Mission & Mercy Ministry Update - 2025, Issue 7
Table of Contents
Prayer Focus: One Bistro in Xenia
Mission Highlight: Serving the Bahuns in Namibia
Mission Highlight: Working in the Refugee Camps in Northern Uganda
Mission Highlight: Gospel Heights Church - Steadfast in Prayer
Opportunity: Serve at One Bistro - July 16
Opportunity: Christmas in July! Start Shopping for OCC Boxes
Upcoming UBC Mission Trips: Short-Term Trips Underway for 2025
Prayer Focus
One Bistro in Xenia
This month we’ll be praying for our local partner, One Bistro, a faith-based café in Xenia with a unique vision and operating model. They serve healthy, delicious meals to anyone who walks through the door, including those who can pay and those who cannot. They are all about building relationships, providing a sense of community, and doing what they can to eliminate hunger.
As a non-profit Biznistry®, the café has just two employees: the chef and café manager. All other roles are filled by volunteers. Guests can pay the full amount of the suggested menu price ($6-$9) or a little more to help to feed a neighbor. If someone is unable to pay, they can volunteer their time in service as payment.
One Bistro is open Wednesday through Friday from 11am to 2pm, and Saturday from 8am to 2pm. They also host a Community Meal each Wednesday from 5pm to 7pm. Anyone is welcome, and the meal is completely free! Individuals and organizations sponsor the meal by covering the cost and volunteering to serve. UBC currently sponsors a meal each quarter and has volunteers that serve the meal. You can read more about this opportunity to serve later on in this month’s update. The next UBC sponsored meal is on July 16!
According to the One Bistro website, 24,350 people in Greene County struggle with food insecurity (13.2%) with 6,360 of them being children. There are over 4,400 families below the poverty level not receiving food stamps or supplemental nutrition assistance.
Prayers
Pray for the Wednesday evening Community Meals as the number of guests continue to grow. Over the last two months, they have served more than 145 people each week, with a record number of 178. As the crowd grows, so do the needs for food and seating. Pray for them as they work on managing the crowd while still trying to feed as many as possible.
Pray that God continues to send enough volunteers to serve during regular service hours.
Pray for those in recovery in the area. The staff has seen some very positive steps by individuals who are going through recovery and these individuals join the community meals as well as regular hours during the week.
Pray that God would bring more people to the cafe who need a meal and a little extra love.
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
-Matthew 25:40
Mission Highlight
Serving the Bahuns in Namibia
At the end of May, UBC sent a team to Namibia to serve one of our missionary partners, Buddy Bahun. The team included Pastor Jason, Sharon Kerestes, Aaron Perry, Eric Mishne, and Jim Corbin. This year’s trip included efforts to support the local church’s Mission Conference, build a bookcase in a planned library, and go visit possible church plant opportunities. Aaron and Eric worked on the church library, where they built the bookcases from scratch. Sharon then also met with the church leaders to discuss methods for organizing the books and checking them out to church members. While they were building the bookcases, Jason, Sharon, and Jim were preparing and painting the walls. In addition to the library, the team also painted the walls in the “crying room” and installed a speaker into the room to allow parents to hear the service while with their children. With regards to potential support of church planting, the team visited locations at Gobabis and Havana (a subsection of the capital city of Windhoek). In Havana, the team had opportunities to go into the community and share the gospel and connect them to the local church. We were blessed to see new brothers and sisters in Christ during this time in the harvest. Future trips are being discussed where a team would help the church plant in Gobabis and/or Havana, and possibly along the border of Botswana. If this may interest you, please let us know at mmstaff@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Mission Highlight
Working in the Refugee Camps in Northern Uganda
On June 5-20, a team from UBC partnered with Cedarville University Global Outreach and the ministry of e3 Partners to share the good news of the gospel and teach discipleship methods in refugee settlements in the northern region of Uganda. Over the last decade, more than 1 million South Sudanese have fled their country due to ongoing conflict and violence between major tribes and severe food insecurity. The refugees (86% women & children, 64% under the age of 18) have experienced and witnessed terrible human atrocities. Many of the people living in these refugee settlements feel forgotten by their fellow man and by God.
