On Missions with Bo Myers | The Sandhurst Podcast

In this episode, Bo Myers shares his journey from a career in law enforcement to answering God's call to missions. This episode discusses the missions strategy at Sandhurst and highlights the local and global agencies that we are currently partnered with.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right. Welcome to the Sandhurst Podcast, Beyond Sunday. We want to equip the Saints to think biblically about God, life, and culture so that our faith goes beyond Sunday. All right, Bo, what everybody else doesn't know but might enjoy hearing is we're about to start the podcast and uh Michaela O'Shields, our uh podcast producer, she said we got to hit the pause button because my hair did not look good. I would agree with that. Dang it. Yeah. Glad you got it fixed. So I I actually had some stuff, some like some product that I just put in my hair. So um I feel embarrassed about that. But um So you don't know this.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

About two weeks ago, I used some of your product in my beard. Yeah, I snuck it in.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

You so you know what drawer it's in? It was on the table. Oh, it's on the table. I I only use it on Sundays. Apparently, now I'm podcast too. So I got that I got that hat just in case. All right. Uh good Jaguars. So uh Bo, welcome. Usually we have Adam here, but it's missions month. And so we're gonna change things up a little bit for us uh this month during Missions Month. And uh kind of big picture, the reason for it is this uh missions has been a big part of Sandhurst since the beginning. And uh it's not just like a Sandhurst thing, it's a Bible thing, it's a heart of God thing. Lost people matter to God. That's what we've been talking about in church. It's just you can't read the Bible and not see that. And um but during the month of June, we give special attention to that. And behind the the the happenings and the doings of missions at Sandhurst, there are people who are at the helm who are leading it. And you are our missions pastor. How long have you been on staff now? A couple weeks short of three years. Okay. So almost three years. We can call it three years. Yeah, let's call it. Uh but at Sandhurst for a lot longer than that, yeah?

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Yes. Yeah. So we've been our family's been attending here for I'd say close to 22 years and um been on staff originally, uh part-time men's pastor probably five or six years. Uh served as a a deacon years ago, served on the elder board just before taking this full-time position. So we've been we've been around.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

All right. And so before you were on staff, you were CSI, finding the bad guys, you know, all the stuff. And part of what I want to hear this morning, uh, or in the podcast, is how do you go from that CSI, you know, crime scene stuff, to now you're working at a church trying to win the lost? Uh I'm interested to hear that story. So um this podcast is going to be less about equipping us to think biblically about God, life, and culture and more of just like a let's get to know the people who are leading the charge at Sandhurst. So more of a get to know you thing. Um, and and the hope there is that as you get to know the people who are leading the thing, we can be more um on board with what's happening. And the thing. And that's what that's what we want to do. That's good. All right. Um, so I want to hear a little bit about your story. I want to hear a little bit about the mission strategy at Sandhurst. Like what are we doing? And um would also love to hear about some opportunities that exist for missions at Sandhurst. Um, so let's uh give a little bit of context and then I want to hear a little bit about your story. Um we're in missions month, we were in 1 Corinthians 9, and 1 Corinthians 9 22 says that Paul says, I've become all things to all people, so that by all means I might save some. Um Paul was motivated to win people to Jesus. And winning people to Jesus wasn't just a Paul thing, that was a heart, that's a heart of God thing. And um, and heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. And so if if one is enough for heaven to rejoice, one is enough for me to pursue. So out of this um win sort of um passion that's growing, we've decided, all right, we should choose one person, like one unbeliever that we want to win to Jesus and really go at it with um daily prayer, right? With at least monthly relationship and um and quarterly truth. So I'm I want to hear from you, Bo. I think I've heard some people who have uh some fears attached to like putting a label on somebody, they're my one. What if what if you're at church and and you're my one and then the pastor starts talking about you know, I hope you brought your one today. And then what if you you're my one? You ask me, am I your one? What should I say? All right, so but what what thoughts you got there?

SPEAKER_01 4:40

I think if if I realize that I was your one, there better be lunch after with a lot of meat. That's it. That's it. I can see where that could be awkward. Um, you know, we we know within the church language what our goals are uh to win the loss. And it the the population outside of the church may not realize that. Um or they may have run from a different church and and don't don't kind of connect on that being a thing. So I can I can certainly get that it'd be uncomfortable, you know, if I'm sitting in church and hearing this um as we've shared for for weeks, um, that this is who are we out to win, you know, who's your one, all this stuff, and especially this month. But um I I don't know if I have a a solid answer for it, um, but to be up front and you know, uh hopefully that was part of that relationship that helped you choose that one, helped you choose me to bring to church, and then the relationship between us becomes the main thing instead of me being, you know, a a checklist off of your, you know, off of your church to-dos.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Right. Yeah, your project. Church project. Yeah. Uh yeah. So two thoughts come to mind for for that. One is what can the church expect from its leadership in terms of uh the the one? Uh what you can expect from me and us is to be sensitive to the sphere. And what I would never do, and just it's not gonna happen, is where you would introduce your friend to me and me be like, oh, is this your one? I just no introductions or conversations are going to use this language. Okay, so you can expect that from the leadership. We're not gonna use that language conversationally. Okay, that's that's one thing. Um also we we'd want to be um, you know, the the church service, the the the worship service is, we believe, for saints. But we also understand that there are people who aren't believers who are there too. So while I want to um to speak to saints and to exhort saints to choose one, I also want to be really um considerate and mindful that for the saints in the church, some of them might have their one with them. And so the way I speak about it, I just want it to I I want it to be uh really considerate of that fear. Okay, so I'm not gonna in in introductions, I'm not gonna ask, is this your one? And when we're talking about it, we're gonna be mindful of it. If somebody did say, wait, so are you my one? I really liked yesterday what David said in the sermon um when he said, Why did you invite me? Right. Do you remember what his answer was? What what the guy's answer was? Because God cares about you. And then he said, Well, why? And he said, Because God is interested in you. And that would be language for me. Um if if somebody was like, Are you my one? I think I would say um I'm interested in you knowing Jesus as my friend. That's it. Uh that that's that could come out of my mouth. We're we're not gonna lie, we're not gonna try to be deceptive. Uh we also don't want bit make people to feel like they're a project. Point it out. Uh but we're also just gonna tell the truth. So if if it's true that I'm interested in them and in them knowing Jesus, then I'll just say that. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

