Mark Gillmore: Hello once again, and welcome to our Goal Mission podcast. I’m Mark Gilmore, and today I have the privilege to sit down with the young man who had a terrific opportunity this summer. I was so excited about helping him connect to this opportunity. And his name is Ben Steckman. Welcome, Ben. Thank you. Good to have you back. And so this summer, Ben, why don’t you just tell briefly you are currently studying?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, I’m a senior here at Baptist College of Ministry and I’m majoring in missions. And so finishing up this year.

Mark Gillmore: That’s exciting. And I’ll ask you a little bit later to tell a little bit how God directed your life in regard to missions. But this summer you had the opportunity to travel to? The country of Grenada. The country of Grenada.

Ben Stoeckmann: So help us. Where is Grenada located? So Grenada is one of the most southern islands in the Caribbean, and it’s just off the coast of Venezuela, so a very small, small little island there in the Caribbean. Where is the population?

Mark Gillmore: It’s about 110,000 people on the entire island, so it’s very small. Yes, and I have been there. When you think of the island’s features, what stands out to you? Something about the island.

Ben Stoeckmann: Definitely a lot of palm and a lot of coconut trees and beautiful beaches and just the sea is incredible. Yes. How about curvy roads? Oh, 100%.

Mark Gillmore: That turns out to me. There is not a straight stretch about the size of a football field. Everything is curving one way or the other.

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, and the Grenadians, they make fun of it themselves.

Mark Gillmore: But they’re in pretty good condition. Yes, they are. I’ve traveled in Africa, and Grenada roads are beautiful compared to those, But they are so curvy. So you were on Grenada and had the opportunity. How long did you spend? I was there for about seven weeks in total. And just what was the main central focus of your travel there, your ministry there?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, so I was going to intern under Pastor Jeremy Scott, who is a pastor, a native Grenadian who lives there on the island. He has some support from the States, but I’d heard of him before. And so we’re going to just intern and be with him at the time there.

Mark Gillmore: Yep. So I love that connection right with a national preacher there and that. And you helped him and assisted him in what ways?

Ben Stoeckmann: Well, in a lot of ways, just riding along with him, he does a lot of traveling throughout the island, picking up different people, you know, reaching out to different people. So there’s a lot of just assisting, just being there to watch him and see how he does his own ministry. So I did a good bit of preaching. He allowed me to preach quite a few times there.

Mark Gillmore: But a lot of different cool opportunities. Yes, just being alongside a national preacher like that. And Brother Scott has really a burden for his island.

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, he told me he claims that whole northwestern part of the island he wants to see churches established in every single village along that side. So he’s got a great faith vision.

Mark Gillmore: Yes, that caught my attention, his church planting zeal. And he had planted, of course, his own church is there, but then he was planting several others. Tell me a little bit about the story. I believe you were up in Mount Rich. Correct.

Ben Stoeckmann: So we were in the main town where he is in is Victoria. But then he’s also planted a church in Shantymell, which he’s since handed over to another believer. And then he is currently in the process of planting a church in Mount Rich. Yes. So it’s a much more rural community, more in the mountains as opposed to the coast. But yeah, he’s been starting that for about, I think, two years. They’ve had an official church there.

Mark Gillmore: Yes, yes. Oh, that is good. What were you able to do in that community of Montridge?

Ben Stoeckmann: So I would, we did, obviously, this may be come a little later, but we did a lot of team outreach there. We did, every week we did soul winning in Montridge and inviting people to the church. we were also able to see five of the believers baptized while I was there which is very very

Mark Gillmore: neat opportunity so yes yes well talk about the team in the middle of your summer a team came down and joined you from from our own church and ministry and what did that involve yes so

Ben Stoeckmann: Jonathan Gilmore led a team down here. Maybe, I think there was about 15 of us, a good portion of my family, which is really neat to see some of my younger brothers really seeing the need in the mission field and getting a burden in the same way. But essentially they came down and we were going to do three different Cola Clash events, so youth events, very similar to Thee Generation.

Mark Gillmore: After I say many of our listeners will know exactly, Yeah, you were putting in place there in Grenada.

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, and so we were, it’s actually something that Jonathan had a burden for when he had been there previously. And we weren’t really sure how it was going to go with island culture, a little bit different. But we were praying that the Lord would use it. So we were going to do three separate Cola Clash events, one in Victoria, one in Shanty Mill, and one in Mount Ridge.

