“A beautiful reflection of Christ”

Church visitors impressed with El Oasis

Two men from different cities – but with a similar passion for missions – took two small groups to visit El Oasis, the Globalscope ministry in Santiago, Chile, this summer on back-to-back weeks, and got a crash course in international campus work.

Todd Zimmerman, a volunteer minister for young adults at White River Christian Church, Noblesville, IN, joined a group of four on a survey trip to El Oasis because he has “a passion for introducing young people to missions.”

“Many come alive spiritually when they encounter people in unique settings,” he said. “We spent time serving coffee to college students, prayer-walking around universities, providing meals to the students attending the Thursday night outreach, and feeding the homeless.”

Ron Barnes, the missions pastor at Flatirons Church, Lafayette, CO, had a slightly different goal when he took his group of five college-age students to El Oasis.

“Our church has been working with Phil Tatum (Director of Globalscope) to see which Globalscope field would be the best fit for a deeper connection,” he said. “And who could pass up the chance to travel with Phil to the place where he started with Globalscope (as a campus minister) and see how things had developed, while also engaging some young folks?”

Like the team from White River, the Flatirons team focused on integrating into what the staff and interns of El Oasis were doing.

“We took part in nearly all the events they did to reach out to students in Santiago, including their main weekly event, Tertulia,” said Ron. “We even joined with staff and students as they did some service projects at the homes next to the campus house in an effort to be good neighbors.”

A TEAM from Flatirons Church in Colorado visited the El Oasis campus ministry in Chile this summer. Team members were, from left, Anne Gamble, Ana Methuselah, Flatirons missions pastor Ron Barnes, Globalscope Director Phil Tatum, Connor Fiechtner, Leo Dewey and Lisa Rivera.

One big family

Both Todd and Ron and their teams were impressed with the staff and interns at El Oasis. 

“It was great to meet all of them and hear their stories and what led them to have a strong desire to connect with students and introduce them to Jesus,” said Ron.

Todd was also impressed by the community feeling he witnessed at the campus house.

“Never once did I see people left alone and not engaged,” he said. “It was like one big family. What a beautiful reflection of Christ to the world!”

“It was a privilege to see God at work through El Oasis,” added Ron.

MISSIONS PASTOR Ron Barnes, left, and Globalscope Director Phil Tatum, second from left, pose on the Santa Lucia hill in downtown Santiago, Chile, with some of the staff of El Oasis and the team from Flatirons Church.

Fifteen years of praying!

Woman’s daily prayers for GS “helped me grow”

Alma Snyder is a sweet and modest lady, and really doesn’t want you to know about this, but it’s just too good not to share.

The Fayetteville, GA, woman – a member of Southwest Christian Church – has prayed for each Globalscope missionary by name every day since the program began 15 years ago.

And she’s pretty sure she hasn’t missed a single day.

Not only does she pray for them – sometimes sitting in her favorite chair and sometimes walking around the room – but she also memorizes the list of their names.

Inspired by Harpers

Alma first learned about Globalscope and its mission to take Christ to the world through international campus ministry at her church. 

“Rick Harper, the founder of Campus Christian Fellowship at Georgia Tech, and his parents, Dr. Byron and Rose Marie Harper, attended Southwest church and were a big example of Christian service to me,” she said. The CCF ministry was the birthplace of Globalscope 15 years ago.

Alma began her prayer ministry with Patricio Beautell, a GT graduate and member of the university’s golf team, whom she met when he visited Southwest church. Patricio was from the Canary Islands in Spain and was on the first Mexico City Globalscope launch team, along with Trasie and Craig Topple, Kemp Bray, Rob Kuykendall and Pam Sanders.

“Then I met Jesse and Sophie Bentley at Southwest church. They were Georgia Tech students who went to Spain (and are still on the field),” she said. “As Globalscope grew, I just started praying for the new ones as they were added.”

Alma can’t get to church much these days due to health problems, but she can still pray, she said. 

“All these years I’ve gone through so much with these young people,” she said. “It’s such an awesome thing that they are doing. I want to thank all of them for what they do, and for helping me grow through my prayers. I just pray that they will be the spark that starts the flame that will spread the Word into every nation.”

Globalscope Celebration!

Leaders share plans for four new ministries

Seventy-five enthusiastic Christians, plus four full days of fun, connections and study, added up to another successful Globalscope Celebration in Indianapolis in mid-July, according to Whitney Turner, the Assistant Director of Globalscope.

“We enjoyed round-table discussions, workshops, and teaching from Dr. Miriam Perkins of Emmanuel Christian Seminary,” said Whitney. “Each ministry also had the chance to share some of its highs and lows from the past year.”

New fields

A highlight of most Celebrations is the “new fields” report, and this year’s line-up of four new ministries due to open next year was the biggest in Globalscope’s history. 

“We’ve never had so many new ministries start so close together,” said Whitney. “Most of the Uruguay team – which includes three Chileans — attended Celebration. Christine Barber represented the new Nottingham, England, team and Erin Mehaffey, came as the new leader of the Freiburg, Germany, team. Jesse and Sophie Bentley, who are transitioning from the Salamanca team to lead a new ministry in Valencia, Spain, were also there.