IMPACT’s mission is to form, train and send teams, prepared to serve Christ and his Church through cross-cultural mission journeys that nurture the ministries of global partners and train participants to be missionaries at home.  For more information – IMPACT’s is https://www.impact-theglobe.org/about

If you’re interested in learning more about the international mission trips with IMPACT summer 2024 to Romania, Honduras, Turkey, and Mexico, please reach out to Pastor Mary or Jack Irwin.  (contact information or email us here)

 Jack and Barbara when on an IMPACT mission trip to Turkey in 2022 which has helped form a bond between our congregation and the growing Antalya Evangelical Church.

 We have detailed information about these opportunities to serve here.

A BIG THANK YOU!

Hello dear congregation and faith family! As we are getting closer to the upcoming mission and faith trip to Romania, I am overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity, joy, action, dedication, and energy.

The amount of generosity in our community is astounding.   Yes, we can always work on being more generous, and yet, generosity comes naturally and easily to our community.   I have sent out my letter for prayer and mission support donations to about half of my friends, family, and loved ones in my phone contact list.  Within the first five days I already had 9 people who had sent me mission support donations and 24 people who are praying for me, our missionaries (Debi, Kristine, & Scott), our church, and IMPACT.   Praise be to God!

The joy, action, and energy is astounding in our missionaries.  Kristine has made delicious truffles twice (already!) and sold them after worship to fundraise for her mission and faith trip to Romania.  Kristine stayed up late, watching Shrek and the Office, to finish making them in time after driving from San Diego!  God bless her! (-:   Debi and Heidi made delicious biscuits and gravy (and stayed up really late making them!) for our wonderful Cowboy Church Sunday.  Their outfits were absolutely country fabulous!   Debi has already begun to learn Romanian phrases (and sharing them with the rest of us!)    Scott is excited to use his education, experience, and passion during the first outdoor adventure camp week and during the second week on the world-class bike trail!  I bought beads (for a great price in Mississippi – I drove it from Mississippi to Ohio, then flew with it from Cincinnati to LAX…).   I ordered some stretchy string to use with the beads for making friendship bracelets!

We were told by a missionary who went last year that the children love to make and trade friendship bracelets, so we want to be prepared! We will have many different bracelets to share and trade with them. Also, Sue is already making some bracelets (thank you Sue!) and Emily is going to discuss the children making bracelets for us to take with the Children’s Committee as well! We are excited to give and trade friendship bracelets with the children and youth on the trip. If you’d like to make some, please let us know.

Kristine found a TikTok account on and about Romania, is following it, and shared it with me.  Yes, I am also following them!  The beautiful and educational videos have made me so excited about the land, nature, and food in Romania!  We are looking forward to our upcoming meetings, trainings, blessings, and mission-faith trip! It’ll be here before we know it!

Dear and beloved congregation and faith family, I am overwhelmed by your dedication.  Thank you to our Mission Committee for their immense and wonderful mission support donations and prayer. A  huge thank you to Jack and Barbara Irwin for sharing their experience, passion, wisdom, support, and leadership and to everyone in the church who is praying for us and who is sharing mission support donations!  It is so wonderful and meaningful to us to have your support, prayers, love, and encouragement as we answer this call from God and learn more about life, fellowship, and mission from our siblings in Christ in Romania.

We do have a few options of ways to help support us as we prepare for our mission-faith trip ro Romania.  We learned from the missionary who went last year that the children will leave the camp and immediately go to the pizza place right next to the library to beg people to buy them pizza.  Debi and I have already decided to go to the library area after camp every day to buy every child pizza.  Hopefully we can walk over with them and get to know them while we wait for our pizza to be ready.  I pray to God that we will be able to eat with them as well and have fellowship!  If you’d like to donate specifically to the pizza fund, please let us know!

We have also been told that the children love all things American, meaning red, white and blue. If you have some string or costumes in that color scheme you’re willing to share, that would be great!  During the camp there is a costume day, so we are all packing costumes!  Debi is ready with her costumes (surprise surprise(😀) and the rest of us need to work on some!  We are hoping that Youth Director Bryce will be able to help us out in that department (-:

Thank you once again for all of your prayer, mission support donations, and encouragement.
Peace, love, and blessings,
Pastor Mary

 IMPACT’s Director, Kristy LaBarge

 Kristy spoke to our congregation at service on November 26.  Kristy grew up in Ventura, earned her undergraduate degree at UCSB and her M.Div at Princeton Theological Seminary.    Her life has consistently included involvement in foreign missions.  In fact, her involvement with Honduras through IMPACT played a vital role in her calling into professional ministry.   Kristy believes in the great potential IMPACT has to change lives and nurture leaders for the Church. She has a deep sense of responsibility to guide this important ministry forward diligently, working alongside others in this journey and doing all together for Christ’s Kingdom.