media!

Learn More about Summer Mission Jam

Meet our Speaker: Steve

Watch this video to meet Summer Mission Jam’s teacher and theologian: Steve W. Steve will be working with us and sharing from the scriptures – speaking towards a call to follow Jesus no matter the cost!

Meet Steve!

Register for Summer Mission Jam

Learn about God’s mission, how the global Church has responded, and what the greatest needs in the world of evangelization are today – and how you can be a part of God’s story as he redeems people from the nations to himself.

Click to Register!

Download our Leaders Guide

The Leader’s Guide will give you more information about the types of service and outreach projects we’ll be completing, our lodging for the week, who we’ll be working with, our schedule, and more!

You can download it by clicking the button below.

Have questions? We’d love to hear from you! Shoot us an email here.

Read the Guide