God is writing His story across Europe to include people from all over the world. Find out how the Serenissima Ministry Group has a special part in that story.
Why We Exist
Our Mission
SMG is a dynamic partnership of churches which the Lord has called together to foster ministry multiplication, nurture church health, and strategically champion humanitarian projects. Our collective mission is to cultivate a flourishing Kingdom & Gospel DNA within every ministry, thereby empowering the multiplication of new ministries. By providing unwavering support to church planters and their congregations, we strive to establish enduring ministries that will stand the test of time, leaving a lasting impact on communities and generations to come.
Here are our current ministry locations. You can click on each to learn more about them.
Italy
Serenissima is a historic, Italian word and northern Italy is where the ministry group was founded. Most of our ministries at this stage of SMG's growth can be found in Italy. Click below to know more about them.
Spain
SMG currently collaborates with three partnering churches and more are scheduled to join our ministry group in the near future. Click below to see our Spanish ministries.
Albania
SMG is currently collaborating with a similar Albanian ministry group which specifically cares for about 12 churches and planters throughout Albania and Kosovo.
Germany
SMG is currently partnered with a theological seminary in Adelshofen training German nationals for church planting and revitalization. Click below to learn about our partners in Deutschland.
France
SMG is currently partnered with a special church in central Paris. Click below to learn more about this church connected with us in France.
United States
The sister organization of SMG in Europe is the Serenissima Ministry Group International which operates to connect "champion" churches and organizations in formal partnerships. Click below to see our partners.
SMGI Board
Our Voting Board
Our voting board is comprised of 7 members. Each associate contributes to the oversight and decision-making processes so that SMG in Europe can continue and complete its mission.
Our Missions Service Team
Our Missions Service Team is our full board which serves Serenissima Ministry Group International (USA).Board members serve three primary roles: governance, support, and fundraising. In a governance role, members act as one body to ensure proper direction and accountability of all organization activities. In a support role, board members support the organization by employing their gifts and talents to help execute organizational leadership and governance. In a fundraising role, the board serves as the principal advocate for the ministry work of the board, and seeks to raise funds in support of those activities.
Mike Bellamy
Matt Hart
Kirk Crager
Jamie Self
Chris Ruefer
David Cole
Edward Thomas
Mike Allen
Chris Daukas
Rico Lavender
Jordan Smyers
Chuck Newkirk
Jeff Montgomery
Steven Wilhoit
WHAT
Services
Ministries across Europe are often under-equipped and under-resourced for the great task ahead of them. To make an impact on that dilemma, SMG eagerly serves our church plants by seeking to provide specialized assistance and resources which are not readily available or offered by other networks and organizations.We have categorized all of our services into 5 special areas which we call "service streams". There is more information about our service streams below. By combining the years of experience and varieties of ministries in our group, we are able to custom-tailor the services we offer to best meet the present needs of our partners.We also strive to be Kingdom-minded and collaborative with other networks so that the ministries in our group are best served through the strengths of what each network provides.
First and foremost, SMG emphasizes enduring Gospel friendships. We believe that the Lord uniquely fits and places people together to accomplish His glorious purposes.
Because of our unique position established both in Europe and the USA, we provide a means of lower cost accounting and support.
SMG is devoted to the healthy, powerful, and Gospel-centered teaching of God's Word and we work with our partners to help them become better Bible teachers and Gospel communicators.
SMG prepares materials, offers training, and invests resources with both the local cultures of our ministries and the level of need for each ministry in mind.
SMG eagerly serves the ministries in our group through the means of consultation and counseling as crucial areas of support which churches regularly need.
Here is a picture of one of our Men's Discipleship Retreats where we gather our churches and assist in their discipleship training.
Here is a picture of a celebration in one of our churches of refugees receiving their certifications from our welding training program called a "LifeLab." SMG supports many initiatives like this one to reach our cities in holistic and practical ways.
Harvest Focused
SMG is committed to reaching individuals of diverse nationalities with the Good News of the Gospel. Our holistic approach seeks to empower people with life skills, accessible resources, and personal support, enabling them to grow in their relationship with God and flourish in all aspects of their lives.
