Introduce Yourself to the Missional Community!

[James Nored]

Matt Brunk, my good friend from Liberty, MO, suggested that we introduce ourselves, since this site is drawing together people from various backgrounds and parts of the country. This will help us to know one another better.

You may introduce yourself here, or, perhaps even better, put down this information on your "My Page." On your "My Page," where it says "Text Box," click on "Add Text." Make the title of the text box "About Me" or something like this and write about yourself..

I would suggest telling us:
- Name,
- Vocation
- Any family information you would like to share
- What missional or spiritual topics you are interested in, experienced in, or are working in
- Any websites you would like to link to that would help us know you better (to link, type a site name, and then click on the paper clip looking link (next to the bold, italics, etc.) and then paste the site's "URL" (web address)
- Anything else you would like to share!

[John Dobbs]

Greetings! My name is John Dobbs. I am the preaching minister for the Forsythe Avenue Church of Christ in Monroe, Louisiana. I've been here a year. Previously I spent sixteen years in Pascagoula, Mississippi. So, we were there during Katrina and the years afterward ...quite an experience. My wife Maggy and I have been married for 21 years. When we married she already had a daughter, and that daughter is now grown and has a husband and two kids of her own. Together we brought a wonderful young man into the world. On May 21st of 2008, however, he was tragically killed just a few days before High School graduation. This, of course, has shifted our life in ways we probably do not yet realize. I am interested in using web 2.0 in outreach to the local and worldwide community. I'm also interested in serving the local community in the name of Christ, finding opportunity to share the Gospel as I can. I am a coffee drinker, but to tell the truth I love more what happens around the table while drinking coffee... conversation, friendship, and sharing of lives. I do have a blog and it is located HERE. Looking forward to the discussion here.

[James Nored]

John, welcome! It is greart to have more mission minded people from Louisiana on this site.

I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son. May God help you heal.

Besides this site, I am doing research in my current D.Min. class on how to best you the Internet to reach out. I'll be interested in your ideas and experiences with this. I too like what coffee generates. I've gained a pretty good taste for coffee, but I started going to Starbucks for the missional aspects rather than the coffee itself.

Thanks for sharing!

[Justin Worley]

Hello all!

Name: Justin Worley

Location:
House: Southeast Wisconsin
Work: Northeast Illinois

How I make money: I am a Product Engineer for Laserage

Vocation: My heart and education are in ministry. I have a BA in Ministry from Harding University and had been working part time with a small church here in Wisconsin church planter/ associate role until last year. We have recently joined a congregation and I volunteer teaching a bible class each Wednesday night as well as preaching in the youth worship once in a while.

Family: My wonderful wife of almost eight years and I have four children. We have two boys (5 and 3) together and two girls (14 and 12) from my previous marriage. We moved to SE Wi to be near the girls five years ago. The ability to be involved in their lives at this level has been difficult and a blessing on so many levels!

Interests:
1) Missional - I am still learning about "Missional" but I am interested in the idea of having God-glorifying conversations at coffee shops. The idea of taking God into our world through real and honest conversation rather than opening the church doors and hoping "they" come in and stay seems to be a better approach.

2) Anthropology - Having grown up in Wyoming and lived in Florida, California, Hawaii, Arkansas and now Wisconsin I have become a student of cultures. I enjoy studying and understanding how our family and geographical stories affect our daily lives. The question, "Why do we do what we do" intrigues me.

3) Industrial Engineering - Due to my involvement with Marriage and Family Therapy and Manufacturing I have become a student of systems. I enjoy the big picture and being a catalyst for forward momentum and continuous improvement. It is a dream of mine to study the application of the science behind Industrial Engineering with the philosophy of “church” and how we teach and reach.

Anything else: I do have a blog that I am still trying to find the right tone for, but I try to update bi-weekly.
You can also find me on facebook and twitter.

I am looking forward to this community.

