Advertise on podcast: Transformed & Transformational

Long before people called him the father of modern missions, William Carey was a shoemaker's apprentice in a small English village with about a sixth-grade education. Professor and historian Dr. Michael Haykin traces the stories of Carey's calling to India - the counterfeit Christmas coin that led to his conversion, the influence of other missionaries, the friendships formed along the way, and the legacy of Serampore College. Listen in to hear about education as missions throughout the centuries. "I love history because you do see God at work in people's lives." "Our Lord did not die for events or ideas [...] He died for people." "It was reading James Cook that set [Carey]  thinking about going as a missionary to this part of the world." "He realizes that toshare the gospel of Indians for British people, they need to enter into the mind of the people withwhom they're dealing." "Unless we get to know this world through these stories, we'll never be able to reach these people." "They can't simply rely upon British missionaries. The people who can best reach these people are Indians." "The community is absolutely vital for Carey's work." "To be able to stand before a class of students, whether they're PhD students, baccalaureate, or younger, it's an incredible privilege to be able to shape the minds of men and women. You have an enormous impact." "There's a humility about [Carey] and also a recognition of the importance of the weight of being a teacher in his context." What's changing our lives: Keane: Home repair with a neighbor Heather: Smoothie packets Weekly Spotlight: Head of School positions We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Connor and Cheyenne Elliott spent over a year preparing to teach in Okinawa, Japan. Amidst the pandemic, they learned Japanese and hosted sushi-night fundraisers. Then in July 2021, they received the call that their visas had been rejected. Just a week later they were telling the same supporters that they were going to Thailand instead. Five years and three kids later, they're still serving missionary kids at Chiang Rai International Christian School. As they share their story, Connor and Cheyenne reflect on preparing for missions, raising children overseas, the meaning of "home," and a calling that was always about surrender rather than a particular place.  "My heart was always so stirred whenever a missionary would come to share at church." -Cheyenne "I knew that if we're both just going to be surrendered and pursue the Lord together, then He can do with that whatever He wants. We can serve God, whether it is at home or abroad." -Cheyenne "When we got the news that we couldn't go, it was pretty crushing." -Connor "We already said yes to Japan. Let's say yes to Thailand!" -Connor "We realized we really loved the vision of CRICS – to serve the servant." -Cheyenne "The place where we were was the place that God brought us to, and we just wanted to delight in that." -Connor "Lord, can you give me excitement for going back to Thailand, but still contentment with where I am now and where I will be in the future?" -Cheyenne "The Kingdom of God is my home." -Connor Hebrews 11:8-16 and Hebrews 13:14 "[Parents] can continue to stay on the field and find ways to serve unreached people groups to plant churches, the Bible's being translated into new languages, and it's really cool to know that that's happening around us and to know that this is a small role that we can play to support those." -Cheyenne "Your sending base is so important when you're considering moving overseas. Be known and be involved in serving where you are." -Cheyenne "I think there's a lot of joy and delight in even doing the fundraising process, and there's joy in education itself. So, some of it's just like trying to go through a door and waiting to see whether it's open or closed; I feel like that can be a good step if you're considering missions." -Connor "I think that God calls us in all sorts of ways and God leads us in a lot of certain ways, too. Sometimes that's just through your passions or your desires and what delights you. And in some ways, leaning into that can be a way that God calls you to a certain place or not." -Connor What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading a shorter book between longer or more intense books Heather: Open Bible challenge Connor: Reading and thinking about about education and technology Cheyenne: Making sourdough bread Weekly Spotlight: Chiang Rai International Christian School We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Sarah Nunnally, author, illustrator, and self-described adventurer, joins Keane and Heather to talk about raising children with a heart for the nations. Drawing on her own experience of living abroad, Sarah shares how her God Everywhere book series and the Pray the World activity book invite kids into God's global story through greetings, prayer, and curiosity about their neighbors. Looking for practical ways to talk with children about the nations? This episode is a great place to start. Learn more about Sarah Nunnally here, including books and downloadable resources. Learn more about Perspectives on the World Christian Movement "There's so many people that can be reached just in our own backyard. Are we missing a portion of a child's life that they could really share the love of Christ with their global neighbor?" "Go, move overseas, be adventurous, follow God's voice, but at the same time, if you can't, don't let that be a hindrance to what God's doing in your own neighborhood." "Every child is so uniquely created and so loved by God." "Always look for similarities before you talk about the beautiful and unique differences around the world." "We want them to be encouraged and empowered, but we also really want them to be humble and submissive to the Lord's voice in their lives." "What attributes do you feel like could serve someone else, and how has God made you in that?" "There isn't really an age range for being a part of what God's doing around the world." "It can be simple. I think that's what I want to tell people – that it feels really complicated, but loving people really doesn't have to be." "God does incredible things with small offerings." What's changing our lives: Keane: List of foods that his children can cook Heather: Changes in her church Sarah: Learning to say no more Weekly Spotlight: Opportunities in Asia We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

What does it look like to step into education as missions for six weeks in the summer? Hear from four students who participated in Go Beyond – how they got connected at TeachBeyond at Urbana Missions Conference, what it looked like to step out of their comfort zones while far from home, and how they grew as they lived out the gospel. God is at work throughout the whole world, and we have the opportunity to step into opportunities to partner with Him in what He is doing. Learn all about Go Beyond here! Hear about Chloe's internship on Episode 169 Learn about Urbana Missions Conference "The biggest reason I wanted to go was just to learn… I was really excited to see what God is doing and to learn how He's working in the nations." - Josh 1 Thessalonians 5:24 "Go Beyond was an incredible experience that grew my dependence on God and actually helped me learn that it's okay to ask for help and ultimately see the joy of serving Christ wherever He called."- Macey "Go Beyond has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life." - Lily "It's just living out your everyday life as a believer, forming relationships with people, but in a different part of the world." - Annie What's changing our lives: Keane: Going on short walks Heather: Creating an Aunt Heather newsletter Annie: New internship teaching children in a Hispanic community Macey: Reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Josh: Practicing the Sabbath Lily: Prioritizing morning routine with Jesus, carrying His light into student teaching, and reading a devotional for teachers Weekly Spotlight: Go Beyond We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Sheila Krahn has been volunteering with TeachBeyond's English Camps for nearly a decade, spending a week or two of her summer break teaching English in Latin America. Sheila may not speak Spanish or Portuguese, but she and her team share willing hearts and the love of Jesus through English lessons and activities. Hear stories from Sheila about how God has worked in remarkable ways in the lives of campers and volunteers alike. Want to learn more about serving at an English Camp like Sheila? Click here! Sheila mentioned singing in a background choir for Danny Plett. Listen to Episode 165 with Danny here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Kids are old enough to go to camp this summer Sheila: Prioritizing family in this season of life We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Packing and preparing for a move, whether across town or around the world, is often filled with logistical stressors and heightened emotions. Hear real stories, practical tips, and encouragement from Ken Haywood, who has spent decades working in the moving and storage industry. Leave with actionable steps and the reminder that God is walking with you as you take this step of faith. Find "A Liturgy for Packing" and other timely liturgies from Liturgies for a Life Abroad. What's changing our lives: Heather: A backyard birthday party Ken: Stretching regularly after open-heart surgery We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Are you preparing for a new school year? Listen in for practical tips and encouraging words from Season 6 podcast guests.  We'll be back in October for Season 7! We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Have you ever held back because you didn't feel ready enough for God to use you? In the Season 6 finale, hosts Keane Fine and Heather Brown talk with Brian Delamont, Executive Vice President of TeachBeyond, to close out the series on myths that shape how we live out our faith. Walking through Biblical characters from Moses and Gideon to Paul and the disciples, they trace the ways that God empowers His people. If you're waiting until you're prepared or strong enough to serve, this episode is for you. 1 Cor. 1:27 "He does choose things that we would not choose to accomplish His purposes." Exodus 4:10-17 Joshua 1:9 Judges 6:14 "We don't have to be perfect or ideal; this unlimited strength is not a prerequisite to God using someone." Psalm 27:13-14 "The heart is being strengthened in the waiting." Ephesians 6:10-17 "God doesn't use the strong [...] but God makes you strong." "You know my strengths because they're from You, and You know my failures because You've been graciously present in those, too." Acts 7:58 "This is why the myth is crippling: because it can lead me down the path of believing the lie that I'm not usable, that I'm deficient or that I have to be perfect for God to use me or to do something meaningful in my life." May Reflection: Do I believe the lie that God only uses the strong?  