Transformed & Transformational

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/

As Brian Delamont returns for the monthly Spiritual Formation episode, Heather introduces the colloquial term "main character energy" as a cultural myth to unpack. Brian, Heather, and Keane walk through Scripture from Jonah to Jesus to Peter, exploring the importance of keeping a Kingdom perspective.

• Jonah 4:9-11
• "He gives us agency, and yet He also offers us a much better story."
• Matthew 11:28-30
• "Being the protagonist, being the main character, is exhausting because you have to fight the fight [...] and yet, God is saying, 'I have a path for you that is lighter and easier than you could possibly imagine.'"
• Matthew 6:25-34
• "It's so much work trying to be king of the universe when there already is one who's inviting me to actually just follow and come and rest and be."
• "The story that is so all-consuming for me is all consuming for me in that moment, but that's also not the whole story. God continues to write all of history. He has a plan; He has a purpose."
• "We are temporal beings; we are here for a moment [...] This healthy awareness of my humanity, my fragility, is very much an antidote to our tendency to be the main character."
• John 3:16
• 2 Peter 3:9
• Luke 12:32
• "When we pray 'Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,' that is a laying down of our main character-ness and an identification with the greater Kingdom that Jesus is bringing and will bring."
• Acts 10
• "When we collaborate with Him, that's when we have this opportunity to see the body of Christ thrive and to see the fruits of the Spirit really become abundant."
• "We will always pursue what we consider most important."
• Matthew 6:21
• "If we really see people, if we really value people, then we will cross whatever boundaries and borders and resource deficiencies that there may be in order to do what God is calling us to do, to see the treasure that He sees."

March Reflection: What do I really value? What really matters here? What am I treasuring, and is that what God treasures in the way that He treasures it?

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Watching through a TV series
• Heather: Getting a thumb brace
• Brian: Rooibos tea

Weekly Spotlight: Each One Matters Campaign andFaith Academy

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Studying abroad and serving missionally can go hand in hand! From the vibrancy of Ecuadorian dancing to the incense of Buddhist temples, TeachBeyond members share how their study abroad experiences exposed them to missions and helped them discern a calling to pursue teaching overseas.

• Zeke and Abby studied abroad with Living and Learning International
• Nichole student taught abroad with STAGE (Interaction International
• "It gave me 'family' in another culture and another location, and I think people are [...] what you hold onto the most with study abroad." - Zeke
• "That's the difference [from] if you are just going on vacation or if you do a semester at sea and you're bouncing around to all of these different places. With study abroad, you're living somewhere, and that makes all of the difference in the world." - Abby
• "God, open my eyes and break my heart for what breaks Yours; help me to see and speak into things as You see fit." - Kylie
• "When I studied abroad, God really confirmed in my heart that yes, missions is something [He was] inviting me into." - Kylie
• "Go in with an open mindset and hands open to what the Lord has for you overseas – and when you come back, what your next steps look like." - Nichole
• "There's going to be something that is difficult or inconvenient because you are not living in your home country and most likely not speaking your language. So, [lean] into that because I believe that that is where the Lord is going to grow you in that pressing. It feels hard, but then it turns into something beautiful and the Lord develops and grows you in a beautiful way." - Nichole
• "I know that He's with me and He sees me, even when people back home don't or when people here don't see what I'm feeling emotions towards back home, He 'gets' all my areas of life, all of the countries I've been to, He understands all of it." - Nichole
• "This is uncomfortable, but I'm going to say yes and I'm going to do it [...] Be mindful of being open to the 'yes' and being open to what God has for you because some of the sweetest memories are in those moments." - Abby
• "We want to see this place and really live here." - Zeke
• "God has created all of these cultures that are so beautiful and so unique, and [we get] to experience them and see His heart for those people." - Kylie
• "Where has God given gifts in this culture? Try to open your eyes to God's heart for the world and for those people as you're there, even in the things that are uncomfortable." - Kylie

Learn more about the schools where these members are serving!

• Nichole serves at GDQ International School, Albania
• Kylie serves at Grace International School, Thailand
• Abby and Zeke serve at El Camino Bilingual School, Honduras

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Having neighbor friends
• Heather: Pray the Word with David Platt podcast
• Abby: Getting a keyboard
• Zeke: Disciplines of a Godly Man book
• Kylie: The BEMA podcast
• Nichole: Reading The Chronicles of Narnia before bed instead of scrolling

Weekly Spotlight: Short-Term Opportunities

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Hear from global storyteller Christopher O'Shaughnessy about the power of storytelling to build connection, shape identity, and help people navigate life across cultures. From the role of humor in bringing people together to the deeper work of putting words to our internal experiences, Chris shares practical insights into how stories create bridges between people.

