Transformed & Transformational

In this bonus episode, Keith Carey shares about his work with Joshua Project, defining unreached people groups, and reaching the unreached through prayer. Learn more about Joshua Project! Learn more about the 10/40 Window here. “We're praying according to God's will because He wants every one of those tribes, tongues, and nations to be reached.” Perspectives on the World Christian Movement What's changing our lives: Keane: Painting bedrooms in his house Heather: Vegetables growing from seed  Keith: The Holy Spirit and cross-country running through desert scenery Weekly Spotlight: 10/40 Window and the SEND Campaign We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What does it look like to wait with intentionality rather than apathy or impatience? For the final episode of season 5, co-hosts Heather and Keane are joined by TeachBeyond Executive Vice Presidents Howard Dueck and Brian Delamont as they reflect on Acts 1 and waiting with urgency. Acts 1:4-26 “Waiting for something definitive is so much different than waiting for something that's undefined.” -Brian Delamont “The fact that they are together in the waiting brings growth to one another in that time.” -Brian Delamont Romans 8:22-25 Pursuing God's Will Together by Ruth Haley Barton “It's our transformation in the waiting that actually enables us to act with love and wisdom in the world. There's no quick and easy way to get there.” -Brian Delamont “He has given me accountability and responsibility to be involved in some level of decision making, but the Kingdom does not hinge on the decision I'm about to make in that moment, and that helps right-size the decision for me.” -Brian Delamont “Our hope isn't on ourselves or our plans, but it's on the Lord.” -Howard Dueck The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich “Take this period of waiting as a period of eager anticipation of what God [is] going to do next, as opposed to slipping into apathy or impatience or precipitated action. That's where our whole soul is being shaped in that time.” -Howard Dueck “God is combusting something new within us.” -Howard Dueck “Rather than being stuck in this empty void of life, we have the opportunity to do what we can do because in God's sovereignty, in His love and care for you, in His shepherding, you are right where you are and He's right there with you.” -Brian Delamont “There's this inner compulsion that builds with the waiting [...] and this growing our longing and capacity for the fullness of the Spirit so that then He can speak through us.” -Howard Dueck “Who you are wherever you are in that waiting stage is exactly what you're going to be able to bring to wherever that other place may be.” -Brian Delamont “This is your time. Seep yourself in Scripture, in your craft that you're learning, become all that you can be within your time of waiting. This is your apprenticeship.” -Howard Dueck Matthew 25:14-30 Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! MONTH Reflection: What am I waiting for? What's changing our lives: Keane: Kids packing their own lunches Heather: Savannah Bananas baseball on streaming platforms Brian: Learning from and doing life with others in TeachBeyond Howard: Grandparenting Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Opportunity Board  We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Have you heard the term Fernweh (German “fern-vay”) or Wanderlust? What if God is calling us beyond a desire to explore far-off places? TeachBeyond member Natalie Kardol shares her story of longing to travel the world before she knew Jesus and longing to reach the world with the Gospel now that she does. Natalie's story invites us to consider how we are using our gifts for God's glory, whether at home or far away. “As long as I can think of, I always had this longing to go.” “When I became a Christian, I thought, ‘Wow, I wasted all these years traveling to these different cultures just because I wanted to be there, and I wasted it and wasn't able to share Jesus [...] If I ever have a chance again to do anything like this, then I just want to do it for the Lord and share the Gospel with people around the world.'” “I don't think it has really changed; I just didn't know in my younger years that it was God's calling on my heart.” Check out TeachBeyond's Annual Report! “I translated the annual report, and that just opened my eyes, and I saw more and [thought], ‘Wow, this is an amazing organization.'” “God is working in the background.” “However fast or slow the process works, God is in charge. I cannot take credit for it; I am not fully responsible for the outcome of it.” “It's an honor when you can connect people. It's not about you.” “I don't know what God is all of a sudden deciding to open up or not. I've learned by now that I cannot [...] plan what God has in store for me. It's okay to not have it all figured out.” Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! What's changing our lives: Keane: Better Internet Heather: Working from a friend's house during a power outage Natalie: Ability to travel with her husband on his work trips Weekly Spotlight: Short-Term Opportunities We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How are you commemorating the end of the school year? What does it look like to reflect, celebrate, and anticipate rest? Listen in for inspiration from our Season 5 guests and a special reflection from Mark Giebink, TeachBeyond's Director of Global Member Care. Ruth Chou Simons: Begin thinking now about how you will rest by learning something new. George Durance: Daniel 12:3 Wyndy Corbin Reuschling: Do something different and get some rest. Heather Powers: It's okay to admit that you're tired and looking forward to a break. Brian Delamont: Do something accomplish in 15 minutes or less. Katy Boatman: How you spend your time outside of school is just as important as your time in school. A more rested you will be a more impactful teacher. Lori Neumann: Your impact is well beyond how it may feel! Ruth Mbennah: You have the opportunity to impact lives. Emmanuel Mbennah: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Kevin McClintock: You are respected and loved more than you know. Mark Giebink: Keep a healthy doable pace, keep your eyes focused on God, and serve as an act of worship. Dave Totman: Philippians 1:6 Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! Weekly Spotlight: Guided Journal We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Dr. Arianna Molloy shares hopeful and practical guidance as we seek to understand and live out our calling. Arianna defines key terms, unpacks professional research, and shares personal anecdotes to cast a vision for a healthy, reflective practice for flourishing in work and in relationship with the Caller. Healthy Calling by Dr. Arianna Molloy | Learn more from Arianna Molloy “As believers, our primary calling is to love God and love others, and to do that well in everything that we do.” “[God] is a personal, intimate designer, and He has equipped each of us with skill sets and passions.” Work as a calling: meaningful, identified Caller, skill set and passion, and pro-social “Passion alone is fine, but it makes you a great fan; passion and skill set make you a great employee.” “It becomes unhealthy when we confuse our relationship with the Caller with the calling, when we become so consumed with the calling that we forget about the people that we're impacting on the other side.” “An unhealthy kind of calling in the workplace is not work as an expression of who I am, but work as the definition of who I am.” “The virtue of humility enacted [...] keeps us on the healthy calling path.” Micah 6:8 “Deep shame comes from the idea that work is a calling, and when you don't want to do it anymore, it's not the task that you don't want to do anymore, it's that relational connection that feels severed [...] It's not ‘I don't like what I'm doing anymore, it's I don't know who I am anymore.'” Communication when stressed: withdrawal, reduced awareness, physical tension “Burnout doesn't go away on its own, so we have to stop romanticizing pushing through.” Saundra Dalton-Smith's Seven Types of Rest “Sabbath is not meant to just be for a day; we're meant to live a Sabbath lifestyle. Sabbathing is turning our hearts and minds to the Lord, and remembering that all of the time all of the resources that we have are His, and we are not God and He is enough.” “Because calling is a process, even jobs that don't feel exciting at all can teach you something about yourself.” Make Your Job a Calling by Bryan Dik and Ryan Duffy: task crafting, relational crafting, cognitive crafting “Calling is about relationship. Focus on and pursue the relationship, and the Lord will clarify your calling.” What's changing our lives: Keane: The Power Broker by Robert Caro Heather: Yuka app Arianna: Voice messaging with her husband Weekly Spotlight: Residence Life Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Brian Delamont returns to the podcast as we explore the Biblical theme of creation, beginning in the garden of Eden and culminating in the city of God. Drawing from voices like Alistair McGrath and Albert Wolters, we consider what it means to live as faithful stewards of God's world and reflect His image in our spheres of influence. From Genesis to Revelation, we are invited to participate in God's ongoing work of transformation, restoration, and renewal. Listen to “Christ Be Magnified” by Cody Carnes Genesis 2:8-20 Creation Regained by Albert Wolters  “God gives humanity the occupation of partnering with Him in order to bring this garden to the fullness that God envisions for it, to partner with God in transformation.” Revelation 22 Psalm 19 Romans 1:20 “God's revelation of Himself is so clearly seen that humanity is without excuse to know that there is a God and that He exists.” Romans 2:15 “To be created in God's image means that we have these echoes of God's design and God's intention innately connected and integrated into our humanness.” “God wants us and created us and designed us to live integrated lives. There's nothing that doesn't have His fingerprint on it.” “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!' - Abraham Kuyper “The Kingdom has come – it's here – and yet there is more to come.” “When we bring care or compassion or provision to others, we're making small transformations that point to the King and point to the Kingdom, both now and the Kingdom to come.” Creation by Alistair McGrath “Stewarding creation is an expression of love for God because God loves what He has created.” “We don't worship nature or creation, but we esteem it.” The Parable of the Faithful Steward in Luke 12:42-48 Jeremiah 29:4-7 “When we try to make God look like us, we are miscreating, but when we understand that we are created in God's image, it enables us to integrate our faith, our spirituality, with the physical world, because that's the way He intended it from the very beginning, all the way through Scripture.” “Science is never going to threaten God. How we apply science can threaten our understanding.” “What evidences do I see in creation for Him? What evidences, like Psalm 19, do I see in the law of God?” Revelation 21:1-5 “What started in a garden does become a city.” “In God's city, there is life and light. The river that flowed in Eden now flows from the throne, and it's the water of the river of life that is there for all nations. It's part of our inheritance, it's part of our sonship and daughtership with God.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 May Reflection: Am I actively engaging in God's creation mandate for the part of the world that I'm able to influence? What sphere of influence has God given me? What am I stewarding? What's changing our lives: Keane: Water flavor drops Heather: Marking Bible passages while watching The Chosen  Brian: Springtime and tulips blooming Weekly Spotlight: Bible Teacher Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

