Stephen and Sandra Brauning

Vision

We envision a family of Spirit-led ministries in the Dominican Republic (DR) used by God to transform lives, communities, and society.

Mission

Our mission is to serve alongside our ministry partners in the DR by equipping them to testify to the Good News of Christ’s multi-faceted Kingdom.

Ministry in Dominican Republic

Steve and Sandra serve with a ministry team serving alongside our ministry partners: the Christian Reformed Church in the Dominican Republic (CRCDR), a growing national denomination of over 200 congregations all over the country, and Sinergia Leadership Foundation, which includes 16 Christian Reformed schools (COCREF) which provide quality, affordable Christian education to about 3,500 students in marginal communities.

With the CRCDR, we serve in leadership and ministry development, discipleship, evangelism, construction, community transformation, justice, and other ministries. Sinergia provides a platform for broader impact in the evangelical community as well as outreach through the related ministries with which we network. With COCREF, Steve participates with the board of directors and the administration. Between the church, schools, and other related ministries, Resonate Global Mission’s work impacts an estimated 25,000 people in the DR.

Another ministry impact area is our service and learning program which provides opportunities for North Americans to plug into ministry with our partners. Teams serve with youth outreach or construction, and individual volunteers serve in children and youth ministry, Christian education, and community outreach. Volunteers can serve for a few weeks up to a year to gain cross-cultural and ministry experience, learn and grow in faith, and contribute to these vibrant ministries' impact.

Recent ministry highlights:

There is a hunger for God’s word here in the DR, and the through the Christian Reformed Church in the DR(CRCDR), we are able to provide learning and growth opportunities on various levels: we contribute to local church Bible studies and Sunday Schools by assisting with producing materials and training for leaders; we collaborate with the denomination's Bible Institute that provides pastors, evangelists, and other church leaders with Biblical, theological, missiological, and ministry education; and we participate in Timothy Leadership Training in local churches. During 2020 and 2021, volunteer church education promoters have operated 14 study groups with nearly 300 students.

The church’s growth continues to be demonstrated "concretely" through its building program. Each year, three to five building projects are completed mostly with emerging congregations. The Villa Hortensa CRC in Elías Piña is one example of a church that had been renting since starting about three years ago, but now has its own building on land that was purchased with a combination of local funds and a donation from a North American church. Since moving into its new facility, the church has grown significantly. Resonate Global Mission provides the bridge for these building projects by channeling resources, linking donors and Service and Learning Teams with local churches.

Since beginning in 1981, the Christian Reformed Schools (COCREF) have made a major effort in training teachers. Christian worldview integration, pedagogical methods, and classroom management have been very successful in COCREF schools. Recently COCREF has expanded its program to other Christian schools in the DR. Many Christian schools only use the government's core required curriculum so this training is an opportunity to assure that more children can receive higher quality education and an integrated Christian perspective. At least 25 schools are benefiting from this program each year thanks to the vision and dedication of COCREF's board of directors and staff.

About the Brauning Family

Our family has been on the mission field in the Dominican Republic (DR) since 1991. Steve is the Resonate Global Mission field director and Sandra teaches at the International School of Santo Domingo. We have been empty-nesters since 2013, and two of our children are married and one is engaged.

We are planning an extended “Re-Connect” in the spring and summer of 2022, mainly in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, with trips to Michigan, Florida, and South Dakota. We hope to see many of our faithful prayer and financial partners at that time.