We obey God's commands with a commitment to our local communities and places throughout the globe.
Northwest partners financially with 48 missionary families and 25 missions organizations each year to invite people into the unexpected joy of desperate dependence on Jesus around the world. We strategically invest globally in high investment areas, supporting partners in Cuba, Guatemala, South Asia and South Sudan, where we not only invest with our partners, but also send short-term trips to help support our partners on the ground.
Locally, Northwest invests in our corporate platform, the Northwest Community Center. There, we aim to aid, empower and invite refugees to experience new life in Christ. Learn more about the NCC here.
Upcoming Events in Outreach
Outreach Staff
Julia Bigelow
Outreach Ministry Assistant
Julia Bigelow
Outreach Ministry Assistant
Email: jbigelow@northwestbible.org
I have had the privilege of serving Northwest as the Outreach Ministry Assistant since 2017. I've been working in ministry support for over 15 years. I enjoy being behind the scenes and preparing the details so that loving God and loving others can happen more easily for everyone. My favorite part of ministry is taking an idea and figuring out how to make it happen.
My relationship with Jesus began when I was in high school and it's amazing to look through the years at how God continues to draw me to Himself using every aspect of my life- nothing has been wasted!
I am married to Josh and we spend a lot of our free time in the cheering section while our teens and tween practice and perform their various talents. Most recently, we traded sleep for snuggles with our baby girl born in late 2022.
Burim Bytyqi
Refugee Ministry Leader
Burim Bytyqi
Refugee Ministry Leader
Email: bbytyqi@northwestbible.org
I was born and raised in southeastern Europe in a non-Christian home. I got born again at the age of 16. For the last 8 years my family and I have been serving alongside “Youth With A Mission” (YWAM) as fulltime missionaries here in the United States. I consider it a great blessing the opportunity to serve alongside the NCC team as a Refugee Leader, reaching out to the nations that God brought in our doorstep!
Jean Congera
Refugee Ministry Leader
Jean Congera
Refugee Ministry Leader
Email: jcongera@northwestbible.org
I’m honored to serve as a Refugee Ministry Leader here at Northwest Bible Church. In January 2007, I joined Northwest Bible Church after being resettled in USA from a life of Refugee camps. After being rescued by the Lord from many wars, I was very hungry to find a church where I could go and say thanks to God for His rescue. After getting connected with Northwest Bible church, I became the secretary of the African Refugees Fellowship which later became the African Missionary Fellowship. I joined the Northwest staff in 2012 as an Event Specialist, but I had a burning desire to help refugees more. Finally, on August 18, 2014, God gave me more time to save refugees, who are where I was many years ago. Prior to my current position, I was privileged to serve refugees when I was working at the International Rescue Committee in Dallas.
Although God rescued me from wars, I did not know what it meant to be a Christian. In 2005 God used His voice in miraculous way and I started believing in Him. After getting saved, I had a problem of thinking that I had to work hard to be accepted by God, but later I came to understand that my righteousness is through Jesus Christ alone, by God’s grace, and I surrendered everything to Him. Since then I am desperately depending on Jesus for everything, because apart from Jesus, I can do nothing.
I am married with two children, and I am blessed to have a large extended family living here in Dallas. My main dream is to share the message of grace to all I can. I feel like God has created me to preach the gospel to all. I am still serving in the African Missionary Fellowship as one of several leaders, and in my spare time I like to visit my relatives and friends. My favorite bible verse is Ephesians 2: 8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Jeff Cross
Refugee Ministry Director
Jeff Cross
Refugee Ministry Director
Email: jcross@northwestbible.org
I joined the team at Northwest Bible in August 2019 and am excited to serve as Interim Refugee Ministry Director at Northwest Community Center. In late 2007, I became friends with a refugee family from Togo. I continue to value my times of fellowship with them, from meals to school graduations. It is now my privilege to serve alongside a team of ministry leaders, volunteers and community partners to assist refugee families in their transition to a new life in Dallas.
After working more than twenty years in the corporate sector, I spent nine years in the nonprofit sector -- most recently serving as Director of Operations at an organization which helps adults achieve educational goals and attain financial stability.
I was raised in church, yet long held a belief that good works were necessary to enter heaven. I attended college at University of Texas-Arlington, where I enrolled in a Christian Evidences course my Freshman year. It was through that study that I gained an understanding of who Jesus is and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. My enrollment in Bible Study Fellowship was instrumental in a growing relationship with God. After a few years I began serving as a BSF small group leader, and I was baptized at a Summer retreat. I began attending Northwest Bible Church, was plugged into an encouraging men’s small group, and became a member of the church. I have served on the Northwest Cares Committee, assisting families in our church body through short term financial challenges.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, following the “Big Four” professional sports teams in Dallas and attending UT-Arlington basketball games. Volunteer service is important to me, whether helping out at a local food pantry or facilitating a financial literacy course. I have a pitbull pup and enjoy walking her around our neighborhood on the westside of downtown Dallas. Micah 6:8 encourages me to pursue justice, extend kindness and to be humble as I serve our city.
Justin Gaspar
Outreach Minister
Justin Gaspar
Outreach Minister
Email: jgaspar@northwestbible.org
As Outreach Minister, I'm honored to lead staff and volunteers who impact the world with the hope of the Gospel. Northwest's outreach makes a real difference in real lives through the Northwest Community Center, our sports and fitness ministry, local community partnerships, and alongside global missionaries.
