Establish the KINGDOM
We desire to empower the Church to fulfill the Great Commission through building intentional relationships lasting generations. We do this by partnering with the work God is doing around the world through evangelism, equipping and empowering leaders, and compassion and relief efforts. As a church, we work to develop strategic partnerships with people and organizations around the world who align with the heart and vision of The Rock Family Worship Center.
We desire to encourage and equip people to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 18:19), both in our community and around the world! One of the ways we practically do this globally is by offering Team Trips.
Team Trips are usually week-long experiences where we share the love and hope of Christ by meeting physical, spiritual, and relational needs. Our short-term Team Trips partner with established organizations and long-term missionaries, joining alongside the ongoing transformation taking place, resulting in life change for those being served and in those serving!
Persecuted Church
Persecution is on the rise. According to Open Doors, more than 360 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith; that’s 1 in 7 believers. The number of countries where Christians experience extreme persecution has almost doubled in the last 30 years. Christian persecution can vary in different contexts. Believers may experience rejection and isolation from family, friends, and communities. Others reside in countries whose leaders are trying to pass laws so Christians would lose their citizenship because of their faith. Some believers may lose access to basic needs such as water, food, and healthcare, while others face violent abuse, imprisonment, and even death from extremists.
Why pray for persecuted believers?
When we pray for persecuted believers, God uses their witness to inspire Gospel transformation among the lost. As Christians, we have a Biblical command to care for our persecuted sisters and brothers around the world.
1 Corinthians 12:25-26 But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Hebrews 13:2 Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Pray for the Persecuted Church
Pray that every believer will remain faithful as they overcome the trials set before them.
Pray that every believer experiencing the hardships that come with persecution will not grow weary but endure to the end.
Pray for Holy Spirit discernment when witnessing to unbelievers.
Pray for boldness to walk in Christ in the face of opposition.
Pray for strength for those who suffer daily hardships for their faith.
Pray for safe places for persecuted believers to worship and fellowship with one another.
Pray for the restoration of family relationships for those who have been rejected in the name of Christ.
Pray for the Lord to bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones due to persecution.
Pray that the Lord will supply Bibles and other resources where they are restricted.
Pray for those in prison to be sustained and experience the Lord’s comfort and favor as they witness.
Pray for government leaders and persecutors to experience the love of Christ.
Pray that there is a harvest, and the suffering is not in vain.
JOIN OUR MONTHLY PRAYER GATHERING FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Join us at our monthly prayer gathering at the Huntsville campus as we come together to pray for the persecuted church! You will learn about persecution happening around the world, and when the opportunity is available, hear from missionaries in person. If you would like to receive updates concerning the times and dates of this gathering, or if you would like to receive a monthly newsletter with updates and prayer points concerning the persecuted church, please email Chris Sebastian at tharros@protonmail.com.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
MISSIONARIES
*For the protection of our global workers in closed countries, or where sharing their identity could cause a security risk for them or those they work with, we sometimes are unable to share details.
3
National Partners
7
Latin America
5
Middle East
2
Europe
Latin
America
Costa Rica, Mexico,
Nicaragua, and Honduras
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Costa Rica
We are Corey and Lindsey Branson! We have three beautiful children: Cooper, Londyn, and Carter. God called us into missions in March of 2018. God gave us a heart for the unreached and our desire is that all people have an opportunity to come into a relationship with Him. Our ministry is multi-faceted. We cultivate relationships and community to give opportunities for discipleship and spiritual growth. El Puente bridges the gap between the community and the church and we know that God is using it to reach beyond the community as well. Through mobilization, our ministry is training and preparing Costa Ricans who are being called into missions, to go and reach the unreached. El Puente is a tool to build relationships and point people to Christ. Our goal is to make His name known among the nations!
Prayer Requests
Pray for us, the pastors, and the people of the congregation here as we work through the process of going to Thailand to help work with the Isan unreached people group.
Pray for protection, wisdom, and financial provision.
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US and Latin America
In 2023, through God's grace and faithfulness, Joy completed the 11-month missionary training program with Mountain Gateway Academy. The Lord called her to the mission field through Mountain Gateway Prayer. She will help pioneer what this ministry track will be for future missionary intercessors with Mountain Gateway, while the Lord makes her like Anna in Luke 2.36-28.
Beginning in January 2024, Joy will serve the ministry through providing administrative support; leading prayer and worship gatherings; discipling others; spending time in corporate and personal prayer, intercession, and Biblical study; connecting with and interceding for ministry staff, students and ministry work; assisting with hosting prayer ministry gatherings and events; or assisting with another ministry area with Mountain Gateway as needed. She will also travel to mission bases in Latin America and other ministry locations within the US.
Joy is humbled and honored to continue with Mountain Gateway Prayer to spiritually undergird the mission for missionaries to GO and STAY that nations are saved and discipled. She is excited to continue to learn and grow under leaders whose hearts and character demonstrate what it means to love and follow Jesus.Prayer Requests
Pray that I remain humble, willing, and obedient.
Pray that I continue to grow in spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, to accomplish the works He has planned for me.
Pray that all resources for me to GO and STAY are provided.