On this Good Friday, author Justin Schell traces the mission of God as seen in the sacrifice of Christ – to reveal Himself to humanity so that we may know Him in the world He's made – and calls the Church to witness to this Master who invites us to feast with Him. Learn more about Lausanne's Younger Leaders Generation “Mission is one of those things in ministry and in Christianity that so easily can become about other things than about God.” “The mission of God is Him revealing Himself to humanity so that we might know Him in the world that He's made.” “That's our role as a Church – we are witnessing to the God who has made Himself known.” John 12:23-24, 31-32 “You want to see the glory of God? You want to see the defeat of evil? Look at the cross.” “The cross is ground zero for the mission of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 12 “Our suffering isn't a hindrance to the Gospel going forward; it's actually the way it goes forward.” “God will use your fragrance, your sacrificed life, to bring men and women to know Him and to join the procession.” “There is no Christian ministry that isn't cross-shaped. There is no such thing as true Christian ministry that's not a dying to ourselves so that Christ might live through us.” “What will we do for Him if we will not feast with Him?” - Richard Sibbes “We can only serve the master for so long if we don't actually enjoy Him.” “Don't pray for perseverance, pray for joy, because you're going to persevere in anything that you have joy in.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 John 11 “The Church is growing and being missional, even in the midst of their suffering.” “Christ is worth everything, and when things get hard, that's a time to be on mission. We can be confident calling the world to Jesus, no matter what it costs, because it's worth it.” “If you feel insignificant, you might finally be prepared to be someone who can witness to the all-sufficient God.” Luke 14 “The Master's heart is set on a feast.” “Do you know how good the Master is? Do you delight in Him? Do you think you could have a ministry of inviting people to a feast? If so, that's what mission is.” “Whatever capacity you think you need, whatever brilliance you think you need to develop or that you're missing – that's not what you need. You need to know the heart of the master, and then with joy, go out and invite men and women [to] come [...] That kind of evangelism is Biblical evangelism.” “If you can spend your days allowing your heart to be warm in the sunlight of Jesus and then go out and invite people to enjoy Him with you, then you're ready to be a missionary.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Sons learning to ride bicycles Heather: Microsoft Translator app Justin: Discovering a jazz radio station and sharing the book God Shines Forth  We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Humor is one way to build rapport with your students, but there's more to it than just being the “fun teacher.” Kevin McClintock – better known as Mr. McTiktok – shares from his experiences as a teacher and social media influencer, underscoring the importance of consistent boundaries and connecting with your students. Follow Kevin: Instagram | TikTok “When the kids come into class and they know what's expected of them inside the class, we can get stuff done. We still can be funny, but we have certain goals.” “When you are kind of an entertainer, there's always going to be this ebb and flow. Sometimes you have to be more direct.” “If they know that there are boundaries, they feel safe. That's when you get to be silly, that's when you get to be goofy and it's not a detriment to class.” “My advice is to not just throw in humor but to get to know the kids. You have to observe them, you have to know their interests.” “Consistency is the key. Consistently pouring into those kids, you will break down their barriers.” “Consistency and showing interest in your students [are] way more important than just being goofy.” “The one thing that I miss [about teaching] is the relationship with the kids.” “You can't teach a subject to someone that's not willing. When you know them, that's when they're going to want to learn.” “I'm not going to get them to try to love history, but they know that I love them.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Replacing older shirts Heather: Messaging with her cousin's daughter Kevin: Getting diagnosed with ADHD Weekly Spotlight: Social Studies positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Are you moving internationally or returning to your passport country? Have a friend who will be relocating soon? Worlds Here and There is a guide for navigating this significant life transition. Listen in to hear from one of the creators of this resource, Paul Snider of MK2MK, as he shares about how this book came to be and the importance of processing the impacts of moving abroad, whether upcoming, recent past, or many years ago. Worlds Here and There: An Activity Book for International Transition MK2MK “How can we name and grieve the things that they're losing [...] and look at what they're entering into?” “Here and there is really about the magnitude of both places and naming all of the different parts of both places.” “It's never too late to grieve a past transition.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Trading kids with neighbors during spring break Heather: Having her voice back after a cold Paul: Goodreads and reading more Weekly Spotlight: Puebla Christian School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What does it look like to bear with one another? What message are we proclaiming, and how does the message dwell within us? Brian Delamont returns to the podcast this week to unpack Colossians 3. “Learning is actually so rich and so all-encompassing. It's not just hearing a tidbit of information or being able to do a single skill; it's understanding and applying that skill in context, in community, in relationship to other things that are happening.” “It's our churches, it's the community of Jesus followers that we find ourselves in, that can be greenhouses and accelerators for transformation. They're the places where we can really grow and mature together.” Colossians 1:28 “When they welcome Onesimus back, this group of Jesus followers proclaims something. They proclaim that there is forgiveness. They proclaim that there is repentance. They proclaim that there is acceptance, regardless of what your social status is or what you may have done. You are welcome in this community. That is a proclamation because it's verified by their actions.” Colossians 3:12-17 “Bearing with one another is a continuous process.” “When we worship well, we let the message of Christ dwell among us.” “Worship, by its very nature, means that we submit our thinking, our voices, our bodies to God and align together with His truth. There's a willing submission to participate with the larger group.” “Just as God is omnipresent, in everything and everywhere, there's no space or action in our lives where He should not be, where His Name, His character isn't seen and proclaimed.” March Reflection: As a community, what do we proclaim to those around us? What's changing our lives: Keane: More frequent visits from his brother with the Frontier Airlines annual pass Heather: Rewatching episodes of The Chosen during Lent Brian: Using Pinterest for a home renovation project Weekly Spotlight: HopeSeed School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Emmanuel and Ruth Mbennah serve as TeachBeyond leaders in Tanzania with an amazing story and vision for their country. Hear how Emmanuel's childhood experience with school and Ruth's background as a teacher play into their ministry today. “Where I was born and where I grew up, there was no church, there was no school, there was no hospital, there was no road going to that place.” -Emmanuel “No matter the circumstances in which one grows up, education can really define the destiny of the person. Education is key, education is possible. People regardless of where they are born and where they are raised; they have the potential to pursue education.” -Emmanuel “I was fortunate to have a teacher who also had a heart to expose us to the Word of God, and then somehow God used that to propel me into a further search.” -Emmanuel “You need education, but one that acknowledges and makes space for the learner to encounter the exposure to the Gospel so they can change.” -Emmanuel “I celebrate telling this story because I see the hand of God in my life.” - Emmanuel “We want teachers to know the Bible and to be able to transform students, and also students can transform communities.” -Ruth “The Gospel story is actually our strong instrument when we talk about transformation.” -Ruth “This is the kind of ministry that carries the mechanism that can lead to the realization of the promise of education.” -Emmanuel “We want them to know this is a very unique opportunity for the transformation of communities through the Gospel, using education. So I would like to impact schools, owners, managers, teachers, to have the philosophy of transformational education become the philosophy of education for Tanzania.” -Emmanuel “Everyone who has access to education must have access to education that can transform their lives.” -Emmanuel “I'm not in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am a product of divine orchestration to be here now to do what I'm doing.” -Emmanuel “I was not just lucky. God was up to something, and that something was for today, for such a time as this.” -Emmanuel “I want the Gospel to transform every group that I meet when I train using Sparrow Project strategies.” -Ruth “For us as believers, it's not so much accomplishments as much as the grace of God that has propelled us to this point.” -Emmanuel What's changing our lives: Keane: Online book club Heather: Visiting a friend from university Ruth: Sparrow Project techniques Emmanuel: Speaking at a retreat and reflecting on his level of commitment Weekly Spotlight: Sparrow Project We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Dr. Benny Fong joins co-hosts Heather Brown and Keane Fine to share perspectives and tips for leveraging AI as a teacher. Dr. Fong provides practical applications, ethical considerations, and how AI, when used wisely, can help minimize the mundane and allow educators to focus on relationships for Kingdom impact. What are your experiences with AI in your classroom or school? Share with us at podcast@teachbeyond.org. Episode 147: Being Human in the Age of AI “The misconception is that the kids will just shift totally to using an artificial teacher or something. [...] We know that book learning is really only one part of learning. The bigger part of learning comes from a mentor, a teacher, a guide to light that fire of curiosity.” “The whole idea of generative AI is to generate new content based on past context and experiences and information.” “You have to treat it as a new technology, emerging technology. What are you comfortable with?” “As with any technology, we [have] to know the ethical boundary and the privacy first,” Suggestions for practical application: ChatGPT for lesson planning with differentiation Perplexity or Copilot search engines Real-time translation Multi-modal feature “We don't want to shortcut the process for beginning teachers to become good teachers. We don't want to shortcut the process for students to learn their content.” “I think the danger obviously is always viewing tools as good or bad. It's always nuanced. I think that the more that we understand the tool [...] the better we can wield this tool [...] for God's work and for His Kingdom.” “As educators, we are lifelong learners.” “AI is really just the latest in terms of tools that forces us as educators to be flexible in how we engage our stakeholders.” “Education leaders have to start [...] They need to recognize that things are changing. They need to work with the teachers and parents and students to formulate prudent policies first to get on the same page. Then, once things are on the same page, then that frees up the teacher to the next step, which is to innovate and learn.” “We want to build [...] salt and light and ambassadors to the world that needs the Gospel. What does that look like with the help of AI?” “Minimize the mundane stuff so that I can maximize the relationship.” “Real leaders are created through mentoring and through relationship. So, what I feel is that AI, if used properly, can actually maximize that relationship building and mentoring aspect with those around us.” Learn more about TeachBeyond's Transformational Teaching Conference here. What's changing our lives: Keane: Doodling on a Boogie Board LCD writing tablet Heather: HabitShare app Benny: Being reminded about grace at a recent marriage conference Weekly Spotlight: Belize Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Thinking of serving in missions someday? Hear from co-host Heather Brown, along with mobilization coaches Rachel Schmitt and Amanda Cameron, about practical steps you can take now as you consider missions for the future – and in the meantime, make an impact where you are and continue to grow in Christ!  Pray. Operation World Joshua Project Serve where you are. “How can I be plugged in? How can I use what God's given me and actually build and grow those skills that could be used in the future? Those things can be used now, too, and benefitting the communities that we're in. It can help with our discernment in the future, but also has an impact now.” -Heather Take a trip internationally. “I love that God is the same God everywhere.” -Heather “It was a great opportunity for me to see life outside of my own small little bubble that I had grown up in, to expand my horizons, to learn more about what it looks like to live in another country, to see how things are done differently, and to see how the church functions in other countries.” -Rachel Learn more about TeachBeyond's short-term trips here. Get involved in a missions-minded church. “I remember feeling inspired, like, ‘I want to go to Africa. I want to be at a school in Africa.' That stirred in me that desire, and it wasn't until years later that God opened the door for me to actually do that.” -Amanda Seek wisdom from others. “With wisdom and discernment, bring people in who can help you with wisdom and discernment.” -Heather Befriend internationals. “There's such a value to spending time with people and learning about their cultures.” -Amanda Give sacrificially to missions. “We cultivate a heart for missions as we invest in missions.” -Heather Attend a missions conference or class. Urbana Missions Conference Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Read, listen, and learn. A Life Overseas Mission Smart by David Frazier Follow TeachBeyond on social media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn Missionroadmap.org Download our free Next Steps journal!  Closing Advice: “Be proactive [...] and move forward and God will reveal where He wants each of us to be.” -Amanda “As long as you're continuing to move forward, He'll guide you and lead you in the direction that He wants you to go.” -Rachel Want to connect with a mobilization coach? Fill out this quick form to begin a conversation! Read the article related to today's conversation here. What's changing our lives: Heather: Gather25 Amanda: Thrift stores Rachel: Pacas socks Weekly Spotlight: Sign up to receive TeachBeyond News We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Brian Delamont, TeachBeyond Vice President, returns to the podcast to share from 2 Corinthians 5 about what it looks like for our personal, internal transformation to impact culture – “getting out of our heads and into our neighborhoods.”    Romans 12:1-2 “Every culture, every sub-culture, has patterns of thinking, patterns of behavior.” Corporate Cultures by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy “For everyone everywhere, there's a ‘way that we do things around here.' So what people think moves then from internal to external because it's the values that drive the action. What you value in your thinking is going to exhibit itself in what you do.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 “Transformed thinking leads to transformed practices.” “Trying to make people behave in the ways that Christians behave without the transformation of Christ is impossible. You can't make an old creation behave like a new creation.” “Because you have been made new in Christ, the life that you live should look different.” Christ and Culture by Richard Niebuhr Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch Galatians 2:20 “A life shapes culture because it lives out the transforming values of what it believes.” “Our lives matter more than we know because God, in His sovereignty, is working through the symphony of lives that is the single tone of each Jesus-follower combining with His global Church to reveal His glory to the world.” February Reflection: Where is the Holy Spirit prompting me to bring more of the culture of His Kingdom coming? What step will I take to be the influence that Jesus is giving me the opportunity to be? What's changing our lives: Keane: YouTube video about loading the dishwasher  Heather: Networking with new and old connections (and check out the Head of School search here!) Brian: Preparing legos from his sons' childhood to play with grandchildren Weekly Spotlight: International Christian School of Togo We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

