For years, the Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union has made a difference in the lives of students.
“In 2021, the Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union launched the Tennessee Youth Venture Team for 10th-12th grade high school students who are actively involved in missions and are interested in a missional lifestyle,” said Vickie Anderson, executive director-treasurer of Tennessee WMU.
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“The WMU selected 4–6 students from across TN to participate in a year-long mission discipleship through a retreat, mentoring and Bible study,” she added. “The goal was to provide resources and equip students with the knowledge and skills to influence and lead their peers to be intentional about living a holistic mission lifestyle.”
However, instead of the 4–6 students, why couldn’t this program be expanded and reach more students?
With this idea of increasing the number of students, this program took root across the state. In the fall of 2025, instead of a state team for a few students, TN WMU shifted to equipping and resourcing church and associational youth leaders to have their own Venture Team to engage and equip more students across Tennessee.
Clark and Kelsey Stepp, a student pastor and wife team from Sterchi Hills Church in Knoxville, are making a difference in the lives of students. Sterchi Hills is very missional and regularly sends out students to serve on mission.
The Stepps use the Venture Team material to train and develop some of their most missional and engaged students; 12 students, out of 30–40 young people, are considering a mission lifestyle.
Commitments to missions
Every year, Clark takes students to Kenya, the Philippines, India and Honduras. Several of these students have made commitments to missions.
Clark and Kelsey are the parents of a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old. Where the parents go, the children accompany their parents. He laughed and said, “How many children have traveled to Kenya, the Philippines, India and Honduras at this age?
Kelsey works with children ages 1-4 in the Children’s Ministry at Sterchi Hills. On Sunday mornings, about 115 children in K-5th grade attend.
Clark said that in 2014, Sterchi was about to close its doors. Attendance was down. Now, the church has been revised. Today they average about 1,200 people with lots of young people. “We are mission-minded,” Clark said. “And we are attracting mission-minded students to our church.”
In 2018, Clark lived in Kenya, the Philippines and Honduras and served as the campus minister in the city of Nashik where he taught English classes.
In Kenya, he spent time on the field, serving as a mission pastor and student pastor. This work helped students he works with at Sterchi Hills understand the calling to missions and a missionary lifestyle.
In the Philippines, 95% of the population is Catholic. There are a lot of universities where many students major in engineering. Recently, Clark took 6 adults and 15 students from Sterchi Hills. In groups of two or three, they canvased the city of Datangas. The group from Sterchi Hills spread out, visited coffee shops and parks and talked to students.
Free food was provided and they shared the gospel. In a period of one week, they shared the gospel with 950 students.
Clark says that going on a mission trip makes a difference in what God is calling you to do. “For example, it broadens your worldview. You see how other people live. You understand the meaning of The Great Commission. You learn that kingdom work is most important — not the choice of a career.”
Sterchi Hills puts $60,000 in their budget each year for mission trips. Students who go pay 60% and the church contributes 40%. If a student does not have the 60%, Clark will contact some members in the church to help out.
The Stepps use the mission study book, “Look What God Can Do” by Jess Jennings. Also, they use material by Henry Blackaby, “Experiencing God.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was originally published by the Baptist and Reflector.
