We are so excited to be sharing a brand new series on our podcast, “Build Relationships, Break Poverty” featuring our partners in the United States! HopeChest is built on two-way community transformation through partnership. We share lots of incredible transformation stories from the countries where we work, but what is the transformation like for the communities here in the United States?
In this series, we’ll be hearing from former and current HopeChest Partnership Leaders, pastors and church leaders, and other partners talk about their own personal experiences and the most moving stories from within their own communities.
Through their partnerships, churches transform their global missions strategy, and fulfill the great commission by building relationships and strengthening the global Church. Businesses elevate the culture of their business with a global-minded partnership and increase employee engagement. Even schools can offer a life-changing experience for students by partnering and increasing students’ global awareness and empathy for others.
All of our podcast series guests have experienced this change firsthand! Many have been on international Vision Trips to their partner community and have had life-changing experiences building relationships with the people and the children there. Some of their communities have been partners with HopeChest for over a decade.
Let’s meet our guests!
Steve Deur
Steve Deur is the lead pastor at the Watermark Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, which he helped start in 2003! His church is partnered with the Shone Gerbe CarePoint in Ethiopia.
Thad Spring
Thad Spring is the Outreach and Teaching Pastor at the All Shores Wesleyan Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he has been serving for almost a decade. His church is partnered with the Shashemene Wondo Ber CarePoint in Ethiopia.
Jen DeBruin
Jen DeBruin, a realtor, along with her husband Dylan, founded Orphans of Teso to partner with Children's HopeChest and the Bukedea, Ogoloi, and Ongongja CarePoints in the Teso region of Uganda. At these three CarePoints, there are over 500 children receiving support!
Brandon Boos
Brandon Boos is the Missions and Young Adults Coordinator at the Faith Lutheran Church in Saint Louis Missouri, and is also his church's HopeChest Partnership Leader. His church is partnered with the AMBI CarePoint in Guatemala.
John Sparks
John Sparks has been a pastor for over 35 years in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area! He used to be at the Haven Reformed Church, which is partnered with the Katuba CarePoint in Uganda; and the Centerpoint Church, which is one of the partners of the Centro de Alcance CarePoint in Guatemala.
We hope you’ll tune in to this exciting new series- and the first episode is out NOW on Apple Podcasts. Happy listening!
