Since 1992 Steve has run his own ministry, “Involve Youth,” speaking for youth events, conducting training seminars for youth leaders, creating youth ministry resources, and teaching youth ministry professionals. He’s an author of many books and coordinates the Intergenerational Church cohort for Andrews University’s Doctor of Ministry program. He’s been instrumental in helping to craft the experience for Maranatha’s annual mission trip for high schoolers, Ultimate Workout (UW), and helped to start Maranatha’s collegiate and annual Family Projects.

Steve reflects on how he first got into youth ministry, how much he and his youth changed in serving on those first mission trips, and at a fundamental level, what the goal of missions is. He describes his first UW experience, which was actually the third UW, and how the program was almost shut down. He reflects on how the tragic death of volunteer Alex Williams was a galvanizing force for UW as a movement; in the first couple of years, there were 20-30 volunteers, but the next year there were 70 kids who applied, many citing the legacy of Alex and wanting to make a real difference in the world.

Steve explains why the mission trip environment, with new people and new places, is the perfect setting for teens to discover more about their identity, and how the world around teens has changed in his decades of ministry. He discusses how leaders can approach volunteers who may cause problems for others, and how he begins to prepare a group for a return home from the mountaintop experience of a mission trip. Steve talks about why he eventually felt the need to step away from UW and how he tackled the challenge of leading new age groups when he was asked to create a collegiate and family project mission trips for Maranatha.

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Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.

How do you curate a volunteer experience that makes people want to come back time after time? Our VP of Advancement shares how Maranatha has worked to provide mission trips that make a difference in the lives of project recipients, as well as the volunteers doing the work. Karen’s journey with Maranatha started in 1989 in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and in this episode she shares what projects were like in those early days and how they’ve evolved. She recounts the first large-scale project for Maranatha in 1992, when they recruited 1,200 volunteers in just five months to construct 25 churches over 70 days in the Dominican Republic. She also reflects on just how impactful these mission trips have been to volunteers, even those who are rediscovering their faith.

Karen talks about how Maranatha has intentionally shaped its projects to provide participants with the space to reflect on their experience, connect with each other, and how making accommodations more comfortable at times has removed barriers to participation for some people. She explains how anyone, no matter their skillset, age, or experience, can be an effective volunteer on a Maranatha project, and why she believes people continue to return year after year.

Karen references a testimony from Sondra Godfrey in which she shares how anyone can serve on a Maranatha mission trip. You can watch that testimony here: https://watch.maranatha.org/videos/cv23b-godfrey

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Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.

Laura has worked for Maranatha in Donor Relations for years, but there was a time when she never thought she’d work for such a ministry. Her early career in software sales was lucrative, allowing her to rub shoulders with California's rich and famous. Yet, she wasn’t happy. Her job lacked purpose, she couldn’t find meaningful connections in her relationships, and the faith of her youth was a faded memory. In a low point, she was reminded of an influential figure from earlier in life, Don Noble (Maranatha’s President). She reached out, in what would be the start of a transformational journey that would see her travel around the globe with Maranatha, find love, renew her faith, and connect with countless people also changed by the mission.

Laura talks about her journey outside the church and how a trip to Cuba started the process of bringing her back. She shares what it’s been like to visit potential project sites Maranatha is considering, including when we have to say “no” to a project request. She reflects on some of the unique settings, people, and places she’s experienced over the years. The conversation closes with her recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic to help construct a large school building in the neighborhood of “Ciudad del Cielo.”

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Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.