Prayer Support
At SMG, we understand that sustained intercession is crucial for the direction and effectiveness of all our ministries. To meet this need, we have assembled teams of intercessors who diligently address the requests of our partners.
Practical Tools
SMG is regularly developing tools to share with our partners for discipleship, small groups, and leadership development with the church family in mind. We work hard to make our resources accessible, Gospel-centered, inspirational, and relational.
Resourcing Needs
Because of our rich friendships in the ministry group, SMG is able to quickly hear about ministry needs and effectively resource the necessary prayer and financial support of our partners.
Low Overhead
SMG invests resources where ministries and projects are, and we generously donate much of the administration and additional network expenses to keep costs low for our partners and their ministries.
Service Oriented
SMG intentionally seeks to be a serving network and not a celebrity one. From strategic planning to consultation to prayer and support, SMG is actively engaged in serving the needs of our ministers so they can effectively work in their cities and foster the development of their innovative projects.
Give
At this link, you can select one or more projects and ministries to support from the dropdown menus. Please consider how your donation might invest in the wonderful initiatives God has provided for SMG.
NEWSLETTER
Serenissima Stories
Throughout the year, we send out about 4-6 email updates containing stories of what God has done in the ministry group, new features to our ministry group, ways to get involved, and informing you about the initiatives we are currently working on as well those to come.
You can email us here and also follow us now on Instagram.
Thank you
Thank you for subscribing to our Serenissima Stories newsletter. We look forward to sharing with you the amazing things God is doing in and through all of our ministries.
Ed Thomas
Vice President
Ed is the SMGI vice president and has been involved with Serenissima since he was a member of the church in Aviano in 2000. As board member he provides oversight, advice and counsel on all issues pertaining to SMGI’s efforts to share the gospel, plant churches, and grow disciples in Europe. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Dinah and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Air Force Aid Society. He is also a retired U.S. Air Force major general.
Mike Bellamy
President
Mike serves as President of the Board of Directors. In this capacity, he serves as chief executive officer of the board, presides at all meetings of the board, ensures SMGI activities are carried out in accordance with decisions made by the board, and ensures all directors absent from meetings are made aware of any proceedings they missed. Mike has been on the SMGI Board since 2007.
Matt Hart
Secretary
Matt serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors. In this capacity, he executes administrative duties for the board, documents board meetings and decisions, files meeting minutes in accordance with SMGI by-laws, maintains administrative records for the board, and schedules board meetings. Matt has been on the SMGI Board since 2007.
Kirk Crager
Pastor of Missions
My wife and I had the privilege of serving as missionaries in Italy before moving to serve in Manchester UK. We recently returned to our home city of Boise, ID where I currently serve as a pastor. Through SMG, we can continue to serve with the ministries in Europe. I'm so thankful for the special connection back to Italia and Europe as we have had a first-hand burden for the people in the countries there.
Jamie Self
Senior Pastor
Jamie pastors at Grace Church in Peoria, Arizona
Chris Ruefer
Treasurer
Chris Ruefer serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors. In this capacity, he maintains control and accountability of all SMGI funds, maintains a record of all financial transactions, generates and disseminates financial statements and reports as requested by the board, ensures proper filing of tax documents, and informs the board immediately when a potential conflict of interest is present. Chris has been on the SMGI Board since 2021.
Mike Allen
Senior Pastor
Mike pastors the Calvary Baptist Church in downtown San Francisco.
Chris Daukas
Teaching Pastor
Chris Daukas is married to Tara and has four beautiful children.Chris was a church planter and lead pastor for 14 years before transitioning to train and equip pastors internationally through Global Training Network. He is also the Executive Director for the Grove Church Planting Network in Arizona. Lastly, he is working with Rob Krause to coordinate ministry within SMGI. He loves to see other leaders trained, built up, and sent out for the work of the gospel!