The team worked in refugee settlements near Adjumani and Arua and partnered with national leaders of existing churches in the camps to work toward the goal of planting a church within walking distance of every refugee in North Uganda. Each day, the team provided training using simple tools for sharing the gospel and discipleship and teamed up with national believers, including a translator, and went home to home sharing Christ with those we met. Four of the eight members of the team this year were under the age of 21, with the youngest team member at 13! The UBC members of the team included Jim and Sandy Corbin and Jen, Owen, and Hudson Hart. The nationals we worked with are committed to following up with those that made professions of faith and to establishing new churches in these unreached areas.
In the area of Adjumani, the team divided into two groups and served in the camps of Nyumanzi and Pagirinya for four days. The Nyumanzi refugee settlement was established in 2014 and is the largest settlement in the Adjumani district with a population of over 50,000 South Sudanese refugees mainly of the Dinka tribe. In Nyumanzi, the team trained a group of 50 believers including two pastors. Pagirinya was established in 2016 and has over 30,000 refugees. In Pagirinya, the team trained a group of 70-80 believers including seven pastors.
After a day of travel to the area of Arua by bus and a ferry across the Nile River, the team served for four days in the Ofua 5 settlement which is part of the Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement. Here we were able to train a group of about 50 each day including six pastors.
The believers in each area walked great distances and sacrificed to attend the four days of training and outreach. Due to the difficulty of travel to the areas of the refugee camps in Northern Uganda, few come to encourage and equip the believers in these areas and to aid in outreach efforts for all those still in need of the hope of the gospel. Witnessing the joy and readiness to serve one another in the midst of great difficulty strengthened the hearts of the team. The family of God has unique ability to connect deeply in a short time, and each on the team left part of their hearts in each camp and took a part of the heart of the African believers with us.
Additional funds were raised to allow the team to leave a supply of food for those in greatest need. The team was able to leave 80 bags of maize flour (10 kg each) and 80 bags of beans (5 kg each) per camp. While this pales in comparison to the need, it was a tangible measure of practical care we were grateful to offer. There is a need for Bibles in the areas as well (in English, Ma’di, Bari, and Dinka) ranging in cost from $8-12.50 per Bible. If you are interested in helping purchase Bibles for the camps, please contact jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com.
A trip is in initial planning stages for June 2026. If you are interested in learning more, please let us know at mmstaff@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Mission Highlight
Gospel Heights Church - Steadfast in Prayer
As Gospel Heights Church (GHC) continues its journey toward officially launching in Huber Heights later this year, one thing is clear: this church plant is being built on a foundation of prayer. Each Sunday morning, the congregation sets aside time during the service to pray together in small groups. This prayer time is focused on lifting up needs “here, near, and everywhere” - as is the focus at UBC Main at the start of services. These moments are a steady and powerful reminder that the mission of the church spans local neighborhoods, nearby communities, and the nations. It has become a meaningful way to staying connected to the Lord and His will as a church.
In addition to this Sundary morning rhythm, Pastor Bryson Jackson has a bold vision to prayer walk the entire city of Huber Heights before the church officially launches services in the community this fall. This initiative is an expression of GHC’s desire to intercede for the city, street by street, and to invite God’s presence into every corner of the community.
Prayer walks take place weekly on Wednesday evenings, and all are welcome to join. Whether you’re part of the GHC launch team, a member of UBC, or simply someone who believes in the power of prayer, this is a unique opportunity to be part of what God is doing in Huber Heights.
As we continue to support GHC, let’s all join in prayer - asking God to prepare hearts, open doors, and guide every step of this exciting new chapter in the church-planting vision of UBC.
