Our approach in our initiatives is to be practitioners that can then teach out of our experience. After attending Exponential 2014, my idea of church planting was expanded to include a missional approach – one that might not look like a traditional church plant.

Thus began a journey into a missional expression of church that led our family to incarnate in our context. That intentional shift catalyzed our nonprofit (that until then only worked in China) to restructure as a missional umbrella globally – including our town.

In 2017, our nonprofit purchased an existing coffee bar and used it as a co- vocational opportunity for mission in our community. We launched, with our proceeds funding an after school program that has now reached hundreds of families in our town of 20,000.

Since then, we have assisted with the start up of two additional coffee bars with strategic outreach initiatives – in Vladimir, Russia and in Wichita, KS. Three other incarnational co-vocational projects are in the works as I complete this application. They are not cookie cutter copies or a franchise, but are instead birthed in response to what needs the leader has identified uniquely to their context. They have our DNA, but are unique and independent initiatives that we have the joy of coaching toward existence.