Mark Gillmore: packed into two weeks. So I remember the testimonies coming from you all. It was wearing for sure. What did you see God do in those youth outreaches?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes, it was really exciting. So the first week was a little bit, the first day was a little bit discouraging because in the time that had been there before, it really didn’t rain much at all. But they were just hitting rainy season when the team came down. And so that first day it rained. the entire time the whole day which I never hadn’t happened before and all the locals are saying well we actually heard thunder which means it’s the official start of rainy season so this could happen it could keep raining all day and so we were discouraged because here we are trying to start our first night off um and we almost honestly canceled the night because it was raining and it was just like we didn’t have any connections we barely were able to invite kids and um through one of our team members we just were encouraged to go for it and see what the lord would do and so by scrambling last minute we threw up some polls for big ball volleyball and and the lord brought out some kids and that was our start and it was really encouraging i was able to preach that night kids got saved and so it was a great start um and then that continued to grow in those falling through we only did three nights there but the second week in shanty mill was probably my favorite we only had two days and it was actually not in the original plans but we went up into shanty mill and once again just looking for connections in the community we invited as many people as we could but we got to the actual night and we started up the music and everything and we’re on the top of the hill looking over the whole town, but there was not anybody there, maybe three little kids, and we were really discouraged about that. But they told me, hey, why don’t you take these kids, and they have friends in the community. Why don’t we just go down and see if they can get some of their friends to come so we can actually have a night and start things up. So I went down with them and kind of went down the road, and these guys kept leading me around. I think I ended up walking around the entire mountain and came back up. And it was like probably 15, 20 minutes. But when I came back to the field, it was incredible. God had brought kids out and there were like 40 kids on the field and a lot of them were older teenagers, which was exciting. And a lot of young men there, which was really our desire was to see young men get saved and um be added to the church and grow and even so that i could have further connections with them throughout the rest of the internship and so um it was so encouraging god did a really big work there in shanty mill only two nights but i would say that was my favorite that was my favorite week and then uh the final the final one in in mount rich that also is really encouraging and God did some really good things in the community. There’s a lot of battles, but it was really good and really encouraging.

Mark Gillmore: How would you describe just the general spiritual temperature or openness of those communities and of Pref Grenada in general? But what did you sense?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yes. It was very interesting to me. First of all, the people are very friendly and very talkative, and they aren’t afraid to talk about God. They’re not afraid to talk about Jesus Christ. And so it’s very easy to go up to them and strike up conversation and very oftentimes very open doors. I’ve never seen a country personally that has so much Bible in it, which is interesting. A lot of the schools are religious. They’re run by Anglicans or something like that. So all the kids know a lot of scripture. There’s Bible verses on cars and bumper sticks, everything. And it’s just, it’s like, wow, this could be like a Christian nation. But the problem is when you get into it, you start to realize there’s a very, very strong, stronghold of works-based religion. And I honestly, even growing up here in Wisconsin, where we have a lot of Lutherans and Catholics, where it’s very entrenched in the same way, I honestly never seen such a blindness. and you would go through and try as clear as you could to make it clear and then it would it would be yes I’m following I’m following I’m following but when it came to that point where do you understand it still wasn’t understanding and so that was that was definitely a stronghold that we encountered there’s also in Grenada there’s generally a lot of drinking which is another stronghold I feel for sure um it actually blew me away a lot of drinking everywhere bars I just not even compared to anywhere close to anywhere in the states that I’ve been. And also a lot of immorality, a lot of broken homes. And so on the surface, it’s a much more friendly, respectful culture, but there are definitely strongholds in especially the works religion and then the drinking and immorality.

Mark Gillmore: Did you sense also in kind of a spiritism, a darker side of animism?

Ben Stoeckmann: Not too much, but there was some things that happened where it was like, well, definitely some of their customs. There’s a couple of festivals that they have that are very demonically linked in. I actually left. August is their big carnival that they have, and a lot of the people look forward to it, like pretty much everybody. But it is, from what I’ve heard, very immoral, and it has ties to Satan, demons, and all of them.

Mark Gillmore: So as I think of the outreach that you engage the community, reclaiming the gospel, having the connectivity that you had, God brought folks, young people. That was a big answer to prayer. And there seems to be an openness, a connection, but these strongholds are there. the stronghold of just a works-based so-called Christianity is prevalent. Then you have these vices and these patterns of immorality and brokenness. And then underneath it are some still these strongholds of animism. So your big goal was not just to preach the gospel, but to actually make disciples. Yeah. Right. Yes. And when you begin to enter into the disciple-making pattern, You begin to encounter these strongholds.

