About Me
My mission is “to equip God’s people to do His works, and build up the church, the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12.
Welcome and thanks for joining me here!
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I’m a teacher/trainer missionary from Seattle, Washington, with a background in Christian education program development. For over 10 years, I have been serving the Ethiopian body of Christ by providing Christian training resources to churches, denominations, and religious organizations, first, as a volunteer on short-term mission training trips, and, since 2019, as a missionary living in Ethiopia and serving in Christian education training centers.
Ethiopia is an ancient land with a young population. Its geographic location and economic promise make it a strategically significant venue for Kingdom advancement of the Christian faith. Yet historically, and even in contemporary times, the chronic lack of Christian education and training resources has created challenges for Christian workers who labor to spread the Gospel of Christianity, particularly in the more remote regions of the country.
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All of my materials are Bible-based, Christ-centered, and Spirit-derived, so that believers are able to
articulate the faith and hope they have in Christ with sound doctrine (Titus 1:9) and right thinking (Proverbs 23:7).
“If anyone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” 1 Peter 3:15.
Jesus was never at a loss for words, and His followers shouldn’t be, either!
My goal is to help prepare believers to:
1) Honor Christ as Lord of our hearts,
2) Be witnesses of Christ’s love with gentleness and respect, and
3) Understand the reasons for our faith in Jesus Christ,
so that we can be worthy of the task set before us!
"Every moment of teaching is an opportunity for enlightenment."
-Teresa Riggs
My Mission
"To equip God's people for works of service and build up the church, the body of Christ."
Ephesians 4:12
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My Journey
I grew up in a Christian home with loving, nurturing parents. Family life centered around our local church. As a child, I loved going to Sunday School, Children’s Church, and Vacation Bible School. I gave my heart to Jesus at the tender age of 7, and became a serious young disciple of Christ. One Sunday morning during high school, I enthusiastically announced to our congregation that I was going to be a missionary to Africa.
Then, life happened. I went to college, got married, had children, and embarked on a successful career as an attorney. While I never rejected my belief in God, I decided to do things my way, and leave God out of it.
Several decades of twists and turns later, “my way” took me down the “long and winding road” that led me back to His door! I rededicated my life to Christ, and settled back into ministry work.
After moving to the Seattle area to be closer to my adult children, I joined a small community church with a big heart for mission. It was there that I found an opportunity to work in developing Christian training resources for the protestant church in Ethiopia through an organization I helped found called Acts 8 Ministries. Partnering with David C Cook, we started out in children’s curriculum development, then added discipleship and leadership ministries training in response to an ever-increasing need for Christian education training resources.
In addition to Acts 8 Ministries, I have served with several other religious organizations in Ethiopia that offer training in church ministry development, such as Evangelical Churches Fellowships, Compassion Ethiopia, CRU, and All Children Count. It is my privilege and honor to continue to serve the people and land that I love so much as a teacher and trainer.
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Peace and Joy,
Teresa
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