Karen Hardin
Karen Hardin is passionate about equipping kids to understand God’s global purposes and embrace the roles they can play in advancing his kingdom. She felt called to pass on God’s heart for the world to the upcoming generation while taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.
Karen holds degrees in child development and education. She has more than 20 years of teaching experience in the public schools. Her local church ministry has included teaching children in a variety of settings (Sunday, mid-week, Vacation Bible School, Awana, summer camp) and developing ongoing mission programming. She has also had opportunities to teach missionary kids in Europe and train children’s workers in Central Asia.
Karen has been a children’s mobilization specialist for Caleb Project from 2002-2007, in ministries now part of Caleb Resources. She develops curriculum for the Kids Around the World series, teaches mission workshops, consults with churches, and leads children’s events. Karen is available to speak to children’s groups and lead workshops for children’s ministry leaders on a variety of mission topics.
Keith Swartley
Keith Swartley has had a heart for Muslims since first befriending them in the old town of Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa in 1983. Since then Keith has enjoyed learning from and sharing with Muslims in Turkey, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, London, and Philadelphia. He hopes to one day retire in the Muslim world, but, until then plans to continue motivating Christians to reverently and gently share the love of Christ with Muslims around the corner or across the globe.
From 1993 until 2002, Keith was on staff with the U.S. Center for World Mission from a regional office outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Keith worked with churches and universities training and leading short-term mission teams (including ten trips to Turkey). One of Keith’s major projects since 1992 has been the development of Encountering the World of Islam, formerly titled Perspectives on the World of Islam. After September 11, 2001, in response to national and international needs, the course quickly became his main ministry focus. In the summer of 2002, the Swartleys joined Caleb Project to further develop Encountering the World of Islam. Keith is now the director of Caleb Resources.
As a part of his ministry, Keith teaches in Encountering the World of Islam and Perspectives on the World Christian Movement courses and is available to speak on Islam and mission topics at local churches or other events.
Sean McKelvey
Sean McKelvey felt called to reach out unreached peoples while completing a Masters degree in Old Testament at Denver Seminary. He and his family spent five years working among a large Muslim people group in Indonesia and returned in 2004 excited about what God was doing among Muslims and his heart for his people to cross cultural and political lines with “good news.”
Sean is fascinated with the way Muslim life and culture challenges Christ’s followers to live out authentic faith and seek to “know nothing but Christ crucified.” As Jesus’ followers are increasingly challenged by a world whose thinking and cultures are opposed to the gospel, the lessons learned from relationships with Muslims give hope that God’s people have an increasingly important and relevant message for the world.
Sean works with Caleb Resources to facilitate Encountering the World of Islam classes around the country and challenge churches with God’s heart for Muslim peoples. Sean is happy to teach at Perspectives on the World Christian Movement and Encountering the World of Islam classes, and to speak about reaching Muslims to groups at churches and missions conferences.
Marti Smith
Marti Smith was a research project manager, strategist, and writer for Caleb Project from 1995 to 2007, in ministries now part of Caleb Resources. She and other members of the research staff trained and equipped teams to do relationship-based research to support church planting in cultures where the people have little opportunity to hear the gospel. Such work has taken her to Central Asia, India, North Africa and Europe, and among Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs.
Shortly after 9/11 Marti spent a year in a conservative Muslim part of Central Asia experiencing the life of a long-term worker and documenting the experiences of church-planters. This led to the publication of Through Her Eyes, a book about the lives of missionary women in the Muslim world, which was published in 2005 by Authentic Media. She is the managing editor of Missions Catalyst e-Magazine.
Marti is available to teach for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, PathWays to Global Understanding and Encountering the World of Islam classes, as well as teach cultural learning principles and techniques for local churches, short-term teams, and mission agency groups.
Download a PDF flier about Through Her Eyes.
