NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

“Our PASSION is to help YOUTH “Grow In” & “Live Out” a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
-Jon&Katie Ruse-

     There’s a scary statistic out there that only 25% of today’s “Christian” youth continue to walk with Christ after their first year of college.  If the average Christian family has two kids, then it takes two Christian families to get one Christian into the next generation!  This is not always the case in every situation, but it has put a real burden on our hearts for discipling teens.  We love their energy for life and their potential to change the world for Christ.  It is not too late to impact the Next Generation! 

Past Ministry Experience:

     Jon was the associate/youth pastor at Rothbury Community Church for almost 7 years.  We were very blessed to spend those years with that church family.  We loved the youth.  The greatest reward was the opportunity to see God at work in their lives, their friendship, and their love! 

    We had the opportunity to take them on 3 mission trips (2 to Mexico, 1 to Detroit), 3 Dare-to-Share seminars, Cedar Point Camping trips, winter ski retreats, caroling, over-nighters, Student leadership retreats, worship services at Jellystone Campground, small group bible studies, in-depth summer studies, and many more treasured events. We miss RCC youth greatly!

 

Recent Training

    We recently spent 10 months in training with New Tribes Mission in Missouri.  During that time we learned so much about how to reach unreached people groups with the gospel.  We learned many other important things like; working as a team, medical concerns overseas, understanding the Animistic beleif system, foundational teaching of God’s Word, etc.  It was such an important time of growth for us as a family and it was amazing to see how God faithfully provided for our needs.  While in Missouri I was also involved in a student work program doing “Carpentry” and on a  outreach team working with troubled youth.  KT & I also helped lead Sunday worship at Lake Evangelical Free Church where we attended and an occasional youth worship for the New Tribes youth group.  *Check out our “Life in Missouri” picture album!

 

Future Ministry Plans

  We are excited to minister together in a whole new way and be even more involved in youth’s lives.  God has laid it on our heart to be Dorm Parents in Papua New Guinea. Why is this important enough to move our family to the other side of the planet earth?  - Because the NEED is great!  When missionary kids advance to their teen years while their family is ministering in a remote tribe, they still have the need for social interaction and a variety of opportunities in their education.  In some cases, it is dangerous for teen girls to live in the tribe once they have become “of age” and they can’t be left alone.  They have had to send kids back into the tribes because there were not enough dorm parents to care for them at the missionary center.  Many times the dorm parent role is filled temporarily with couples who are in transition which results in some kids having 5 different “parents” in 5 years!  These years are foundational to these youth’s lives and in most cases, helping them to prepare for college years in the USA. 

     We have realized how essential the loving and quality care of our own children is while we were in training.  It plays a major role in our ability to focus on our classes.  Letting our own daughter go to all day, everyday Kindergarden has been a very small picture for us of what parents must feel like sending their kids to the dorm for someone else to have more time with them then they will.  Our hearts desire is that we will love and care for their kids as we would our own.  We pray God will use us in their lives to help them fall more in love with their Savior.  *Check out our “Dorm Parenting” articles!

   Please pray for us as we prepare to serve in this way in PNG!