Missions

Church of the Open Door is committed to making disciples to Jesus Christ. This passion for making disciples sometimes leads our members to become burdened to go as disciple-makers to other countries. We have missionaries in Africa, Asia, South America, and North America, and have been sending missionaries out since 1916! The missions map on the wall of the downtown church was a constant reminder of the church’s heart for the world, and that heart still beats strongly for Christ’s message of hope to be shared and heard throughout the earth!

Our Prayer

"Father, use us to build a reproducing church among an unreached people by 2030."

This is a Breakthrough Prayer that Church of the Open Door has committed to pray for the next ten years. As we prayed this through 2020, God has led us to focus on the Nyamwezi people of Tanzania. We are excited to continue to pray and watch what the Lord will do!
Missionary Care

Women's Missionary Fellowship

Women's Missionary Fellowship (WMF) has a long history of supporting missions at Church of the Open Door,

We currently have two WMF groups that meet: one gathers on the third Wednesday morning of each month, and the other on the third Thursday evening. Both groups meet in the Hillside Room here on campus, and exist to encourage and celebrate our missionaries in many ways. The meeting typically includes a devotional focused on missions, a time of prayer for our missionaries, and the chance to hear from a missionary speaker.

Come be part of this fun and faithful group!

Our Missionaries

Historically Church of the Open Door has been on the forefront of sending missionaries around the world. We still actively support a number of missionaries and are currently training others to serve. Listed below are a number of those currently on the field.

Tabora, Tanzania (Africa)

Andy & Margaret Andersen

After years in the Lake Victoria area, we are now inland in Tabora, Tanzania, an area that in every way is needy: physically, spiritually, and economically. Our priority is for reaching the unreached Nyamwezi people, of whom the majority affiliate with Islamic values, often mixed with folk animism. Our aim is to work together with church leaders who are committed to opening up new areas to Christianity, training them for cross-cultural work, equipping and encouraging them to disciple others. Our prayer is that the Nyamwezi would soon be a people group that professes Christ as Savior, growing to maturity.
United States

Jose & Janeen Gutierrez

Jose and Janeen's desire is to help equip the church in Central America. Equipping Servants International (ESI) is their main ministry. Their objective is to encourage pastors and lay leaders through building relationships, and offering workshops and conferences to deepen knowledge and understanding of the Word. The Gutierrezs have two children, Tali and Alex.
Camarma, Spain

Kris & Heather Hoffman

Kris and Heather Hoffman serve as teachers and disciplers at the Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA) in Carmarma, Spain. The school enrolls a large number of missionary kids (MKs), whose parents serve as church planters in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. They are incredibly excited to be able to minister to these young people. Kris is an MK himself, and he and Heather have four missionary kids of their own - Kaylie, Abigael, Emelyn and Ethan.
Atlanta, Ga

Colin & Becca McDougall

We have served in Kenya and Tanzania for a combined 20 years, mostly with Africa Inland Mission doing pioneer church planting in unreached areas. As of October 2021, they are beginning a new chapter as Colin steps into the role of US Director for Africa Inland Mission (AIM). The McDougalls will be living in the Atlanta area, leading the AIM work at large, ministering to Africans there, and helping American churches prepare the next generation.
Hong Kong

Angela Shih

Angela spent seven years teaching grade school children in a Southeast Asian country, and now she is starting a new chapter of ministry in Hong Kong. She teaches elementary kids at the International Christian School (ICS). Angela loves teaching and gets excited about having chances to share the love of Jesus with students in personal ways. When not teaching or coaching, you are likely to find her running, cycling, making pottery, cooking for friends, or a myriad of other activities!
United States

Ed & Judy Underwood

Judy and I love the bride of Christ and we’re committed that the local church is at the center of God’s plan to reach the nations during the age of grace. I believe the church has lost its way. Pursuing numbers and growth, church leaders and churches tend to disregard Jesus’ two greatest priorities—making disciples and loving one another.

Recentered Group was organized as a 501c(3) to provide a platform for Judy and me to equip and encourage churches, church leaders and missionary teams to develop sustainable ministries by recentering their priorities to Jesus’ Great Commandment and Great Commission. We do this through consulting, mentoring, teaching, and writing. It started out as a part time adventure, but God is now calling Judy and me to this work full time, applying the lessons we’ve learned in over four decades of pastoral ministry. Our heart is to help churches get healthy and thrive by equipping leaders to make disciples and helping them build high trust cultures where leaders love one another well.

For more info, visit us at Recentered Group www.recenteredgroup.com

Osceola, IN

Doug & Ruth Weber

Doug and Ruth serve with SonSet Solutions. Doug is the Connections Team Lead, focusing on connecting people to the ministry through public relations, communications and funding opportunities. They served in Ecuador for 21 years before relocating to Elkhart, Indiana in 2014.
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COD Missions

Contact / Location

Contact info

123-456-7890
123, New Lenox, Chicago IL 60606
info@yoursitename.com

Gathering Times

Saturday:
5:30pm

Sunday:
8:00am, 9:15am, 11:00am

Events / Calendar