Today on the podcast Tyler, Andrea and I chat with Dr. Earl Lavender. Dr. Lavender was born to missionary parents in Trieste, Italy. He has a Masters in Biblical Studies from Lipscomb, and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Saint Louis University. He has taught at Lipscomb since 1991 and for the last twenty years has served as Director of Missional Studies and as a professor in the College of Bible & Ministry. As director of missional studies at Lipscomb, he has led mission and education efforts and seminars in a dozen countries around the world.

Dr. Lavender has authored numerous books, published articles, and written commentaries. To see a list of his published works or find out more about Earl Lavender, see his biography. We are thrilled to have this conversation about the heartbeat of our University as living missionally in our communities and our world. Thank you for listening!

Greg McKinzie is an adjunct faculty member of the College of Bible and Ministry at Lipscomb University and a PhD candidate in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. He served as a missionary in Arequipa, Peru, from 2008–2015, where his family partnered in holistic evangelism and helped launch the Christian Urban Development Association (http://cudarperu.org). He is also the founder and executive editor of Missio Dei: A Journal of Missional Theology and Praxis (http://missiodeijournal.com).

Today on the podcast Tyler, Andrea and Emily chat with Christopher Klotz, who students may know as "Klotzy." Chris is a graduate of the University of California Irvine, and went on to play professional soccer with the Charlotte Eagles Soccer Club. Chris lived in Africa working with Serving in Missions (SIM), Sports Friends and Missionary Athletes International where he created and implemented curriculum for developing and training coaches in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, and Ethiopia. In 2012, Chris moved to Nashville, TN, to coach the women’s soccer team at Lipscomb University and transitioned into the Director of Spiritual Formation in Athletics and also serves as the trip coordinator for athletic mission trips. Chris has led multiple trips to El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Dominican Republic, Charlotte, and Nashville. Chris also serves as the ministry director for Project 658 Nashville. Chris is married to wife Lacey and they have two daughters, Blakely Grace and Camden Mercy.

Tyler, Andrea and Emily chat with Honduras team leaders, Garner Goode and Stan Lowery. Garner, (a Lipscomb alumni and Senior Manager of Corporate Development for the Nashville Predators), served on the Honduras Mission Trip several years before becoming a team leader. Stan is a member of the Hillsboro Church of Christ here in Nashville and a leader in their college ministry. Garner and Stan share how the short term trips with the church at Mateo has had a long term impact on them, their students and the Hillsboro church for almost 20 years. 

Missions Staff chat with Carlee Watson and Moldova host partner representative, Kari Bidwell. Carlee, (a Lipscomb alumni and 4th grade EL teacher here in Nashville), served on the Moldova Mission Trip several years before becoming a team leader. Kari serves as Mobilization and Events Manager with Justice and Mercy International and has been with JMI for the past 7 years. She has led and participated in numerous mission trips and has a heart for encouraging and empowering people and sharing Christ around the world. Find out more about JMI at https://justiceandmercy.org/.

James and Elizabeth Parnell are Lipscomb alums (’06 and ’05) who live in Nashville, TN.  James is an emergency medicine physician, and Elizabeth is a forensic nurse practitioner.  For more than twenty years, they have been traveling to Mexico working with Baja Missions. James and Elizabeth now help to oversee Baja Mission’s three medical and dental clinics. Since 2014, they have led the Lipscomb Baja-Med Spring Break. Baja Missions exists to demonstrate the love of Jesus by bringing spiritual guidance and physical relief to the people of Baja. Find out more about Baja Missions at bajamissions.us. 

Today we hear from James Greene and Andrea Lewis from the island of Nevis, located in the Caribbean. Olivia and I talk with James and Andrea about their ministry to their community and their partnership with Lipscomb Missions. James has been the lead minister at Government Road church of Christ since july 2020 after serving the church as a volunteer and part time minister for over 30 years. Andrea is a dedicated member of the Government Road church and works in the local schools. It was such a pleasure to hear their passion for living lives in gratitude and encouragement. Thank you for listening, I know you’ll enjoy our conversation.

We learn about Misión Para Cristo from founder Benny Baker and Nurse Practitioner Mindy Stewart. Andrea, Olivia and I managed to chat via zoom, once with Benny and once with Mindy, to hear how “saying YES” has become a missional practice and a spiritual discipline. Misión Para Cristo is an international development mission and registered NGO in the Jinotega (northern) region of Nicaragua focusing on the spiritual and physical needs of the people. Find out more about this mission partner at misionparacristo.com.

Emily, Oliva, Andrea and Tyler chat with Dr. Andrew Johnson, Principal of Redlands College in Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Johnson shares his passion for living on mission daily as a leader and educator, the ways in which small moments of hospitality translate to big openings for relationship, and the partnership with Lipscomb Missions in Brisbane for over 20 years. 

Emily, Tyler and Olivia chat with Donna Waldron of Mission UpReach in Western Honduras. The type of Good News that Mission UpReach lives and practices results in individuals being transformed spiritually, economically and physically. These individuals, in turn, are the ones who transform the very communities that they live in. Donna shares the ways in which a farm can create a self-sufficient and sustainable economy to support their entire mission effort, how the partnership with Lipscomb Missions helps to open doors to the communities and her family’s personal commitment to glorify God in every circumstance.  Find out more about Mission UpReach on their website and buy some of their coffee at subidacoffee.com.