Ministry Partners

Dave & Pat Lower - Athletes in Action

Dave and Pat serve with Athletes in Action. Their mission is to build into the lives of athletes and train them to use their influence through sports to reach the world for Christ. 

Dave works with AIA Basketball. His role has evolved over time, starting first as an AIA basketball player, then coaching the team, eventually moving to directing the basketball department, and now his focus is on outreach events in the basketball community that focus on faith, character and leadership.

For the past 10 years Pat has worked with the AIA HR department on a team that is responsible for onboarding new laborers into the ministry. 

Visit the ministry website at:  athletesInaction.org 

Mike & Connie Tabor - The Happy Church, Jackson, KY

The Happy Church is a Christ-centered ministry in the most impoverished area in the U.S. - the people in Appalachia. Happy Church's primary focus is on children. While the Happy Church has its share of adult outreach opportunities, the primary focus is on children. It is estimated that approximately 80% of the children living near the Happy Church have drug affected homes. Children are fed nearly every time the doors are open. Clothing, hygiene products, new shoes for school, school supplies, complete thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, Christmas gifts, blankets, coats, hoodies, hats, gloves, and more are provided.

The Happy Church kids are as capable as anyone, anywhere, at succeeding, especially when Christ is given His proper place in their lives. They sometimes need a little help believing it. The vision of The Happy Church is to improve the culture by starting with the children. Their prayer is that they will continue in ways that please their Father and let their light shine before all men, permeating every facet of society with love that matters.

To learn more about the Happy Church, visit their website at:  thehappychurch.org

Kimberly Leopold - Cru, Texas

Sam was an active member of Hope Church before his call to the mission field. Sam and Kimberly joined Cru as newlyweds with a heart to evangelize to university students. This encouraged them to connect with a local church and to help develop an Italian run ministry. They then served for several years in New York City, meeting with both millenials and college professors. They create partnerships with local Christians to build and strengthen their local church. Their ministry is highly relational. It strives for lifetime transformation. Sam is now a Missions Pastor in Texas. Kimberly continues to serve with Cru. She is passionate about creating spaces, particularly in their home, in which people feel comfortable to be themselves and share life with one another. 

Visit the ministry website at:  theleopoldfamily.com 

Michael and Karen Moriarty - InterVarsity, Atlanta, GA

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is a vibrant campus ministry that establishes and advances witnessing communities of students and faculty. InterVarsity chapters minister to students and faculty through small group Bible studies, large group gatherings, leadership training, thoughtful discipleship, and life-changing mission trips. 

Michael is an Area Director and works with staff and students from Georgia Tech, Emory University, Georgia State University, the University of Georgia, and Morehouse Medical School.

Visit the ministry website at:  intervarsity.org 

Rachel Varner - InterVarsity, St. Mary's City, MD

InterVarsity's mission is to see students and faculty transformed, campuses renewed, and world changers developed. Rachel is serving full-time with InterVarsity on St. Mary's College in Maryland. Her responsibility on campus will be to outreach and share the gospel with both students and faculty. Additionally, Rachel will help disciple students, equip them to share their faith, and serve their campus and others they meet. In showing students life-on-life discipleship, Rachel wants to teach others how to study Scripture and apply it to their lives and in the process multiply by them then teaching others to do the same. 

Visit the ministry website at:  intervarsity.org