This episode covers a lot of ground as co-hosts Keane and Heather talk with Pastor Dave Totman. Dave shares about his experience growing up on the mission field, his own calling to missions, and invaluable suggestions for anyone considering serving in missions. He also unpacks what it means for a church to “hold the ropes” for its missionaries and the blessing of having his adult daughter now serving in missions. Listen to some of our previous Third Culture Kid episodes. “When [my dad] was told no, he trusted that what God was doing in his heart and in his life, that God was going to make it happen.” “Where we are weak, where sometimes we feel like or have even been told that we don't have what it takes, God can overcome any of that stuff.” “God can use me with my interests and my gifting in a very different way than my dad.” Third Culture Kids by David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken “It was not a couple of days or couple of weeks thing; this was actually a couple of years. It took a while for me to realize what God was doing.” “Any decisions have to be saturated in prayer.” Operation World and Joshua Project “The process of praying through and considering those different things and the conversations that that led to around the dining room table - that was where God was working and shaping our hearts.”  “You open up your hands to God, and you say, ‘Anywhere, anytime, anything. I just want to be obedient. I'm going to follow You. You made me in Your image, and You've designed me to bring You glory, so I want to bring You glory, and I'll do it anywhere, anytime, I'll do anything to bring You glory.'” “Looking for wise counsel around you [...] that's a really vital piece of discerning God's will.” “We are called to reach our neighbors, we are called to reach our wider community, but we are also called to be the Gospel light around the world.” “We've been the recipients of seeing a church be faithful to [holding the ropes].” “We need to know our missionaries, we need to care for our missionaries, and that's way beyond caring for just their financial needs.” “One way to support is to read the prayer updates carefully, and then we're all humans, so let's engage at a human level with compassion.” Dave's suggestions if you're considering missions: Pray! Ask others to pray with you Consider taking a short-term mission trip Read missionary biographies Serve where you are “For a boat that's tied to the dock, the rudder is worthless [...] Once you push off, the rudder can direct the boat anywhere. I don't want to be a boat tied to the dock asking God to lead me.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Lego sets Heather: Instagram feed of only those you're following (here's how!) Dave: Learning from Charles Spurgeon this year Weekly Spotlight: Sahel Academy and International Christian School of Budapest We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Is teaching just about the information, or is it more than that? Co-host Keane Fine sits down with Dr. James Enns for a conversation about how Christocentric education can impact on our desires and captivate our imaginations. Contact podcast@teachbeyond.org if you'd like to access a copy of Facets of Transformational Education! “Is it just information? How does formation happen?” Desiring the Kingdom by James K. A. Smith “We can know the right thing to do, but that doesn't guarantee we're going to do it.” “We are desiring beings before we are cognitive, reflective beings.” “We see visions of the good life that appeal to our loves well before we articulate it in any kind of worldview or philosophy.” “We need to understand that all good education comes out of a relationship.” “What we do with our bodies matters, and we learn through embodied actions, even when our rational conscious faculty isn't tuned into them.” “We have to get to know the script to know how to act as improvisational characters consistent with the plot line.” “It takes a great deal of creativity and being less a slave to get through the curriculum and more let's enjoy the ride as far as we go.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Phone Minimalist app James: Being a grandparent and meditative prayer Weekly Spotlight: Christian English School of Torino We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Since 1974, the Lausanne Movement has hosted several Lausanne Congresses, momentous gatherings focused on the state of the Great Commission and collaboration for the future of global missions. In September 2024, over 5,000 believers from over 200 nations assembled in South Korea for the Fourth Lausanne Congress. Hear from two TeachBeyond members - Susie Njogu from Kenya and A. S. from a creative access location - about their experiences and where they hope this will lead in the future. Learn more about the Lausanne Movement “There's no one particular organization or person that can advance this Great Commission by themselves. Together we can do better to advance the Gospel.” -Susie “Unless the Church comes together, we cannot fulfill the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ.” -A “Education is a very powerful tool [to] reach unreached people groups.” -A “[The Great Commission] is not a command or a mandate for people just in a certain region; it's for all of us.” -Susie Article from CBN “Collaboration can help us to reach more diverse people and unreached people groups.” -A “Persecution is there, yes, but God continues to protect His people and have His work advance.” -Susie “We have to continue sharing the Word of God to people whom we meet, wherever they are.” -A What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading The Chronicles of Narnia to his children Heather: Taking a break from leading a small group Susie: Reading The Body Keeps the Score with her book club A: Teaching theology, specifically salvation Weekly Spotlight: Arbor Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What keeps you up at night? What thoughts play on repeat in your mind? In this episode, Brian Delamont joins us to explore how God transforms our thinking—especially when it comes to anxiety and security. Drawing from Scripture we discuss how trusting in God's care can reshape our worries and bring lasting peace. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on seeking God's Kingdom first and allowing His truth to guard our hearts and minds. Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen Proverbs 12:25 The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt “Anxiety can flow from what we expose ourselves to, and it can be addressed or mitigated by what we expose ourselves to, as well.” Luke 12:22-34 “God will take care of what is in His hands. Every good father watches over his children. The Father knows what you need.” “God's Kingdom is where He rules and He reigns. It's the wonder of the garden creation and the splendor of the new city with the Lamb of God and its centerpiece and light. Think about seeing God's Kingdom in relationship to anxiety and security. When I seek His Kingdom, there is no fear in this task. It's God's Kingdom, and He rules, so I don't need to. He invites me to be part of that dominion, and the starting point for God's Kingdom coming is my heart and mind. If I give Him me, then his Kingdom will begin to be seen in me because I'll reflect it. And God knows what we need.  “Our Shepherd will provide care; therefore, I don't need to be afraid to do what He has called me to do.” “Transformation is a change in how I think.” Psalm 127:2 “God will accomplish His purposes. No amount of hard work, early mornings, late nights are going to gain a thing if God's not in it.” “Rest is one of the gifts God has given us to counter anxiety and release control.” Philippians 4:6-8 “God is offering us peace, even in persecution which is beyond a normal human response… It's God setting up a fortress of peace around your heart and your mind.” The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard January Reflection: What am I thinking most about? What's changing our lives: Keane: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Heather: Cordless rechargeable lamps Brian: Reflecting on what he is thinking about Weekly Spotlight: Hyperlinked Name of School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Chloe Powell, university student in the USA, shares about her summer internship experience with TeachBeyond - learning about the organization, using her gifts to serve, and deepening her understanding of global missions.  “Whether you're the missionary being sent or you're the sender offering your support, those roles are all needed.” “You hear a lot about missionaries and they're the ones who are going out on the mission field and serving, but there's so much that happens behind the scenes, and those people are still considered missionaries, as well.” “I witnessed a practical approach to be able to contextualize the Gospel message in a way that's understandable cross-culturally while still valuing that person's cultural identity.” “Displaying humility and being willing to ask questions can really lead to beautiful relationships.” “When you ask lots of different TeachBeyond members about what TeachBeyond is, they are likely going to give you many different answers. Through my internship, I was able to get a glimpse of a variety of those different descriptions and see the different parts that make up TeachBeyond.” “Knowing that I don't have to do it on my own and that the Lord has prepared the way and He has prepared me and equipped me with all that I need to be able to do that, that was so encouraging to hear.” “Pursue whatever the Lord is placing on your heart and continue to walk through those doors that the Lord has opened for you, and just trust that His plan is great.” “It can be so easy to want to stay in your own comfort zone, but it's in those moments when we're out of our comfort zones that we experience the most growth.” “Being part of something bigger than myself and knowing that the Lord can use me to help transform lives and communities around the world is just such an exciting thing.” “My generation has a great access to understanding and wanting to learn more about people who are different than ourselves, and I think that's something that we can really bring to the mission field.” What's changing our lives: Heather: Creating stickers on iMessage Chloe: Time with family and friends over the holidays Weekly Spotlight: Internships with TeachBeyond We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What exactly does a Head of School do? What does your school leader wish you knew? Hear from two school directors, Walter Hopkins and Lori Neuman, about their experiences leading Christian schools, from big-picture vision to the everyday details. “What the vision was initially – to reach Spain – has been expanded to reaching the nations with the Gospel message.” - Walter “The Lord has placed a shepherd's heart in me, and that's what I love to be able to do - to be able to shepherd the staff and the students.” - Walter “It's a big mix of the day-to-day little minute things but also the big picture and the direction that the school is going, so it's a fun mix. Each day is unique and full of new things that I have no idea will come, and that's honestly what makes it fun – it's always different.” - Lori “God gives us little by little additional responsibilities and ideas and opportunities. So, I think it's important to say ‘yes' and trust God with what He's giving you, and seek Him in all of it.” - Lori  “I never ever twenty years ago would have imagined myself sitting in this chair.” - Walter “When they see a school leader not being fazed by things or not letting their emotions get in the way of leading, that makes a big difference to them.” - Lori “If I'm asking things of the staff that I myself don't want to do or don't think I have time to do, then that's probably a good check that I don't think this is a good thing to be asking of the staff.” - Lori “It's healthy to delegate because you can't do it all. I can't do it all, and even though I think that I can, that's just pride.” - Lori “One of the most important ways that someone can support a school leader is through prayer.” - Walter “To see what is happening outside of our school building, where parents are doing life on life with other parents, and they're out there in the plaza outside of the school sometimes for hours and hours, and the love of Christ is being shared – that's a beautiful thing to see.” - Walter Click here to learn more about current school leadership openings with TeachBeyond! What's changing our lives: Heather: New baby niece Lori: Finding a quicker route to get home from work Walter: Balancing graduate classes with work and life Weekly Spotlight: LIFE International School in Spain and GDQ International Christian School in Albania We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Author Katy Boatman shares about how to come alongside pre-teens with the truth of God's Word and the reassurance of His presence as they navigate fear and anxiety. Learn more about Katy Boatman here! Resources from David Thomas and Sissy Goff “We're dealing with an anxious generation. To be aware of it is important, but also to help them navigate what they are truly feeling is really important.” “Reminding them that they're not alone is one of the most important things [...] There is a God that is truly with them.” “When we say the phrase ‘you can rest' and ‘you can trust,' my hope is that, to these kids, it is a reminder that they're not alone, that God is with them, and that He does have a plan.” “The Lord is my shepherd, I have what I need.” Psalm 23:1 “Thankfully, we have the story, we have Scripture in front of us. So, we know where this thing is headed, we know how the story ends. But, that takes a daily kind of surrender to self and a daily reminder that God is good, that God is with us [...] He's in control, and you're not alone.” Check out other episodes we mentioned: Episode 19: Emotional Health & the Mood Meter with Amy Massingale Episode 72: Processing Loss with Sarah Fine Episode 46: Processing Trauma with Annie Stepanenko What's changing our lives: Keane: Playing four-square with his sons Heather: Journal app Katy: Pickleball Weekly Spotlight: International School of the Caucasus We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

