ABM cultivates trust in relationships with ministry leaders through life-giving communication and fellowship. God’s Word, prayer, and ongoing connection create platforms for spiritual formation to help families thrive in places where they minister. We shepherd pastors, missionaries, and their families with listening ears and open hearts through face-to-face visits, phone calls, coaching, counseling, e-mails, social media contact, and celebrating their special days with cards.
ABM helps ministry families acquire the proper tools and supplies to endure the Arctic. No one survives in remote Alaska without delivery of supplies by air cargo or ocean and river barge. We also send staff and volunteer work teams during all seasons to serve ministry families in remote parts of Alaska. Work team projects often include home weatherization, equipment repair, delivery of supplies, and more. We also combine spiritual and practical ministry as we do church maintenance, crisis/emergency care, pulpit supply, small engine and vehicle repair, as well as buy and ship supplies to bush locations.
ABM seeks to refresh Ministry workers through retreats. This might be our annual Ministry Family Retreat, time away at Light on the Hill Alaska in Homer, or our women’s retreats. Arctic Barnabas seeks to create special times of rest and the opportunity for life-giving fellowship to refresh the spirits of the ministry families we serve.
Our Signature event is our annual Ministry Family Retreat at Victory Bible Camp tailored to the unique needs of those serving in remote Alaska with opportunities for rest, connections, and growth for the whole family.
Each of these families will enjoy sweet fellowship in an environment very much like a family reunion. Beyond the wonderful time among fellow believers, with sweet times of corporate worship and focused prayer, we will strive to tank them up on the Gospel so they can stand firm for another year, sharing the Gospel in some of the darkest and coldest places in our country.
With an eye to their longevity on the field, we also work to meet their physical needs … both in those areas that are a blessing to them and in those services that are hard, or expensive, to get in the village. From free dental, chiropractic, counseling, and medical care, to haircuts, seminars, family time, and fun & games! We want to create an environment that genuinely encourages these ministry families, keeps them physically, spiritually, and emotionally healthy, and ultimately helps them stand firm for the Gospel.
ABM helps prepare pastors and missionaries with resources for the challenges of ministry service in remote Alaska. Providing coaching and training for branding, fundraising, and marketing for the missionary population, missionary orientation, and member care training for organizations.
Arctic Ministry Training (formerly Northern Ministry Training):
Those ministering in the north face a host of heartbreaking statistics played out in the lives of those they have come to love. Violence, drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, sexual abuse, incarceration, and broken families are just some of the realities of working in bush ministry. Servants working in the north must face these challenges while working amid an ancient culture experiencing a modern revival. They must navigate sharing the Gospel in a community that has synergistic roots and where history sometimes places them as an unwelcome outsider. These hurdles take place, mainly in isolation, in a harsh climate and an expensive, remote setting. Bible College and general cross-cultural training are extremely valuable, but no other training exists to teach and train servants for the particular issues of northern ministry. Arctic Ministry Training is essential to the long-term health of bush ministry and those who serve in the North. Northern Ministry Training has been hosted by SEND International for many years, and in Spring 2027 it will return as Arctic Ministry Training, hosted by ABM.
ABM provides platforms for relationships that foster unity, communication, and encouragement among Christian evangelicals across Alaska. We connect ministry families and ministries with each other creating strategic partnerships across the state. These connections come in the form of regular phone calls, letters, and prayers with our ministry families. We also connect supportive churches and work teams with ministry families in need of encouragement and help. We desire to see a thriving Gospel-centered church in every remote community in Alaska.