Opportunity
Serve at One Bistro - July 16
UBC has the opportunity to serve at One Bistro on Wednesday, July 16th by sponsoring and serving the community meal. This event offers an excellent opportunity for UBC members to engage with the community, extend compassion, and support One Bistro's mission of providing healthy, affordable meals to all neighbors.
Volunteers are the heart of One Bistro's mission. On July 16, UBC volunteers will have the opportunity to serve in various capacities including:
Taking Orders: Assisting guests with menu selections and processing orders.
Serving Food: Delivering meals to guests in a courteous and timely manner.
Bussing Tables: Clearing and cleaning tables to ensure a tidy dining area.
Dishwashing: Maintaining cleanliness of dishes and kitchen utensils.
Seating Guests: Welcoming guests and guiding them to available seating.
These roles are essential in creating a hospitable environment where all feel valued and cared for. By volunteering, UBC members will directly contribute to One Bistro's mission of combating food insecurity and fostering community unity. In Greene County, approximately 13.2% of residents, including 6,360 children, face food insecurity. In Xenia alone, 2,329 children and 385 seniors live in poverty, with 50% of Xenia Community School students participating in free and reduced lunch programs. Your service helps address these critical needs by ensuring that all neighbors have access to nutritious meals in a dignified setting.
If you would like to volunteer to serve for this community meal, please contact Jim at jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Opportunity
Christmas in July! Start Shopping for OCC Boxes
While the snow hasn’t quite started falling, it is the perfect time to think ahead and get a head start on Operation Christmas Child (OCC) for the 2025 Christmas season! The Christmas season will be here before you know it, and with it, the National Collection Week for OCC shoeboxes (November 17th-24th, 2025). This incredible initiative by Samaritan's Purse brings joy and hope to children around the world by delivering simple, gift-filled shoeboxes with a gospel message.
Since 1993, more than 232 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love. Tens of thousands of volunteers from local churches around the world partner with us to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ at festive outreach events where children are surprised with these shoebox gifts.
Why now?
Beat the Rush: Avoid the last-minute holiday stress by starting to gather items for your shoeboxes now.
Sales & Deals: July sales can be a great opportunity to find "wow" items, school supplies, and hygiene products at discounted prices.
Spread the Joy: Imagine the impact of your gift, knowing you prepared it with care months in advance!
Back to School deals will begin soon!
Start collecting your items today! Look for small toys, school supplies (pencils, crayons, notebooks), hygiene items (toothbrushes, combs, washcloths), and clothing accessories (socks, hats).
For a full list of what is and isn’t allowed please refer to the resources available on the official Samaritan’s Purse website here.
Stay tuned for more details this fall regarding official drop-off locations and National Collection Week dates.
Monthly Mission Quote:
"I'm not afraid of failure; I'm afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter. "
- William Carey
Upcoming Mission Trips
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..." Romans 10:15
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How beautiful are your feet?
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"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..." Romans 10:15 ~ How beautiful are your feet? ~
Short-Term Trips for 2025 are Underway
UBC has a variety of short term mission trip opportunities 2025! There are local, national, and global trips offered. Trips for 2025 are underway! You can learn more about each UBC team’s trip through “Stories from the Field” on our UBC Talking Points podcast. Episodes are available now for the recent trips to Southeast Asia and Namibia.
If you are planning to participate on a mission trip with another organization (e.g. Cedarville’s GO trips), please contact us to let us know more!
If there is a nation or a people group that God has placed on your heart, share it with us. We would love the opportunity to hear and to help you find a trip in the coming year. Reach out to Jim Corbin (jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com).
August 1-10, 2025
Argentina
Work with Pastor Fabian Santillan and his church as they share the gospel and plant another church. More information may be found here.
Contact: Jim CorbinSummer 2025
Builders for Christ
Serve in the mission field of church construction and help a church build their building in Sterling, MA. More information may be found here.
Contact: Dave Gneiser
Contact to learn more:
Jim Corbin
jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com
To read past Mission Updates or to get more information about UBC on Mission, visit
https://www.ubcbeavercreek.com/mission-and-mercy-ministries.