For our first episode of 2025 we are digging out an episode from the archives! Enjoy this conversation from 2021 discussing how to move into the new year with intentionality. Are you setting New Year's Resolutions or goals for 2021? Join us for this conversation with Mark Giebink, TeachBeyond's Director of Member Care, helping us shift our focus from striving for success to hope-filled surrender.  Reimagining the Examen App “Silence and Solitude, things that we tend to ignore in our busy lives, help us to make space for that reflection to give us time to look back, but then also to look forward, to really have a conversation with God about what we want life to look like.” “If COVID has given us a gift, I think it's been to slow us down a little bit. It's exposed our interiors.  As our outside world is iffy and unstable, it has exposed our hearts.” “We can rearrange the furniture in our lives, but the real change happens inside us, in our hearts and in our minds.” “Three key ingredients to transformation are honesty, God's presence, and a loving environment.” “God lives and works and meets us in reality. He doesn't meet us in what we wish were the case or our fantasyland; He meets us in real life. That's the beauty of the incarnation.” Romans 15:13 “Hope is a huge ingredient for change. If we don't have hope, we're not going to do it.” “Love is so much greater a motivation to change than fear.” “Celebrating every success is important, breaking that big overarching goal into small steps.” “Hold resolutions with open hands and make them an ongoing conversation with God so that it's not a one-time conversation.” “There are two circles in life: things we can control and things we can't. We have to make sure our resolutions are related to things we can control.” “To know that we are known and loved by God, that's a great motivator for transformation.” What's changing our lives:  Keane: Rocket book Heather: Snuggly Sweater candle Mark: Chickens and grandkids Weekly Spotlight: Dakar Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

In the final episode of 2024, Brian Delamont returns to the podcast to talk about transformed direction. Repentance isn't just a one-time event at the time of salvation but a daily surrender and redirection. Joel 2:12-13 “We can rationalize or explain just about anything in our behavior and our thinking rather than truly commit to a transformed direction.” “God is longing for us to genuinely change, for us to live lives fully integrated and aligned with Him.”  Hear more about VIM on Episode 157 Listen to “Come, Thou Fount” here and read more about the story behind the song here Acts 2 “Repentance is not a one time for all time thing, but it is an ongoing act of our relationship with God.” “To repent is turning from sin and turning to God.” “It's impossible to underestimate the power of a transformational change in direction. It can break generational patterns of behavior and bring freedom to entire family lines, entire communities.” A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson “God does give us moments, like mile markers along the way, that show us progress.” Mark 1:15 “Transformation is not me mustering up enough grit or resolve to somehow change my life. Rather, I become a new creation in Christ Jesus. And this is made possible through the very life of Christ, the Holy Spirit living in me, pouring His life into my life in every way.” December Reflection: What do I know needs changing? What do I need to repent of, so that I live fully into God's future for me in the coming year? What's changing our lives: Keane: Neighborhood friends Heather: Doing “sprint” work on projects with her team Brian: Eggnog in his coffee Weekly Spotlight: GDQ International Christian School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

From playing music with his family to his calling into missions work to touring through Germany, musician Danny Plett traces the story of God's provision and faithfulness in his life. Danny pulls back the curtain on dark seasons of his life and gives a behind-the-scenes look at his Christmas tour in Germany. Learn more about Danny Plett here! “My prayer had always been: ‘I want to be able to provide for my family, I want my ministry to affect people for Jesus Christ, and I want to be able to not burn my family out.'” “God's economy is just so different. What we consider big and what we consider successful is maybe great for some people, but it's a bit of a misnomer in the economy of God's Kingdom. I began to see things very differently. I began to see success and see what was significant, what was important, in a completely different way.” “In those seasons of vulnerability, the enemy comes and he really tries to ramp up, turn the volume up on fears.” “There's a lot of material that I can choose from to write songs from – songs of hope, songs of lament, songs of joy because the dark days are over, songs of praise and worship, songs that talk about my doubts and my fears, and many, many people can relate to that.” “There's a handwork aspect of songwriting that many people can learn, but then you have to put soul into that container. You have to put authenticity and a kind of realness that impacts people on a deeper level.” “Christmas is really just my favorite time of the year. It's when the Savior of the universe entered my world, and there's so much material there that can be written in countless songs.” “I want to write songs with depth. I want to write songs that go to the true spiritual meaning of Christmas - and for that, for the unplumbable depth of what took place at Christmas, for that reason, I love Christmas.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Starting a new journal Heather: Hobby nights with friends resuming Danny: Going slower and being in shape Weekly Spotlight: International Academy of St. Petersburg We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

