History of Taking Christ To Italy

In 1996, Shively Christian Church and Team Expansion, (both in Louisville, Kentucky), joined forces to launch the Taking Christ to Italy PACE project. PACE is an acronym which stands for Pray, Activate, Commit and Enlist. Basically, the object of the PACE program at Team Expansion is to adopt an unreached people group for Christ and launch a plan to reach it. Shively Christian Church adopted the spiritual responsibility of Italy. Following the acronym for PACE, the local church is to pray for the project, activate a plan, commit to following through with the plan and enlist a team and the help of other local churches to make the plan happen.

The plan was bold, also simple in objectives, yet difficult in execution. First there would be a church plant in a Central Italian city. Then two more church plants, one in the North and one in the South. Throughout the church plants, there would be a leadership school developed which would help train Italians for ministry and initiate new works led by Italians.

In 1999, five couples formed the first team and started the early stages of fund raising. One couple, felt led to somewhere else as they were praying, which left four couples. These four couples, made it to the field between 2000 and 2001 in order to attend language school. These four couples were Jason & Heather Casey, Matt & Angie Crosser, Dan & Amy Cormode and Greg & Krista Milliser. At the end of 2001, the Millisers had left the field and a single man had joined the team and started support raising. The remaining three couples were finally in the first target city, Ancona. Phase One of the Taking Christ to Italy project had begun. By Summer 2002, the Cormodes had left the field. Marcus Van Dorn made it to the field in 2003. Over the years, there were many short term groups and interns. One couple and one single man which participated in these opportunities were called by God to join our team and arrived for language school in 2005. Brian & Heidi Rotert and Josh Furnal were these recruits. By Summer 2006, all five family units were living and ministering in Ancona. This is the history of the Go Ancona team.

In the Fall 2006, a spiritual wind was blowing. Several couples and single people had been feeling led to be missionaries in Italy and had contacted various people connected to Team Expansion. Jason Casey, team leader for the Go Ancona team and Eric Derry, Vice-President of Mobilization at Team Expansion, both started thinking that maybe it was time to start looking at the second phase of the Taking Christ to Italy project; launching a new team for the second church plant. In December 2006, a forum was created and interested individuals began to be invited to join in the discussion and dreaming that was happening. Out of these initial discussions several ideas surfaced and a potential leader for the new work emerged. After much prayer, conversations, evaluation and reflection I applied and was approved to be the team leader for the new Go North team.

Once we know what city to which we will be going, the name of our team will be changed from the temporary moniker "Go North" to "Go (city name)". We have been doing research and taken trips to consider potential cities. At the end of April, we will be leading a Survey/Prayer Trip with Eric Derry. Coming on this journey will be a couple representatives from some of our supporting churches, as well as some potential recruits. As we have information or pictures to share we will link them here. We desire your prayers as we seek out God's direction for this second phase of Taking Christ to Italy. We walk in faith to a new place which God has prepared for us. Join us in prayer, financial support and encouragement.