The Missions Academy is a ministry extension of Touch The World's comprehensive short-term missions training curriculum. Specifically, Touch the World seeks to equip youth to live out the mission of God every day and everywhere. Our engaging online platform here at The Missions Academy will provide students access to content that will prepare them for a short-term missions trip, any type of missions outreach or service, and for living a life of faithful mission in the Kingdom of God.

Meet The Team

Get to know our incredible team that come with years and years of experience serving in domestic and international missions. Our Instructors are a group of former missionary kids, former long-term missionaries, STM-addicts, dynamic teachers, Christian counselors and life-long students of mission. Come and learn with us!

Training & Curriculum Coordinator Andrea Kroeze

Andrea loves all things cozy: mugs filled with warm drinks, blankets and books. She is usually found organizing, creating a system, decorating her home, being a mom to 3 kids, or stretching her mind through a book or podcast. With 5 years experience living overseas in Uganda, Africa, Andrea's passion is equipping and training students in cultural understanding and preparing them for a life of mission.

Creative & Content Coordinator Abby Provencher

My name is Abby Provencher and I am a staff member at Touch the World. When I’m not working on devotional journals or resources for our short-term mission teams, I am likely to be found reading books and studying history—specifically, church history one of my favorite subjects. I’m passionate about stories, both our stories and the story of God’s mission throughout the world. My experiences as a short-term missions participant, team leader, intern, and now staff member at Touch the World have provided me with numerous lessons that now I get to share with you. So let’s get to it!

Ministry Partner Connections & Missionary Care Chantelle Pazmino

My name is Chantelle Pazmiño and I served on staff with Touch the World for almost 10 years. I served in many positions over those years — from setting up short-term mission trip logistics to providing spiritual care for our staff, and being the bridge between our headquarters and our amazing missionary host partners. My experience serving in many roles and growing up as a missionary kid in West Africa, is what I use to inspire and train young people today about what it means to live on mission.

Spiritual Direction Coordinator Deb Sheagley

My name is Deb Sheagley and I have been on staff at Touch the World for over 15 years. I’m a counselor by profession and my heart is to disciple young people and prepare them for a life of serving and following Christ. I grew up in Japan as a missionary kid and today my husband Randy and I oversee the property of The Mission Center, Touch the World’s main hub for in-person training in Pennsylvania.

Missions Director, Touch The World Tim Dedrick

My name is Tim Dedrick and I am the Missions Director at Touch the World. I became involved in missions at a very young age, participating in trips all through middle school and high school, and eventually went on to lead countless trips myself. After college, I followed a call to serve as a full time missionary in Ireland for 2.5 years, helping run youth outreach programs to teens in the region. Today, I am excited to share my experiences and expertise with others in my role at Touch the World. My main focus is to come alongside youth leaders, to help them effectively serve their students and equip their students to live out the mission of God in their daily lives.

Executive Director, Touch The World Jesse Kroeze

My name is Jesse Kroeze and I’m the Executive Director at Touch the World. Short-term mission trips have played an incredibly important role in my life since high school. It was through those trips that I was able to experience God in a tangible way, embrace my faith as my own and then step into my calling to serve in a longer term capacity. For 5 years, I helped lead and work alongside a team of Ugandan, Kenyan and American missionaries serving a rural community in Northern Uganda. Traveling and living abroad has taught me more about myself and about God. With that experience, I now serve on the Board of Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission and full-time day-to-day I lead Touch the World, a missions organization that exists to equip youth to live out the mission of God every day, no matter where they are and whatever role God has called them to.

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