And hopefully it won't be that, you know, yes, you're my one, but I don't care very much about you, but I need the church has asked us to do this. So hopefully there is a genuine interest, and you'd be able to answer it that way.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Dang straight. Hopefully there's a genuine interest. And that's why we go to First Thessalonians 2. You have become very dear to me. Um, I can't wait to see your face. You are my joy and glory and crown of exaltation. Like that that's uh that's language of someone who like really cares. So um, not project stuff. All right. Well, that's um kind of how we got to missions month. Now we're in missions month. Got this theme of a win, and you were at the the front of the pack in terms of missions at Sandhurst. And uh, but that's not your background. It's not like you grew up as a missionary or a missionary kid or something like that. Uh most of your professional career is law enforcement. That's right. So I want to hear the story of how you went from showing up to crime scenes and figuring out who who done it and to now being part of a church that is trying to send out saints to win the lost.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

It's a great story. God is at the center of it. Um and I think and I and I don't think that that's a a church answer. Uh there were many times where um, you know, I had to just rely on my trust in God and trusting that he would keep me safe in different environments. But um I did have the it was really a true blessing to be in the crime scene unit with Florence Police Department for as long as I was. And even transitioning from that to the county coroner's office as an assistant coroner um was a was a blessing. I I treated both as ministry opportunities, not uh not work, but and when I released myself to be able to to let God use me, he he did. And um, you know, that that turned into several different things. There was obviously with the crime scene, it's not just um you know, white collar stuff. And there, I mean, I saw some, you know, some pretty bad and pretty ugly things. Um homicides, suicides, rapes, just you know, the the unknowns that you kind of have to trust the evidence to to piece together. And through a lot of that, it put me in front of victims, uh families of victims. It also put me in front of suspects. And um, you know, some of the suspects were in handcuffs between a car and the jail. Some of them were handcuffed to a hospital bed that I had to go collect evidence. And I think that's really where my my faith in God kicked in to to just be outspoken for him.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

That's really compelling. Um which which one was harder for you? The CSI stuff, the crime scene, you know, figuring it out, or the assistant coroner and showing up to um I mean, how does that work? You you or how many people, how many coroners? At that time, there's there's one elected coroner, two assistant coroners. And so between the three of you, you would show up to every single death that happened in Florence County that wasn't in a hospital? Is that how it worked? That's that's exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Every single anything that was not under a doctor's care. So hospice patients in homes, uh, we didn't, we got notified, but we didn't have to go. And uh the only time we needed to investigate any of that is if there was any kind of red flags or concerns that were shared with us, uh, but we wouldn't be on those scenes. Everything else we were on the scene for.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Okay. Which was harder for you emotionally, just kind of caused more kind of turmoil turmoil in your heart, the the crime scene stuff or the corner stuff? That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

The consistency of the investigation was always there. Um it was still trying to figure out maybe maybe in crime scene was more what happened and who did it, where on the coroner side it was mainly ha what happened. You know, what did it, like what was the cause of death, what was the manner of death, because I'd say in crime scene on the you know, we investigated most every crime, not all were deaths, but of the deaths I'd say um you know eighty percent were by someone else's hand and and not um natural. So at the coroner's office, a hundred percent of my investigations were deaths. And of those, I'd say that eighty percent were natural. And but the you know, the training, the experience that I had had had through the police department, the crime scene unit, equipped me to be able to decipher evidence, talk to people, kind of put put the stories together that that made sense and uh follow the evidence that said, you know, it was it was not a medically natural death and then kind of steer the the investigation. So a lot of that was similar. I think be looking back at those percentages, crime scene was probably more difficult because there was the um albeit I I I feel like I had a ministry mindset in that environment, but there was so much of the the high percentage of just hate against other people. Whether it was a you know, a house break in where nobody was there, nobody got hurt, there was still hate involved. Um and that that level of of societal sin probably was heavier than the investigations through the coroner's office. Now there was you know a lot of a lot of dark um feelings, a lot of dark investigations and and needs that had to be done uh through both of them.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

This was actually before I knew you well, but you did some sort of presentation, I think, for a homeschool group or something about how you guys like solve a case, and I was amazed at the kinds of things that I mean the stuff that you talked about, pictures and everything, it was very similar to what you see in like a TV show, and um crazy. So I've I've learned learned some things from you, I learned some vocabulary. If if anybody wants to know, blood doesn't splatter, it spatters. It is blood spatter, spatter. And if you say your blood splattered, that would be incorrect. Incorrect. All right, so I've learned some things. Um I I'm really curious to know from the corner side, you show up. How how long after somebody's passing would you guys usually show up? And then what what are what's kind of like your game plan? Is you first go into the family, you first who you first go into. What are your first words? What is what what is that like?

