Missions, Evangelism & Outreach Committee

We are so pleased that you’ve taken a moment to invest in what God is doing at OGC, the community of Evansville and in the lives of those overseas in the foreign mission field.

Ecuador Short Term Mission Trip – 2018

A team traveled to serve in Ecuador for a week in June. Thank you to all who gave help financially to bless the Ecuadorian people we served, whether through financial gifts or supporting our brat sales. Your prayers and financial support are greatly appreciated!

WHO are we?
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”Romans 12:4-5 (crf: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

As members of the body of Christ we all serve different roles and bring to the body our own special gifts. This is true of all those presently serving on the Missions Committee. Each of us brings to it a special dynamic of where God currently has us in life; whether it is mom, teacher, retiree, businessperson, or student. Our role involves partnering with Christ in His work both in the U.S. and overseas; through prayer, financial support, and direct communication with our missionaries we are actively pursuing being God’s hands and feet to the whole world.

WHAT do we do?
Mission Statement: We will partner with God to draw unbelievers into a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ, locally and internationally.

Some of the projects the Missions Committee is responsible for are:

Establish missionary partners and faithfully walk alongside them in prayer.
Support OGC’s mission partners financially and prayerfully.
Provide discipleship opportunities for OGC congregation members in the area of short-term mission, with focus on families serving together.
Engage in community outreach opportunities. (Souper Bowl of Caring, Back-to-School Supplies, Care Net Pregnancy Center’s Baby Bottle Campaign, Food & Refreshment Without Price Outreach, Truth Forum, Other).
Develop creative ways to connect with those in Evansville who many not be a member of a local congregation.
Support and empower members of our congregation to reach people for Christ.

Randy & Annette Hillebrand

Ukraine

Randy’s ministry is to assist church leaders in Eurasia through seminars based upon his book, “Building A Dynamic Church.” His goal is to help them reevaluate what they do and why they do it through presenting a biblical foundation for the church. Randy has taught his manual in Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan with the desire to expand his ministry in the near future to Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and in any of the other countries of the former Soviet Union where he would be allowed access.

Randy is currently writing material on spiritual warfare to present to pastors in Togo, West Africa.

In March the Hillebrands are looking to return to Asia to further teach in the mountains they were in last time, as well as go to another mountain city about 13 hours away from that one, to teach. A pastor from the large city they will fly into has asked Randy to consider teaching in his Bible school while they are there.

Annette has begun work with a ministry to widows and children whose fathers were killed in the war. Additionally, she has been asked to start and lead a women’s ministry at their church, which is a bit overwhelming for her. She asks for prayers for wisdom as she engages others in this ministry.

Please pray as they consider returning to Kenya to teach. They need the Lord’s wisdom and direction about this opportunity.

Randy, Annette and their family were originally invited to come share their ministry by a couple at Oak Grove Church with whom they were acquainted. It was a blessing on both sides and we as a church family have enjoyed partnering with the Hillebrands ever since!

Learn more about the Hillebrands at Hillebrand Ministries

Jody & Marcia Riethmiller

New Tribes School

The Riethmillers left in June 2009 to serve in the area of Member Care in Papua New Guinea. Member Care missionaries function much like a pastor would in a church. They encourage, come alongside and pray with missionaries who may be struggling in a myriad of ways.

The Riethmillers returned to the U.S. in June of 2015. They are now serving with Ethnos360 at the New Tribes Bible School (NTBI) in Jackson, Michigan. In sensing the Holy Spirit leading in a different direction, they came home because of some family issues and chose to serve in Jackson because three of their four children live in that area. Their ministries at NTBI include deans of married students and Jody is also teaching classes. Being a dean involves meeting with married students, Marcia with married ladies and Jody with married men.

Learn more about the Riethmillers at Ethnos360.

Erica Dorsey

Papua New Guinea

Erica grew up in our church and left for a medium-term mission with New Tribes Mission (now called Ethnos360) to Papua New Guinea in February 2013. However, in 2017, Erica made the announcement of her decision to become a career missionary! In the fall of 2018 she returned to the mission field of PNG after several months in the states to see family, friends, and to raise support for this new chapter serving the Lord.

Erica changed positions in 2016 from secretary at the high school to Finance Manager for NTM in PNG. She is working hard as she learns her new, challenging role. She feels this is a great opportunity for her to learn things she would need a degree in the states to do. She is working hard as she learns her new, challenging role.

Ethnos360 evangelizes unreached people groups all over the world who do not have the Bible in their own language. There are roughly 800 tribal languages in PNG and many tribes live in very remote areas. Because of the rough terrain and poor infrastructure a lot of support staffing is necessary for missionaries to live and work in the tribes. This outside assistance comes in the form of air transport, food, technical support, printing of translated portions of the Bible, access to funds, and medical care. The mission compound at Lapilo fills many of those needs for Ethnos360. One of its key features is the school for the children of any missionaries who choose not to home school for personal or safety reasons.

Care Receivers

Bintou Sidibe, from Mali, Africa & Gideon Arpong from Ghana, Africa, both receive support from Oak Grove Church through World Vision. To learn more about this important ministry visit their website.

Bintou Sidibe

Gideon Arpong

Local Ministries

Along with our missions outreach to the ends of the earth, Oak Grove Church is committed to reaching the hearts and souls of people right here in Evansville, Wisconsin. Oak Grove Church supports the following local ministries that show God’s love in a practical way.

Crescent Lake Bible Camp Crescent Lake Bible Camp’s mission is to provide a safe and friendly camping experience in a Christ-centered environment for people of all ages.
Evansville Ecumenical Care Closet The Evansville Care Closet is an ecumenical effort that includes a thrift store and a food pantry.
Evansville Meals-On-Wheels Every fifth month, the congregation of Oak Grove Church accepts the responsibility of delivering meals to those who receive Meals-On-Wheels.
Evansville Manor Oak Grove Church assists with the Evansville Manor birthday parties and also periodically presents a worship service for the residents. Pastor Josh leads regular Bible studies for residents.
Care Net Pregnancy Center of Dane County Oak Grove Church actively promotes the sanctity of human life through participating in volunteer outreach ministries at Care Net.