The purpose of Touch the World (TTW) is to help the youth of today's church connect their faith to the rest of their lives and to understand their identity and purpose in Christ. TTW provides training and mission trips focused on poverty, culture, and mission with the intention of equipping youth for their everyday context. As youth expand their worldview and respond to God's calling, they take ownership of their faith and become lifelong disciples of Christ. The training from TTW helps mission teams understand that they are not going on a mission to work FOR God, but to work WITH God.
TTW believes that without proper training, mission teams risk doing more harm than good. TTW has been developing programs for over 30 years that emphasize:
TTW wants students to embrace mission as a lifestyle that transforms their daily lives and communities.
How do they do it?
How is Sparta Church connected with TTW?
Sparta Church provides financial support to TTW through our missions budget, but there's more opportunities for us to get involved with TTW, here's how:
To learn more, please visit the TTW website @ https://touchtheworld.org/ and be on the lookout for a Sunday morning missions moment this fall. Also, feel free to talk with Pastor Finn and/or one of our youth that have gone through the training at TTW to see and hear what they think about TTW. Also, training takes place at The Mission Center, in Kunkletown, PA, which is just over an hour away from Sparta Church, an easy trip to volunteer at one of their training sessions.
TTW believes that without proper training, mission teams risk doing more harm than good. TTW has been developing programs for over 30 years that emphasize:
- Cultural Sensitivity: Respecting and learning from the communities we serve
- Poverty alleviation best practices: addressing root causes, not just symptoms
- Long-term missionary support: connecting short-term experiences with lasting impact
TTW wants students to embrace mission as a lifestyle that transforms their daily lives and communities.
How do they do it?
- 3-day missions training: proven preparation to serve well
- Mission Year: An accredited discipleship and missions gap year program and internship 'Mentor Year' that prepares you for a life on mission.
How is Sparta Church connected with TTW?
- Pastor Finn and the Summer Youth Missions Teams have been going through TTW's 3-day training program for the past 3 years. Both youth teams that went to Wilkes-barre, earlier this Summer, and Chicago, currently serving, completed the training, with several students going through training twice, once for each trip
- Sarah Edwards-Ronning, another one of Sparta Church's own students, just finished the gap year program and is now interning at TTW for the coming year
- Jesse Kroeze, Executive Director for TTW, is the son of Jack and Eva Kroeze
Sparta Church provides financial support to TTW through our missions budget, but there's more opportunities for us to get involved with TTW, here's how:
- Volunteer: work in various roles during training events that includes the Kitchen, Grounds Crew, Tech & Media, Care, and other roles
- Events: attend the annual banquet fundraiser, October 19, 2026, and take part in preparing the next generation for their role in God's mission
- Support TTW: chose to directly support TTW and their staff through donation
To learn more, please visit the TTW website @ https://touchtheworld.org/ and be on the lookout for a Sunday morning missions moment this fall. Also, feel free to talk with Pastor Finn and/or one of our youth that have gone through the training at TTW to see and hear what they think about TTW. Also, training takes place at The Mission Center, in Kunkletown, PA, which is just over an hour away from Sparta Church, an easy trip to volunteer at one of their training sessions.