[Ryan Parsons]

Hello,

My name is Ryan Parsons and currently I am a student at Harding University in the Center for Advanced Ministry Training. Before that, I was a youth & family minister in Texas for 5 years. Prior to ministry, I was a registered nurse in the ICU and OR.

I have been married for nearly 12 years and I have a son who will soon be 4 years old.

I am interested in the power of the internet and how ALL Christians can use it as a tool to teach people about the love of Christ. I have been developing a theory/strategy to use blogging as a way to make a difference.
Please check out Church Blog Theory and let me know what you think.

Looking Further and The Battle of Wills are two other blogs I write.

Blessings to each of you.

Obligated to Him,
Ryan Parsons

[Bontha Esudas]

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am B. Esudas. I am 46years old and I live in the city of Narasraopet, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, South India. I was baptized into Christ 25years ago by Brother Claude A. Guild. My father, Bontha Paul, was a faithful gospel preacher from the church of Christ in Chennupalli. He helped ground me in the truth of God's Word.
I married, my wife Lakkepogu Vijaya kumari 20 years ago. We are blessed with three children, ages 18, 17, 15. My eldest daughter's name is Bontha Nani Kumari (left). My son's name is Bontha Bharath Bhushan (right), and my youngest daughter's name is Bontha Nyna (below left). My daughter Nani and My son Bharth Bhushan were baptized into Christ in June, 2007. My son is currently assisting me in the work of the Lord.
In addition to my three children, I am also taking care of 13 orphans. My wife is an invaluable aid and apt Bible class teacher for the ladies and children in the work. Her knowledge of God's word enables her to assist them with the problems of everyday life in relation to the diseases and nutrition responsibilities that they encounter. My children are obedient and becoming proficient in the use of scripture, sometimes assisting with biblical studies. God blessed me with the opportunity to visit usa last year and before last year. And preached in several congregations and I am gong to visit usa this year in the month of July to preach in a Lectureship www.bibletruthforums.com www.preachersfiles.com, www.siteforthelord.com, www.churchofchristindia.com

[Evangelist UChenna F. Bekee]

By way of introduction, I am

UCHENNA F. BEKEE, a gospel preacher with the Church of

Christ that meets at Oyigbo in the Rivers

State of
Nigeria.

I have being into the vineyard of our Lord for well

over sixteen years now, and am
married with a young

daughter
two years old now and recently had ason that is four Months old.
My Daughter is Treasure UChenna Bekee, My Son Destiny UChenna Bekee

I became a preacher of the gospel due to the
love I

have for the souls that are

Living in

darkness and



the

burning

desire to be a part

of the building

up of the

body of

Christ. I was born into a

Christian



family. My

late father was also a

minister of the

gospel

before

he died

in

1992 after a

protracted fight with

diabetes.



I have desired to continue the work which my father

left behind and also to glorify God. Many souls have

been led to be born into the family of God in our

ministry.

[James Nored]

Below is an introduction from Mike Donaldson.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,

My name is Mike Donaldson from the Washington, DC suburb of Stafford, VA.

I am in the Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller Theological Seminary, and in the process of launching Washington Beltway Community Church, where I will be serving as Senior Pastor. Our desire is to be a missional church comprised of small groups that empowers all members to participate and experience ministry. the church's website address is: http://www.washingtonbcc.org

I am also an accountant and am able to merge both ministry and accountancy professions for the glory of God.

I am privileged to b a part of this network and look forward to interaction with the members of this group.

Blessings,

Mike Donaldson

[Rusty Campbell]

Greetings,

James, you've always been a very talented guy. I never saw you as a preacher though. Thanks for putting this forum together.

I've been married to Laura for ten years now and we have 2 sons, Alex and Stephen. Alex just turned 3 and Stephen is about 3 weeks old. We're on a team to do mission work in Angola. The cofc has never sent full-time missionaries there and the country has just emerged out of forty years of war. The door is open and the time is now. We are currently in the fund-raising stage and are looking for partners in this mission.

I look forward to interacting with others that have a heart and passion for missions. It is the lifeblood of the church.