I became a follower of Jesus at an early age and my faith continued to grow at home. After college, I spent a year doing mission work in Spain and Russia, which ignited my passion for ministry. This led to partnering with parachurch organizations, marketplace ministry, serving in churches in Minnesota, and earning my masters in theology. God called our family to Northwest, which led us on a cross-country, mid-pandemic move to Dallas in December 2020. It's a joy to see people fall in love with Jesus and to help believers live out their call to love others well.
I enjoy spending time with my wife, Marit, and our three kids, Elise, Silas, and Jens. We thrive on exploring our surroundings through community events, parks, and museums. You can often find us cheering our kids on at a swim meet or baseball game, and we love all Minnesota sports. Go Vikings!
Brian Lonergan
Sports & Fitness Minister
Brian Lonergan
Sports & Fitness Minister
Email: blonergan@northwestbible.org
I am thrilled to serve as the Sports & Fitness Minister at Northwest since 2007 and that Northwest has been my church home for more than twenty years. In 2007, I transitioned out of the corporate world to focus my time fully on ministry to high school students. In 2013 I transitioned to the new role of Sports & Fitness Minister to develop the Sports & Fitness ministry where I get to combine my love for sports and fitness with my passion for outreach and discipleship.
Without outreach, I would have never known who Jesus was and without discipleship I would have never grown in my faith. When I was 15, I was introduced to Jesus through the outreach efforts of an old man who loved Jesus so much that he wanted to share Christ with everyone around him (whether he knew them or not). Knowing that athletes require more than just attention to their physical build, l am honored by the opportunity to address their spiritual needs as well. I strive to utilize the platform of sports and fitness to show and share the gospel and ultimately ignite the potential of athletes beyond the field of play.
Faith Michael
Refugee Ministry Leader
Faith Michael
Refugee Ministry Leader
Email: fmichael@northwestbible.org
It is an honor to serve as the Refugee Ministry Leader at Northwest Bible Church. Growing up surrounded by numerous cultures, the Lord stirred my heart for people of different backgrounds from a young age. In college, the Lord broke my heart for the nations and opened the door to proclaim Him all over the world. It is a humbling privilege to share the Good News message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone to a hurting world desperate for hope and yearning for truth. Through a sequence of God-ordained events, I came to Northwest after graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary. I was raised in a loving Christian home and accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was four years old. Throughout the years, I have served in various ministry capacities from worship to young adults ministry and most recently, equipping and discipleship. I love to tell people that I am glad the Lord is writing my story because He is much more creative than I am! The verse which marks my life is Genesis 28:15, which highlights God’s steadfast character and faithful promise to be with me in all places and circumstances. I am passionate about connecting believers with those in their community, and the opportunity to love and serve the nations in our backyard is a blessing! Exploring God’s creation through action-packed activities such as scuba diving with sharks and zip lining in the middle of the jungle brings me immense joy! An avid traveler, my bags are always packed for the next adventure. In quiet moments, I enjoy reading mystery novels and solving logic puzzles. A music aficionado, I will often be found singing and jamming away on the piano. My daily prayer is for my every breath and heartbeat to bring glory to God!
Claudia Mutembei
Refugee Ministry Assistant
Claudia Mutembei
Refugee Ministry Assistant
Department: Outreach
Email: cmutembei@northwestbible.org
I am blessed to serve at the Northwest as the Refugee Ministry Assistant. In addition to that, I also serve as the Missions' Administrator. It was during my undergraduate studies at Pan Africa Christian University in Kenya that I fell in love with the world of non-profit. Being born and raised in Kenya developed a love in me for the the community's most vulnerable. In this role, I am honored to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. I started my journey of faith in 2010 after an existential crisis that resulted in wondering if there was more to life. This led to attending a 12-week discipleship program. After the 12 weeks, God got my attention and one year later, I said yes to the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. One of my favorite Bible verses, which for many may be a cliché, is Jeremiah 29:11 which has taught me that my plans are not my own, but of the Lord Jesus Christ. When I follow the path He has set for me, I prosper in joy, love and peace. I enjoy listening to music, edifying conversations and would give up a movie any day for a documentary.
Katy Nieman
Missions Minister
Katy Nieman
Missions Minister
Email: knieman@northwestbible.org
I am grateful to serve as the Missions Minister at Northwest! After working in the finance industry for eight years, I was thrilled to put my passion into my workplace and my career. When I was in high school, I began attending church because I loved the company of my friends that were there. In college I grew in my faith and my excitement for living out God’s great commission, participating in various mission trips to Boston, New York City and then Perth, Australia. In this role, I have loved further expanding my desire to bring the gospel to those who are looking for the truth, and equipping leaders to do it too.
I am an avid, life-long Texas Rangers fan and have become an Oklahoma Sooner fan through marriage to my wonderful husband, Bryce. I have two girls, Etta and Lily and I enjoy spending my free time being Mom and simply enjoying our family.
The Lord has reminded me lately that I am beloved, and I can rest in His unchanging, never stopping, always and forever love. Psalm 127:2 reminds me He calls me beloved, and He desires for me to rest in Him.
Erinn Zielke
Sports & Fitness Ministry Assistant
Erinn Zielke
Sports & Fitness Ministry Assistant
Email: ezielke@northwestbible.org
I'm excited to serve as the Sports & Fitness Ministry Assistant at the Northwest Gym! I've been teaching yoga in the Sports & Fitness Ministry 9 for years. I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and attended an amazing Baptist church growing up. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Jesus and am so grateful for parents, friends and a church family who provided that foundation. I attended SMU and eventually made Dallas my permanent home. I have been married to my husband Josh for 18 years, and we have two beautiful sons, Duncan and Finn.