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Casa de Oracion Familiar / Prisoner of Hope International / Children’s Cup- Honduras
The Dyer family are long-term missionaries to Honduras with over 30 years of ministry experience. They have one daughter (Gianna) who is studying medicine in Mexico. Lorena is a native of Honduras, while Daniel was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, until his family moved to Honduras when he was 15 years old. He graduated with a degree in finance from Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and has been a missionary in Honduras since 1990. The current ministry has a national scope emphasizing church planting and discipleship, prison ministry discipleship, and transgenerational discipleship through feeding centers in 120+ communities.
Prayer Requests
Pray for the nation of Honduras; that it fulfills its destiny to be a discipleship nation.
Pray for the front-line pastors and teachers who are giving their lives to edify and train the body of Christ for the work of the ministry.
Pray for the governmental authorities that govern the country; that righteous rule might be a reality.
Pray for favor with the prison authorities that give access to all levels of the prison system.
Pray for the thousands of children under our care; that their divine destinies would be fulfilled.
Pray for the families of Honduras; that they might find hope in Honduras through Jesus Christ and Kingdom culture, and that God prospers the work of their hands in the land that they have been planted.
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USA, Mexico, Nicaragua
Britt and Audrey Hancock got married in 1988 and have been in full-time ministry since 1989. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Their family began to serve in missions in Mexico in 1997. Mountain Gateway was formed in 2009. The focus continues to be starting churches in small villages of Mexico and Nicaragua, making disciples and training leaders, as well as having large gospel campaigns in Nicaragua. Mountain Gateway Academy leads people to a place of surrender and preparation for whatever it is that God wants them to do. Britt and Audrey want to simply hear what Jesus says to do and then do it. May it be so.
Prayer Requests
Pray that we will be obedient to whatever Jesus asks us to do - whether going to 1 or 100,000 or 1,000,000. May we have the finances to accomplish that.
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USA, Mexico, Nicaragua
Jacob and Cassie Hancock are the Missions Directors for Mountain Gateway. Their current assignments are to Central Mexico and Nicaragua planting churches, making disciples, training leaders, and preaching the good news to the lost.
Prayer Requests
Pray for grace to accomplish the call
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MEXICO
Kyle Neese is a full-time missionary with Kaleo International. Kaleo is a church-planting missions organization that goes to hard places and the unreached to plant churches and spread the gospel. He is currently living in Reynosa, Mexico doing missions and ministry. He has been involved with missions off and on for the past few years, working with YWAM and Iris Ministries. He has been going to places such as South Sudan, Honduras, Mexico, and multiple places in Europe, but is now planted full-time in Reynosa.
His main ministry is firstly strategizing for Kaleo International (the main Kaleo international base is in Reynosa) and assisting the leader of the organization, Joshua Muse. He also ministers with the Local Kaleo Church in Reynosa as well as leading worship and evangelizing.
He will also travel monthly within Mexico, or to other countries, with Joshua Muse to unreached tribes and nations not open to the gospel to break ground, share the gospel, and help plant local churches. Joshua also travels to places such as the United States, Europe, Africa, and Latin America to go to conferences to inspire others to become missionaries, as well as lead people in encounters with God.
Kyle is astounded by what God has done and is doing in Mexico and with unreached tribes across the world. He is also excited about what God will continue to do!Prayer Requests
Pray for protection when going to unreached people groups as well as when going to nations that are not open to Jesus or the Gospel.
Pray that the hearts of the people encountered would be open to receiving Jesus!
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MEXICO
Morgan Sanders joined Mountain Gateway in 2022 and serves advancing the Kingdom through administration and supporting missionaries on the field in Central America. She has nations in her heart, but she doesn’t look like a traditional “missionary.” Morgan works as a scribe for Mountain Gateway, recording what Jesus is doing on the earth today and sharing it with the world through various media forms.
Prayer Requests
Pray for the Lord to give Morgan wisdom for administration and how to best support Mountain Gateway missionaries.
Pray that she would remain humble, teachable, and obedient to the call on her life.
Pray for the people who read the words she writes to have open hearts and radical encounters with Jesus.
Pray for favor and finances to accomplish whatever Jesus asks of her.
Pray for the Kingdom to advance in Central America and beyond.
Europe
Iceland
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Iceland
The Erlingsson's are a family learning what it means to say YES to God in beautiful Iceland. After years of working in community and church ministry in Huntsville, Alabama, Bjarni and Jenny followed the call of God to serve and live in Iceland. After two years in the north of Iceland, they now make their home in Eyrarbakki, Iceland. From the ministry base of their Gróðurhúsið (The GreenHouse) they connect with and encourage local Christian leaders, speak and teach in various churches, and find ways to love their community to Christ. This home not only houses their family but hosts gatherings, small groups, visiting teams, and missionary/ministry workers. Their heart is to love Iceland well by lifting the arms of believers and being the hands and feet of Jesus to the surrounding community.
Prayer Requests
Pray for continued wisdom as we minister in Iceland.
Pray for strength and encouragement for churches and Christian leaders.
Pray for open doors and boldness to share the Gospel.
Pray that members of the government church will have authentic encounters with Christ.
