Our Alumni in Action story this month focuses on the lives and ministry of Randy and Miki Brooks.

Randy (’95) grew up in Fountain, Colorado where Security Christian Church, now Pikes Peak Christian Church, was his home church. Randy said his first exposure to Nebraska Christian College was not through the popular New Way Singers because the Lord did not bless him with any sense of rhythm. Rather, he entered as a “non-traditional student” at the age of 21, attending NCCC from 1991 through 1995 when he graduated with a BA in Bible & Pastoral Ministry. Randy worked as a welder and construction worker for 20 - 30 hours a week so he was not able to participate in a lot of campus groups. He did play soccer for the inaugural first two years of NCC Soccer and as a freshman, he volunteered to preach in chapel because he was in Jerry Hopkins Personal Evangelism course. Randy says, “At the end of my message, which was 7 minutes long, the students gave me a standing ovation because they were let out early. The message was terrible because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. But it sparked a desire in me to say, yes as often as I could and to just give it a go!” He was also Student Body President his senior year and got a Most Improved award at Graduation.

Miki (’95) was born in Worthington, MN but grew up from ages 7 to 18 in Johannesburg, South Africa as one of the missionary kids of Bill & Verna Weber. Unlike Randy, Miki has been blessed with rhythm and was a part of the NCC choir for three years while attending NCC from 1992 - 1995, graduating with an AA in Christian Education. She served on many banquet committees and led many Bible studies while working 20 hours a week at a local daycare.

Miki and Randy were married in July 1993, but before they were engaged Randy started getting concerned because Miki would always talk about her love for Africa and the ministry her family was a part of. There was no way he was ever going to the mission field so, prior to getting engaged, Randy sat her down and had a very serious conversation saying, “before you get married to me you need to understand that we are never leaving the United States of America.” He said Miki cried and prayed about this for about a week before finally deciding that she loved him enough to give up her dream of doing missions. Unbeknownst to Randy, God was opening his heart and mind to world missions. So, for most of their 25 years of marriage they’ve lived as missionaries. Randy says he loves Miki more today than ever! The couple has three great sons: Noel (21), Ethan (19) and Caleb (18).

Both Randy and Miki say that NCC was life changing for them. While attending NCC, their minds were opened to a whole new way of viewing the narrative of the Bible and their hearts were opened to living with a willingness to serve God and to go wherever he called them. Randy said, “Did we know everything we needed to know for ministry? No. But the point of Bible college is not to create Bible scholars who know all the answers. Most of ministry is built through experiences on the back of the basic foundations of our studies. In my view the point of a Bible college is to influence the students and open them up to where God can transform their heart’s desires.” By the time they graduated from NCC, they were willing to go anywhere in the world. They had assumed this would mean going to Africa where Miki’s family were missionaries, it seemed like the place God had prepared for the two of them. However, it was an African connection that led them to New Zealand.

In 1998, the Brooks started their first full-time ministry when they helped plant Shore Community Church in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2000, they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where Randy attended seminary and became Senior Pastor of a small church called Ross Christian Church, just north of Cincinnati. In 2003 they were invited back to New Zealand to work with a church plant team in Dunedin, New Zealand. They made the move back to Auckland for Randy to become the Interim Senior Pastor of Shore Community Church in 2005. In 2009, they transitioned the ministry over to a New Zealand Senior Pastor who still leads it today.

When asked what their guiding life principles or thoughts about ministry in general are, Randy said, “My purpose in ministry is to influence people on to God’s agenda wherever they are at. If they don’t know Christ, I work to influence them toward Christ. If they do know Christ, I work to influence them to grow deeper and take bigger steps of faith. Miki and I love to do ministry and are always willing (at least we try to be) to step in to ministry where we believe God is calling us. As a young man I prayed a simple prayer, ‘Lord, I want to live for you, I want to do your will and I’m willing to go wherever it is you want me to go.’ It seemed like a simple commitment, but it has led Miki and I to a life full of a wide variety of ministries and moves.

Our general philosophy of ministry is that God is at work all around us, working to reconcile the world unto himself (2 Cor. 5) and he has asked each one of us to partner with him in this ministry. I often say to people that God has not called everyone to move away from home and country, but he has called us to live with a willingness to go. This may mean moving to another place in the world or it may mean to simply go to your friends, neighbors and co-workers.”

Today, Randy works as the Regional Director for South Pacific Christian Fellowship, a ministry of New Mission Systems International. He also works locally alongside Shore Community Church in their outreach ministry with a focus on influencing people toward Christ. Miki is working with an organization called Christians Against Poverty in Auckland.

Randy shared the following about their past year of ministry with SPCF, “Its been a great year of language learning and wonderful ministry . . . In 2017 Shore Community Church had no baptisms, however in the last two months they’ve had 18 baptisms! It’s fantastic to be a part of what God is doing in people’s lives.”

Learn more about the challenging and exciting ministry the Brooks are a part of in New Zealand and Australia at southpacificchurchplanting.com.