In this episode, TeachBeyond educators reflect on the profound significance of the incarnation in the classroom, exploring how Jesus' full humanity and divinity shape Christian teaching. Through personal insights and Scriptural wisdom, we discuss embodying Christ's love, the power of living out the Word, and practical advice for celebrating Advent with joy. Join us as we consider how the incarnation transforms not only our hearts but also the way we educate. Sign up for TeachBeyond's OnPractice newsletter here! “Hills of the North Rejoice” “Love Came Down at Christmastime” by Point of Grace “In Jesus is the full expression of God but it's Jesus' full humanity. A central Christian claim is that Jesus was fully God and fully human [...] We only know what God is like through Jesus' full humanity.” - Wyndy  “While not bound by time, there is significance about the particular ways in which God chose to show up.” - Wyndy  “Jesus was Jewish, Jesus was working class, Jesus had to flee for His life at some point as a political refugee, and those things seem to matter. They matter to the Gospel writers.” - Wyndy John 1 “The incarnation is Word made flesh. While we will never fully be incarnate because God is God incarnate, God became flesh, we are called to be like Jesus. We are called to incarnate the word that He has given us.” - Becky  “Jesus lived out what it means to be love on earth.” - Becky Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics by Samuel Wells “How do we know how to make these improvisations? How do we know how to act? It's by studying the script.” - Becky “If I want them to see Jesus in me, that means I have to have Jesus in me. I have to be spending time in the Word and have the Word dwelling in me in order for my students to see that.” - Heather The Soul of Ministry: Forming Leaders for God's People by Ray Anderson “Lean into it, have fun with it. Let's just rejoice in this time period of a little more crazy. There's so much fun in it, too.” - Heather “Advent is the beginning of the church year. It now sets the season for everything that is to come.” - Wyndy What's changing our lives: Heather: Compassionate time management Wyndy: Focus on rest in this season Heather: Using her walk to and from school to be still Becky: Exploring the topic of “the city” in Scripture while working on a course Weekly Spotlight: Positions in Art, Drama, and Music We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How do you picture the nativity scene? Jessica Jenkins shares historical and cultural insight into the birth of Jesus and shares encouragement for telling the story of Christmas. Follow Jessica Jenkins at We Who Thirst Read about the Historically Accurate Nativity “In a house birth, Mary would be surrounded by family and neighbor women and possible midwives, and so you have this whole community surrounding Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Rather than them being shamed and ostracized and pushed away, it's the gathering in and caring for them.” “Luke tells us that this house had a guest room. That word in Greek, ‘kataluma,' is often what is translated in many English translations as the ‘inn.' Where we're used to reading in Luke 2 ‘there was no room for them in the inn,' the Greek word there is ‘kataluma,' which really means ‘guest room.'” Luke 22 and Mark 14 “It's not going to be sparse, like our typical stable scenes, where it's just Mary and Joseph and a sheep. You're going to have aunties and hosts and hostess and kids running around screaming and maybe a chicken flying through.” “You mean Jesus came to be one of us? He's not born in a palace?” “Jesus is the One who draws near. He is with you.” “It's really amazing to think about how God just surrounds these people, and He just puts Himself right in the middle of everyday happenings. The angels come and announce in a big way, which it's definitely worth announcing, but He's also just coming in the absolute simplicity of birth and day-to-day life.” “The typical nativity story is God not with us. God's away in a manger. He's pushed out, He's far away, He's not really with us, He's over there. But Emmanuel is God with us.” “Figuring out how to teach kids about Jesus can feel really overwhelming. Don't feel like you have to do it all at once.” “God came to be with His people, including children.” “If we can ground our kids [in the truth] that Jesus is near them, rather than being a far-off distant God ready to reject them at a moment's notice for a failure, but He's a God who draws near, that will fundamentally change how they view God and their ability to attach to God and trust God.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Staffs made out of dowels for his kids Heather: Meet-up with other Christian women in her area Jessica: Sweatshirts Weekly Spotlight: ENLACE English Language Center We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Brian Delamont talks with co-hosts Heather and Keane about how God often works through difficult circumstances to transform us: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). “He's in control, and He is good. He leads us into this opportunity to have difficulties and trials become part of the transformation that He longs for us to experience in order to become all that He intends.” “We've been given this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit, the glory of God in us, to move us towards transformation.” 2 Corinthians 3:18-4:1 “Transformation means difficulty, and difficulty can mean transformation, if we choose to let it work in us the way God intends it to.” Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer “It's not a matter of instant change. There is no experience in the Christian life that will reproduce His image in a moment. It is a process, not a crisis.” “You and I are not fully transformed the moment we decide to act on Jesus' invitation to become His apprentices. It's this ongoing process.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 “Spiritual growth and transformation doesn't mean we have fewer and fewer challenges. It means that when the challenges come, when I'm hard pressed, for example, my response is that it's more like Jesus. There's the fruit of the Spirit.” “Am I suffering because I'm doing things that are contrary to God's best design for my life, or am I suffering because I'm doing things that are going to reveal His greater glory?” 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 “In the transformation process we don't run to difficulties, or foolishly seek out persecution or ridicule. This is not the life Jesus modeled for us at all [...] Suffering itself is not the purpose. If that were the case then God would be tremendously cruel.” “God has good outcomes for us in mind: Our transformation through difficulties, our growth in joy, perseverance, character, hope, and in being refined to reveal the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-6 “Our sufferings, our difficulties do more  than transform us as individuals. They can transform our friends and our family, our community, as we share and journey through these experiences together.” “It's not instant happiness [...] it's walking with God through these difficult times. And we know the difficulties are actually a given if we follow Jesus.” “In walking through these difficulties that transformation becomes so much more visible. It reveals the genuine power of the gospel in the midst of my difficulties, in the midst of our suffering together. And yet in these challenges, we do not lose heart.” “God is in control. He is sovereign. He sees you, and He is also running the universe in the way He wants it run – in a good way, ultimately, because God is not just sovereign, He is good. And we can rest in that so that we do not lose heart.” Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller November Reflection: What do You want to transform in my life right now as I face this difficulty? What's changing our lives: Keane: Sticker door Heather: Functional strength training Brian: Having a rare, non-cancerous tumor Weekly Spotlight: Asunción Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Jack Stenekes has been serving with TeachBeyond (formerly Janz Team) since the 1950s, first on the stage and then behind the scenes in administration and finance. What stories and wisdom does he have to share? Listen in to hear his heart for evangelism and faithful obedience to the Lord. Learn more about the history of Janz Team and TeachBeyond in Episode 159: The Roots of TeachBeyond with George and Beverley Durance. “Music was to undergird and support the work of evangelism, and it always was meant that way.” “We'd have up to 80% unchurched kids that would come out for these events, and I think in those occasions, I realized, ‘Wow, God is doing something very remarkable through our presentation of the Gospel through music and through the preaching of the Word.'” “Even though changes were there, doors of opportunity also became available.” “It's not necessarily a person's ability, but a person's availability.” “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” - Corrie Ten Boom “When you do look back, you see it in perspective, and that's not possible when you're in it. With all of the changes that took place, I'm just so grateful that the Lord impressed upon me just to stick with it and do what you need to do at the moment.” “Let's do this together. The Lord has a way forward. He has solutions for us, and I'm happy to be part of it. A person doesn't have to be in the limelight; that's not necessarily where it's at.” “Anticipate that God is going to continue to give you a means to serve.” “Our vision and our purpose should be to reach people for Christ.” “That's my prayer for the organization - that we actually aim for the heart of people, not just for their minds.” “God is going to provide what we need for the moment in the times of challenge.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Getting a large white board Heather: Stories from the 70th anniversary episodes Jack: Getting older and learning a new pace We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Persevering through difficult seasons often brings new perspectives on God's faithfulness and provision. In this episode, two school leaders - Steshire Buyinza in Uganda and Ellen Kujawski in the Dominican Republic - share about their experiences pioneering in establishing new schools and how they have seen God at work amidst challenges. Don't miss the special 70th anniversary story from TeachBeyond's first teacher! Learn more about Arbor Christian Academy ( serve | give | follow ), Butambala Christian Learning Center ( learn | give | follow ), and Black Forest Academy ( serve | give | follow ) “We started this school out of the need that we saw in the community for young people to have something that they could do and feel like they mattered in the community - but as well, preach Christ to them, preach the living hope to them, give them the love of Christ, for them to know that they are loved, they are not alone.” - Steshire Buyinza “Is this where God has called us? Is this what we're supposed to be doing? And He just over and over affirmed that, ‘Yes, I have called you to San Francisco.'” - Ellen Kujawski “We didn't want to be the people who came in with our vision of what we thought a school should be. We really wanted to be sure that it reflected the needs and desires of the local community.” - Ellen Kujawski “I have learned that God is good and He is good. I have learned that when you trust God, everything is possible.” - Steshire Buyinza “What I have really learned from persevering through these difficult things is that God is faithful.” - Steshire Buyinza “It's so easy for us to forget the things that God has done because in the moment they are such big concerns, and then I'm learning to celebrate when God does meet those needs instead of just moving on to the next concern.” - Ellen Kujawski “This all belongs to God. He is the one who called you and He is faithful [...] This is His work. Whatever we are doing, it is all for His glory.” - Steshire Buyinza “You're not alone. You're not the only one who is facing these kinds of situations.” - Ellen Kujawski “You're doing a great job. God has trusted you as a vessel to reach out to these children, to reach out to these young people. May God bless you.” - Steshire Buyinza What's changing our lives: Heather: New routines with shorter days Ellen: Raising a 15-month-old Steshire: Reading through the book of Genesis with her students We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

