Ministries Making a Difference Ministries investing in the next generation

A pastor in Bakersfield, California, is ministering to inner city youth through his boxing program. Peter Baker was a competitive boxer before coming to Christ at age 20. Now, as part of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department activity league, Baker runs a boxing gym where 70 kids train weekly. All the assistant coaches have come to Christ since training with Baker, and have brought their families to Alta Vista AG, where Baker pastors. The program’s success prompted the Sheriff’s Activity League to add weight lifting, honor guard, cheer, soccer and crafting to its program options.

Josiah Venture is celebrating its “most fruitful year of ministry to date” in 2024. With its mission to engage young people across Central and Eastern Europe with the Bible and equip them for Christian leadership, Josiah Venture “invested in” 7,749 leaders across 753 local churches in 16 countries. More than 1,000 young people made professions of faith in Christ. In Ukraine alone, the ministry hosted 36 evangelistic camps—its largest number to date—which resulted in 283 professions of faith. Josiah Venture has 4 stars and an “A” transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a donor confidence score of 93.

The Church of the Nazarene in Kampala, Uganda, is using sports to engage young people in the South Sudanese refugee community. The league organizes tournaments and leagues, and uses times of physical training to also facilitate discipleship opportunities through relationships, Bible studies, and prayer sessions. The Church of the Nazarene also recognizes how sports, especially in a Christian environment, can foster personal growth and community bonds.

East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) is preparing its students for Christian service with “on the job” training. By requiring students to volunteer with a selection of nonprofits, churches, schools and agencies for 12 hours per semester, ETBU’s Great Commission Center offers guidance and training in various domestic and international missions settings.

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