Mark: I was raised in a Christian family in Fresno, California. My Jewish grandparents became Christians shortly after immigrating to the U.S. during the Holocaust. My family was extremely active in serving in the church. When I was 16 serving as a counselor at a church camp, God used a filmstrip about missionary pilots in Africa to call me into missions. The path from there to here has had turns and surprises, but each step of the way has contributed to how I minister today. I graduated from Fresno State with an Electrical Engineering degree and studied Intercultural Studies at Western Seminary and aviation mechanics and piloting at Moody Aviation.  Our vocational ministry as a family began when we left for Moscow in 1992.

Julie: I was raised in a Christian family in Fresno, California. Because of my parents’ great involvement in our church, I, too, was very active in it. I was six years old when I trusted in Jesus as my Savior and 13 years old when I committed my life to Him. Teaching had always been my passion, and I began to actively use this gift in the church. I graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Biological Sciences,  and my focus was on teaching in the public schools system until God redirected my path through my marriage to Mark.

As we approach the ministries God has entrusted to us, one of our foundational beliefs is that God has called us collectively as a family into ministry. That means that each of us has been uniquely designed by God to make a special contribution to our family’s calling. As our children grow older, the nature of this shifts, but it is still a huge part of who we are and how we approach ministry and our world.

• Mark (b. 1967): Being very analytical and strategic, I love figuring out how all the pieces fit together. My passion is for seeing people grow in their fruitfulness in ministry. Leading a highly collaborative team is a perfect fit for me.
• Julie (b. 1965): I enthusiastically interact with people. I love influencing and moving forward groups of people to complete a task. Helping people find their perfect place in ministry is very fulfilling for me.
• Daniel (b. 1994): I graduated in 2018 from North Central University in Minneapolis, MN. I spent time serving as a youth pastor and an intelligence specialist in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Starting in December 2021, God has been guided me on a journey towards using my gifts, skills and passions to serve in international ministry. I love to write and get into deep philosophical conversations. I have the ability to connect with and care for people.  In November 2023, God blessed me with an amazing marriage to Kristen and in February 2024 we began serving the Lord in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
• Andrew (b. 1996): In 2020, I graduated from the University of St. Thomas and in 2021 completed a master’s degree at Georgia Tech. I currently serve as a captain in the Air Force. I’m a determined servant, very responsible, and blessed with a can-do attitude. I’m able to both understand technology and lead groups of people. Over the years I’ve enjoyed using my abilities in all kinds of ministry environments.  In July 2023, I was hugely blessed to marry Sarah.
• Timothy (b. 2000): I am outgoing and opportunistic. I’m highly creative and see possibilities no one else sees and tenaciously charge after them. I enjoy hosting Bible studies, playing guitar and leading worship in camp settings. In 2021 I graduated from Concordia University in St. Paul after studying criminal justice and public relations. I’ve worked as a police officer, EMT, security officer, manager in a small business , and as a part-time speech coach in two high schools. I am an extremely driven and competitive person in sports, games and life.
• Samuel (b. 2001): I am a very social person and love to gather people together. I’m a magnet for kids wherever I go. Therefore, in 2024 I completed a degree in elementary education at Minnesota State University Moorhead started my first full-time job as a 4th grade teacher.  I’m fiercely competitive in Ultimate Frisbee at the recreational, club, and college level. At college, I worke as an RA and was very active in leadership of the Chai Alpha campus ministry. I’m particularly observant and have a great memory for faces.

• Teams and teamwork
• Constructive approaches to conflict
• Assessment and ministry placement (profile creation and behavioral interviewing)
• Personnel coaching and management
• Long-range, mid-range and short-range planning
• Missions planning and implementation in the local church
• Training for short-term missions teams
• Training for cross-cultural ministry
• People development planning for organizations (disciple-making, professional development, ministry training, etc.)
• Innovative, collaborative, distance-learning models
• Intentional living
• Coaching
• Healthy and fruitful ministry partnerships
• Instructional design for ministry training
• Online, video-conference, and blended training design and implementation

Our Mission

We seek to bring glory to God by networking missionary trainers together to collaboratively provide fruit-multiplying ministry training. We accomplish this by providing an accessible and effective distance learning platform as well as consultation for training design and implementation.

Grow2Serve is dedicated to helping believers grow in their knowledge, beliefs, and skills in order to faithfully serve our Lord. We do this by helping them learn and teach better, by providing a wide variety of learning opportunities, and by connecting them to other learners and teachers. We aim to serve missionaries, pastors, and churches in accessible, timely, and affordable ways. Let’s learn better now!

We are blessed with the opportunity to serve missionaries and leaders from many mission organizations as well as international Christian leaders from around the globe. Using an innovative combination of specialized learning approaches for adult learning, technology, learning community creation, and a high level of personalized attention to learners, Grow2Serve packages learning experiences in many and various ways designed specifically for each context and audience.