ENCOUNTER
Global Outreach
We proclaim the glory of God and His marvelous works by strategically engaging with unreached people groups and partnering with others in reached nations. With a deep commitment to advancing the gospel, we are dedicated to reaching the nations through prayer, mobilization, training, and sending our own people to make a lasting impact around the world.
Get Involved
Engage the world
We want to make Jesus known to every culture and every people! Our priorities are —
Christ loves every human in every place on this planet! In Matthew 28:19, Jesus invites us to be a part of His desire to show this redemptive love when He says, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Paul & Sandra Bradley
Cadence International
Colorado, USA
Paul and Sandra are missionaries with Cadence International, a mission organization dedicated to sharing the gospel and their lives with the military community around the world.
For the past 33 years, they have served in a variety of ministries across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Currently, they serve as Europe Field Directors, where they coach, encourage, mentor, and oversee all Cadence staff in Germany and Spain.
In addition to this role, Paul serves as Vice President of Foreign and Affiliate Ministries and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Sandra also contributes to the mission as an editor in the Communications Department.
Jonathan & Nancy Fitzgerald
Bridges International
University of California, Irvine
Nancy was born and raised in Ventura and graduated from BIOLA with a masters in Intercultural Studies, Pastoral Counseling, and Spiritual Formation. She has been involved in short term trips to Asia for over 10 years and has a passion to reach the unreached! In 2019 she began serving part-time with Campus Crusade for Christ (Bridges) at University of California in Irvine and made a decision in 2020 to become a full-time staff member. Jonathan and Nancy met in 2020 and married in February of 2022. Jonathan and Nancy share the Gospel, disciple, mentor, lead bible studies, and journey with unreached international students from over 20 countries. Their vision is to win, build, and send out equipped international students back to their home country where then they will take God’s life-giving message to their country.
Daniel & Lori Hahn
Catalyst
Intl
Catalyst Intl supports Christian workers who are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. They do this through conferences for men, women and families. Catalyst is led by Dr. Daniel and Lori Hahn. The Hahns have been in pastoral ministry since 1983. They came to Encounter in 2000 where Daniel served as the Community Life pastor for 7 years and the Lead Pastor for 14 years. Lori served in Women’s Ministry, Communications and Global Outreach. They launched Catalyst in 2004 as a way of meeting the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of weary global workers. In July 2021, the Hahns transitioned from pastoral ministry to focus full time on caring for global workers.
Luke & Daisy Holland
Global Grace Fellowship
Sheffield, England
Since 2008, the Hollands have been serving with The Oakes Holiday Centre, a Christian camp located in Sheffield, England. English children attend with their church
groups, schools and clubs, and they share the gospel with them. The Oakes offers over 40 camps each year for children 8-18 years old. Daisy grew up at ENCOUNTER and served on the youth staff while making many short term trips to The Oakes. She met her English husband Luke while there. They have three children: Bethany, Caleb and Micah.
Nate & Louise Johnson
Cadence International
Colorado
The Johnsons have been serving with Cadence since 2000. They’ve worked in youth ministry on military bases in Germany and Japan. In 2013 they transitioned to running a hospitality house serving meals, hosting Bible studies, special events, trainings, and one-on-one discipleship first in Rota, Spain and then in Fairfield, CA. In 2022, they transitioned to serving as the WestPac Field Leaders, where they oversee all the ministries that Cadence has for soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians, and cadets at bases west of the Mississippi river, including Alaska, and Hawaii. They provide care, coaching, communication, and coordination for the missionaries serving those installations. Nate served as the youth pastor at ENCOUNTER in the 1990’s. They have four children: Ellie, Kara, Krista, and Josh.
Phil & Cheryl Kingsley
Greater Europe Mission
Dublin, Ireland
Since 1982, Phil and Cheryl have been involved in multiplying disciples and churches in Ireland and Europe. They train and coach leaders for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting in Ireland. Phil has been an adjunct lecturer at the Irish Bible Institute in Dublin since 2012. Phil and Cheryl grew up at ENCOUNTER and were married in what is now The PLEX. They have two grown children and five grandchildren.
