In addition to the mission works carried out by our local members, Connection Point supports many career missionaries across the globe. Please take a moment to read about the individuals and organizations listed below, and join with us in praying for these ministries. Should you have any interest in further supporting these projects, please contact us. 

Neil and Jennifer Lawrence

lawrenceNeil and Jennifer Lawrence are missionary educators/evangelists in Kenya, East Africa, where they have been serving since 1993. Neil’s primary ministry is to teach at Discipleship College, a 17-acre campus located in Eldoret, Kenya. Though most are Kenyan, ministers from other African countries where the Church of God is located are attending (Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana). The opportunity to spend quality time helping form the students’ “theological/ministry world-view” is Neil’s greatest joy and definitely the focus of his calling.
 

In addition to teaching, the Lawrences are involved in Evangelism and Worship. They started singing songs in Swahili during District Seminars and began leading worship in English and Swahili in church while they lived in Nairobi. Developing into a ministry team called Eagle’s Wings Gospel Team in 1999, this ministry works with a local Church of God congregation. Students and graduates of Discipleship University are involved in traveling all over Kenya holding morning Seminars, afternoon Crusades, and evening Christian films. These crusades (3 to 7 days long) have been held in market places, town centers, road-side centers, slums, and villages; in other words, “where the people are.”

Israel and Debbie Minay

minayIsrael and Debbie Minay are seasoned missionaries with a strong missionary/church planting heritage. They have served as missionaries for the Church of God for over 20 years. Their work has encompassed three continents and includes four different people groups/religions, giving them a wide scope of missionary experiences.
The Minays began their ministry in the United States as church planters within the Hispanic community. Outside the U.S. they served as missionary educators/church planters in Chile for 10 years, training leaders and establishing a model church within the country.
 
Israel and Debbie then turned their hearts toward the “unreached people” of Cambodia. Their efforts there spanned a wide range of activities. The Minays were later assigned to Albania, where they assisted in leadership development for several years.
 
Recently, the Church of God has asked the Minays to use their church planting expertise in a new thrust of church multiplication in South America. For this reason, Israel and Debbie returned to their beloved Chile, where they began their missions career. They are currently planting a new church in the middle class area of the capital city of Santiago. God is blessing their efforts and after only a few months, they have over 100 people in attendance.

Jim and Deborah Womble

wombleIn 1980, Jim saw Africa in a vision. Through this vision, he knew that God had placed a special burden upon him for Africa. The door to the mission field was opened in 1995. He took his family to Kenya, ministering in small towns and villages all over the East African country, immediately realizing the plight of the African child. From all four corners of Kenya, they saw orphaned, needy, destitute and sick children without families to care for them in the most horrible conditions one could imagine. This burden would soon lead them to pursue their vision of rescuing as many of these kids as possible.
 

The Wombles have served as pastor of three churches in Kenya, built over 30 church buildings, the Kenya National Office, three children’s ministry centers, and have planted 5 successful churches. In their 12 years of ministry in Kenya, they have seen over 10,000 people come to know the Lord. Jim and Debora currently serve as Directors of Kibera Kids Center, an orphanage located in the largest slum in Africa called Kibera. The slum has an estimated population of over 2.5 million, with an estimated 1.5 million children and approximately half of those are orphans. KKC serves up to 200 of these most vulnerable and displace children in Kibera.

Teresa Kimbrell

kimbrellTeresa has felt the call of God since committing her life to Him in 1984. She has been active in her local home churches in Florida and Tennessee, serving in various capacities. She also taught in three different Christian preschools for over 12 years.
 
In 1990, God opened the door for Teresa to attend Southeastern College in Lakeland, Fla., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in church ministries with a concentration in missions. In 2002, God once again opened the door for Teresa to attain further training, this time at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tenn., where she graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. She has also completed various courses in the area of childcare, including the CCDE (Child Development Associate degree equivalency).

God has placed a burden on Teresa’s heart for the people of Africa. Since 1991, she has served on three short-term missions trips, which have taken her to Sydney, Australia; Zimbabwe, Africa; and Botswana, Africa. In 2001, Teresa completed a one-year internship in Zambia, Africa, where she worked with Emma’s Kids ministries and taught at the Bethel Bible College. As an appointed missionary to Zambia, Teresa moved to Lusaka and helped establish the Nyamphande Orphanage/Community School.

Active in preaching, chaplaincy, orphan’s ministry, and recently, pastoral family care and encouragement, Teresa teaches and trains leaders in various areas of ministry and serves on the board of Bethel Bible College. She is also a team member in a Lusaka church plant that started in her home. Along with serving as a team member in a church plant, Teresa is now serving as manager of the World Wide Help Africa Retreat Centre

Charity and Evan Graff (Gentle Hands)

graffOver the last 15 years, Gentle Hands has been a ministry dedicated to helping the urban people of the Philippines. Over 5,000 babies have been born at Gentle Hands since it began in the bottom level of Denie and Dennis Heppner’s home in St. Ignatius Village. Since the ministry began in 1990, it has branched into churches, Bible studies, and in September 2000, an educational program was initiated.
 

Charity and Evan Graff (the Heppner’s oldest daughter), took over the administration of Gentle Hands. Gentle Hands is licensed and registered under the Department of Social Welfare and Development and can process adoptions both locally and internationally.

Gentle Hands is a child and youth welfare agency meant to be on the frontlines of rescue and rehabilitation of the medical, social, and educational needs of at-risk children and youth, working toward improving human community life through the love of Jesus and family-centered care.