SPEAKER_01 15:16

That's good. I'm gonna squeeze in a comment because it's gonna um really steer my reputation away when you mentioned a lot of what it what I shared was in line with the TV show. Um some things are, most are not. Um, and that this was throughout my career that was always a solid answer. It's like it's not like TV because we do put time and effort. Uh we have a lot of the same um tools to use. Um, but what TV doesn't get into is the the agony of the process, the criminal justice system, the court system, dealing with you know, investigators and families and all that stuff. So it and and it's not in a a nice neat one hour long uh presentation. So I just had to say that. And it doesn't go dun dun. No, no, no sound effects, no I figured out the the cause. But I need to say that to to anybody that's watching that would say, wait, he always said don't. Yeah, well, that's a good clarification. But that's that's the real reality. Um as far as you know, any any investigation, we we oh well here's another non-TV thing. So we didn't jump out of the car with our camera around our neck and ready to go and then jump on the first piece of evidence. Um I never had that much trust for anybody to point out and say, this is what happened. I was like, okay, let me, you know, let me step in and do what I need to. But we would make an assessment, talk to any of the witnesses, and most of the time with the coroner's office it was families that would be there, health histories, um, you know, just uh communication, helping them communicate with a with a funeral home if they hadn't uh made that decision, and um really just kind of stepping in as a service to them. And and again, I'll I I'm sure I'll say it a few more times, that to me, my work for those 20 years, um, regardless of my title, what the badge said that that I was, I treated it like a ministry. Um so often my first uh communication with the family was was of condolence, you know, just a sincere condolence. And we do, we you know, we say it you know in the hallway on Sundays too, say, how you doing? I'm good, I'm good. Okay, well that's good. Glad I didn't have to slow down and listen. And that's that's a real thing. Um, and I apologize to anybody that I might have done that to on Sunday. But it's it's a reality to say, oh man, I'm really sorry to hear about whoever. But to really mean it and and lean into the family is one thing that I that I struggled with, but to to set aside my task list, um, and you know me well enough now that I I like a task. Um and but to be able to fold in relationships in that, learn people's families, remember Florence is not that big as we as we look at it. There were multiple times that I had calls to the same family, to the same household, the same address, or you know, a grandparent or an aunt or uncle of somebody that I had investigated before. Um even connecting back to my police department days. So there were, you know, there were just different relationship aspects that needed to be to be balanced.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Yeah. So and and I do think that, you know, when you anybody that you passed on Sunday morning and said, Hey, how you doing, well, I think culturally we understand that that's a greeting, not a question. And that's okay. And that if you answered honestly, one it was a greeting, not a question. But there are there are settings where you're really asking. It is how are you? Yeah. There are there are those appropriate times. Yeah, there's appropriate times to really ask and to really answer. And so you're you're showing up and you're asking questions because there's there's the job element that you gotta get answers, yeah. But then you're really trying to minister to people. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

That was a tough balance too, because I prayed for um for years that God would would build a protection around my heart that I could get my work done. Um, because obviously, you know, here's another thing that's not on TV, the emotions behind it. Um I have uh held hands with with people in the you know seconds from from death. I've when it grotes or anything. I mean I've I've had my hands in and on things that no human ever ought to. There's a lot of weight to that. Um and I did pray that God would build a protection around my heart to to let me get my job done. Because if I couldn't, if my emotions overtook me, I couldn't get the job done. And if I couldn't get the job done, I was not a service to that family. Um so but there were there were times where I would retreat back to the truck and have a long ride home, uh praying to God, crying. Um, but rarely did that ever come out on on a scene, um, even among uh, you know, other colleagues, but certainly not to to a family. But um, but that hardness was was something that I prayed for. God gave me. Um there's you know, we know there's oftentimes we we pray for certain things that we don't ever see. Um God answered that prayer pretty quick in my career. Um He it's been a slower, now I'm praying that He takes that protection off and really gets the stoniness away from my heart to um to really create it flesh again. Um that's a little slower process, um, but he did numerous times protect me through through those years.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

You know, your your heart for people and specifically first responders is huge. And so if we have any first responders um listening, you should know that Bo has huge amounts of respect and care for you. Um so thank you. And thank you, Bo. Uh so somewhere in all this law enforcement stuff uh and caring for people in it, you're like, hmm, I'm gonna start a ministry and hmm, I'm gonna go to seminary, and hmm. So uh what were some of the steps you took from uh being in that to then June bugs care and seminary and uh and then to coming on staff here?

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Okay. Um that is that that's a thread that's got a lot of knots and and twists in it too. We um through my wife Leslie's best friend, we we learned that she was diagnosed with cancer and needed really just needed support from a financial Standpoint of an organization, not just a huge organization, but that's where June Bugs Care started, was to be able to come alongside that family and and generate fundraising events and you know kind of be a go-between instead of people just saying, Oh, I want to give money to this family. Um looking back, we've we learned, I mean, the the best thing, and I would say, you know, if there's an organization that's already out there, absolutely use them. Um the banks now do a great job of having a a trust account that that that can be used for. Um but I I kind of jumped into creating a nonprofit. Um, and we did that through June Bugs Care. Um since then, uh we have, I mean, we've been able to to bless as an organization many families through various fundraisers, uh, ramp buildings, um, really just kind of connecting with and this is all transition or transformational, I guess, through um my work with the police department and learning that that there's populations of people that need things and it's hard for them to get get things. Uh, a lot of that took us to the homeless community, and we were able to pour into that area for a number of years. Somewhere in the middle, I was still at the police department, still in the crime scene. God had put on my heart to um to learn more about the process of ministry. Um, to me, that was seminary. Um I struggled and prayed against what God was was leaning me to, thinking that he was talking to the wrong, I had listened into somebody else's prayer because he wasn't talking to me. Um ministry was going great. I loved what I did at the police department, had no desire to to do anything different. And um, but when I finally shared it with Leslie, she was like, Yeah, that's okay, I see that. Which was not the answer. I wanted her to confirm with me, not with God. Um, but what we you know, what we did, we started seminary together. So over a two-year process in discipleship ministries, uh, church ministry, it wasn't a Bible teaching degree that I ended up with, but I thought I really had had gotten comfort that, okay, so God wants me to be better equipped for our family ministry and then how to talk to others. That's where seminary came in. And in that transition, was I transitioned to the coroner's office, um, still with ministry on my mind, not knowing how long I would spend there, but um knowing that while I was there, I was gonna work for the Lord in that. And and he he put me to work.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

I love it. So now you're here on staff, missions pastor, and so want to talk about now the the missions ministry at Sandhurst. And if you're gonna explain it to somebody who's going, okay, I know that you guys you have a big heart for it, like this is part of who you are. This is from the early days, you know, big part of your budget goes to it. Uh what are you doing? Like, tell me more about it. Give give us give us a a a synopsis of what are you what are we doing in missions at Sandhurst?