Rico Lavender
Rico plays a pivotal role in Serenissima Ministry Group's creative endeavors, leveraging his expertise in design and innovation to develop projects that propel the organization's growth and expansion. His creative vision and strategic approach have been instrumental in shaping the ministry group's brand identity and messaging, ensuring its continued relevance and impact within the community it serves. Rico's dedication to creative excellence and his ability to translate abstract ideas into tangible outcomes make him an invaluable asset to the Serenissima Ministry Group board.
Jordan Smyers
Jordan Smyers is married to Andrea and has six children.Jordan serves as an Elder at Breathe Reformed Baptist Church in Colorado Springs. The highlight of his life is building Gospel Centered Communities within the church, that serve to grow God’s people. He is also passionate about making disciples and training others to do the same for the Glory of God.
Chuck Newkirk
Dr Chuck Newkirk is married to his high school sweetheart, Jill, and they share two delightful children.Chuck pastors Church on Mill in Tempe, AZ, is an instructor for the Charles Simeon Trust, serves on several boards, and is a regular adjunct professor at Phoenix Seminary. He loves to see healthy churches making disciples and helping churches for the worship and glory of God.
Jeff Montgomery
Jeff and Janna Montgomery have eight children and were privileged to be Lifeteam Servants and members of Serenissima for over seven years in Italy.Jeff currently serves as a small group leader in the Family Ministry and as a teacher in the Elementary Kids ministry at Desert Springs Community Church in Goodyear, AZ. He is passionate about seeing marriages and families flourish in Gospel centered churches and is always encouraged by the faith, witness, and service of the SMGI ministries which have been such a blessing to his family.
Steven Wilhoit
Steven Wilhoit is married to Julia and they have 3 wonderful children. They have served in ministry together for over 20 years. During their time at Serenissima while Steven was a pilot in the Air Force, Steven helped develop discipleship training materials and was able to be involved in teaching and music ministry. Steven is church planting Dwell City Church in Harford County Maryland, serving as an adjunct instructor for Southern Seminary, working as a Sr. Systems Engineer for a technology company, and freelances as a content creator and web designer. He is passionate about impacting people with the good news of Jesus.
David Cole
Dave and Ashley Cole were Lifeteam servants and members of Serenissima from 2016-2019. Dave is with the Air Force in Tucson Arizona, and hope to return to Italy to partner in the future and are honored to be a part of SMGI.
Italy
We currently support 7 ministries across the north of Italy:
Serenissima Ministries is located near Aviano & pastored by Robert Krause. Support this ministry
TRE Trieste is located in the northeast corner of Italy in the state capital of Trieste & pastored by Elio Vannelli. Support this ministry
La Quercia (The Oak Evangelical Church) is located in Azzano Decimo near Pordenone & is pastored by Franco Tartari. Support this ministry
La Vite (The Vine Bible Church) is located in Conegliano & pastored by Daniel Taut. Support this ministry
Speranza in Cristo (Hope in Christ Church) is located in Bergamo & pastored by Samuel Annobil. Support this ministry
Forte Rocca (Mighty Fortress Church) is located in Udine & pastored by Matt Schvaneveldt. Support this ministry
La Torre (The Tower Evangelical Church) is located in Pisa and is pastored by Michel DiFeliciantonio.
Spain
In Spain, we currently support two ministries; one in the city of Seville and the other near Barcelona in the northeast. SMG is currently working with other ministries which are coming on board with us in 2024.Iglesia Bautista Fe is pastored by two brothers, Francisco and Alberto Puente. Support this ministry
Iglesia BÃblica Evangélica in the suburb city of Barcelona named Sabadell is pastored by Javier Pérez. Support this ministry
Germany
In Germany, we are partnered with and support one ministry in Adelshofen (pictured here)Adelshofen Theological Seminary under the leadership of Dr. Jürgen Schulz. Support this ministry
France
SMG is currently represented in France through one ministry in downtown Paris.Église Connexion (Connection Church) is located in Paris & is pastored by Jason Procopio. Support this ministry
Albania
In the nation of Albania, SMG has actively partnered with one ministry in Tirana.IGNIS Ministries is led by pastor Andi Dina and is based in Tirana, the capital of the country. Support this ministry
United States
We are partnering with multiple churches in the United States. More info on those churches and ministries will be provided soon.