Why Catalyst Int'l

I had the privilege of spending some time on the mission field as a teenager. Since then, God has taken me to a lot of the "least desirable" places on Earth, and I’ve been floored to discover in every one of them — Christians working in the trenches, loving people, bringing them hope, rebuilding lives…often at great cost to themselves and their families. The stark reality is that less than half of those who go overseas as fully trained missionaries remain on the field more than five years. It is just really hard. Crossing cultural boundaries with the gospel of Christ often entails —

 

  • Leaving families
  • Living in rough housing
  • Trying to learn and use a foreign language
  • Physical diseases and stresses
  • Struggling to have enough support to stay at the work
  • Facing political and cultural hostilities
  • Isolation, loneliness
  • Fearing for the safety of children or spouses
  • Lacking the tools or resources necessary to meet the vast needs that exist


...and that is just a sampling.

In my work overseas, I’ve found myself spending a bulk of my time helping the missionaries or other Christian workers themselves. Many are so discouraged, they’re on the verge of going home.

Catalyst was birthed in 2004 as a ministry arm of Bible Fellowship Church in Ventura, California dedicated to bringing practical support to those who are literally on the front lines of world changing ministry. That is why our mission is: Strategically supporting Christian leaders in highly challenging global environments.

In the Bible, Isaiah 61 records God’s directive to those who were returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. Clearly, they were being sent back not only to carry out the work of rebuilding the wall, the city and the temple, but to bring God’s healing into the lives of His people who were facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The call was:
...to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn…to bestow on them a crown of beauty…the oil of gladness…a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations….And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.
— Isaiah 61: 1-6

That metaphor captures the essence of Catalyst. We are a simple organization dedicated to an extremely significant task.