SPEAKER_01 25:22

We so I th I think most of our viewers here would would agree that they are aware of Sandhurst founding um on with a huge heart for missions with our with our founding elders. One of the things that we try to maintain as a missions outreach team are the original desires of those founding elders um through the constitution of the church. That we in probably in a sentence, I would say God sends us to make disciples locally and globally until all have heard. And that that is a culmination of several different passages, but to have one thread of our purpose, that's what we want to do. We want to seek the lost. Um we also realize that we we can't do that for everybody. You mentioned that you mentioned that in um in the service yesterday. Yeah. We can't find or pursue everybody. We can't we we can't control everything, but we can make a dent somewhere. And that's what that's what Sandhurst Missions Outreach is here to do, is make a dent somewhere. Fortunately, we've got partnerships around the world that are making little dents in several different places.

SPEAKER_00 26:41

So big picture, uh you said God sends us locally and globally to advance the gospel until all have heard. Something like that. Um that's big picture. This is what was what we're trying to do. You know, if you want to throw a verse at that, Great Commission, right? Matthew 28. Um make disciples of all nations, um, baptizing them, teaching them to obey. Um with you always. The so that's that's big picture. We want to advance the gospel. We want lost people to be found. Uh there's a strategy behind that. Um part part of it is um our partners, part of it is to t tell us more about the strategy.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

Okay. So I'll say so. We're we're committed to that until and some of those passages end with uh and then the end will come, or until the end of the day. Um we I personally, and I feel like us as a church, we are longing for the end to come, uh, for us to be with Jesus. But until he's ready for that, we got work to do. Work. And to do, you know, to do that work, we as a as a missions ministry of Sandhurst, we lean into partnerships. And those partnerships look like individual missionaries, missionary families who are strategically placed around the globe. Uh we also partner with agencies and organizations. Uh sometimes it's better than you know us connecting with one family in one place. Sometimes there are organizations that we can partner with that are like-minded, obviously biblical. We, you know, we would vet all of these and they would need to be, must be in alignment with our beliefs here. Um but those agencies have missionaries in different places doing different things a lot of times. So if you want to call it bang for your buck, then then those are you know, those are good opportunities for us to spread the gospel. It's oftentimes a little less on on us to go physically, but if we're trusting, as as I mentioned, we're we're vetting them ahead of time. They are they are in alignment with with our beliefs, and we're trusting them to for us to to partner with them that they are. They have people on the ground that are doing what we wish we could do in a lot of places that we'll never be able to hit the ground in.

SPEAKER_00 29:07

Yeah, and I think that's important to to note in terms of like bang for your buck. It's it's like even more than bang for your buck, but it's like it's it's like a different currency in terms of there are certain things that we cannot do, certain places that we cannot access. But there are mission there are ministries, there are agencies that have people who are either native or indigenous, and they do have access in ways that we don't. So it's not just kind of like you know, some business uh, you know, looking for the the ROI in terms of we're trying to go, okay, what is what is the most strategic for advancing the gospel? And and I I could be wrong here, and uh let you kind of correct me or push back on this. It seems to me that there has been a shift in terms of mission strategy over the last few decades. So that in the 50s and 60s you have these inspiring missionaries, uh these stories of uh you know, Peace Child of you know, the five uh missionaries who were speared in Ecuador. And then in the 70s and 80s, you have these books that get written about them. And then in the early 90s, you get all these people who are like fired up to go do that. And and that's awesome. Uh and now and and part of the reason why it seems to me that it worked is because especially in a post-World War II era, uh, Americans still are viewed as, in some ways, heroes, you know? Save the day. Right. And we broke the mess. Yeah. Uh and now I think it seems like globally things have shifted, and to be an American doesn't give you the same sort of positive edge that it used to. And so what do we do now? And and part of the strategy has been, I think, less n not not to say that the this is not part of it, but less, you know, west to the rest, as some have said. Uh but more, okay, who are the people who are on the ground already doing it? And how can we get on board with what they're doing in their location with their people and fan that flame by funding ministries that are training pastors or um th those sorts of things. Uh does that seem like in line with kind of the strategy that you see, or um how would you tweak that?

