creation care Archives - TEAM Christian Missions Blog

Building House Churches Through Outdoor Adventures

When Steve and Lois Dresselhaus invite you to kayak, be ready for deep conversations about God and worship at sea.

May 13 2021

TEAM missionary Steve Dresselhaus was in his usual place of worship on Sunday morning. Not in a sanctuary, but in nature. Not with a congregation, but with fellow ocean enthusiasts. Not in a pew, but in the seat of a kayak on the Sea of Cortez. One of his friends paddled up. “Steve, I like this church,” the man told him. A Ministry Born out of Burnout On any given week, Steve and Lois Dresselhaus see church happening around their dinner table, in a kayak, in someone’s yard, on a hike or in their living room. It takes place during…

Men sort bottle caps as part of recycling project

Zhenya had lost everything to his addiction. But a surprise job at a recycling plant — and an unlikely friendship — led Zhenya to redemption.

Aug 12 2020

Kurt drove away from the rehab center — and from his friend Zhenya. As the miles went by, he felt a growing relief. For the first time in months, the heavy burden of responsibility that came with helping Zhenya was lifting. Caring for Creation and Their Community Kurt and Rochelle zurBurg have served as TEAM missionaries in Odessa, Ukraine, for more than 12 years. Their ministry has included a variety of activities — from apartment building repairs to backpacking to teaching science classes. It is always, “at its core,” Kurt says, “about serving people and sharing Jesus with them in…

TEAM missionary Tillie Tiller has worked with the people in the Dar Sila region for three years now. She's seen the need for the Gospel — and how much work there is left to do. Will you join her?

Jan 18 2018

One of the most unreached people groups in the world — and eight others — has suddenly been made reachable. And you’ve probably never heard of the place these people call home. The Setting Traditionally closed-off and isolated, Dar Sila, Chad, was forced to open its doors when civil war broke out in neighboring Sudan. Suddenly, the region was flooded with a mass of Sudanese refugees trying to escape the atrocities of war, as well as well-meaning aid workers. But most aid organizations only helped the refugees, while the host population watched their already-sparse supply of natural resources dwindle. The…

In rural Chad, people struggle to find water — especially clean water. Waterborne diseases run rampant. But a water well can change everything.

Apr 17 2017

How many hours would you walk for a drink of water? One? Two? More? For people in the desert lands of Chad, this often isn’t really a question. They will walk for their water. They have no other choice. In the rural parts of Chad, people often don’t have ready sources of water. They gather surface water during the rainy season. And when it dries up, they walk for hours until they can find another source. No matter where they go, the water is dirty — contaminated, in part, by people and animals alike who use the water to bathe. Children…

Missionaries are caring for the planet to teach people about the God who made it. Will you pray for them?

Apr 04 2017

Whether it’s ruined soil, contaminated water or disease caused by piled up garbage, there’s no doubt that environmental destruction hurts people deeply. In the midst of that hurt, many people doubt God’s power, His love or that He even exists. That’s why missionaries around the world are shining a light on God’s handiwork through creation care ministries. By teaching sustainable farming methods, cleaning beaches and more, missionaries get to show how faithfully God has provided for our physical needs — and that opens doors to share about the eternal life He offers all of us. This April, will you pray…

Burnt out and worn down, Steve Dresselhaus was ready to resign from being a missionary. Until he went kayaking. Photos courtesy of Steve Dresselhaus

Sep 19 2016

What is your passion? What is the thing you get most excited about? The thing you would be doing if all your dreams came true? Whatever it is, Steve Dresselhaus guarantees you can turn it into a ministry — and he should know. For over a decade, the TEAM missionary has led people to the Lord, discipled new believers, counseled couples and more, all while kayaking on the beautiful Sea of Cortez in Mexico. Steve actually started kayaking as a way to escape mission work. In 1996, the pastor was burnt out to the point that he sent TEAM his…

Many aged-out orphans in Zimbabwe face unemployment and a lack of skills to change their lives. But an agricultural training program is planting the seeds for a hopeful future. Photos courtesy of Steve and Anthea Love

May 24 2016

“How can you go back and help the children of the very people who took your family’s livelihood?” a supporter asked TEAM missionary Anthea Love before she left for Zimbabwe. A missionary’s departure for the field doesn’t usually prompt questions about bitterness. But then, most missionaries aren’t returning to the nation where their family lost everything. Sixteen years ago, in an effort to right colonial-era wrongs, Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe introduced land reform that seized 4,000 white farmers’ land. Among those farmers were Anthea’s parents. With a mix of corruption and poor execution, the redistribution project led to the collapse…

Dave and Cheryl Jereb provide food, skills training and the gospel message to their community through Fish for Life. Photo courtesy of Cheryl Jereb

Nov 30 2015

History is full of missionaries who found success by blending in with the local culture. TEAM missionary Dave Jereb found it while building a reputation as a crazy, old, white guy. Dave and his wife, Cheryl, came to Zimbabwe with a vision to provide sustainable food sources and job training for needy communities through aquaponics, a self-contained system for growing produce and fish. The fish live in tanks, and the nutrient-rich water is piped into plant beds where crops grow hydroponically. The plant roots cleanse the water, which is then pumped back into the fish tanks. Within a few months, fresh…

Environmental missionaries are those sent cross-culturally to labor with Christ — the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of all creation — in caring for the environment and making disciples among all peoples. Photo by Robert Johnson/TEAM

Jan 29 2015

We asked Lowell Bliss to share about the importance of environmental missions. This opinion column appears in the winter 2014 issue of Horizons magazine. In July 2010, missions leaders and environmental experts met in Manhattan, Kansas, for the first Environmental Missions Consultation. A TEAM missionary from the Arab Peninsula attended. Among the work accomplished, a definition was constructed: “Environmental missionaries are those sent cross-culturally to labor with Christ — the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of all creation — in caring for the environment and making disciples among all peoples.” Though the event felt inaugural, it’s common knowledge missionaries have been serving through reforestation, sustainable…

Tawanda shows off his newest kid with pride. He was given a goat through the goat project a number of years ago and has now grown the number of goats he owns to four. Photo by Robert Johnson/TEAM

Sep 30 2014

Over 1.4 million people living in Zimbabwe, fifteen percent of the population, have been diagnosed with AIDs1. By 2011, there were one million children living in Zimbabwe who had been orphaned as a result of parents dying from AIDs2. In a land plagued by disease, mothers are often unable to nurse due to health concerns. Many children are orphaned at a young age, left alone to find nourishment or die. Zimbabweans are facing the harsh realities of the AIDS epidemic, and countless children and orphans are suffering as a result. Karanda Mission Hospital, located in northern Zimbabwe, provides community healthcare,…

Tag - creation care

Building House Churches Through Outdoor Adventures

Freed from Addiction — Through Recycling

When an Unreached People Lets Down Its Walls

Wells of Hope for Muslims in Chad [VIDEO]

6 Ways to Pray for Creation Care Ministries [April Prayer Focus]

When Your Escape from Ministry Becomes Your Ministry

Planting a Future for Zimbabwe’s Aged-Out Orphans

A Crazy Man, Fish and the God Who Provides

Forecast: Famine

[VIDEO] Zimbabwe: Life-Giving Goats