Ben Stoeckmann: That was something definitely that I noticed and really learned from this summer was a lot of these people have been exposed to Christianity on a surface level. And so they know the terms and they even know a lot about religion and about Christianity. But when it comes to actually studying God’s word, they have no concept of it. And so that was where we were really seeing that’s where the breakthrough needs to occur. It’s not just preaching, which is 100% important, and kids getting saved, 100% important. But taking those kids that have gotten saved and saying, okay, now let’s really dive into God’s Word and learn how to study it for yourself because that’s ultimately where these strongholds and things are broken. And definitely a lot of people maybe got saved, but have never truly been discipled. And that was a definite, I’d say something that definitely needed to change in there, in that culture.

Mark Gillmore: Did you see open doors for discipleship? Or did you see maybe others desiring to see that happen in their island? Maybe other leaders? How did you see the order of discipleship?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yeah, for sure. I think it’s definitely still a big need. It wasn’t talked about too much in general. But the people themselves are very open for it. I know there was several young men that we obviously as a team, we’ve been praying and asking God to give us disciples, not just. And that was a major theme of our prayer. And so there were multiple young men that I was able to connect with in a much deeper way after the team had left. I think of one boy in Shanty Mill who I didn’t even reach out to him. He reached out back to me and said, before I’d even text him, he texted me. He’s like, hey, can we do a Bible study sometime last week? Awesome. And that was so encouraging. Yes. And he’s a 14-year-old. I mean, he’s taller than me. He’s like 6’2 or something already. But he’s just a very quick, and he just wants God’s word. And it’s very encouraging to see that. And then also another one in Mont Rich and one specifically in Victoria. There are multiple young men that definitely they were open for it. Because like I said, they’re so friendly and they’re like connecting.

Mark Gillmore: But ultimately we prayed about it. Yes. Amen. An answer to prayer. I think those divine appointments, those connections with these young people, whether it’s someone who comes and is open to salvation, but then open to discipleship. That’s a miracle. Amen. One of the greatest miracles in the harvest right there.

Ben Stoeckmann: Yeah, and that was something that really I started thinking about more and more is we see so many people, oftentimes on the teams that I’ve been on, we’ve seen a lot of people that get saved. And I feel it’s largely because we spend so much time in prayer about it. We’re so fervent about it. We’re pleading with God about it. But it just struck me that I know in my own life, I don’t continue that fervency in prayer for discipleship because it’s just as important those decisions of baptism is just as much spiritual resistance in many ways. There’s prayer is as much needed for that point in their Christian life as salvation. And I feel like as we as believers in general, we often neglect that. We’ll pray fervently until somebody gets saved and then we’ll think, shoo, they’re not going to hell, praise the Lord. but we never pray them through to see that lasting disciple make, which is what the key, the key of the church.

Mark Gillmore: Maybe there’s someone listening and something’s echoing in your heart to the point that you’re making. And maybe even right now there’s a person on your heart, the Holy Spirit saying, that’s the one you need to be praying for. That’s the person you need to be discipling. That’s the person. Take that burden and connect to this life. And I think that’s a great burden. And I know of thee Generation ministry challenging young people for discipling in the different contexts that they are living.

Ben Stoeckmann: And one thing that I think the pastors do well with discipleship there is they are very intentional about how they spend their time with young men that are wanting to specifically be more like followers of Christ or specifically take leadership. I know Pastor Scott is very intentional about this. He would, there’s one, one of his, I guess, I don’t know how you’d say it, protégés or one of his followers that he, he started picking them up as an 11 year old boy. And now he’s in college, in the States training for ministry. But it took that intentionality of picking him up as an 11 year old boy and he would take him wherever he went with him. So that was a mind shift for me was that mentality of don’t ever do something alone. Go pick up somebody, you know, that guy that you’re working with that just got saved not too long. Go, hey, go out and do something with him. Discipleship is not just, hey, let’s sit down and do a lesson. Yes, that’s important, but discipleship is life on life. Or if discipleship is caught, then it’s taught. And so that was something I really appreciated about their ministry is that he’s very intentional. Hey, I’m going to pick up this guy and we’re going to do so many. We’re going to do some ministry, but we’re also going to, you know, have lunch together at the same time. And obviously I think their culture is more open to that because they have more, maybe I would say, I would say more time in some ways than Americans. We are very busy and clock oriented. Island time is not, America is not island time. But at the same time, I know for me that I could do better at that. And that, I feel like that’s a very key difference. That’s neat to hear that testimony.

