The missions ministry of Westside Bible Fellowship is an extension of the overall mission of the church to love God, love people, and make disciples. Westside reaches out to the nations with the gospel of Christ with the goal of making disciples of Christ. We want to be both a supporting church and a sending church.
We support several ministries that are led by national Christians. Westside has also sent out or "commended" missionaries to the nations ("commended" is a biblical term used in Acts 14:26). We are trusting God to raise up more from our fellowship who will be effective cross-cultural missionaries for both short and long terms.
MISSIONARIES AND MINISTRIES THAT WESTSIDE SUPPORTS
SPAIN
Manuel and Tracy Aleman
Manuel and Tracy serve the Lord in Seville, Spain. They teach and disciple Christian believers and do evangelism. Manuel also serves with the Emmaus correspondence course ministry. He does course translation and contacts students in various areas of the country. They travel to other towns to meet with new believers, encourage them to start new meetings, and provide Bible study materials to help them grow in their knowledge of God’s Word. Manuel and Tracy have two adult sons. Financial gifts may be given to the Alemans through Christian Missions in Many Lands.
MEXICO
Eric and Roxana Ericsson
Eric and Roxana spent many years as missionaries to Mexico. Their passion is teaching the Bible and ministry skills. They first taught at a Bible school near Ensenada in the Baja region. Then they taught at a Bible school in the central part of the country and visited and discipled Mexican believers in remote areas of the country. Although now retired due to their health, they are still passionate about seeing disciples of Jesus raised up in Mexico, and they have a ministry of encouragement to Mexican believers. Eric and Roxana are the parents of four adult children and grandchildren. Financial gifts may be given to the Ericssons through Christian Missions in Many Lands.
ENGLAND
Peter and Melanie Mead
Peter and Melanie live in Chippenham in southwestern England. Their primary focus is on making disciples in a local church, biblical preaching and ministry training. They are passionate about equipping others to dig deeply into God’s Word and to know him personally. One way is through Cor Deo, a relational study program centered around Bible study, church history, and applied theology with the goal of coming to know God’s heart. They are also involved in a newer church plant in their town, preaching and teaching. Peter and Melanie have six children. One is married, one is in college in the U.S., and the others live at home in the UK. Their blog is Poured Out. Financial gifts may be given to the Meads through Christian Missions in Many Lands.
MIDDLE EAST
Dick and Nita Papworth
Dick and Nita have been missionaries to one of the least-reached people groups for more than 50 years. The Voice of Christ Media team evangelizes and disciples this people group through the use of cutting-edge mass media, including satellite and internet radio, mobile apps, podcasts, a website, and social media. Dick serves as one of the Elders (pastors) of Westside Bible Fellowship and preaches regularly. Dick and Nita have been blessed with two adult daughters and ten grandchildren. Financial gifts may be given to the Papworths through Christian Missions in Many Lands.
INDIA
The Halba People
The Halba are a largely Hindu group of people who live primarily in the Chhattisgarh region of South Central India. They speak a language called Halbi. Most have never heard the gospel. Imagine what your life would be like if you had never heard of Christ! Babu and Grace Thomas and a team of other Indian believers are seeking to courageously reach the Halba with the gospel and to plant Halbi-speaking churches. They have also been working on translating the Bible into the Halbi language. Westside has adopted the Halba and provides financial support for ministry among them.
BURUNDI
Biblical Literacy Ministry
Ten years ago, David and Anne Cliffe of Westside spent a summer serving in Burundi in Central East Africa. They were shocked to see that, although some of the church congregations were large, few people had Bibles. It wasn't because there were no Bibles available. It was because many of the believers couldn't read! The literacy rate in Burundi is one of the lowest in the world. So, the Cliffes and a few others launched a Biblical literacy program in the Emmanuel (Brethren) Churches to teach people how to read. Classes were started and teachers trained. Many hundreds have gone through the classes and can now read the Bible for themselves!
It costs about $500/month to operate this literacy ministry. Gifts can be sent to this vital project through Westside's online giving option. Select "Burundi Literacy Project" from the fund drop-down. Alternately, gifts may be sent through Christian Missions in Many Lands. Click this link and select "Support." Enter the amount of your gift and your personal information. In the "Note to CMML" field, enter "Designated for Biblical literacy ministry."