What's changing our lives from the past season: Keane: Having guardianship of their youngest son and his brother's Frontier Airlines pass Heather: Developing Go Beyond Brian: Meeting TeachBeyond leaders in their contexts Weekly Spotlight: Master's International School We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

The adventure came after the surrender, not before. Noah is a Resident Assistant at Black Forest Academy in Germany, and his path there ran straight through a calling he really didn't want to say yes to. Noah traces the journey from an international upbringing through a defining study abroad experience to a moment of reluctant obedience, and what he found waiting on the other side. "Their parents can focus on ministry while having their kids receive a really good, quality education, and the dorm side for us is that we become partners, co-workers with the parents as we seek to guardian them and lead them through these four years that they're here." "I had packed into a box this idea that following Jesus into the mission field means leaving behind everything you love." "I really didn't want to obey, but I knew He was calling me." "They immediately responded with, 'Oh, you're one of us. Oh, you get us.'" "When you can get into a mindset where you give up predictability, when you give up seeing things in the way you planned, it becomes easier to hear His voice." "We [in Gen Z] have a desire for truth; we want what's real. We don't like the facade; we don't like the fake." Dialogue Education "You lay it all at Jesus' feet, and you say, 'Abba Father, here is my life, here is everything. You are in control. You have access to everything.'" "The answer came on the other side of obedience. I've found myself living what feels like an adventure, and I only found the adventure once I surrendered." What's changing our lives: Keane: Listening through top albums of all time Heather: Using a sleep app Noah: Processing learning through teaching to increase retention and engagement Weekly Spotlight: Residence Life We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

It's our annual episode with practical suggestions and heartfelt encouragement for the end of the school year! You'll hear themes of ending with intention, prioritizing rest, and keeping the gospel at the center. Listen in for words of wisdom from several Season 6 guests and TeachBeyond members. Dr. David I. Smith: "The way that we end things actually says a lot about our values." Rio Handley: "All of us need to rest." Paulo Jobim: "Keep doing as best that you can, and God is using you through this process." Kristi Schliep: "Take the opportunity in a different rhythm of life to rest and work in a different way in the coming months."  Charis Leal: "Know that you are loved and appreciated and seen by God." Elliot Bender: "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due seasons, we will reap if we do not give up, so then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially those who are in the household of faith." Galatians 6:9 David Durance: "Ask the Lord, 'What is it that You're asking me to be to be all things to all people for the furtherance of the gospel?'" What's changing our lives: Keane: Putting up a pull-up bar Heather: Chris & Henni worship music Weekly Spotlight: Substitutes  We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

About three billion people — a third of everyone alive today — still don't have access to the gospel. Dr. Marvin Newell unpacks five Great Commission passages and how we can take the gospel to those who still haven't heard the good news. Listen in to learn about the 10/40 Window, the International Day for the Unreached, and more! A Third of Us: What It Takes to Reach the Unreached "There are about 9.2 billion people in the world today, and of those, about a third of them have yet to have access to the gospel." "A third of humanity has yet to have a clear presentation of the gospel." Matthew 28:18-20 "The core of what we're to do is to make disciples of the nations." "The sending role is as important as the going role." Mark 16:15 "People who have these three 'nos' - no church, no Bible, and no [Christian] individual around them - are the ones that we're focusing on when it comes to the unreached." "90% of the unreached people groups in the world are found within that [10/40] window of darkness, of no gospel access." Luke 24:47 "We do have a specific message that the world needs." John 20:21 "It takes human beings to share the gospel in a way that other human beings will truly understand it." Acts 1:8 "We're to be