Pray for continued provision to pay off and complete the Greenhouse so that we can steward this ministry base well.
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Pastors of Loftstofan Baptistakirkja, Reykjavík, Iceland
Gunnar and Svava serve in Reykjavík, Iceland seeking to know Jesus and make him known. Gunnar focuses on praying, preaching, gathering, and reaching at Loftstofan and any place that will allow him to talk about Jesus, while Svava focuses on music and 1-on-1 discipleship with women. Together they host the Radio show Trú og Líf and are passionate about producing more content for Radio and online projects to reach people and equip believers. They aim to help inform minds, seek God's grace to transform hearts, and equip hands for the work of the ministry so that God would be glorified in Iceland.
Prayer Requests
Pray for our marriage to reflect the love of Christ to His church.
Pray for our kids, that they would know, love, serve, and adore Jesus.
Pray for Salómon, our son, and his upcoming surgery on his spine, and continue prayer for full healing.
Pray for our church; that the attacks of the enemy would not work to stop us from being passionate about knowing Jesus, making Him known, and loving each other in the unity of the Spirit.
National
Partners
Working with immigrant communities
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Dearborn, Michigan, US
Intercultural MissionsTrey and Becky Hancock have lived in Dearborn, Michigan since 1987. They are Assemblies of God US-Intercultural appointed missionaries, sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the goal of planting churches among Arab Muslims. In 1999 the Lord began to deal with their heart about planting a church in town. On the Sunday before Memorial Day 2000 they began meeting in their home to establish a church. They began by inviting their friends and neighbors to a meal and a time of worship and studying God’s Word. The Lord has been faithful and Springwells Church, is planted and growing.
Our objective is to reach our community which is 97% Arab Muslim. It is the largest concentration of Arabic- speaking people in the world outside the Middle East. People from Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen are the main people groups. Dearborn is one of the most strategic cities in the world for the Gospel. This area is crucial to a worldwide movement of the Holy Spirit. Michigan has been targeted by Islam to be the first Islamic state in the United States, and Dearborn has long been a pulse point toward that goal. Dearborn must be realized as a strategic mission field. The focus is sharpening toward a major population of unreached people living in our country where evangelism is legal and accessible. Yemen is a country with very few missionaries if any. The AoG, at this time, has no missionaries in Yemen. Dearborn has a high population of Yemeni and the LORD is moving. Our prayer is that the new believers will take it “back home” to their families and country. Would that it be God’s heart to plant another church here that will cross the boundary to Yemen. Trey and Becky are NOW preparing for the next generation by training young adults with the call to minister the Gospel to Muslim people groups and plant churches. Springwell’s Intercultural Ministry Center (SpringwellsIMC.com) prepares college interns, ChiAlpha teams, and mission associates with a call to Muslim contexts.Prayer Requests
Pray for the conviction of sin that leads to repentance- they need to realize they are lost.
Pray that the Lord would raise up more laborers to continue the work of the Kingdom here- that the training center would produce young ones with a selfless heart to go plant churches or stay to plant churches here in Dearborn.
Pray that blindness and deception would be removed- vain imaginations that have exalted themselves would implode.
Pray for God to move in power and manifest the authority of Jesus in signs and wonders! Pray for boldness in proclamation.
Pray for unity in the believers.
Pray that Muslim background believers would love each other and be in unity to show His life.
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Pastors of One Voice Fellowship
Chris Sicks is the church planter of One Voice Fellowship, a multi-lingual church focused on helping our new neighbors acclimate and discover the truth and love of Jesus.
Naomi is from Huntsville, where she lived and worked in Lincoln Village, then left to serve as a missionary in Haiti, before becoming a single foster mom to her special-needs nephew.
Chris lost his first wife, Sara, to breast cancer. Now Naomi and Chris have the joy of raising Chris' three children plus Naomi's nephew whom they have adopted.Prayer Requests
Pray for David (21) who is in a life skills program in Texas for young adults with autism.
Pray for Naomi and Chris as they juggle a sometimes-overwhelming workload as church planters: that they will find rest, balance, and a daily filling of the Spirit!
Asia &
Middle East
For the protection of our
Global Workers, we are
unable to share details
God may ask some of you to GO overseas as a global missionary, but we know He is asking all of us to:
PRAY for nations in the parts of the world where people do not have access to the Good News about Jesus.
FUND missions globally by living more simply and financially supporting missionaries monthly or by giving to Rock Missions to help missionaries complete projects that will help build His kingdom.
HELP mobilize people to the mission field as an advocate for global missionaries.
GO on a short-term mission trip with one of our Rock Missions teams.
WELCOME people from foreign countries who live right in your neighborhood or in our city by building a friendship with them and sharing your faith with them.
We all have a part to play in reaching the unreached around the world and we want to help you discover your role. As you grow in your faith and are exposed to different missions opportunities, your heart may resonate with one or more areas. We know that God will direct you as you lean into Him. If you already know that you are called to serve God overseas someday, please share that with us; we would love to meet with you. If you are not sure of your role, obey God in whatever He asks you to do now and get involved with our local outreaches through Sharing Good News!