To the Ends of the Earth
We believe that God is Creator and King over all the earth, and He deserves praise from every man, woman and child made in His image! Before His ascension to heaven, Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. To this end, the River Oaks Missions Committee seeks to cultivate a global kingdom worldview within the church through our support of missionaries and our direct engagement in missions work here and abroad. Find out more about our missions activities.
Our missions committee consists of the following: Greg Lanier (interim chair), Kate Lanier, Vickie Hoeksema, J.B. Boonstra, Anna Hamlett, Ben Gallant, Sue Gallant, Arlen Johnson, Rhoda Johnson.
Missionaries We Support
We have the privilege of partnering the following missionaries both in financial support and prayer. Read about each missionary below!
Warren and Yukari Griffith
Mission to Japan (Florida)
Mission to Japan brings Japanese high school and college students to Orlando to share the love of Christ through a program called “homestay.” The program allows Mission To Japan to share the gospel with Japanese students who know little about Christianity. The students stay with volunteer Christian host families for 2-4 weeks, take English and Bible classes, go sightseeing and make friends with young Christian American students.
Frank Harrell
Mission to the World (Japan)
Frank is a church planter serving in the Kansai region of Japan. A graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, he discerned a call to foreign missions in 2012 and has been serving in the region since 2016. He is part of an effort to plant Reformed and Presbyterian churches in regions that lack them — or any meaningful Christian presence at all! He also regularly engages in one-on-one evangelism and discipleship.
Rachel (Halley) Johnson
Young Life Capernaum
Rachel works with Young Life (YL) in a unique and vibrant ministry in Jacksonville. Capernaum provides high school-aged young people with disabilities an opportunity to make friends, develop self esteem, and begin a relationship with Jesus Christ. Rachel is a long-time member of River Oaks and enjoys turning one of her passions (working with those who have disabilities) into a full-time calling. She can be reached at rachelhalley11@gmail.com.
Scott and Tiffany Kelley
The Refuge (Georgia)
Scott and Tiffany partner with over 30 churches to help mentor refugees from other countries and help them grow as disciples of Christ. Their ministry focuses on mentoring former refugees, sending former refugees on mission, and supporting refugee ministries overseas. They believe former refugees make excellent missionaries to cultures to similar their own, because they understand how to best communicate Jesus’ love and grace within those cultures. Find out more about The Refuge.
Jeremy and Angel
Serge (London)
Jeremy and Angel serve with an evangelistic team in Southall, London (UK) with the missions organization Serge. They partner with New Life Masih Ghar Church in Southall, which is part of the International Presbyterian Church. Previously they served with Mission to the World in Uganda. Read more.
Matt and Caroline Newkirk
MTW and Christ Bible Seminary (Nagoya, Japan)
Matt serves as campus president and Professor of Old Testament at Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya, Japan. He and his family have served in Japan with Mission to the World for over a decade. Previously, he obtained his Master of Divinity at RTS Orlando and served as part-time worship director at ROC (2005-2008); he earned his PhD from Wheaton College. Matt and Caroline have five children. Find out more about their ministry in this letter to ROC as well as his bio page at CBS.
Ryan and Katie
Ryan and Katie are vocational workers supporting local churches in a major city in Central Asia. In addition to their usual jobs in healthcare and business, they are helping to develop theological education in their region. While training up new local leaders, they are assisting the existing local church to develop the resources and passion for planting more reformed Presbyterian churches throughout the region. They have two children. Due to the sensitive nature of their missions context, contact Pastor Greg Lanier if you want to get their email updates.
Clarke & Elaina
Clarke & Elaina are vocational workers (accounting and counseling) in a major country in the Middle East who also assist local churches. They have two children and have previously served in other countries in the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean). Due to the sensitive nature of their missions context, contact Pastor Greg Lanier if you want to get their email updates.
Dale and Carmen Phillips
Paraclete Mission Group
Dale and Carmen serve in the area of leadership development and counseling with Paraclete. Until mid-2019, Dale was the Associate International Leader of Staff Development and Operations for SERVEurope, which serves 33 church planting teams across Europe. He helped with finances, communications, media production and event planning as well as team health, leadership development & strategic leadership. They can be reached at dale.phillips@paraclete.net.
Hardy Reynolds
Reformed University Fellowship (UCF)
Hardy serves as campus minister for RUF at the University of Central Florida. He preaches weekly at the large group gatherings, disciples students in group and individual settings, and oversees other ministry activities led by RUF interns. He and his wife, Bri, have lived in Orlando for several years. He holds an MDiv and MA in Counseling from RTS-Orlando.
Other Support
River Oaks Church’s missions funding also goes to the Florida Church Planting Network as well as the Central Florida Presbytery.
Missions Weekends
Glimpses from our 2024 Missions Sunday
Every other year, River Oaks seeks to hold a small missions conference with one of our supported missionaries or others in the Orlando area who are engaged in global missions. We see this as an opportunity to educate the entire congregation and, we hope, help some process how they might be called to “go” to all the nations!
- In 2024 our Brazil mission team members shared during Sunday school and lunch about their trip to Belo Horizonte
- In 2023 we celebrated God’s work through several ROC members engaged in missions in London, Zambia, France, Central Asia, and Australia
- In 2022 we hosted Warren & Yukari Griffith to discuss Mission to Japan.
- In 2021 we hosted a lunch Q&A Austin Slater and Jordon Lewis from Reformed University Fellowship.
- In 2020 we had a Sunday school presentation from Frank Harrell, missionary to Japan.
- In 2019 we held a missions lunch with Rachel Halley to learn about Young Life Capernaum.
- In 2018 we hosted Julian and Christiana Russell. Julian preached both services, and they shared about their work in Jamaica during Sunday School as well as an all-church luncheon.
- In 2016 we hosted two local missionaries who are preparing to go to North Africa to serve among Muslims.
Short-Term Trips
Our church seeks to partner with missionaries to host short-term teams from our church. Our goal is to help support the local mission work as well as stir up members of our own congregation to consider a call to enter the mission field. Contact the office for details on upcoming trips or view upcoming missions events.
