im•pact
verb |'im,pakt |
International Mission Project and Cross-cultral Training
origin Impact was started by the Santa Barbara Presbytery of Churches in 1993. Since then, we have sent over 400 people from 30 different churches.
usage Teams live and work alongside new friends, experience the perspective of other cultures and share their stories of what it means to follow Christ.
impact trips Those trained for 2-4 week trips build churches, homes, schools and community centers, teach the Bible and participate in neighborhood outreach. Real friendships are made at community gatherings, celebrations and worship. Anyone over 15 can join a team.
WORLD Contribute loving service and share Jesus Christ on a team.
CHURCH U nite the local and global churches in common mission.
FAITH Serve the Lord and experience God's love across cultures.
Our council is made up people from nine different churches who love the Lord
and have a great heart for global missions. It is the backbone of this ministry.
Carol Benson Monte Vista Presbyterian Church, Newbury Park, CA
Bree Bouma Santa Barbara Community, Santa Barbara, CA
Lindsay Haun Reality, Ventura, CA
Jeff Kempton Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camarillo, CA
Charlie Little First Presbyterian Church, Templeton, CA
Josh Murray Santa Barbara First Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara, CA
Susan Schwaiger Monte Vista Presbyterian Church, Newbury Park, CA
Bree Bouma
Bree has a graduate degree in Christian Leadership from Fuller Seminary. She has worked as Young Life Area Director in Orange County, California, and has an undergraduate degree in Education and Spanish from TCU. She has traveled on short term missions to Mexico, Africa, Honduras, Haiti, Romania & Albania. Bree writes, "I feel like God has spent the last couple of years preparing me for this position, and it's exciting to know that he's called me to something so life-changing. IMPACT has the potential to do amazing things for the Kingdom of God and give people a chance to be part of his bigger story. God's work is for everyone and I'm excited to get equip people and send them out to play their part and be enamored by our God and his extravagant love for his people both here and across the world. My prayer is that as we move forward with IMPACT, the name of Jesus would be glorified, and that he would continue to use us as his humble servants - giving our time, our resources, our talents and our lives to point people to him because he's worth it."
Mycah Burns
Mycah is in her second semester as an IMPACT intern. She does all of our videos and helps with all of our team devotionals for trips. She has spent a semester in Uganda and has been a huge asset to our organization. She will graduate from Westmont in May and continue to work with her husband at their video production corporation.
Kristen Harrington
Kristen is a Westmont senior who will work with us all year handling the finance and accounting at IMPACT. She is thrilled for an opportunity to use her gifts for something that matters and plans on finishing out the year and then going on an IMPACT trip - her first journey out of the country!
Marina Kookootsedes
Marina is in her second year interning with IMPACT. She is a recent Westmont graduate and felt called to continue to work with IMPACT post-graduation. She would love to pursue a career in international micro-finance, but until then continues to be my "right hand," handling details, managing our webpage and communicating with trip participants.
Shannon Laverty
Shannon is IMPACT's new administrative and trip-planning intern. She is also a recent Westmont graduate with a heart for missions and a desire to serve the Lord overseas. While she discerns her calling and seeks opportunities, she will continue to have the training ground IMPACT offers in hands-on experience with trip-planning and international missions.
Sarah Morris
Sarah graduated from Westmont in 2009, and lived on an American Indian reservation managing incoming teams this summer. She came to us with much experience in short-term missions and a ready heart to serve in whatever capacity we need her. She will serve on our IMPACT council and will help with long-term vision and planning for IMPACT as well as helping with training teams.
It was the age-old dilemma... how to get individuals in congregations excited about partnering with their brothers and sisters around the world?
"Why not have a mission organization to take people from our own presbytery on overseas mission trips? Expand their vision and concern for God's world, then bring them back to churches (yours and mine) to excite us about mission abroad?" This question was asked by Rev. Dan Stevens, who pioneered the initial development of IMPACT (International Mission Project And Cross-cultural Training). Dr. Suzanne Paul led the first IMPACT trip in 1993 to Kenya, and God has since taken us into Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Albania, Romania, Ukraine, Uganda, India, China, Mexico, Turkey, and now Brazil.