Dr. Linus Morris
Global Training Network
Global
Linus co-founded Christian Associates International and helped plant 50 churches across Europe while leading the organization for 25 years. Now with Global Training Network, he equips leaders around the world through the Divine Expedition—a training rooted in Scripture and focused on multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches across Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and the U.S.
He holds graduate degrees from Regent College, Fuller Seminary, and a joint D.Min. from Bakke and Asia Theological Seminary. Linus is the author of The High Impact Church and The Divine Expedition (with his son), and is currently writing Big Issues That We Face Today.
He and his wife have six children and 17 grandchildren. Learn more at OnExpedition.org or GTN.org.
He holds graduate degrees from Regent College, Fuller Seminary, and a joint D.Min. from Bakke and Asia Theological Seminary. Linus is the author of The High Impact Church and The Divine Expedition (with his son), and is currently writing Big Issues That We Face Today.
He and his wife have six children and 17 grandchildren. Learn more at OnExpedition.org or GTN.org.
Joe & Lori Pent
Latin America Assistance
San Jose, Costa Rica
Joe and Lori have been directing La Montaña Christian Camp in Costa Rica since 2000. The camp has hosted over 200,000 Latin American youth since its inception. Joe also serves as the Executive Director of LAMA (Latin America Assistance), our US based non-profit with offices right here in Ventura. Their vision is to:
- Empower Latin youth and youth leaders to pursue excellence in Godly character, lifestyle and service.
- Develop evangelistic adventure camps with leadership and discipleship training by providing financial assistance, prayer support and joint participation with North American churches, organizations & individuals.
- Mobilize other camping ministries throughout Latin America.
Phil & Rita Warkentien
Global Grace Fellowship
Pernambunco, Brazil
Phil and Rita Warkentien have a multi-pronged ministry based in Caruaru. Phil, a second-generation missionary to Brazil is the pastor of Pinheirópolis Church, a missions-oriented fellowship of believers which regularly makes trips to other cities leading many to Christ. He also oversees the Light of Life ministry which provides discipleship courses to prison inmates and native Brazilians in remote areas. Being fluent in English and Portuguese, Phil serves as a translator in many high-level situations, including the BGEA, Lausanne, and Go to the Nations. He also is a translator for Samaritan’s Purse, giving out shoebox gifts to needy kids at Christmas time. Rita is a Brazilian by birth with a true gift for hospitality; she is usually smiling and keeps all the pieces functioning while Phil is traveling. They frequently invite guests to their home and share the Gospel with them. The Warkentien’s have three adult children.
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South Asia
This family has been working among an unreached Muslim people group since 2013. They meet with individuals and small groups to evangelize, study the Bible and strengthen disciples. They have three children.
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Bosnia-Herzegovina
This family has been serving the people in the Balkans since 1998. They focus on spiritual, physical and emotional needs through training, coaching and counseling with a focus on life transformation through entrepreneurship and resource assessment. They have four adult children.
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Central Asia
This family serves a muslim people group by using their professional skills and creativity to engage people in every sector of the city they live in with the gospel. The husband does coaching and consulting for local businesses and the wife build relationships with local women. They have three children.
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HOPE for North Africa
In February 2020, two single women moved from Central America to North Africa to join a team of church planters. They are serving a muslim people group in the Sahara Desert.
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Central Asia
This couple and their two children use their professional skills in mountain guiding to develop mountain tourism, aiming to provide job opportunities in this industry for locals, and engage those they are working amongst with the gospel.
Join Us
Prayer For the Nations
Prayer for the Nations is a time set aside the final Sunday each month for our church family to gather and pray for the world, specific countries and peoples, our global partners, their work among the unreached and less reached, and any specific challenges our partners face.
We will meet and pray between services for 15 minutes in the auditorium in front of the stage. Everyone is welcome.