SPEAKER_01 31:26

No, I I I gotta get hand it to you. I don't have to tweak it at all because I I think you've been, you know, you've been aside missions long enough and probably heard some of the the rumblings of of changes and the needs to change for a while. For I mean, from your upbringing church, um they you know, they know it too. But that's a that's a that's a great perspective on the change that it is. We as Westerners and specifically as as Americans, um we're not equipped um to fix everything, to go and change everything. Oftentimes now with just societal uh boundaries, we we're not welcome to go. Um and a lot of that is just kind of reciprocal um governments versus governments, and uh even in even in peacetimes, I mean there doesn't have to be a war going on. Um but when we decide to to make it harder for somebody to come into our country, a lot of times they reciprocate and say, Okay, well we'll make it hard for you to get there. Which is not only tourists or visiting families, it's mission work. Um that's just another block, another roadblock that we've got to to encounter. And to get around that, a lot of these organizations, or if we know missionaries that have been on the ground in these areas and that that are allowed to stay, uh primarily they've they've they're nationals, is what we call those. They've grown up there, they're from there, they know the culture, the customs, the languages, and to come alongside and partner with somebody like that is much more valuable to do than to spend time and train somebody up to go to this particular area who will probably not be allowed in. And if we're allowed in, we it'll take us a while to to build and learn their culture there. So we that is definitely a a change over the last few decades that we are I think the Western Church is finally getting on board with and really realizing how we can support the call to win the lost in that area and that we we don't feel like we have to do it ourselves as much.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

So I want to be clear here on what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that there's no place for Western missionaries. That's right. I'm not saying that at all. In fact, one of the things that I've been praying for, we've been praying for as a staff is that actually out of missions month this year, that God would put it on somebody's heart to take the gospel to people where it currently isn't or where there's less access. So really uh we believe that there's still a place for that. Absolutely. But shifting away from a, you know, we need to be the saviors west to the rest and saying, let's still send people, but let's be really strategic and intentional about partnering with people who are already in those locations uh with their people and training them to be able to reach their people. Absolutely. Um okay, so I want to ask two questions followed up to that. One question, give us uh a little taste of some of the agencies that we currently partner with that you're just like, dude, see, let me let me tell you about this and that we kind of flesh it out for us a little bit. And second, I want to hear about short-term mission trips. How did they fit into this? And um yeah, so let's start with agencies. What tell us about one or two agencies that we currently support and uh why you believe in them and kind of the the difference that they're making, the gospel dent that they're making.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

Yeah, there there are some agencies that are making a bigger dent than others. Um and we are just we're blessed to be able to partner alongside um Operation Mobilization, uh commonly known as OM. Uh they're in our backyard here in Florence with the the North American Ship's Office and the Book Warehouse. Um they are they are putting dents all over the globe uh through their ships ministries, and then OM in general has many, many countries where they have ministry going on that's not connected to the ship. So that combination, we you know, Europe is one area that that's one of our we call them strategic partners. Um that's an area that is that is post-Christian, that we are partnering with them to to help them make that dent throughout Europe. Um that's OM is one. Um we had a guest this weekend from Haggai International. Um we have offered many a few gifts, financial gifts, um, which have really turned into relationship uh opportunities. Um they've you know they do a lot of training and and hard-to-reach places that again we would most likely not physically go to, but we trust that they are and have been for a while. That's another. Um one of the little shout out for sponsorship of um the mug is um Alteco, uh specifically through the Three Waves movement and South America, the lowlands and Amazon region of South America. They really were were our first strategic partner because it really put the what the perspective that you had mentioned a minute ago, the shift in what global missions looks like and our role in it, really we were able to see what it looked like, not just a slideshow or a report or a book, but actually see it happen on the ground where we, as the the Western missionaries, would go in and make connections with the nationals and then empower the nationals to reach their own indigenous, and then the next step or the for them the third wave is for the indigenous to reach other indigenous. And that is that is multiplication of the gospel like like never you know, it it was just on the forefront. But we're seeing that not only in South America, but throughout the world now in different in different areas. So there is a I mean the three waves movement is a is for us at Sandhurst is is kind of tagged through Alteco and our relationship in South America, but that three waves model is happening, you know, is happening more and more in different places.

SPEAKER_00 37:45

Yeah, so you mentioned uh OM ships or OM kind of broader than that. You mentioned Haggai International, who we just heard from this past Sunday. You mentioned Alteco and the three waves movement. Uh tell us a little bit about 1040 Hope.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

1040 Hope is is a newer uh strategic partner, very similar to Haggai International as far as the the partners, the training that they have on the ground in the 1040 window, they they are only focused on the 1040 window. Um again kind of goes back to we we can't be everywhere, so where and they they feel that too, they can't be everywhere, but where they are, they're making a huge impression. Uh 1040 Hope is a is a newer um ministry organization, and feel like we feel like we can um go back to say bang for the buck or return on investment. We feel like our partnership with 1040 Hope is um strategic in a way where we have some missions experience that could benefit them. They have some leadership opportunities on in different parts of the 1040 window that could benefit us and our ministry and that we can do ministry well together.

SPEAKER_00 38:57

All right. Is is there intentionality, I mean, betw between if you have OM, Europe, Alteco, South America, Haggai, you know, he talked about the basically the global south and then 1040 window. Is there was there kind of intentionality behind those locations or is that just kind of how it worked out?

SPEAKER_01 39:19

No, there the intentionality initially was to uh to have a strategic partner in basically each continent of the world, um, but even further than that, where the where the most need is. And the need looks different in Africa than it does in South America. It looks different in Europe than it does South Asia. Um, but to be strategic in that area where we want to be able to sit back and look at a map and say, okay, so we personally know as a church what's happening there and who who is in these areas. Uh so it would be more global, and these are just these are regions of the globe that we want to impact.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

Okay. Um, all right, so I want to drill down on this a little bit more because I really want to get a sense of what is the nature of this gospel dent that these are making. And we might have to cut this part out. I'm not really sure, but can we share it like between those between our strategic partners, how much money is going out on a yearly basis? Just ballpark. I would say eleven thousand dollars a month. A month. Okay. Eleven thousand dollars a month between uh just our strategic partners. Um man, thank you, church.