This year, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of TeachBeyond! TeachBeyond was actually formerly known as Janz Team Ministries for over 50 years, changing its name to TeachBeyond in 2009. Listen in to hear more of the story of how TeachBeyond came about as we talk with George and Beverley Durance - well known for their family ties to the original Janz Team and their roles as former TeachBeyond President and Donor Services. “Being part of the Janz family played a huge, positive role in my life.” - Bev Durance “We said, ‘Wow, we would really like to do something for God, and we don't want to get old and wonder what it would have been like to do that.'” - George Durance “The biggest motivator [..] was just strictly a deep desire to say the same thing in the 21st century that our forefathers had said in the 20th century, and if we were going to do that, we had to change how we said that.” - George Durance “We started by praying. I think this has become a real hallmark of TeachBeyond – that we pray.” - George Durance “When you have faith, you always act. Faith is never sitting on your backside. You ask and then you act.” - George Durance “When you put your foot on the accelerator, don't take it off because you'll never find it again.” - George Durance “If you're going to cast a vision, you have to actually have a vision.” - George Durance “We see transformed lives, we see people changed across the globe, based on an educational initiative that the Holy Spirit has empowered and used.” - George Durance “Who would have guessed that I would follow in my mother's footsteps to process the donations to support this work?” - Bev Durance “We determined that we would take every opportunity to develop relationships with the donors […] Our job was to give the organization face for the many people who wanted to support the work.” - Bev Durance “I just love seeing God's hand of provision at work every day, and that transforms a person.” - Bev Durance “So how does one keep going? How does one persevere in doing good? As we know, we will reap the harvest if we keep persevering, and one of the ways is to remember right from the beginning that God has gone before and prepared hearts and that you're in the center of His will, no matter how hard or discouraged you feel.” - George Durance “Our missionaries are doing this – communicating the Gospel and discipling students in educational settings around the world – and I think my uncles would be so pleased to see the work they started continuing in this way.” - Bev Durance Learn more about TeachBeyond's annual Day of Giving here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Scheduled phone calls with his brother Heather: Visiting her mentor from a past season Beverley: Entering retirement and more time with family George: Keeping busy in this season of life We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Can missions really have a positive impact on diplomacy? Dr. Phil Dow, Head of School at Black Forest Academy, shares about his research and personal experience with faithful missionaries whose impact expanded beyond what they could have imagined. Phil's book, Accidental Diplomats: American Missions and the Cold War in Africa Special Providence by Walter Russell Mead “I've grown up within the missionary community; I have a passion for seeing that work thrive, seeing God honored through the Great Commission around the world. Missions was everywhere around me.” “The history books actually have a lot to do with people's misconceptions.” “When I looked around the peers of my parents, the work that they were doing, what I saw was people that were there not getting wealthy, not in with the rich and powerful, not politically powerful or aiming for that, so the reality was very, very different from the stereotype.” “They were going truly to the ends of the earth. And so, if they were going for wealth and power and influence, they went to the wrong places.” “These missionaries went out to share their faith and to love their neighbor, and not to do that at the center of political power, and yet they end up having a massive influence.” “How in the world did they have such a huge influence? The answer is really because they simply were doing the work that God had called them to.” “Christianity as a global faith has been a twentieth century story, and that is intimately connected to the story of evangelical missions, and Africa is the most obvious glaring example of that.” “It was because they didn't care about political power that they were so influential. It's because they were simply being obedient to God's calling on their lives that they were trusted because they weren't seen as manipulating or power hungry.” “What excites me is the future of the Global South in the Great Commission.” “I'm optimistic about the continuing role of the US and Canada and countries that have been traditional sending countries to continue to play a role, even if it looks a little different than it did thirty, forty, or fifty years ago.” What's changing our lives: Keane: A crawling baby and an office full of plants Heather: New mug from a Germany pottery market Phil: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Weekly Spotlight: Black Forest Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

In this episode, Brian Delamont returns to the podcast to talk with Keane and Heather about Romans 12:2 — what it means to be transformed by renewal of our minds, rather than being conformed by the world. Romans 12:1-2 “God is the master designer of all transformation. Since He created humanity in His image, He has the most precise and the most boundless understanding of what we can become in His design.” 1 Peter 1:14 “It's a moment by moment discipline to think and live in the Holy Spirit's path for us.” “This is what He intends for us – not to be squeezed into something we're not, but rather to have every aspect of our lives be everything He knows it can be.” “metamorphoo” - Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2 “The glory God has for us is revealed as we do the things our Father does and live the lives He intends for us to live. Our transformation shatters the power the mold of conforming wants to put on us and reveals more and more of the glory of God in our lives and in our world.” Vision (the desired outcome), Intention (deciding to do it), Means (the way or ways to achieve the desired outcome) Titus 3:5 “Transformation challenges all of how I live as a human, and for renewal to happen I need to make a commitment to transformation.” “Changed thinking both comes from and results in a changed brain - literally, a renewed mind.” October Reflection:  What is your vision? (Do you genuinely want to be transformed?)  What is your intention? (You must decide to change.)  What is your means? (What action steps will you take to move towards the change God has for you?) What's changing our lives: Keane: A crawling baby Heather: The Gift of Limitations by Sara Hagerty and the boundary lines falling for us in pleasant places (Psalm 16) Brian: Stretching his skills as a musician Weekly Spotlight: Ukarumpa International School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Have you ever felt pressure to figure out your whole life? Do you ever wonder what God is doing when you look at the fragmented pieces of your story? Gabriel Klein, TeachBeyond member in Brazil, shares how God has led him from a teenage dream to play in a band to go to seminary, learn video editing, and become a missionary.  “For lots of students, what impacts them the most is listening to other students talking about what happened, talking about how God changed them, how God worked in their lives. So right now I have the chance to be the one listening to the stories and like recording them and editing and sharing them.” “What God is doing is a lot bigger than what I can see and what I can put in a two-minute video.” “God uses different things to transform people's lives… God uses our gifts, no matter how different they are.” “I don't need to have this huge crisis every time I need to make a decision because He's taking care of it.” “It's not about what I do but about being someone that loves Him and growing in my relationship with Him, and remembering that He is doing it and not me. It's His job, it's His ministry, it's His story, after all. I'm just a part of it.” “I was looking at my calling and my future as something that was like a mystery that I needed to try to solve so that I could understand God's will for my life. Right now, I can see that He has been guiding me all the way through here, through all these transitions, through all these different jobs and different experiences.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Playing street soccer with his sons Heather: Dahlias blooming late Gabriel: The Common Rule by Justin Earley Weekly Spotlight: English Camps We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What does it look like to cultivate a classroom environment that fosters integrity and responsibility? Rosemary Openda, seasoned educator and TeachBeyond member in Romania, shares relatable stories and practical tips for teachers to approach this topic intentionally. Rosemary's Article | Sign up to receive OnPractice “It's not just giving them knowledge; our very own lives should reflect Christ and should be a model that a student can emulate.” “When you cultivate integrity in your class as a teacher, you give the student room to learn, room to be themselves and to value them, and also to understand that failing is not the end of it.” “Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. How you communicate to your student matters a lot.” “A teacher is a role model in class and outside class. So when I'm speaking to my student, they are able to see the authenticity in me.” “Honesty is not just a matter of the classroom; it's a matter of the heart.” “I have value in them as a student, as a person, and that changes the way they look at things, and it promotes a positive attitude.” “Our words are very powerful.” “God has entrusted me with these students for such a time as this, and I must be a good steward.” “Healthy competition allows the student to learn something from the other student that is positive.” “What are the things that this generation needs from us as forerunners? This has given me an opportunity to always, always search my heart and walk right with the Lord.” “I am so much transformed in a way that I want what is inside me to come out as sweet waters to my students.” Click here to learn more about the Rise Up Summit! What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading a monthly book with a mentor group  Heather: Listening to an audiobook Rosemary: Continuing to be a role model for students from summer camp Weekly Spotlight: Bucharest Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

We are back for season 5! Author and artist Ruth Chou Simons joins Heather and Keane for this first episode of the season focused on finding our home in Christ, wherever He leads us. “I care about words as art.” “‘The heaven declare the glory of the Lord,' the Bible says. Ultimately, we are not just believing that God is on high and He is sovereign and He's the ruler of all and Creator God; we don't just think that and believe it, we experience it when we see the sunrise and the sunset.” “The more we know that God is God and we are not, the more we start really being able to worship Him for who He is.” “When you make your home with God, you'll never be far from home.” “Sometimes we associate home with location or environment or kind of furniture or the smells… Nothing can truly satisfy the way my relationship with Jesus can.” “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” C.S. Lewis “God offers to all of us a sense of belonging, home, and absolute security, regardless of where you live… It doesn't matter where God takes you, if He's the one that you're walking with, you actually have access to your true home.” “The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord.” George Mueller “Everything that is scary out there, I'm sheltered from ultimately by the blood of Christ, but also I have safety and comfort under the shelter of God's wing. And that shelter is true home.” “Throughout Scripture, when we see God pursuing His people, when we're being offered a relationship with Jesus, it's always through presence.” “He is our shepherd as in He is caring for us, He holds us, we are close to Him.” Hebrews 11:16 Learn more about Ruth Chou Simons here and find her new book here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Community photography class Heather: Changes to her church small group Ruth: FaceTiming her sons in other states and ginger turmeric shots Weekly Spotlight: Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Looking for practical suggestions for beginning the school year well? Megan Randolph, TeachBeyond's Director of School Services, shares doable tips to prepare for the year logistically and spiritually. This is a great episode to share with your friends in education! “The rhythm of an academic year is necessary for the longevity of teachers.” “At the end of the first week of school, what do we want our students or our learners that are in our care to know? We want them to know that we care about them, we want them to know that we value excellence, and we want them to know that we're passionate about our work - the content and also the work of education.” “If you can do that bigger picture planning now at the start of the school year, I think that will save so much time and allow you freedom later on to pivot as you need.” “Plan, put effort into it, pray about it, approach it in a positive manner, and then just make the best with what you can and with what you have because, at the end of the day, actually how you approach the first day of school is really going to set the tone for your students.” Tips from past guests: Linda: Have a plan for classroom management Esther: Have students share a special item from home Anna: Give each student a fresh start and view them as children of God Jonathan: Keep the students the main focus over the lesson plan Lindsay: Welcome each student personally as they enter the room Tosca: Take time to reflect and remember that God is writing your story What's changing our lives: Keane: Sons back in school Heather: Watching the Olympics Megan: Packr app Weekly Spotlight: Belize Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

For International TCK Day we are going back in our archives to our conversation with Michèle Phoenix from Season 1, Episode 22.   Michèle is known around the world as an advocate for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and the children of missionaries. Listen in for a glimpse into the world of TCKs! “Passport culture plus adoptive culture(s) equals Third Culture Kid (TCK).” “Because I have those two cultures in me, my closest sense of belonging is with others who are, like me, multiculturally formed in their formative years. There's a misconception that third culture is actually my individual third culture that I form out of the two that shaped me [...] but actually the term means that we find belonging with others who are also third cultured.” “My differences were similar to their differences, and that I wasn't weird; I was a TCK.” “Mostly belonging in multiple places increases their skillset; it makes them bridge builders.” “To ask them to figure out what is uniquely one culture and uniquely another in the way they think and in the way they think, even in the way they speak, is going to be a real challenge for them.” “Something that feels fairly minor to a monocultural adult who has lived multiculturally for a while might feel like this tidal wave of all of these emotions coming back to the TCK or MK.” Article: Nine Tips for Living Well in a Season of Grief “The enormity of the blessing and the strength that comes from growing up as a TCK is immeasurable.  You have blessed them in ways that you probably won't ever be able to fully realize.” “Generalizations about TCKs are not always entirely helpful, but knowing what the majority of them tend toward I think can be a really helpful thing in mentoring them and walking with them.” “Because of our experience seeing things done differently in other parts of the world [...] we can start to draw people from their highly selective clusters toward each other.” Learn more about Michèle's ministry here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading more than one book at a time Heather: The Next Right Thing Journal by Emily P. Freeman Michèle: Four Tiny-Small Questions for the Quarantine-Weary What small thing can I do that will make me feel alive in this moment? What small thing can I do to take some sting out of this day? What small thing can I do to make today feel purposeful? What small thing can I do today that will connect me with God? We'd love it if you would subscribe, rate, review, and share this show! And as always, you can reach us at podcast@teachbeyond.org.