proclaiming the gospel both here and near and over there all at the same time." "The three big movements that we're living in in our day and age are globalization, international migration, and urbanization." "We shouldn't see this task that we have as impossible. We need to know that God is preparing hearts ahead of us as we take the gospel to these people groups." "We are commanded to take the gospel [...] to all the world to every creature, so we see that as our task and we don't lose heart." "It's up for us to keep passing the baton on and keep the movement going that Jesus gave two thousand years ago to the twelve apostles." Learn about the International Day for the Unreached here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Using old technology to create something new Heather: A surprise visit to her brother's family Marv: Playing pickleball Weekly Spotlight: Positions in the 10/40 Window We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Does God want me to do things 'for' Him? In this Spiritual Formation conversation, Brian Delamont unpacks the myth that our service somehow benefits God or earns His approval. More than acts of service or obligation, it's about the heart. Brian offers a question to guide our reflection this month as we consider our motivations and perspectives of God. Isaiah 41:10 Deuteronomy 11:18-21 John 10:27 "When I'm doing something 'for,' do I picture that as I'm doing God a favor or I'm actually bringing something to God that maybe He can't do without me?" Jeremiah 31:3 "The thought of me doing something 'for' God [is] because I'm questioning whether His love really is unfailing." Hebrews 13:5 Mark 12:41-43 In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen "Caregiving, tithing, parenting, mentoring someone, gifts of time and helps are beautiful ways of doing 'for' God that become these tangible embodied expressions of His love when they are done as an act of worship." James 2 Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 1:3-4 "Before I was capable of doing anything, before the creation of the world, God chose me, God chose to love me, God chose to love us." Colossians 3:23 "God is simply bigger than my understanding of Him. He is both grace and truth. He has fully paid for my salvation as the spotless Lamb of God, and He calls me to take up His cross and follow Him at exactly the same time." "God said, 'I want you to bring your tithes into the storehouse.' So they're doing what God said, but it's a completely different story being told in worship or not worship." "God does not demand that we do things 'for' Him – He's more than capable of anything that needs to be accomplished, in this universe and beyond – but, we see from the beginning of creation, God invites us to partner with Him in this flourishing that is His design. He wants our love, which also means that He wants our highest allegiance." April Reflection: Does how I'm feeling about God as I serve Him align with who He is, what He has revealed about Himself, and the witness of Scripture and the Holy Spirit? What's changing our lives: Keane: Playing Frisbee with his sons Heather: Following the Artemis II space mission Brian: Anticipating a vacation Weekly Spotlight: Bucharest Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

What does it look like to fully embrace the local church and global missions -- not as competing callings, but as one? Duarte Casmarrinha, National Director of TeachBeyond Portugal and local church pastor, has spent his life finding out. In this conversation, Duarte shares how camps became a thread woven through his entire ministry life, why he sees education as the greatest open door for the gospel, and how his involvement with TeachBeyond has allowed him to extend his gifts in ways he never expected. "The brethren churches in Portugal were basically founded by British missionaries in the early 20th century, and that heritage is still very strong for us." "I saw in Janz Team [TeachBeyond] a vision, mission, and also activities and events. I saw there a possibility to extend my gifts, my talents." "I don't remember a single summer since I was 12 years old when I wasn't involved in a camp." "TeachBeyond benefits to have so many people that are willing to be volunteers [...] and at the same time,in another way, we are helping the local church in areas - family, education - where a lot of churches don't even have a strategy." "Sometimes it takes time, but that's how the Lord works." "I would say that education, that is the open door, the biggest opportunity [...] to share the gospel, to share the love of Jesus." "That's what TeachBeyond does through the learning process, through the teaching process, being able to share the love of God that is in Jesus Christ." "What I learned from the past, which I could share, I will pass the torch, so to speak, for the young generation." What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading longer children's books is difficult to keep up with! Heather: Wearing hotel slippers Duarte: Reading leadership books and thinking about succession Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Camps We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Paulo Jobim returns to explore what neuroscience