• Learn more about Chris O'Shaughnessy
• "Whether you're intentionally saying it or whether people are unintentionally hearing it, there's always some story in context."
• "The more of your story you can refine, the more you're opening up points of connection, the more you're allowing the possibility of conduits to grow between you and the people hearing your story."
• "Just because you do it this way does not mean everybody does it this way."
• "Using humor well, using humor as long as it's meant to be inclusive, as long as it's the kind of humor that can bring other people alone, it's really useful."
• "Storytelling is actually being able to read the mood of the responses and dynamically respond."
• "That's essentially what storytelling is: It's learning to put words so that we can create an external version of what's happening internally."
• "Half the pain of loneliness is feeling disconnected, but I would wager probably half of it is also the fear that this is just how it will always be."
• Storytelling framework: Adventure, challenge, recovery, adjustment
• "What is the culture that we're trying to build?"

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Power washing
• Heather: Lectio 365 during Lent
• Chris: Prioritizing going for walks and taking time without listening to anything

Weekly Spotlight: Each One Matters Campaign

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

From the process of data collection to the impact of women in the church to stories of conversions in West Asia, hear from social scientist Dr. Gina Zurlo about the current state and important trends in world Christianity. Whether you love numbers or are brand new to demography, there is something to learn from this conversation about the World Christian Database, and Dr. Zurlo's passion is contagious!

• Watch The State of Global Christianity videos from Urbana Missions Conference
• Learn more from Dr. Gina Zurlo
• Access the World Christian Database
• "I'm really committed to producing the highest quality, most comprehensive, reliable data that I possibly can because I know that people are using these data to help inform decisions."
• "Christianity is no longer a western religion demographically; there are more Christians living in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania."
• "How are you going to respond to the new demographic reality of world Christianity?"
• "There would be no church without women."
• "Most religions are growing now because of differences in birthrates."
• "The conditions under which people become Christians in Iran are very different than in Nepal, those two examples being two of the places we think Christianity is actually growing the fastest through conversions."
• "Does persecution help the church grow? I don't know."
• "I cannot overemphasize how important it is to humanize someone of another religion."
• "If Christianity really is a global family [...] I want to know what my Christian brothers and sisters are experiencing in other places around the world."
• "Decision making should be grounded in data, but you have to know where that data comes from."

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Morning checklist
• Heather: Working Genius conversations with friends and family
• Dr. Zurlo: Getting back into running

Weekly Spotlight: Each One Matters

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Are you naturally a rule-follower, or do you tend to balk at rules? Brian Delamont joins co-hosts Keane and Heather for a conversation about how God's commands are given in the context of relationship and for our flourishing.

• "We're created by God to be flourishing and to be in relationship with Him. If we go back to God's original creation, if we go to the garden, in His perfect design God gives us guardrails." - Brian
• "There's a difference between blind or obligatory compliance and truly joyful obedience." - Heather
• Genesis 2:16-17
• Deuteronomy 5:32-33
• "We become the rulemakers rather than actually living in the good things that God has for us." - Brian
• Romans 2:1
• "If in following the commands that God has given us, we are portraying a life that is boring or [...] condemning of others, then we're not actually perpetuating the reality of who God is and our relationship with Him." - Heather
• Romans 2:14
• "God's kindness is intended to lead us to repentance. Do we show that to other people, or do we show contempt for the way that God shows kindness to those people compared to how He shows kindness to us?" - Keane
• Titus 2:11-13
• "We do say 'no' to some things because by saying 'no' to those things, it helps us to live the way that God wants us to live right here, right now, in this present age. Yet, we also know we are waiting for more." - Brian
• "God is calling me deeper into knowing Him, and part of knowing Him is obeying Him." - Heather
• Luke 11:37-46
• John 14:15-18
• "Jesus is asking the Father to send the very power and insight and discernment and understanding we need to keep His commands by sending His Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us into all truth." - Brian
• "What is actually so distinct about the rules that God gives [...] is that they are about relationship." - Heather
• "We're not just made to follow these rules; these rules were made in order to help us." - Keane
• Galatians 5:22-23
• Deuteronomy 6:4-9
• "What He wants us to do is what He knows is for our good, and that is to be infused with His Word." - Brian
• Deuteronomy 5:12-13

February Reflection: How do I see God when I think about rule-following - disappointment or lenience? How do I see myself in relationship to God - earning God's favor or leaning on His grace?

What's changing our lives:

• Keane: Using more features of Obsidian
• Heather: Hosting hygge activities
• Brian: Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

Weekly Spotlight: Non-teaching roles

We'd love to hear from you! [email protected] Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/