For this special summer episode we are re-releasing a past episode from Season 2.  Keane talks to Liz Steggall-Lewis, Director of Beyond Borders, about World Refugee Week and God's heart for the refugee. We also hear about the work Beyond Borders is doing to serve the most vulnerable. "The character of God shines in these stories of displacement." "In Malachi it talks about the way that you treat foreigners, orphans, and widows is a sign of your righteousness." "The whole Biblical command is to care for those who are vulnerable and to welcome and love the foreigners among us." Resources: World Refugee Sunday - Exodus World Service World Relief Refugee by Alan Gratz Beyond Borders Sponsorship Life Jacket Documentary What's changing our lives: Keane: Summer Traveling Liz: Pizza We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/  

TeachBeyond President, David Durance, joins Heather and Keane for the final episode of the season! Keane reveals the season-long mystery message, David shares about the TeachBeyond Way, and, of course, all three share what is changing their lives. Keep listening to hear clips from past episodes in this Season 4 Finale! “For us to be on mission together, it's not just enough to know what we're doing and where we're going, but how we're going to get there. And the TeachBeyond Way gives us this wonderful starting point, so that as we go and live out the mission around the world, we know this is the common thing that makes us TeachBeyond.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Becoming a foster parent Heather: Rabbits in the yard David: Reading through the Bible at a slower pace this year  We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

As followers of Jesus, our leadership flows out of His transformational work in our lives. Heather and Keane talk with Brian Delamont about five things that leaders do: advance the mission, build teams, communicate, develop self and others, and evaluate. Also, don't miss the final mystery word of the season! Download the Core Competencies Cube here! “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” -John Maxwell “As a leader, when understood in a Biblical worldview, I'm actually first a follower, I'm a disciple, I'm an apprentice of Jesus. That's the foundation of leadership.” -Brian “It all flows out of who we are as followers of Jesus. If we are being transformed by Him, if we're choosing to intentionally follow Jesus and allow Him to transform our hearts, then these behaviors flow out of that. They're not behaviors to learn, but they're happening as fruit when we are living and leading as God intends because good leadership always reflects God's good leadership and God's good design.” -Brian TeachBeyond Core Competencies of a Leader: Advance the Mission Build Teams Communicate Develop Self and Others Evaluate “Mission and vision will always take you into the unknown.” -Brian “When new people join the team, you make sure they catch the vision, they can understand where you're trying to go, and then you're able to release them.” -Keane Episode 146: Doing Life Together “As followers of Jesus, we want to never stop growing; we never arrive. We're never fully complete because God always has more to do in us.” -Brian Episode 15: Growth Mindset “We can participate in developing ourselves and others by being open to what the Holy Spirit's doing and modeling that we're all on this journey together.” -Heather “Leadership is the outcome of discipleship.” -Brian May Reflection: Which Core Competency will you start with, and when will you do it? What's changing our lives: Keane: Eating fresh vegetables and making salsa Heather: Growing a cut flower patch Brian: Being in a season of waiting Weekly Spotlight: Belize Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Katherine Haschig shares about student teaching abroad, choosing to stay at that school as a classroom teacher, and seeing the Lord at work through Gospel-centered transformational education all across Africa.  “I've definitely always wanted to be a teacher. That's been in my heart for forever, but living overseas was not really something I envisioned or planned on doing.” “I was at this pivotal time where I could really do anything.” “I'm not a super adventurous person; I kind of really like my comfort zone. This was really shocking for everyone - including myself.” “That's really my favorite part - getting to be with the teachers, getting to take school visits, see their schools, see what they're like, and train the teachers with this curriculum we have.” “I have had the privilege to take what I just learned sort of recently [in university] and add that into part of our curriculum.” “We have no idea the ways God is going to lead us and guide us and direct us.” “God, here I am. I'm here to serve You in whatever capacity that looks like.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Geocaching Heather: Playing the board game Wingspan Katherine: Reading books on a Kindle Weekly Spotlight: Student Teaching with TeachBeyond We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Our guest this week shares from his personal experience with and research about the Indian church specifically, as well as the global Church as a whole. To learn more about the International Day for the Unreached, listen to Episode 109: The Alliance for the Unreached. “The Church is influenced by society [...] and yet, we are also different because of the human-Divine meeting in the church. It is not just another human plane of belonging, but there is this coming together with the Divine in the church, which gives us another dimension of being.” “Ultimately, we are united through one Lord Jesus Christ [...] but we are also enlivened by the Holy Spirit, who is present everywhere, and He speaks to us all in our languages in our own spaces, and we are all adopted as sons and daughters of one Father.” “There is no other way for the Church to be but connected in the local and the global; if it's not connected, then it's not the Church because then there's no one Jesus Christ, there's no one Father, there's no one Holy Spirit. And yet, we are also diverse and different also because of where we are.” “An ideal vision is that all would be equal - all would have equal opportunities, equal passports - but that is not the reality that we experience.” “If we are one Church, one people, one body of Christ, [we are called] to share and participate deeply in the needs, the pain, the joy of the other also.” “How does the Church reach out in mission? To be very simplistic, by being Church.” “If I were to point out one thing [that the global church could learn from the Indian church], it's maybe the capacity to be okay with the knowledge that you will be persecuted. [...] Being okay with that does not mean that I am saying there is no pain, there is no suffering.” “Life has been difficult from a human perspective, but in the midst of all of this, I have experienced God in a new way.” What's changing our lives: Keane: A network of children's museums Heather: Hard-boiled eggs Sonam: Watching his son grow and learning to be more flexible Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Opportunity Board We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

As the end of the school year approaches, listen in for tips from some of our Season 4 guests! Linda Kardamis: Step back and consider what you want to accomplish before the end of the year. Christy Biscocho: End the year with a dance party! Jessica Moulding: Pay attention to student needs, stay focused on year-end goals, and give yourself grace. Savana Duke: Create space for all students to process upcoming transitions. Tami: Take time to enjoy your students, and write down everything you need to accomplish. Jacob Cavett: Plan well for the summer. Cesar Valdez: Spend time in the Word of God. Kelly Crandall: Take opportunities to identify feelings and encourage kindness. Clarence Yau: Enjoy each day, and say yes to being intentional with people. Lindsay Nimmon: Emphasize relationships with students. Bastiaen Norel: Make a check-list for final tasks. Then, enjoy your holiday! Tosca Nathan: Look back and celebrate where you saw the Lord at work. David Platt: Make the most of every moment, knowing that your impact is far more than you can see now! Sonam: Take time to slow down with God.  Brian Delamont: Ask yourself: What will you celebrate and how? What do you need to leave behind? What conversations do you want or need to have before the end of the year? Keane Fine: Savor the moment and appreciate the time you have. Heather Brown: Plan special activities to conclude the school year together. Weekly Spotlight: HopeSeed School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What are the potential benefits and dangers of Artificial Intelligence? How can we approach AI through a Biblical worldview? Perhaps you've been asking these questions, too. Thorsten Marbach shares helpful insight in navigating the world of AI as humans created in the image of God. “The further into the future we look, the more divergent the possible scenarios and predictions are.” “What does it actually understand? There's a very clear answer to that, and the answer is nothing.” “We need to catch a wake-up; we can't just let this thing slide. This stuff is developing very fast, and we need to be on top of our game to make sure that it's going to a good place.” “Previous technologies were very good at disseminating existing ideas, whether that was the printing press or the radio or the Internet, but now here we have something that's creating - or at least seems to create - new ideas. That's new.” “Engaging with AI has everything to do with what it means for us to be human.” “If one just were to look at those three things in which we can understand our humanness - identity, dominion, relationship - or if you want, it's basically just saying being, doing, relating [...] those are exacting the three areas we need to think through and work through when it comes to what we do with AI at an individual level and at a societal level.” Dominion questions: Is this pulling me to a place where I'm doing better at dominion, or is it actually pulling me into a space of domination or a space of abdication? Is this AI thing going to increase or mitigate inequality?  “Don't abdicate your creativity to AI.” “AI might simulate moral agency, but it doesn't have true moral agency.” Relationship questions: Is it helping me relate in a better, deeper, wider way, or is it actually shutting down my relational capacities? Is this helping me love God and neighbor more or less? “It's not an AI world; it's still God's world.” Identity questions: What does it mean to be a human being, and what is consciousness? “We have a very valuable identity, but it's a derived identity; it's not a self-made identity.” “One of our key roles as Christians would be to challenge and perhaps give an alternative to some of the more reductionistic understandings of what it means to be a human being.” “We can know who we are. We can know whose we are. We can know that nothing is going to derail God's big story of creation, fall, redemption, eternity. No matter what AI does, no matter what happens, it's still God's story.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Using the arc browser Heather: Getting a new duster Thorsten: Learning from others in a weekly gathering that he coordinates called TGIF Weekly Spotlight: International Christian School of Togo We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What does it look like to honor God and others while living in community? Brian Delamont returns to the podcast to share about the foundation of prayer, the path through problems, and the power of the Holy Spirit. “Doing life together will connect you with prayer, with problems, and with power.” Philippians 1:3-7, 9-11 “When we do life together, that's when God gives us this wonderful, awkward, uncomfortable opportunity to grow, to take what I see is lacking in someone else's life and to pray about it, to thank God every time I remember them, to pray that their love for God will abound more and more.” Philippians 1:27, 29 “God grants, in His sovereignty, these problems so that on behalf of Christ we see the work of God moving forward towards the completion He intends for us.” Philippians 4:2 “Resolving conflict, forgiving, giving up our rights for the sake of another - that's hard. And this is where God, by His Spirit, forms genuine community.” “The only way that we can live this out is when we connect our lives with the life and power of Christ.” Philippians 2:1-5 “Being united with Christ will lead us to be like-minded, to have the same love, to be one in spirit and one in mind.” Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you, the One who has intentions for you, for those you are doing life together with, He will carry it on. He himself is the ‘how' to lead you to transformation.” April Reflection:  How will you strengthen your connection to doing life together?  How will the problems you're facing strengthen your connection as you do life together?  How will you live confidently in the power of the One who began a good work in you and is still moving that work forward until the day when everything and everyone becomes all that God intends? What's changing our lives: Keane: Sons beginning extracurricular activities Heather: Sensible Shoes book series Brian: Getting a new coffee maker Weekly Spotlight: ENLACE LinGo Centre We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How has God gifted you to serve? Hear from a TeachBeyond member about his experience leaving Canada to teach English in Asia. “[Teaching] a wide range of things means a lot of really great opportunities to hang out with the kids and give them the best of what I know, best of what I have and share with them as best I can what it means to know God and be a part of what He's doing in the world.” “The stakes are really high. We can't really afford to not care about this. We've got to go! If there are people who haven't heard, then people need to go.” “It's not me that really made the impact [...] it's God's Holy Spirit in them.” “My answer is pretty simple: I'm here for you.” “There's real purpose in all the weird puzzle pieces that don't seem to make sense at first.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Losing his wallet Heather: The new default Microsoft font, Aptos Jonathan: Road trip to visit former students Weekly Spotlight: English Teacher positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