Mark Gillmore: God opened your eyes to that. He’s a good example. Now, just before we leave the island of Grenada Behind, you mentioned there’s about 120,000 population. And I know just in the last couple of years, they have shipped onto that island 100,000 Bibles to be distributed to basically every adult and teen reader in the island, in the schools, even in government. And so that was a huge step of faith on behalf of a missionary who brought that to pass. But it does show, again, that openness that’s in this island. Free Bibles are being given to every student, and that is with the permission of the government that wants it to happen. And so these open doors on whatever they are, need to be matched with this passion to preach the gospel and then make disciples that will spread, plant these churches, but recognize that there’s a spiritual battle involved in the patterns of life that have been godless for generations. But praise God for this opportunity to see God at work in Grenada as an intern. As you look ahead to what your future may be, what is your key takeaway or next step as you think of missions following this internship? What’s next step for you?

Ben Stoeckmann: Well, I think definitely the biggest thing that I need to apply that I learned from this internship is that disciple making here in the States. You know, it’s, it says, we think, you know, we get on a plane, you get to go to another place. We know it doesn’t change you, but it’s so, so hypocritical sometimes for us to go over to another country and say, oh, I wish they could do that better. Or maybe be more disciple oriented. And I look at my own life and I say, I need to see that happen in my own life here. And we can either blame culture or, you know, they’re just not as friendly or whatever. But ultimately it comes down to, are we praying for disciples and then are we believing God for them? And are we seeing that happen? Because he’s promised that. So that’s definitely a key application for that.

Mark Gillmore: That’s powerful. Surely the Lord of the harvest is the Lord of the harvest here too. Yes. And if we will pray and prioritize, God will give us those disciples. And then appreciate that personal immediate application right here to life. And now you’ll be just maybe backing up for a moment. How did you first get God’s sense of burden for missions in your youth?

Ben Stoeckmann: Yeah, so I’ve been privileged to grow up in this church here, Falls Baptist Church, and I really appreciate the missions emphasis. And growing up as a child, I automatically grabbed onto it. And I think part of it was like the cool, like, yeah, you get to go hike in the woods and stuff like that. But beyond that, it was just really cool to see how God, even as a young guy, started to really open my eyes to the need of people around the world to hear the gospel, not just, you know, people that are here in the States. And I think, honestly, the first time I remember specifically surrendering to missions was actually in third grade. And what was happening is we had a missions conference going on. And one of the missionaries that is from here, Tom Johnson, he came into our third grade. We had a third grade time where he was able to come in and speak about his ministry. And I remember being so challenged by that and so stirred by it. And I just told him, I think God wants me to be a missionary. And I remember him taking that very seriously. like we even took a picture together and he wrote my name down in the book and he prayed with me and it was just super encouraging and then going on from there I kept seeing like how God was working throughout the world and it constantly that that need kept being presented and really throughout a lot of my life till about about ninth grade I started being um burdened more for the Hispanic world but really that’s I would say third grade was that first time where it was like that’s where the Lord caught my attention and pointed me towards missions and ninth grade I got a burden for Hispanic mainly because I was just learning Spanish in school and I said hey this is a cool opportunity let me apply myself to try to learn this language as best as I could and I fell into love with learning Spanish and fell into love with you know I like the Hispanic culture in LA so I ended up being able to because I worked hard on the language I was able to go on a missions trip in ninth grade, which I technically wasn’t supposed to, but because I worked hard at it, I was able to go. And, um, when I got to, we went to Ecuador and it was just really cool to see how God was the need there. And, um, it just left me saying, man, I would love to do this and to be a part of bringing the gospel to a country that needs that. And so really throughout high school and going into college, the Lord has continued to steer that direction. And, uh, so I’m not sure exactly where i’ll end up i’m open to wherever god wants me to go but i’m very thankful

Mark Gillmore: and i know he had a purpose in steering that direction so amen amen you’re my send me right yeah volunteer yeah volunteer and god’s giving you these neat connections so experience in ecuador now here in grenada and i praise god for that and uh maybe there’s someone listening you know And you say, well, how do I get connected to an opportunity like that? I would say start with your local church. There may be a missionary. You mentioned the missionary that impacted you in third grade. And an opportunity to visit a field or be part of a trip. And just allow the Lord to open your eyes to those scenarios that really are open and in greatly need of laborers. Well, I thank you, Ben, for coming and sharing your testimony. and most of all for being a surrendered servant. As we say here in our Go Mission, in a world of turmoil and uncertainty, the only way to stay at peace is to stay on mission with Jesus in his Go Mission.

Mark Gillmore: Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Degeneration Podcast. If you’ve been blessed or helped in any way by this episode or any other episodes, please consider sharing what God has done in your life. Your testimony could be exactly what someone else needs to take their own step out of the boat.