Our Core Values
Due to the unique qualities of JAARS-connected families, we value their children’s growth in spiritual formation, wholeness of character, cultural agility, and engagement in God’s Kingdom.
We Contribute to MK/TCK’s Spiritual Formation
We will provide opportunities to study the Word, engage in prayer, worship together, and serve others.
We Nurture Wholeness of Character
We will provide ways for growth in key developmental areas of the six longings each human tries to fill.
We Develop Cultural Agility
We will encourage healthy transitions through training, seminars, debriefing, and/or consultation;
Teaching tools that are useful for adapting to/from Passport Culture to host Culture and back again.
We Lead toward greater personal involvement in God’s Kingdom work.
We will provide opportunities for students to grow in the mindset of being able and will to go wherever God leads.
We Resource MKs, Parents and Faith Communities
We will provide families with resources and opportunities to learn more about MKs/TCKs and their unique challenges, giftings and way of adapting from place to place.
Our Staff
Becca Segers
Girls Discipleship and MK Curriculum Coordinator
Becca serves our team at JAARS as the Girls Discipleship Coordinator. She supports the middle school and high school aged MKs through discipleship and mentoring. In addition she is involved in supporting the Refuge 139 program which runs a high quality VBS type program for MKs living overseas.
Becca grew up as an MK in a sensitive part of East Asia where her family served. After graduating from Indiana Wesleyan in 2012, she followed God’s call to serve and train the next generation of MKs. Becca joined Global Partners in 2013 to help establish their MK program, and has also worked with Cru, Interaction International, and the International Mission Board to care for their MKs. In June 2017, God opened the door for her to serve a larger group of MKs through the ministries at JAARS.
email: becca_segers@jaars.org
Scott Baldwin
JAARS Youth Champion and Logistics Coordinator
Scott is serving as the Guys’ Discipleship Coordinator for the JAARS Youth Group which includes building relationships with our male students through one-on-ones and coordinating Bible Studies for the guys to learn and grow in their relationships with one another and with Christ. In addition to this role, Scott serves at High School Youth Group each week.
He has been a long time supporter of youth and children’s ministry having been serving in the JAARS youth group for 28 years since his daughter was in high school. He joined the Youth Department in this larger role after retiring from his role as cafeteria manager in the Union County Public Schools. In addition, he attends Weddington Methodist Church where he has been involved in the youth and children’s ministry for 32 years.
email: robert.baldwin@jaars.org
Carolyn Thauer
Middle School Ministry Coordinator
God brought Carolyn to JAARS in April of 2024 as the Middle School Ministry Coordinator! She is excited to be part of the team serving youth and families at JAARS – especially our delightfully quirky Middle School students! Her goals include developing parenting workshops to support JAARS families, and building a core of MS students who love God and His Word, and are committed to living out their faith among their peers – to be ‘Jesus influencers’, rather than being influenced by the world around them.
Carolyn was born and raised in Wisconsin, where she attended college and received her BA in Education. Carolyn joined Wycliffe in 1991 and God led her to Tanzania. While there, she fell in love with MKs and with supporting the work of Bible translation – God’s Word for every tribe and people in a language which speaks to their heart. Her work in non-traditional education (serving as a tutor and itinerant teacher for missionary kids) was a good fit for Carolyn’s strengths of being flexible and adaptable. She returned to the U.S. in 2003, working with MK Programs in Wycliffe’s Orlando office. During new member orientations and Wycliffe’s Connection programs she formed attachments with families supporting Bible Translation all over the world.
Carolyn enjoys walking, reading, playing board games with friends, listening to music (of many styles), eating – especially chocolate chip cookies -, and cheering for the Green Bay Packers.
email: carolyn.thauer@jaars.org
Tracy Tooley
JAARS Youth Team Leader and High School Coordinator
Tracy has long had an interest in the MK care ministry at JAARS and has volunteered leading young adult Bible study, helping with Beach Retreat, and facilitating HS youth group teaching sessions. She is excited to be a part of the team and helping MK’s have a firm faith foundation to make healthy transitions to and from living overseas.
Though she would call Traverse City, Michigan her home territory, Tracy was born in Texas as an Air Force brat and lived in California, East Michigan, and New Hampshire throughout her childhood. Tracy has a BA in Youth Ministry and Bible. She previously served with Wycliffe as a language assessment specialist in Tanzania. She returned to USA to fulfill God’s call on her life in youth ministry. After 10 years serving in a local church, she returned to Wycliffe to continue serving within that youth ministry call, first as program coordinator for Jungle Jump-Off- IL, then as Director of Next Generation Ministries from Wycliffe’s Orlando headquarters. In 2015, JAARS invited Tracy to help develop and implement the new CrossVenture program as well as other multi-generational programming and resources.
Tracy’s favorite season is Fall (though Spring is a close second.) She lives close to JAARS with her aussie-shep mix, Copper. She delightfully discovered Caramel Cold Brew M&Ms recently, is a pretty good fruit pie maker (especially apple pie), and tries to read the Chronicles of Narnia every couple years (which means it’s time!) Anyone want to join her?
email: tracy.tooley@jaars.org
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