SPEAKER_01 40:40

Yeah. Um absolutely thankful because that's not I mean that that money is real. Um ministry costs money. Um and a lot of these, especially the harder it is to get to somewhere, the price goes up tremendously. Um but yeah, I mean money money is a real thing, and those are real dollars making an impact in in places that we we never thought that we could get into, or because of the the global mission shift, we may have been thrown out of.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Yeah. All right, so let's drill down between those organizations or agencies. Uh I want I want to get a better sense w of what one of like maybe just a story or something, what they are actually doing that made a gospel dent. Like I understand OM goes and they, you know, have basically a floating library, and I understand Hackeye uh raising up leaders who aren't necessarily pastors. Um, I understand the three waves, I understand it big picture, but I really want to get a like a more practical. Oh, I get it now. Like, is there a story or anything that comes to mind that you could say, well, this miss agency does this, and that's how the gospel dent gets made. It's not just a training or anything come to mind there?

SPEAKER_01 42:04

Yeah, um, there's a couple things. Uh with uh Alteco specifically, their reach is is focused in South America, uh the Amazon lowlands, and and that's been going on for for decades. And uh by our because of our partnership, that has been able to help Alteco help the Three Waves Movement, which is just it's a consortium of indigenous leaders throughout the Amazon. And we've through while they're not dependent on the the Western money, um our partnership has taught the Indigenous leadership how to create funding, how to have work opportunities that fund their ministry, and it really empowered them to do their own training um and and have you know just support for because somebody reached into their indigenous culture, they are empowered to reach into somebody else's indigenous culture.

SPEAKER_00 43:09

And so that's happening right now, or it's about to happen in July with the women's conference.

SPEAKER_01 43:13

It absolutely is. The first from the best that we know historically, this is the first time that there's been an add an Indigenous women's conference that has taken place. Um this is this is phenomenal. And because of our partnership with the Three Waves Movement through Alteco, we've had um an invitation to to watch this and be encouragers and not to go do the training, not to go take money down there for them to use, but for us to see what this relationship has has turned into over these years. And that I think that's a tremendous value for for our church.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 43:58

Another opportunity that may Makes me think we've got, you know, we learned this weekend we won't share any of the names um publicly, but through a gift with Hagai International, we've actually been um I guess assigned or partnered with two leaders uh in their area in that 1040 window that that really we can connect with as partners. And again, those are, you know, as we mentioned earlier in the agencies using the agencies, these are nationals to these particular areas, and we can take part in training them. Uh little different than so they're essentially indigenous as well, being nationals. Um, but there's there's a level that it's that's shifting from the the the Western need of what our finances do, and through their model, they have to raise their own funds. Um they will not show up anywhere and ask for money from a Western organization or a Western church. And that's all part of you know part of their training. Um our partnership with 1040 Hope has allowed a few of us to go to a leadership training in Egypt later this year. Um and those were doors that were just open to us for for partnership and relational reasonings. Uh I don't know yet if we're gonna have any kind of role in any of the leadership trainings or the conferences, or if we're gonna kind of be um, you know, just around the room and envisioning what's going on. Uh, but that that's the beginning of this relationship looks looks like us um a small team of us strategically picked going to um an international training in Egypt.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

All right. So the the mission strategy at least encompasses uh sending people to advance the gospel where it currently it's not that there's no access necessarily, but there's less access and partnering with agencies that can go places that we can't go. Is that a is that a fair way to summarize what we're trying to do? That's good.

SPEAKER_01 46:08

A lot of what we say within the missions outreach team is we want to to mobilize, care, evaluate, and grow. Um and those are the whether they're individual missionaries or agencies that we're looking at, we want to be able to do that. We want to mobilize our people, uh, we want to care for them well, and then um obviously with any partnership we want to evaluate or re-evaluate to make sure first that they're in alignment with us, and if there's any any adjustments that need to be made, then we we have the liberty to do that. And then through all of that kind of points to that growth, that we are growing the kingdom um through these these avenues. One of those avenues you'd asked a minute ago about um short-term trips. Um that's a way for us to get our church and get our people here in front of some of these missionaries and and agencies and organizations to come alongside of them what they're doing on the ground when while we're here. Um so uh we've really been able to lean into short-term trips pretty heavily. Um and I think we've we've kind of grown into a little uh a consistency of you know likely places that we can go for various things. Uh we're not always gonna show up and put a roof on um a building or build, you know, build something um somewhere. A lot of times our trips are gonna be care and um just really coming alongside of what they're already doing. And we will use our relationship ahead of time to find out what they need. Uh, because again, like we're we're we don't want to go in and fix everything. Uh a lot of times we want to go in and and and just encourage and empower. Um and sometimes that takes some finances, uh, but we want to lean into what they need um instead of us packing up a lot of stuff and going fixing something, getting back on the plane and coming back home and leaving them scratching their heads about why, you know, why we did a particular something that that wasn't in alignment with what they're already doing.

SPEAKER_00 48:14

Yeah. And and I think that that speaks to what has become a uh an unfortunate but real um characterization of short-term mission trips, and that is a bunch of unqualified people going to do things uh that we could just pay the locals to do to paint the church, to put a new roof on. And it's like, well, couldn't you just do a lot more like you could serve the people a lot better instead of spending all that money to send your own people who don't know how to bag them put a roof on, just pay the locals to do it and you help the economy, help the people there. So there's that sort of uh critique of short-term trips, and you're part of the shift that that you're making is going, okay, we're not so much sending short-term trips to go do a thing uh that you could take a bunch of pictures of and be like, here's what we did, here's the wall we painted, here's the you know, the the camp that we did. Um it's more here are the people who are working there all the time that we spent time with and tried to encourage. And that way, I mean you said it a couple weeks ago in a uh in the gathering. You said we do short-term trips for one reason, relationships, relationships, relationships, relationships. Yeah. And uh in some ways, that's harder to take a picture of and really celebrate, you know, look what we did. Uh but no less strategic, and I would say more strategic um to the longevity of actually like gospel impact, the people who are already there, knowing them, what would serve you? Not like what what can we do that would be awesome for a picture and a slideshow? What would serve you? How can we encourage you? All right, here we come.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

