GLOBAL MISSIONS
PANAMA Partnership
In the fall of 2021, Hope Church began a partnership relationship with Iglesia Bautista Torre Fuerte (Strong Tower Church) in Chicá, Panama under the umbrella of EFCA's Global Fingerprints program. As a church, we have sent short-term missions teams to Chicá and we also currently support 41 children in their neighborhood. The church there connects with these children regularly to help assess and provide for their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, all with a focus on sharing the love of Christ and the Good News! It's our goal to grow this relationship to build a true ministry partnership and continue to send short-term teams regularly as we minister together in Panama and in Iowa. We are so blessed and excited to see what God has in store as we grow deeper with them!
MISSIONARY PARTNERS
Romans 10:13-15 says: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
At Hope Church, it’s our desire to support missionaries in different regions of the world both financially and prayerfully. We want to make the greatest use of the Lord’s resources, being good stewards of what is entrusted to us through congregational giving. We believe the focus of our missions support should lean toward missionaries who are involved in mission work that multiplies their impact through things like church planting, training and equipping leaders, and other work that leverages their gifts for broad impact.
Andres & Kayla Barreto
World Reach in Bogota, Columbia.
Andres grew up in Columbia and studied with World Reach. They are recently married and beginning this new assignment with World Reach.
Their focus is mainly on equipping and developing leaders through Bible institutes, outreach and evangelism in the local church and church planting through the formation of small groups.
Ritch & Susan
Trca
ReachGlobal, Global Equipping Team, Czech Republic
Following EFCA church planting ministry in Iowa, Ritch and Susan Trca began as EFCA ReachGlobal missionaries in the Czech Republic in 1994 within church planting and theological education ministries. Following completion of PhD studies (“safe learning ecosystems within global Christian organizations”), Ritch began serving on the Global Equipping Team as a Church Planting Catalyst. Our team of church planting catalysts comes alongside global national church planting leaders to offer relational equipping, training, and resourcing within global contexts of Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Europe, within the 10/40 Window of 5.5 billion people. Ritch also leads Masters level students in Christian Leadership courses at Trinity International University (TEDS). Susan serves with the ReachGlobal Prague City Team to offer coaching and mentoring toward developing their spiritual and ministry growth. In their spare time, Ritch (from Iowa) and Susan (from Minnesota) enjoy connecting with their 5 adult children and growing number of grandchildren (richard.trca@efca.org).
Financially support Ritch and Susan.
Travis HolTan
Apex Missions, America
Travis Holtan joined the Apex team in 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in student ministry.
In 2012, Travis and his family moved to Dubuque, Iowa, so he could attend Emmaus University. He graduated with a degree in Bible & Theology and Youth Ministry. During this time, Travis and his family attended Hope Church, where he interned for three years. After graduation, the Holtans moved away from Dubuque as Travis stepped into a youth pastor role.
Recently, Travis and his family returned to Dubuque, where they volunteer at Hope Church, working with college-age students. As the Director of Advancement for Apex Missions, the student missions arm of the EFCA, Travis focuses on building strong partnerships with churches, EFCA districts, and colleges across the country.
Barry & Karla Hannant
ReachGlobal & Immigrant Pathway in
San Antonio, TX
New Mexico Immigrant Pathway helps immigrant families secure adequate incomes, stabilize their finances, accumulate savings, raise healthy, happy, strong and academically achieving children and reside in vibrant and economically sustainable communities.
Barry helped oversee Hope’s new addition to the Kennedy Campus as a contractor. Barry and Karla are originally from Nebraska - guess Cornhuskers aren’t all that bad after all!
Matt & Angie Johnson
Global Fingerprints, Panama
Matt and Angie are missionaries on the ground in Panama that help connect us with our partner church in Chicá.
Our focus on the Panama City Team is to develop, empower and release nationals here in Panama and abroad to fortify the church that exists and help get new churches started where needed. We work in urban as well as indigenous contexts, in language training, construction, mentoring pastors and church planters, as well as youth and children’s ministries. We have an active GlobalFingerprints project serving to strengthen over one hundred children in the areas of physical, emotional and spiritual growth.
Steve & Jill Schmidt
Serving with Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Steve leads and coaches operational leaders in the US, Canada, and Oceania, empowering them to equip college and high school students, faculty, and others to share the Gospel both domestically and internationally. Jill serves on the US Campus Communications team, fostering a deeper understanding of our mission among staff to reach the lost.
Both Steve and Jill hail from Iowa, and Jill grew up attending Hope Church.
Click here to support Steve & Jill financially.
MICAH &Kate Boggs
Middle East
We live in the Middle East and work with a missions organization. Our main focuses will be the laborers who come to the country looking for opportunity but are often exploited as well as working with women in the red light district. Our goal is to build friendships and share the Gospel with our Muslim friends and neighbors while we live life alongside them.