Meet the Staff

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Meet the Staff

Current Staff

John Yi is THE ONLY husband of Gloria and THE ONLY father of Abigail. He has 20+ years of lay and "ordained" ministry experience. He has earned his M.Div. from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. John is consumed with the honor of Jesus, the Bridegroom, and he is passionately concerned about His Bride's (the Church's) divinely ordained role as the "salt and light" of her surrounding community. As a result, John believes that the Bride in Maywood is in a fierce race.

Against WHOM is she competing?
EVERYONE!

The world and its ways, politicians and government, false prophets and evil shepherds, and of course, the Evil One and his motley crew.

For WHAT are they each competing?
GLORY!
Not for our riches, comfort, leisure, power, nor our own fame.

To WHOSE GLORY is Maywood's transformation? JESUS
or someone/something else?

Gloria Yi is THE ONLY wife of John and THE ONLY mother of Abigail. She and her family have been residents of Maywood since early 2008. She earned her Masters of Education and an ESL certification, and has taught in public schools in the Cicero and Northbrook school districts. Gloria devotes her time to home-schooling Abigail and managing the household. She is passionate about seeing both women and children realize and manifest their God-ordained design as prescribed by the Word of God. Gloria also directs Backyard Bible Club for neighborhood kids on Saturday mornings.

2011 Summer Missionary Staff

We had the great pleasure of hosting four outstanding interns in 2011. Having "permanently" relocated from central Illinois to Maywood, Heather Dietz a graduate of Western Illinois University is currently employed by the PLCCA as a pre-school teacher. 19 year old Quinn Franco is a sophomore pursuing a Music and Worship Leadership degree at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. Meagen Hill is a 20 year old nursing student from Mississippi's Northwest Community College. Ashton Todd, a 21 year old Math and Science Education student, has returned to us after first visiting us with her BCM from Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma.

They were involved in personal evangelism, starting as well as leading Bible studies, guiding, directing, and supporting the activities of visiting mission teams, working with international students, putting on numerous VBSs, serving a local Mexican-American church, ministering to neighborhood youth, leading prayer-walks in all kinds of weather, keeping this website up-to-date, ministering to neighbors of all ages, leading worship, putting on several block parties, and more! Why would they each give up a summer to live and serve in Maywood? Because they each were answering the call of God to come to join him in his work! It was all for the glory of Christ and the radiance of his Bride. Each returns home with a new love and respect for Chicagoland and work that must be done here. Each is equipped in new ways - expanding skill sets, trying and even starting new things, servant-leadership training and development, gospel sharing, relationship building, character development, and most importantly, their walk with Jesus. We trust that the Lord will show them ways to apply all that they have learned as they return to their own contexts with fresh missional eyes and hearts.

2010 Summer Missionary Staff

After first serving in Chicagoland alongside her BCM in the spring, Mississippian, Ashlee Bennett, an Art major at Mississippi State University returned on her own to continue her missions service here. In Maywood, she joined four North American Mission Board-appointed summer missionaries, MyeongUk Jeong, a Korean international student from Kyungwon University majoring in Sports and Leisure, and three other Mississipians, Katie Sprouse, an Art major at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Kristina Weil, a Child Life Specialist major at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Jeanna Wilkes, a Business Accounting major at Delta State University.

These missionally-minded students led Bible studies, Vacation Bible Schools, Backyard Bible Clubs, collegiate ministry meetings, and so much! They served the Chicago Metropolitan Baptist Associations' New Work team complete a collegiate campus mapping and research project. They helped to host and lead hundreds of visiting missionaries in numerous mission teams. They volunteered their time serving a Hispanic Baptist church in Cicero, and so on. They planned, organized, and executed activities and ministries. Our multi-talented summer missionaries employed their gifts, skills, and the sweat of their brows to update this website, design artwork and graphics, lead fellowship and leisure activities, minister to needy neighbors, share the message and love of Jesus, all while exploring and experiencing the great city of Chicago and its metropolitan area. Each returns home stretched, challenged, and worked beyond their comfort zones. Each returns home with a wealth of missional experience which we trust will re-manifest in relevant ways wherever the Lord leads them. We trust that the Lord will bring them back to this globally critical city.

2009 Summer Missionary Staff

While a nursing student at Tulsa Community College, Kendra Mills first visited Chicagoland in Spring 2009 with her Baptist Collegiate Ministry. She returned for her second stint joined by Ashley Sauer, an education student at Missouri Baptist University. Both served alongside us as summer missionaries appointed by the North American Mission Board in 2009. Kendra and Ashley were involved in international student ministry and outreach at Solex College-Wheeling, outreach on the campuses of NE Illinois University and Triton College, Vacation Bible Schools and Backyard Bible Clubs, and research for the Chicagoland Metro Baptist Association (CMBA). Ashely took charge of printed media duties while Kendra handled webdesign for our website, RadiantBride.org. They also helped to lead and host visiting mission teams on local ministry projects. Claire Lusk, an education student at Mississippi College, began Summer 2009 by serving as a missionary with the Chicagoland Community Church. However, it was our pleasure to have her top-off her tour of duty by ministering in Maywood during the final week of summer. Claire helped lead and host visiting mission teams. All three are prayerfully considering future, perhaps more long-term returns!

www.RadiantBride.org is brought to you by the Community in Maywood
157 South 17th Avenue, Maywood, Illinois 60153
email us at pastorjohn@radiantbride.org

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