A ministry of the Presbytery of Santa Barbara (PCUSA), IMPACT continues to provide youth and adults opportunities to participate in cross-cultural, short-term mission. This relationally oriented ministry partners with local churches and Christian ministry groups in the countries we visit. God is doing incredible things in and through IMPACT as His body across the globe comes together to share and learn from one another.
"I learned that everybody matters. Many people think that taking one drop from an ocean won't matter but the ocean is made up of drops. Therefore, I know that the body of Christ is made up of all Christians and that everyone is a part of Gods plan." -trip participant
An IMPACT journey begins with four days of personal and team preparation and cross-cultural sensitivity training. During Cross Training Week , teams stay in dorms at a retreat center. In most cases, teams leave directly from Cross Training for airport departure on their journey (transportation is provided by Impact.)
This spring, we will work with Emanuel Church in the predominantly Muslim country of Tirana, Albania. It is an ordained ministry of the Presbytery of Santa Barbara. We will be taking different teams to help in two areas of need:
1) Womens & Childrens Ministry: Help develop and train up leaders to continue to build these two areas of ministry.
2) Leadership Development: Helping to commission Albanian elders and train them.
Manaus Presbyterian Church (Igreja Presbiteriana Manaus) literally represents the healing hands of Christ as they provide medical and dental services to the people of villages throughout the Amazon. Our week in Brazil will mostly be spent on boat cruising to three or four villages and supporting the Brazilian missionaries, doctors and dentists onboard. Those of us medically qualified will assist in exams and treatment while others will assist in home visits, spiritual support, house-painting and VBS activities. While we go to support and learn, our team may also be a great source of encouragment for the full-time missionaries onboard.
Teams, aged 15 and older, will work in a province in the city of Kunming, working with missionaries Brook and Sue Sturtevant. Most work will be in schools, incorporating Bible stories and teaching students English.They will stay in an apartment where the cost for food and housing is very inexpensive. This is a unique opportunity to bring the light of Jesus Christ, to a very dark country, and to encourage the "under-cover" believers.
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Our 17 person team will be divided into half medical missions and half communitiy development, aged 18 years or older. This ministry seeks the help of medical professionals, business people/economic developers, orphanage care givers, pastoral leaders, and media and marketing developers. We will work with American Doctor Kerry Reeves and his team at New Vision Ministry where they will serve the people of a village post-earthquake, and work in an orphanage. Dr. Kerry, his wife Joy, and their 7 kids, have spent the last year pouring love into the people of Haiti. We will come along side them, offering assistance in their ministry, as well as some disaster relief work.
You can check for updates on their blog _ www.newvisionhaiti.blogspot.com
In Honduras the IMPACT team will be working alongside of Union Biblica Staff and volunteers to share Biblical values with the young people of Honduras. The team has opportunities to minister within schools, get to know the local church, and form bonds with inspirational Honduran Christians. Knowledge of Spanish is helpful, but not required.
For more information, visit www.ubhonduras.com/index.html
Teams, aged 15 and older will work with the VIATA ("Life" in Romanian) Program, a youth ministry located in the mountains above the impoverished coal-mining town of Lupeni in Jiu Valley. VIATA serves to help build a sense of community and hope for better life in this economically depressed area, where people seek work, basic needs, and a vision for the future. We will work to support a summer camp for high school and middle school aged children, where they are taught outdoor skills, rock and rope climbing, and Christian values. There will be some painting and maintenance work to help improve the camp.
For more information, visit www.new-horizons.ro
Romania Prayer Calendar.xls
This team, aged 17 and older, will work in the coastal city of Antalya. With over 1 million people, there is just one Turkish Protestant Church, in a country that is 98% Muslim. We will encourage, empower and serve the 150 members of this Turkish church. We will help prepare worship, share testimonies, study the Bible, teach Sunday School and prepare English lessons for young adults and teenagers. Teams will invite young, non-Christians, to go rafting, play beach volleyball, and participate in cultural exchange programs to connect them with the local church.