reveals about transformational education and why it affirms what Christian educators have always believed — from the way teachers' and students' brains synchronize during genuine connection, to the role of emotional intelligence and novelty in learning. This conversation will give teachers both a richer vocabulary for what they already practice and fresh encouragement that the work of Christian education is written into the way God made us. If you want to see your classroom through the lens of both Scripture and science, this is the episode for you. Listen to Paulo's first episode, Episode 70: Neuroscience and Belief "Christ is living in me, and I live my life, but I can see reality through the eyes of Christ." "We talk about Christ, but we live like Christ as well, and in the classroom, this is very important because this identification that the students have in teachers leads to credibility and intellectual humility." "Emotional connection and knowing each other [...] neuroscience points out that these are very important in education." "There is a kind of synchronization between school teachers' brains when they are teaching or when they are interacting with students, and the students' brains." "Science and neuroscience especially are showing the effects on the brain, not reducing everything to brain activity, but showing what happens in the brains of people that are being transformed." "God created our brain and the way we can be transformed." "Emotional intelligence [...] is something that should be more connected to the teaching methodologies because it's something that is good for kids." "Introducing novelty in the classroom is a great tool to engage students, not only because it activates their brains and their attention will be focused [...] it triggers a reconsolidation process." What's changing our lives: Keane: Family vacation Heather: Finding a new route to the post office Paulo: Learning about neuroscience and Biblical counseling, as well as learning Spanish Weekly Spotlight: Christian English School of Torino  We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

In this important conversation, David Durance shares what it means to reach the nations through education. He shares why this moment in history calls for fresh obedience, renewed imagination, and a deeper awareness of how God is already at work around the world. As more people than ever remain unreached, this episode explores why education is not secondary to mission, but one of the most powerful ways the gospel is being lived out and heard today. If you want to better understand the heart behind TeachBeyond's calling, this episode is a great place to begin. "As we see different cultures and different people come together, yes, there's so much that's unique, but the similarities are actually shocking. It's amazing to see how God is bringing us together around this new vision. It's really exciting to be in this moment, seeing that around the world." "To see what God's doing around the world and to be a reteller of that story is critical [...] The story is better than I could have imagined." "Today we have more people that have not heard the gospel than at any other point in history." "How will this next generation most effectively hear the gospel? If more people today have not heard the gospel than any other point in history, we have to take a new approach. We have to think about this and ask the Lord, 'Where are you moving?'" "We see the simple obedience of people who are willing to be the goers and be the hands and feet of Jesus, recognizing that's actually how the gospel is going to be effectively heard fundamentally by people living it out and people seeing the gospel lived out in their context." "God's actually opening the doors in these places where it's hard to go." "Our heart for relevancy is one that led us to education." "We're seeing how God is specifically in this moment using education as a way in which the gospel can be heard." "It's this teaching-learning process that invites all to respond to Christ's redemptive work in every aspect of life [...] It's actually an invitation to an individual and community into a lifelong journey to becoming all that God intends." "The Great Commission is the whole church bringing the whole gospel to the whole world." "God is using, in this moment, education to spur on a future generation that cares about the Great Commission." "If we want a future generation of followers of Jesus that care deeply about the Great Commission like we do today, then Christian education, transformational education needs to be at the heart of what the church is thinking about." "We desire to join the work that God is already doing." Hear the story of TeachBeyond Argentina from Marisol in Episode 107 "It is about this movement from all corners of the earth, seeking to reach their nation, so that the nations can be reached through education."  What's changing our lives: Keane: New people joining the team and using ice breakers Heather: Worship music to reframe in the midst of stressful moments (Jesus at the Center | Center) David: Slow-release melatonin and preparing to speak seamlessly using using his Fold phone We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/