It is oftentimes more difficult because you know, it doesn't when we when we put uh put ourselves out there to say, how can we serve you? When can we serve you? It doesn't fit into our calendar like you know, maybe like in in decades past that it did where we said, okay, so we've got our spring break is this week, we're going somewhere. Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter what we're gonna do. Um it's it's not that that neat and clean a lot of times. Um it's oftentimes too for our team members who are uh generating financial support to go on this trip, the the why is really important, but the why now might be a little different than it was 30 years ago when the folks that they're asking for funding actually went on a trip. So they know the impact, but the why is like, oh, so you're gonna be on the sidewalk sharing the gospel. No, not really. We're gonna be uh holding a workshop to encourage people on the ground wherever we're going to do that if that's their ministry. Um also whatever their ministry is, we want to be able to support that. That doesn't look as good in a you know in a fundraising letter. Um, but it's it's every bit of truth. Because we want to be the heroes, man. That's it. But it's you know, the I think what what the big change is is um we gotta realize that it's ministry. And ministry is not neat and clean. Ministry is ugly and dirty sometimes. Ministry is is leaving our area and getting it, you know, if they're in a ditch trying to dig themselves out, it's us being in that ditch with them. Um we do that through um friendships and relationships here at church, um, at your church. But it it but it is uh it's the other side of that conversation in the hallway where it's just a greeting. Because when you know somebody, you can pull them to the side, maybe not even on Sunday, maybe on a Tuesday, maybe in the office if you you know if you're coworkers. But to ask them and look them in the eye and say, How are you? What's going on? What do you need? And you already know because you got a relationship built. And that that's really the direction that I that I feel led to go because I've had to do that on on the street with a lot of guys um for years. And I think with you know, God doesn't waste anything. I had fr since nine years old, I was gonna be a cop and I was gonna retire a cop and you know, just do all the things that that you know cops do with their lives and stuff like that. Um but I met Jesus and gave my life to him and asked him, All right, so what's what's on your plan? He was gracious enough to let me have twenty years in a dream career. Um he's also gracious enough to pull me out of that. I have to trust it was it was his timing and put me into a ministry opportunity where um I could use that career and really learn how to protect people that are in in places that need protecting, as far as if that means we don't put your face on the screen during um during a a telecast service, then we're not gonna do that. If that means that I can't put your picture and information on the church website, it's not gonna happen. Um if that means supporting you in a different way that doesn't um you know cause any kind of concerns or anything for for our partners on the ground or those that partner with them, we're gonna take those measures. Yeah. And that doesn't look neat and clean.

SPEAKER_00 53:58

Yeah. We're trying to serve them. What serves you, and we'll do that. I like that. All right. Um, well, let's let's close out talking about a few opportunities that we have coming up in terms of short term. And maybe if you could give just a short little synopsis on what is the need that we've heard from them, like how are we going to serve them? Um and would love to hear about that. I'll I'll start with just with missions month and what we're doing here. We have 9 a.m. where we're hearing from different missionaries. Uh, we heard from John and Lynn this past Sunday. Yeah. I was moved. Wow. Um long obedience in the same direction. That that is them. Right.

SPEAKER_01 54:37

And you're talking about hard stuff.

SPEAKER_00 54:39

Man, it was good. Yeah. I was moved. Um we have 1015 speakers. We have our biggest local outreach that we do, power-up clubs kicking off this coming Sunday night. Put this here for the website. It's called the plug for the schedule. I saw that taped around everywhere. It's low. It's low. And uh yeah, so we got Power Up Clubs kicking off this technically, technically, technically this Monday. Yeah. Uh but we have our worship night uh that's part of it all on uh Sunday night, this coming Sunday. And um we got short-term trips that are coming up. I know we got uh we got the Clarkston. Tell us about that. Tell us tell us the trips that are coming up and just a brief little synopsis on uh how many people can we bring and what what needs are we trying, how are we trying to serve the people who are there?

SPEAKER_01 55:33

So Clarkston, Georgia. Um generally you would say, why are we going to Atlanta for uh for a mission trip? Um But the special thing about Clarkston, Georgia is that it is the one of the most diverse places in our nation. Uh we are going to partner with Timmy and Kenyon Powers. They work with Reliant, they also work closely with other organizations that are in that area for the benefit of refugees. Um we are taking, I think this is really the first time ever that we're taking a group of families. So I've got some young, young families. Um, each of them have we'll say each of their parents have some missions yearning, stirring, the the lighters clicking. If the flame hadn't started yet, the lighters clicking in their parents. They're willing to take their family for a few days down to a place where we can learn a little bit more about a refugee ministry. Um so we'll be able to do that. We're gonna specifically serve some families at uh an apartment complex there and really take in some training about refugees, why they're important, why they're important to God, and why they need to be important to us. And um really just kind of define, you know, who are refugees, why are they here, why does it matter? And uh that's gonna be part of that.

SPEAKER_00 56:58

Okay. Uh is there any more space available on that trip, or is it full? I feel like it's probably full given the dynamics.

SPEAKER_01 57:08

Um, but if you have a special urge. I talked to somebody Sunday and she said, uh I'm really thinking about I said, I need a thumbs up, like solid.

SPEAKER_00 57:17

All right, so if you want to go on this trip on this trip, you gotta tell Bob, I have a special urge with a strong thumbs up. That's it. And then maybe you have a chance. With a good God push behind it. And a steak in the refrigerator. Maybe a little bribe.

