Across America Village Bible Church is involved with many missionaries and Christ-based organizations that are making an impact across America and in specific cities. Helping college students learn more about Jesus Christ and strengthening the faith of believers in College.

Culture Bound

Mark & Karen Hedinger

Equipping missionaries to work in cultures and languages that not their own

Culture Bound’s mission is to equip Jesus’ followers to effectively share His message in cultures and languages different from their own. Missionaries are equipped for second language and intercultural work through written, recorded, and live presentations to a variety of professions, nationalities, and languages. Culture Bound equips missionaries to be successful, no matter where their mission field is, by learning specific culture from the local people.

Mark is the Executive Director and Director of training programs. He provides in person or via virtual class training for missionaries needing to adapt to new cultures.

Karen is the Director of Language Programs. She helps missionaries with language acquisition and provides language consultation to individuals who are in the throes of learning a new language.

To “go unto the whole world making disciples...” means that some people will have to cross boundaries of language and culture. Mark and Karen’s work gives missionaries the tools they need to be successful.

Urban Impact Ministries, EFCA (UIM) | New Orleans, Louisiana

John and Wendy Gerhardt

Transforming families, friends and neighborhoods in New Orleans

Transforming families, friends and neighborhoods in New Orleans is the work of UIM. From Bible study to basketball, study hours to summer camp, UIM is committed to building personal relationships with the young people of the crime, blight, and poverty ridden neighborhoods of New Orleans. A closed blighted school, once an eye sore to the community, now serves as UIM’s lighthouse of hope and encouragement sharing the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

John desire to make disciples of Christ, bringing transformation to their families, their friends, their neighborhood, and the city of New Orleans. For the past 26 years, they have seen God do amazing things in the lives of the youth who come to UIM activities. Kids, who once came to the programs, are now leading those programs. Students who were once failing are now thriving. Parents, who felt alone in their struggles, now have the resources to thrive.

UMI actively outreaches to the underprivileged youth, enabling them to reach their God-given potential and introducing them to the love of Jesus Christ.

International Students, Inc. (ISI) | New York City

Jason and Hollie Casper

Sharing the Love of Jesus with International Students

ISI exists to welcome and serve international students in the NYC metro area through friendships, hospitality, professional development, cultural understanding, and spiritual support.

Jason and Hollie are both chaplains on the campus of New York University, working to build a team of believing students and volunteers to serve international students. Both Jason and Hollie’s focus is for deep community to form among international college students, building relationships and sharing the love of Jesus. They facilitate Bible reading groups/studies as well as lead conversation groups to meet students’ felt needs of improving their English and finding community in the big city.

While VBC is not in a college setting community, the church desires to be involved in such ministries, supporting those who are sharing Jesus and discipling students. These international students are the future leaders of their own countries, and VBC gets to partner in sharing the gospel with them through Jason and Hollie.

The Center for Mission Mobilization (CMM) | Fayetteville, Arkansas

Dave and Michelle Rofkahr

CMM is mobilizing the global church to take the gospel to un-reached frontiers

While praying and identifying where God is already at work CMM develops local leaders to become missionaries in their own home country, spreading the good news about Jesus.

Dave serves as the Executive Director of CMM. With his wife, Michelle, he travels extensively to meet with international missionary teams to develop plans to mobilize the local churches. They both also serve on the Joshua Fund board which serves to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus.

Most missionaries are from the western church and South Korea, but 80% of today’s evangelical church lives in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Imagine the number of additional laborers for Christ if only these churches could be trained and encouraged to “go out into the fields” for the Lord.

National Missions