MISSIONS
The Missions Team of Lakeland exists to assist our church in developing mature believers in our midst and generously support great work being done for Christ around the world.
ATTILA & FLORA EGRESSY
Budapest, Hungary
CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ)
The Egressy's passion is to share the gospel with high school and college students and help them grow through personal discipleship! They do this in person as well as through online platforms. Lately, one of Atti’s priorities has become creating social media content that can ignite spiritual interest and openness and generate offline contact with those who are searching. They pray to win MANY for Christ, build them up in their faith, and send them out to do the same.
INDIA RURAL EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP
Repalle, India
India Rural Evangelical Fellowship (IREF) is an indigenous mission organization founded by the Rebba family. IREF provides safe housing, education, and Christian hope to nearly 1,000 children from first grade to post-college. IREF also spreads the gospel to rural areas of India through church plants, pastoral training, and gospel meetings. God has used this ministry to lead tens of thousands to Christ over the past 53 years!
PAUL & MARY KAMUNGE
Kijabe, Kenya, Africa
Christian Outreach International
Paul and Mary Kamunge have been working as National Missionaries in Kenya since 2006, and they work with Christian Outreach International in Florida. They are involved in three areas of ministry, specifically pastoral training, rural church, and Sunrise Orphanage. Pastoral training includes training men and women for Christian ministries at Moffat Bible College. Many students come from diverse tribes in Kenya and neighboring countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, India, and Uganda. Paul is the president of the college. Rural church ministry includes Paul being the lead pastor of AIC Tharuni, a local church in Kijabi, Kenya. Sunrise Orphanage has 50 orphans who are infected or affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. They provide basic needs such as health care, clothes, beds, mattresses, socks, undergarments, school supplies, food, and other needs. Through financial support, they sometimes build houses for the neediest families of Sunrise.
CARLOS & SUZANNE TEJADA
Cartago, Costa Rica
ReachGlobal / EFCA
Carlos trains and mentors pastors in Cartago and the surrounding areas of Costa Rica. He leads outreach and training of indigenous Cabecar tribal leaders. He also leads a group of lay people from multiple churches through courses in ministerial and biblical topics and service together in the community. Suzanne promotes and fundraises for Casa Viva. They provide the only family-based foster care alternative to institutional living for children and youth removed from their homes in Costa Rica.
LYDIA HOME
Chicago, Illinois
Lydia Home is a Christian nonprofit serving children in Chicago since 1916. They provide a safe and nurturing environment to help children recover from emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Lakeland has partnered with Lydia Home for 25+ years, monthly providing meals, crafts, and devotional services—and just spending time loving God’s children. Our annual Christmas party is a highlight that leaves the children asking, “When do we get to come to your church again?” This outreach is an excellent opportunity for families to serve together and create a fun experience for the Lydia Home children while showing them what a ‘family’ can look like.
INFORMED CHOICES
Northeastern Illinois
Informed Choices’ mission is to empower people to make informed choices about pregnancy and parenting by sharing the love of Jesus and providing life-affirming education and support.
Through these services, 83% of women considering abortion decide to carry their baby.
They also educate middle school students through our Healthy Choices program. Topics covered include bullying, setting goals, peer pressure, healthy relationships, abstinence, and teen pregnancy.
Melissa Dillenbeck | Central Africa
Melissa comes alongside families working in Bible translation by teaching their children academic and life skills to cope with their transitional, cross-cultural lifestyle.
The C Family | North Africa
The C Family is serving in Bible translation, disciplining, and planting churches in indigenous areas within North East Africa.
Lance
Lance is the Director of Strategic Advancement and Evaluation for an international team of leaders that catalyze disciple-making movements among the unreached and unengaged.
Brian & Sheran Killins | Bogota, Columbia
Brian and Sheran lead, preach, disciple, and are involved in small groups in one congregation in Bogota, Columbia, of about 120 people. During 45 years, we have planted and developed approximately 30 congregations with Columbians around Bogota by God's grace.
Stephen & Jessica Langley | South Africa
Stephen and Jessica serve in South Africa, helping churches disciple their young people toward full maturity in Jesus Christ by partnering with local church leaders to preach the gospel, teach in small groups, host Bible camps, and develop study resources.
Mike & Rachel | Southeast Asia
Mike and Rachel live in a major city in Southeast Asia where they serve in holistic community development among an unreached people group (fewer than 50 known believers among them) to share the good news of Jesus Christ!
Nicole Medina | Kenya, Africa
Nicole has been serving in Kenya since 2019 with Oasis for Orphans, working on the emotional development of the children within the home and the school, and she trains the Kenyan staff about trauma-competent care. She meets with students one-on-one and in groups as she has created and implemented group therapy within the organization.
Kevin & Erica Pippert | South Africa
Kevin and Erica serve with Medical Ambassadors International in Southern Africa, training and mentoring Christian leaders on implementing holistic discipleship in their context using the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) strategy. This multifaceted approach to Christian ministry addresses the needs of the whole person—physical, spiritual, emotional, and social and facilitates holistic transformation.
Parker Settecase | Chicago, Illinois
Parker works with Athletes in Action in the greater Chicago area. His areas of ministry are winning people to Christ, disciplining them, and helping them walk with Christ daily. Parker leads a Bible study at Northwestern University for the wrestling and baseball teams. He is also the go-to guy for 8 to 9 college campuses for Athletes in Action to host "Ask Me Anything" sessions.
Sam & Jill Tabiendo | Madrid, Spain
Sam and Jill are developing, empowering and equipping disciples to multiply disciples and plant churches in Madrid, Spain and beyond.
Benjamin & Heidi Turkalj | Belica, Croatia
Benjamin and Heidi serve in their local church in Croatia in ministries including teaching, preaching, leading worship, women's ministry, children's ministry, personal evangelism, discipleship, and teaching English. As their area becomes more secular, their goal is for the church to be a beacon of hope to shine the light of truth to the people in their community.
Van & Becky VanArsdale | USA
Van serves with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, the largest independent supplier of chaplains for jails and prisons worldwide. Chaplain Van and his family help bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prisoners in Charlottesville, Virginia and throughout the world.