SPEAKER_01 57:33

Maybe a bribe, maybe a bribe. Um the next trip we've got coming up is in Wales, and that that one is with OM, uh, OM ships specifically. And they're more than a floating bookstore. They do, they do that. Um, and in different parts of the world, that's what they're known for. Europe, I think, i if they pulled up to Charleston or to Orlando, where wherever that port is, um, all up and down the coast, if they pulled up to one of those in the in the U.S., we wouldn't care about a floating bookstore. I mean, it'd be kind of neat. Um, but we Europe is the same way. So they're they're around around Europe now. Europe is not so enamored with the the floating bookstore because they can order on Amazon just like we can. And uh, but what their focus is in Europe is really gonna be evangelism. And we're able to go and partner alongside of them, not only partnering with the evangelism part, but we're gonna be partnering with them for scrubbing the deck, repainting, resurfacing different things that have that the the ocean has rusted over the months. Um, we're gonna be feeding people, and that's part of what that crew does in between ministry. So we're gonna be we're gonna be crew members for a week and really get to learn people that have dedicated their lives to be on that ship for ministry, uh, either to extend ministry that from their home countries or to really be a catalyst for ministry um on the ship. So when they get done with their time, they return to their home countries. We're gonna we're gonna build relationships uh not just with the organization but with individuals. And um that's an exciting thing. We we were able to do a vision team uh last last spring. Um so this this will be another opportunity for for that, just in a different location.

SPEAKER_00 59:34

All right, do you have spots on this trip? That is definitely full.

SPEAKER_01 59:38

Oh, that's a hundred p full? That's a hundred OP full. That is you can't you can't send the coordinator stake or anything. That's yeah, that's OM is pretty strict about their head counts, and we've met it. Okay. Uh so I'm really excited about the team.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

Okay. Uh let's close with a do we have any trips that are not full?

SPEAKER_01 59:59

We so those trips aren't officially on the calendar, but I can kind of give you an idea of what is well, I guess one is on the calendar. Um with OM Ireland, uh mentioned before, it's not just about the ships. They have different country ministries that they do. Next May, the specific dates are are TBD, but next May in Ireland with OM Ireland doing a primarily a construction project. Uh we are re-roofing a chalet. I don't know what a chalet is, but I'm not sure. I think that's a French word for uh apartment.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:34

I don't know. Building. I don't know. It sounds French. And so we're I think I keep talking.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:42

Look up, yeah. Let's see what that is. Um so we've got um we've got a couple guys already signed up for that trip that have skills. Um I will be carrying whatever they tell me to carry. And uh, but we are redoing uh a ministry center, like a conference room area to make it a better better suited for training for them. Um again, it's what what are their needs? We're going to do, you know, we don't think they need a roof. They need a roof. Right. And they're asking for help. So we're delivering. So that's in May. That's on the website, that's on the calendar, ready to go. All the information's there. You can go ahead and apply. Um we'll have, I think, an opening of about 12, 12 head count for that. Plenty of room for that. Not so much a probably a family trip unless you you have like a you know a family of contractors, uh something like that. But it is actually, you know, not just I don't want to, I don't want it to sound that we won't take anybody if as long as you you don't have skills. Um, but there are relational skills that are needed. We're gonna be feeding, feeding our own team, we're gonna be feeding people there, we're gonna be, you know, redoing some of their ministry centers. Um I'm also in the process of talking with Randy Shell about what a Sandhurst medical trip will look like. That's still in the works. That'll be in the spring. That'll definitely be before Ireland, but it's not yet on the calendar.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:06

Okay. What is available to everyone is ministry, is gospel advancement at home and across the street. And we've got a huge ministry initiative going on starting this coming week, power-up clubs. It's already happening. If you're a host, and then we're already inviting um the band's already practicing to be able to lead us in worship. Uh students have training this weekend. Um so there may not be a bunch of trips that are that we still have space available for cross-culturally. Right. But uh I think we say that the best people to reach Indigenous people is indigenous people, and we are indigenous. We are indigenous to here. So we're the best people to reach here. Right. And so let's let's get at it. Um you know, Sunday, we won't win the lost until God has won our hearts. And I was thinking about that more. God has already won our hearts. He has now what? Yeah. He ha there is nothing left to do in our hearts that God has not already done in Christ. He has won us, he has redeemed us, he has sanctified us, justified us, um, and and it's all by his doing. He's already won us. Now the process of sanctification is, you know, Paul would say that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that he would be able to make himself at home in our hearts, that there would be no part of our hearts that get walled out from God because of idolatry or fear or whatever, whatever it may be. Um but he's already the the gospel says he's already won our hearts. He's secured the victory eternally. And uh so now we we have a role to play, we have a mission to play. Um, and so we're gonna go hard at hard at it as a church this week. And so you have your ones, I have my ones, the the unbelievers I'm seeking to win. So let's close in prayer. Um, I don't have my one prayer. Um that's that's right. I don't we just pray without it. Um, Father, we want to pray for our ones. Um we know that you desire worship and will get worship from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation. And we also know that right now our ones are dead in sin. They're strangers to the covenant of promise, they are hopeless without you in the world. And so we pray for them. God, you desire that none of them would perish, but all would come to you in repentance. And um we ask that you would open their eyes to the gospel, that you would by your doing wash them and sanctify them and justify them in the name of the Lord Jesus, Father. Um We believe that out of the overflow of the heart our mouth speaks, and so um you've won our hearts and pray that you would win our affections and that the things we don't talk about what we know, we talk about what we love and help us to love you. And I pray that Power Up Clubs would be really successful in the mission of winning the lost. Pray that you give us good weather, good safety, and that we would be able to make the main thing the main thing that is winning the lost for the praise of your glory. In your name I pray. Amen. Amen. All right, thank you, Bo. Yes, sir. Thank you.