Doing Your Deal

Fresh out of college, Alex and Tess Dykstra found themselves living the “American dream” with good jobs, ample finances, and a spacious home. But God soon made them aware of the enormous need for safe, loving families to care for kids in foster care. He prompted them to use what He’d graciously given them to help kids and families in need. Since then, they’ve had multiple foster placements and have seen God refine and redeem families and their own hearts in powerful ways. They’re currently in the process of adopting a son through foster care and are passionate about equipping the Church to serve their local foster community.

June Littlepage shares how she was led into her calling, as a prophetic artist. Joy and child-like faith have marked her ministry and have opened the door to hearing the Lord in unique ways. Her ministry has touched 6 continents and impacted many lives, simply by being present with people and obeying the Lord in the moment.

Brandon Hutchins shares transparently about how God transformed his life as a business leader, leading him to see himself at work as a pastor, rather than a hard-driving boss, and giving him opportunities to encourage young men and business leaders to step into who God has made them to be.

During Greg Tabb's 20+ years in real estate and property management, he had seen the housing struggles faced by single women with children. Two others in his small group also were involved in real estate, and as they talked, they realized God had given them a burden to help struggling families like these, many of whom lived on the edge financially and could easily become homeless. As they researched the hardships facing homeless families, Greg says his eyes were opened and his heart changed. The trio decided their God-given "deal" was to help single mothers in crisis get into stable long-term housing. After dozens of conversations, they worked with StoneBridge's Acts 6 ministry to translate their idea into action. Listen for what Greg says confirmed for him that God was at work in "doing their deal."

She may have been a teenager, but the Lord spoke clearly to Angie Smith's heart that his "deal" for her was to help people in need. At the time, of course, she couldn't know where that would lead. But when her family began rehabbing an apartment complex to serve low-income single mothers, Angie knew she should be involved. James 1:27 spoke to her about helping "widows and orphans in their distress." While doing her deal has taken different shapes at different times in her life, now Angie has the privilege of leading the Mission 1:27 team to enrich and transform lives in the entire group of communities that has grown from that first apartment complex.

Susan Kelly discovered her deal by serving in various ministry opportunities until she found the one God had wired her to do. Then the Lord took her on a journey from one service to another – and along the way she kept discovering more excitement, satisfaction, and fruit in her ministry. At one point, God led her to leave her corporate job and engage full-time as a missionary in the East Africa country of Tanzania. Over the past eight years, as one of our StoneBridge missionaries, Susan has trained Tanzanian believers to show and share the love of God among two people groups where the vast majority of people had never heard the good news of God's love. As a result, dozens of people have opened their hearts to Christ, home discipleship groups have been started, and entire communities have experienced some of the abundant life God's kingdom offers.

Nancy Hutchins' teenage daughter was growing up so fast, and Nancy's heart was filled with so many things about faith in Jesus that she wanted to pass along. But, like a lot of teens, the days already were jammed with activities. Nancy wondered when she could find the time to teach her the things she needed to know before heading off to college. She was thunderstruck when her daughter agreed to invite her friends over for breakfast and Bible study one morning each week. Her daughter is out of the house now, but the Bible study continues as the Lord gives Nancy a new group of young hearts each year. Listen to the excitement and passion in Nancy's voice as she shares how fulfilling it is to discover your deal and see God work through it.

God broke into Bekah Baxter's world with a revelation about his direction for her life when she was a teenager on a short-term mission trip. Bekah was amazed to see that, more than 5,600 miles from Marietta, God was at work in amazing ways through his people. She began interacting with missionaries, asking them how she could help their work. One group rocked her world when they replied, "We're really just hungry for relationship." Out of that was born Bekah's "deal" — Chosen Vessels, a ministry that provides "member care" for missionaries, as well as assists with projects like summer camps for teens, among other things. Her message for us is that God is at work right around us every day, inviting to join him in what he is doing to transform lives and communities for his kingdom.

Doing Your Deal Podcast: Tina Williford-The Table on Delk Tina Williford's only qualification for doing her deal was a willingness to say "yes" when the Lord called her to serve sexually exploited women and children on Delk Road near I-75. Her first step was simply to hang out at a gas station and talk to the women there. Now "The Table on Delk" has grown from a once-weekly ministry to five days of offering meals, Bible study, Celebrate Recovery and friendship to souls desperately in need of encouragement, hope and life transformation.

Host, Mark Kelly, speaks with guests to learn how they have walked through the process of determining, implementing and thriving in the calling God has placed on their lives.

Host, Mark Kelly, speaks with guests to learn how they have walked through the process of determining, implementing and thriving in the calling God has placed on their lives.

Host, Mark Kelly, speaks with guests to learn how they have walked through the process of determining, implementing and thriving in the calling God has placed on their lives.

Listen as Russell and Megan Marshall discuss the steps God led them to take in the process of planting Dwell House Church on Franklin Road in Marietta.

Host, Mark Kelly, speaks with guests to learn how they have walked through the process of determining, implementing and thriving in the calling God has placed on their lives.