In a recent article, we introduced International Ministries’ new model for missionary deputation: missionary partnership networks (MPNs). MPNs comprise the churches and individuals that support the missionaries they choose to assist. The new model is to facilitate: 1) support and involvement, 2) missionary deputation, and 3) consistency in relationships. This month, we want to briefly review the MPN concept and, then, introduce you to Dan and Estela’s missionary partnership team (MPT)—the folks who work behind the scenes to keep their MPN running smoothly.

1) Support and Involvement: Over the last thirty years, traditional giving to historic denominational giving has decreased.

2) Missionary Deputation: This has comprised visiting large churches close to major transportation hubs. Small and/or remote churches have seldom if ever been visited and presented with the mission message.

3) Consistency and Relationships: The solution to the two problems listed above is to have missionaries develop a network of churches with whom they have an intentional, reciprocal, and ongoing relationship. To that end, Dan and Estela have spent 80-90% of their deputation time this past year visiting churches in their home region, the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains (ABCRM), with priority being given to small churches that don’t regularly receive missionary visits.

When the Schweissings return to the mission field in January, it will be important for them to maintain and develop the relationships with churches that they have initiated over the course of their home assignment. In order to help them do this effectively, Dan and Estela have formed an MPT. Basically, the MPT is the nucleus for their MPN. It is a group of ten volunteers that serve as a liaison between the Schweissings while they are on the mission field and their network churches here at home.

Now, we’d like to introduce you to the members of the Schweissings MPT:

Terry Ketelsen is the Schweissings’ MPT chair and financial advocate. Terry has been a member of Crossroads American Baptist Church in Northglenn, Colorado for 25 years, serving in a variety of lay church positions. The role of missions has been an area of interest and prayer with Terry and he feels serving in the capacity of financial advocate for Dan and Estela is an honor and a privilege. In his role as financial advocate, Terry will work with Dan and Estela and their MPT to develop and implement a financial support-raising strategy that will include contacting potential partner congregations and individuals who would like to join the network. Many of you already know Terry as he has been busily making follow-up contacts with the many churches that the Schweissings have visited during the past year.

Eileen Schneider is the Schweissings’ prayer advocate. As a member of Crossroads and longtime friend of Dan and Estela, Eileen sees the need for the covering of prayer support as they minister on the field and counts it a great privilege to be a part of that. As prayer advocate, Eileen is responsible for writing up prayer requests and praise reports and posting them to the Schweissings’ newsletter list, organizing prayer chains, and doing whatever else it takes to make sure the Schweissings’ ministry is covered in prayer.

Gary Thompson serves as the Schweissings’ communications coordinator. Gary is a member of the diaconate and missions committee at Crossroads American Baptist Church and a longtime member of the Gideons International. He is also a retired chemical engineer/chemist. Gary is responsible for producing newsletters on the Schweissings’ ministry to be shared with current and potential partner congregations and individuals in the network. These updates will supplement the newsletters that are already regularly published by the Schweissings.

Ron Veatch is the pastoral care provider for the Schweissings. A member of the Crossroads staff, Ron has a Ph.D. in psychology and serves as the director of the Crossroads Counseling Center. He is a retired professor, a member of the Crossroads Prayer Team Steering Committee, and serves on the Crossroads Men's Ministry Leadership team. Ron’s job is to communicate with Dan and Estela on a regular basis, encouraging them to maintain personal devotions, prayer, and Bible study, in addition to setting aside time for personal renewal.

John Pipe is the Schweissings’ human rights advocate. John is a retired ABC pastor, having served several churches as minister of Christian education as well as a variety of administrative positions with the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains and the Board of Educational Ministries. He continues to be active in ministry, serving as a volunteer chaplain at Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Denver and, recently, serving a three-month interim pastorate at Aurora Community Baptist Church. John is also a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Denver. As human rights advocate, John will help to educate the Schweissings’ network churches about the human rights situation of Haitians in the Bahamas and the Caribbean basin. He will also help to mobilize U.S. churches for political advocacy on Haitian rights issues. John also helps Dan to moderate an online discussion group on Haitian rights at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HaitianRightsForum/.

Rich Schweissing is the regional missions representative for the Schweissings’ network. Rich currently serves as Vice-President for the American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains. He is also a member of the missions committee at Crossroads. He is a retired high school social studies teacher who specialized in teaching about world cultures and global issues. Rich is also the father and father-in-law of Dan and Estela. As regional missions representative, Rich is responsible for coordinating the Schweissings’ deputation schedule with the region. He is also responsible for communicating missions opportunities to those churches interested in the Schweissings' work.

Rita Ackerman is the Schweissings’ women’s ministries advocate. She has served in women’s ministries at her previous church and currently serves at Crossroads on the Women of Worth Ministry Team and Woman to Woman/Heart to Heart Mentoring Team. Rita has previous missions experience through short-term mission trips to India, France and Germany. Rita will be working closely with Estela to help her collect handicraft supplies from U.S. women’s groups and coordinate teams of women to teach handicrafts skills to Haitian women in the Bahamas.

Joe Zepeda is the Crossroads missions committee representative on the Schweissings’ MPT. Joe also serves as the chair of the Crossroads missions committee and is the church moderator. When he is not busy with church activities, Joe makes his living working as a project manager for a small Denver-area real estate developer. His recreational activities include running, biking, and hiking/backpacking with his wife Michelle. Joe is the liaison between the Schweissings’ MPT and the missions committee at Crossroads. The missions committee has actively supported Dan and Estela’s ministry and preparation for ministry in a variety of ways for well over a decade.

Daniel Fowler is the internet technology specialist for the Schweissings. Dan is a member of Crossroads American Baptist Church and a student at Metropolitan State College of Denver, where he is majoring in computer science. Dan is currently developing the Schweissings’ website at http://www.haitianministries.net, an important source of information about the Schweissings’ ministry that is already being utilized by many of their network churches.

Virginia Schweissing is Dan and Estela’s relocation manager. Virginia is a member of the hand bell choir and missions committee at Crossroads. She also happens to be the mother and mother-in-law of the missionaries. As relocation manager, Virginia is responsible for finding furnishings and a place for Dan and Estela to live when they return to the States for home assignment. She also oversees packing and storing of Dan and Estela’s belongings when they return to the field.

As you can see, there is a lot of behind the scenes work being done by the members of the Schweissings’ MPT to help build and maintain their network and to support their overseas ministry. If you or your church or group are interested in helping to support the Schweissings’ ministry, feel free to contact the appropriate person above according to your gifts and area of interest. If your church would like to formally join the Schweissings’ network, please contact Terry Ketelsen for more information. All members of the Schweissings’ MPT can be reached by e-mailing them at firstname@haitianministries.net, except for Dan Fowler who can be reached at webmaster@haitianministries.net.