[James Nored]

Hi Rusty. Yes, the Lord does surprising things! I have been in full time mnistry now for 11 years. Becki and I have been married for nearly 14 years.

That is great that you are going to Angola. It sounds like we really need missionaries there. What led you to this country--and to wanting to become a missionary? Would love to hear your story.

Glad to have you on the site, and it is good to catch up with you.

[K. Rex Butts]

My signature name is K. Rex Butts but you can call me "Rex".

I am an Evangelist with an M.Div from Harding University Graduate School of Religion and also received an undergraduate Bible degree from Harding University. I pursued Christians missions and ministry as a second vocation after having worked in both the construction and manufacturing industries in my early twenties when I became a Christian. I began and continue on this journey because I want the world to know the gospel of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God. Currently I serve as the full-time Preaching Minister for the Kandiyohi Church of Christ in Kandiyohi, MN (about 2 hours west of Minneapolis). I will end my service with this congregation at the end of June 2009 and move with my family to the Denver metro area and join my friend Hobby Chapin and several others in an effort to establish communities of disciples belonging to Jesus.

I am married to Laura (Martin) Butts who has both a Masters and Bachelor degree in education from Harding University. Laura currently teaches special education and is a very talented teacher, gifted with the ability to work both with the student and the parent. We have three children, Kenny, Caryn, and Jared. Caryn is 4 years old and Jared is 14 months old. Sadly, our son Kenny passed away unexpectedly when he was 3 days old. He would turn 7 this year. Both his life and death changed our life, theology, and faith in God in profound and awsome ways - though not without dissappoinment and grief.

I am very interested in the missional conversation. I am convinced that if Christianity is to remain vibrant in the North American landscape, then we will need to learn how to be missionaries rather than pastors who apply missiological insights and principles to our cultural context just as we would if we were doing missionary work internationally. I am also highly interested in the doctrine of eschatology both in terms of how it offers a message of hope to the suffering and how it should inform the understanding and practice of the church. I also love reading/learning about Christian history.

I have a blog (www.kingdomseeking.wordpress.com) which you can read a diversity of postings but mostly comprised of how my theological interests intersect with the real world. I am also on Facebook (but I don't spend much time on it).

Other important information about me is that I am an avid Chicago sports fans and extremely loyal and die-hard Cubs fan. I play the guitar and love listening to classic rock, blues, jazz, and celtic music. I also love outdoor sports and motorcyle riding.

Also, I am in the process of slowly writing a book with a work title called "Easter's Promise: Hope for a Suffering World."

Well, other than the above, I am a pretty mundane dude.

Grace and peace,

Rex

[Allen Coker]

Hi, everyone! Glad to be a part of MON! I have posted an "About Me" section on My Page. You can see it at http://www.missionaloutreachnetwork.com/profile/allencoker.

Allen Coker

[Ann Dunagan]

Hello everybody! I'm brand-new on here, and I see some potential in networking with other mission-oriented leaders. My name is Ann Dunagan - and at the moment (this exact moment actually!!!), my husband, Jon Dunagan, is ministering in Lwakhakha, Uganda - on the Kenya border - preaching in a city-wide mission outreach together with several other national ministers that we've been working and ministering with for years. We're based in Hood River, Oregon with Harvest Ministry in fulltime mission evangelism, especially in remote ripe-harvest areas, which has been our fulltime occupation and passion for over 22 years - emphasizing remote soulwinning, church planting, supporting nationals, loving orphans (we support 610 children in two orphanages we founded n Uganda, East AFRICA), along with motivating families for missions. Over the years, we've preached in 70 nations on all 7 continents, and through HM, we've seen over 400 new churches planted in remote areas.

We've been happily married over 24 years. We're longtime homeschool parents of 7 kids - ages 8 to 23 (about to begin year 19 in homeschooling) - and our kids have been all over the world. I've written a few books and lots of articles to encourage FAMILIES for MISSIONS - and that's the main reason I'm on here.

If anyone has any questions about encouraging families to be more MISSION-MINDED, let me know.


Ann