For more information, visit www.antalyaevangelicalchurch.com
Turkey Prayer Calendar.xls
Teams, aged 18 and older with prior mission experience, work in construction, evangelism and mercy-ministry to widows and orphans. We work with Patrick Buligasima and Discipleship Mission International (DMI), an indigenous Christian organization. The two primary schools at Magada and Busembatia Trading Center have 1,900 students, many of which are orphans due to HIV/AIDS and pastors' children. This is a unique opportunity to support the Baligasimas in their challenging and fruitful ministry.
For more information, visit http://www.discipleshipmission.com
Uganda Prayer Calendar.xls
This summer, we will work with our partner Nita Hanson and her ministry God's Hidden Treasures. This organization has been growing in scope and now encompasses wheelchair, orphan, medical, spiritual, village, and outreach ministires. "Our mission is to serve the needs of the poor, afflicted and the orphaned; and to bring Gods love through personal relationships in the name of Jesus Christ."
For more information, visit: http://www.godshiddentreasures.org
Ukraine Prayer Calendar.xls
This is not a vacation! Though we hope that everyone truly enjoys the experience, team members are accountable to each other for physical, emotional and spiritual support. Each team member must commit to abide by the team covenant and remain with the team from start to finish.
Each journey is unique. Plans often change and you must be flexible. Activities normally include (but are not limited to) daily prayer, personal reflection and Bible verse memorization, evening Bible studies and debrief, and "work" projects (evangelism, teaching, construction, and Vacation Bible School). Much of the journey will consist of interaction with the host community (visiting people's homes and churches, sharing testimonies and songs, worship service participation, and recreation).
The criteria for participation on an IMPACT journey are laid out in the "Covenant and Release of Claim Form" included in the application. Essentially, one must express a willingness to participate fully in the Christ-centered nature of the journey, comply with all of the health and safety precautions mandated, and raise his or her own funds through support letters and home churches.
The vision...
IMPACT staff traveled to Haiti in March to visit our partners Kerry & Joy Reeves of New Vision Ministries and after much prayer, we've decided to send long-term missionaries! The Reeves family is running 9 ministries--an orphanage, a refugee camp, a feeding program for the elderly, a Christian school, a feeding & sponsorship program for the kids in the community, a fishing business, a discipleship & music ministry, a ministry with New Vision Staff, medical and eye clinics. The harvest is plentiful in Montrouis and our first crew of 5 interns will leave Sept 2!
Who qualifies?
Anyone 21 and older who feels a call to live & serve in Haiti for a 9 month period
What internships are open?
1) Music/ministry 2) Medical 3) Business/Economics
4) Marketing/Media 5) Education
What is the cost?
It depends on the length of the internship, but New Vision will
provide food, housing, and transportation. Interns will be
responsible for raising their travel and training costs with
some additional money for miscellaneous expenses.
What is the next step?
F ill out this application by June for Fall Internships.
Once you have filled it out, print, sign, and
send it to the IMPACT office.
HAITI INTERN APPLICATION.docx
- amber botelho
- kelsea caswell
- nikki garcia
- shala kiewert
- linsdey kingsland
1) PRAY - click the "pray" link on the left and join us in praying for them. Email impact.sbp_gmail.com for more specific ways to be praying.
2) Join us for our 8-day mission trip in January to get a bigger picture of what Joy & Kerry and our interns will be doing in Haiti.
3) Feed & educate a Haitian kid through New Vision Ministries or support what they're doing. Visit www.newvisionhaiti.blogspot.com for more info.
4) Give financially to the interns via IMPACT- to do this, click below.
Phone: (805) 647- 6489
Email: impact.sbp_gmail.com
6067 Shirrell Way
Goleta, CA 93117
Click below to visit us on Facebook:
IMPACT FACEBOOK
Impact Director
To fill out an application to join us on one of our missions, please visit our "resources" tab or contact us by phone or email.
Reference Form for Online Application.pdf
- Impact Blog
Haiti Intern Blogs:
- Nikki Garcia
- Shala Kiewert
- Lindsey Kingsland
- Elise Berg
- Kelsea Caswell
- Amber Botelho
Global Partner Blogs:
- New Vision Haiti
Our teams are encouraged to raise funds for their trips. Click the button to donate to a general fund for IMPACT or a specific team or team-member. No matter how you donate, you are making a difference. Thanks in advance for your donation and your prayerful support.