What's your story, and why does that matter? Long-time educator Tosca Nathan shares about the significance of knowing your story and connecting to God's bigger story, especially as teachers. “Like any story, our life stories have a path, they have a trajectory, and it's full of meaningful events, defining moments, key relationships, trials and disappointments, dreams and aspirations, passions and discoveries.” “How coherent your life story is and how coherently you can talk about your life story has been seen as a factor in well-being.” Coherence of time, thematic coherence, and contextual coherence “Your life story never exists in a vacuum. It is always part and parcel of a bigger story.” “In the telling itself, every time you tell it, there's more meaning making that happens, so it's important to tell your story.” “If teachers are not fully aware of who they are and have exercised all of the areas of coherence, they will not be as effective in their teaching.” “The teacher, with what they do or how they relate, helps the student understand how their story connects to bigger things.” “You can't give what you don't have.” “To realize that scholarship is part of that grand story completely changes why I even engage in research or why I engage in teaching and learning, and then on top of that, it elevates it to the level of worship.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Playing the board game, Sorry Heather: Reaction buttons on emails  Tosca: Reading the Bible through the lens of the grand story and watercolor painting Weekly Spotlight: Lingo We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Do you have a big life transition looming ahead? Is someone you know planning to move away? Lindsay Nimmon provides a Biblical framework for saying goodbye well, then gets practical, walking through the RAFT acronym and five tips for applying these transition principles. “When you're living overseas, you're bound to say more goodbyes and experience more grief as a result of those goodbyes than any monocultural or non-mobile peer.” “People are eternal beings who are not meant for endings, so goodbyes hurt, but we hear God's call to us as Christians to go into all the world and make disciples, and so we trust that He can and does use this grief to shape mobile people into His likeness and give people full lives.” Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds by David Pollock Safe Passage by Douglas Ota “It is possible to form and help our families form healthy, Christ-centered life patterns surrounding transition, loss, grief, people, the world, and learning through the process of learning to say goodbye well.” “Saying a good goodbye to a place and a community is part of cultivating personal health and recognizing that we are loved by God.” Moving On: Beyond Forgive and Forget by Ruth Ann Batstone RAFT: Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewell, Think Destination “Reconciling then, thereby fostering humility, reliance on God, and merciful attitudes, paves the way for a better exit from one community and a more open posture upon entering another community.” “Be specific about what you see God doing in the lives of those around you, and take this moment to encourage their souls.” “Tokens of the affirmation we want to give people during times of transition allow the affirmation to be revisited over and over again and help quiet the negativity that can come when people are feeling isolated.” A Life Overseas Blog “Even as we are in the process of saying goodbye to one people and place, we can begin looking ahead to the people and place we are going.” “It is good to begin to let your heart and the hearts of your children float on the RAFT across the ocean to the destination, trusting that Jesus is leading you there to love a different part of His creation and a different group of people for His name's sake.” “Doing all of the right things doesn't necessarily guarantee the future outcome, but it doesn't mean that we give up either […] It does something to our own hearts even if it doesn't create the outcome we were hoping for.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Joining a church mentoring program Heather: Hair getting long Lindsay: Loneliness Weekly Spotlight: Asunción Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Pastor and author David Platt joins us for this Good Friday episode, where we focus on the Gospel and its centrality to missions. What makes the Gospel the good news, and how can we be part of sharing it with others? Listen in for an inspiring story about Gospel impact on a community and be challenged to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  “We are made for life in relationship with God.” “He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, so that anybody anywhere in any nation, no matter who you are and what you've done, if you will repent and believe, turn from your sin and yourself, put your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then God will forgive you of all your sin and restore to relationship with Him forever. That is the greatest news in the world.” “The beauty of the Gospel is that it's not based on what we do; it's based on believing, trusting in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us.” “Gospel flows directly into mission: When you believe this Good News, you want to spread this Good News.” “We all have a unique and significant part to play in the spread of the Gospel to all the nations.” “It should be totally intolerable to us as followers of Jesus that there are thousands of people groups in the world that have little to no access to this Gospel.” “This is actually what it means to be a follower of Jesus - not just to say a prayer or believe some truths, but to die to ourselves, pick up a cross, and to live with Him as Lord of our lives in every way.” “He's called us to die to the dreams of this world in order to live for a much greater dream, a global dream, the spread of His glory to the ends of the earth.” Philippians 3 “In following Jesus, it may cost you everything, but He is worth it.” Luke 9:23 “If Jesus is Lord of my life and I'm living for the spread of the Gospel and His glory through my life, then what does that look like in my workplace? What does that look like in my home? What does that look like when I think about my future plans?” “We need followers of Jesus in every domain in the workplace, filled with the Holy Spirit of God working for the glory of God.” “We're not going to over there what we're not doing right here where we live.” Radical.net What's changing our lives: Keane: Writing in his books Heather: Spending time with my nephews David: Communicating with his 2-year-old daughter Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Opportunity Board We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Brian Delamont returns to the podcast to explore the Merriam-Webster Dictionary word of the year – “authentic” – through a Biblical lens. Heather draws a connection to her word of the year from 2023, and Keane shares a profound quote from C.S. Lewis. Holiness in Everyday Life by Raphael Haeuser The Truest Thing about You by David Lomas “It's crucial to ground identity in something proven and dependable, something that doesn't shift.” Genesis 1:27 “Humans are inescapably, for all eternity, created in God's image; it's inherent in us. Therefore we long for the characteristics that can only be satisfied in Him.” Mark 8:35 “Jesus is inviting us to find our identity in him, and in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit, to let this identity of being deeply loved by God shape our desires to align with what He knows will lead to our flourishing, to shalom.” “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” -C.S. Lewis Matthew 3:17 2 Peter 1:17 Colossians 3:1-10 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “When I live in my identity as a person indwelt by God, who loves me, I let Him rule. This anchors me in my authentic identity.” Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen 1 Corinthians 13:11 1 Peter 2:9-10 “I'm not a solitary individual who chose to follow Jesus; I'm a part of the global community of Jesus followers alive today, and I'm a descendent of every Jesus follower before me. They are my people.” Philippians 1:6 “Until the day God returns to make everything declare His full glory once again, He will be at work in you. And you have work to do in this, as well. You answer the call; you respond by actively becoming who you authentically are.” March Reflection: As you look at yourself, who are you becoming? What will you do to experience this more fully? What's changing our lives: Keane: Rediscovering Josh Garrels music Heather: Hosting a favorite things party Brian: Learning from these podcasts Weekly Spotlight: International Academy of St. Petersburg We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How does an Internet search lead to missions work? What is it like to provide literacy training amongst nomadic communities? Hear from Wangūi Maina about her experiences following the Lord to multiple different countries and what it's like to serve now in Northern Kenya. “I felt the Lord say, ‘Forget all of the things you're trying to figure out. Just trust Me and go.'” “Northern Kenya in 2024, still has the highest illiteracy rates in the whole of East Africa.” “One of the greatest impacts that I have seen is seeing children who were not interested in school because of the cultural practices that prevail in these communities take up an interest in going to school and staying in school.” “Where Christ is preached fearlessly, transformation happens.” “Whatever negativity or whatever darkness, it can't come against the light.” “People think God's calling is some big voice up in the air or you'll hear some booming, but it's those impressions that the Lord puts in our hearts.” “Start your day with the Lord; it really makes a difference.” What's changing our lives: Keane: Planting the garden Heather: Teaching at her alma mater Wangūi: Discovering new nearby routes Weekly Spotlight: Creative Access Locations We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/