About us - "our story continues"

Get to Know Us!

Treasurer and Interim Director: Dedra Smith

Dedra Smith: was a volunteer for 10 years at Glenwood with her Husband Michael, and two kids. This family is passionate for loving, teaching and sharing Jesus Christ. They have been incredibly faithful to the calling. We are looking forward to building the Kingdom of God with the talents and Gifts that she's been given.

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Board Member: Donna Holmes

Donna Holmes: God has taken me on an amazing Journey… I am now retired from a long life in computer software and living life as a single professional which has taught me three main lessons in life...

**First Life Lesson: All people have issues which need Healing. If we did not, we would not need Jesus. If we stick with Jesus and His Word; Jesus can and will bring healing because He knows me and fearfully and wonderfully made me. Life verse: Psalm 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.

**My Second Life Lesson: God has a plan for my life, My responsibility is Go Forward, Stand Firm, See Jesus deliver. Key verses: Jeremiah 29:11 & 2 Chronicles 20:15b,17 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. God gave me a lifelong promise 2 Chronicles 20:15,17 15 …. This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army (vast hurt, vast disadvantage, vast disappointment). For the battle is not yours, but God’s .... 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

**My Third Life Lesson: God does not allow any area of our lives to go void. My life may have seemed worthless to me but God can use every negative trial, failure, disappointment and turn them into positive value as we testify to the good news of God’s grace. Key verse: Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

My journey is not over and I am excited to see how God will use my life and life lessons within Lifebuilders and the remainder of the good years God has ahead for me.

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Board Member: Theresa Burden-Callaway

God started talking to my heart about Lifebuilders in about 2008. My family attended First Baptist Church Clever where Winston Barnett was our music director. He often spoke of the move in his heart to start a ministry to multi-family apartments in Springfield. My husband was fighting Parkinsons and there was no time to give in to my longing to be a part of what God was doing there. He was using me where I was and would use me in the years to come at Lifebuilders. I eventually found a place to serve at Glenwood being a teacher for the children of the mothers attending the Bible Study. Being a part of the children’s ministry was mostly amazing, but sometimes heartbreaking. I got to serve with other wonderful Lifebuilders volunteers whose hearts were full of love for every family we served. It was a blessing to work with these others telling the people of Glenwood about Jesus. Covid changed everything. We could no longer meet. There were a few of the neighbors that, mostly through Facebook, I have stayed in contact with. I continued to support Lifebuilders with prayer and finances but was not actively working at a site. A couple of years ago, I was asked to be on the board of Lifebuilders. Currently, we have moved our office and have four sites. God is working and we are joining him. If you feel God moving in your heart to be a part of Life Builders, come join us. There are people everywhere that need Jesus. I certainly do.

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Site Leaders: Heritage Tower

Ralph and Helen Wright: Helen and I started at Villa Marie helping with the dinners the second Tuesday of the month provided by our church. She was asked by Sandy Shull if she would like to serve by teaching the children. She readily started teaching, and I started going and helping her and we both fell head over heels in love with the children. We served there for about 8 years and loved it. The Lord started speaking to me about serving at Bolivar Road. About a month later, Helen asked me what I thought about Bolivar Road. She then explained she couldn't get the children and the adults at Bolivar Road off her mind and how they needed Jesus. I explained to her that the Lord had laid Bolivar Road on my heart too. We prayed about it and talked to the Lifebuilders director and office manager about starting the Bible study there again, we were still praying about it. One Sunday night Helen went to the alter and asked the Lord to send us volunteers so we could get started at Bolivar Road. After services were over we had our volunteers! People started coming up to us asking questions and saying they wanted to serve there too.

God has supplied us with many wonderful people to minister to the people at Bolivar Road.

In 2021, we started serving as the site leaders at Heritage Tower to fill a need. We had been primarily working with kids before then and weren't sure if it was going to be a good fit but we instantly fell in love with the residents and Heritage Tower; they are hungry for more of God!

We are so happy to be serving with Lifebuilders and for the blessings he continues to give us each week at Heritage Tower.

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Site Leaders: Arrowhead Town Homes
(formerly Villa Marie)

Vic and Sandy Shull: are the site leaders of Arrowhead. We answered His call in the Spring of 2002. There are many reasons that are blessings to us that we can serve His Majesty, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We can be home missionaries. We can serve the brokenness of people who don't have a lot of resources. We can see Him at work and see the Glory and Mercy He bestows freely. We can raise children and give them knowledge about Him. All in all we are happy, honored, and proud to be where He has placed us. All of it would not be possible if not for all of the volunteers, and the resources that He raises up and puts in place for His great and wonderful Glory.

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Site Leader: Madison Tower

Pati Mobley: My father was an abusive alcoholic and my mother was very emotionally distant. I don't remember talking about God or reading the Bible at home. My life was hounded by the description 'you will never be good enough.' By high school Satan had me tucked neatly in his camp, making one very poor and shameful decision after another. Yet God so graciously chased after me until sometime in my early forties I finally came to a relationship with my Master and Savior.

It is sad how the church today drops the ball, telling new believers to “go live for Christ” but failing to show them day by day what that looks like with arms and legs. This is the biggest reason I love serving with Lifebuilders, trying to show my residents what that looks like!

I have been at Madison Tower since June of 2016 and served at Cedarbrook before that. I am building relationships where I can tell others what I have learned as well as learn from their experiences. We are all on this journey together and the Holy Spirit is still our best teacher.

We have a weekly potluck dinner followed by a Bible lesson, averaging 10 to 12 in attendance. I have been blessed to have access to a vast resource of video lessons, most with study guides that we use. We have occasional movie nights and we also fill Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes every year. It is such a blessing to see their generosity and love for children who are even less fortunate than themselves.

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Site Leaders: South Tower

Bob and Debbie Booth:
I started going to Lifebuilders’s in December of 2010. Bill Richardson was site leader at South at that time. He retired and I talked my pastor and his wife into joining Lifebuilders. After they stepped down, Brian and I went to join lifebuilders and became site leaders. Bob and I continued to do lifebuilders after Brian passed away. Summerfest has been a big crowd drawer. We have had saved souls at the Christian outreach. We have since moved from South Tower yet continue to be site leaders. God works in mysterious ways.