About ZimZam Global

“If the church in Africa today evangelized, discipled and trained children on how to reach out to adults, the number of believers would increase exponentially and so will new church plants.”

- Francis Kataka, Kenya Director

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VISION

A Church for Every Child

MISSION

To multiply healthy churches among all peoples through children, youth and families.

This initiative will:

Train and develop leaders and church planters (includes evangelism, discipleship, leadership development and church planting).
Plant new churches in communities as a spiritual and a social center.
Disciple children and, through them, next generation churches.

IMPACT

Strategy

To Train Leaders, to Plant Churches, through Discipling Children. Vision casting with pastors and global leaders, delivering CPR conferences, and equipping global master trainers.

Goals

Train 100K Leaders, Plant 50K Churches, and Disciple 3M Children this decade 2020-2030.

Tagline

Kids Change the World!

PARTNERSHIP BASED

ZimZam Global is committed to carrying out the Great Commission in partnership with a network of global churches, denominations, servant leaders, and other evangelical organizations.

LEARN MORE

Ministry Impact Since Nov. 2014:

Leaders Equipped

+7,594

THE IMPACT

OUR TEAM

Formed of longterm, missions-experienced leaders, the ZimZam Global leadership team brings a collective 80+ years of diverse missions and church planting experience to their roles.

MEET THE TEAM

ZimZam Global is dedicated to reaching the remaining unreached. I admire their untiring zeal and passion for giving gospel access to those who are still awaiting the Good News of the transforming love of God.

Marv Newell, DMiss. Executive Director
Alliance For The Unreached

ZIMZAM GLOBAL MILESTONE MOMENTS

A timeline of God’s work through the ministry

2013: The Vision Begins

Through 27 years of ministry leadership and global mission work with New Tribes Mission, Dave and his wife Carolyn began to recognize a growing gap.

Churches around the world had a deep passion to reach people with the gospel, but often lacked the training and tools to evangelize and disciple children well. In many countries children were coming to know Jesus, yet too few churches and leaders were equipped to help them grow in their faith.

What began as an observation grew into a clear calling:

A Church for Every Child.

A vision to equip leaders, expand the reach of the Gospel, and plant healthy, multiplying churches around the world came into existence.

2014: The Foundation of ZimZam Global

In 2014, the foundation for ZimZam Global was being prayerfully laid. In those early days, the ministry began as a subsidiary of Awana, providing an important starting point for the vision God was beginning to unfold.

The name ZimZam was born out of early ministry partnerships in Zimbabwe and Zambia, often known locally as sister countries. During an outreach trip, this was the first “pilot” church planting training as well, local leaders began referring to the team as the “ZimZam Team,” and the name stuck, eventually becoming ZimZam Global.

During this important year, the Board was assembled, vision trips to Africa helped clarify the mission, and the name “ZimZam Global” was officially chosen and first used.

Later that year, the ministry conducted its first pilot Church Planting Training in Zimbabwe, laying the foundation for what would become a multiplying movement around the world.

This was a year of seeking God’s direction, building leadership, and establishing the vision that would guide the ministry for years to come.

2015: ZimZam Global Officially Founded

ZimZam Global was formally established as a nonprofit organization focused on equipping leaders and planting churches among all peoples, especially through children.

During this time, the first presentations and training modules began to take shape, forming the foundation of what would become ZimZam’s Church Planting Training model. Realizing there would need to be training that focused on children as a catalyst to start new churches, the team developed a training that was named Church Planting Remixed, that emphasized the power and potential of reaching children and the importance of not neglecting but discipling children well.

Later that year, the ministry conducted its first pilot Church Planting Training in Zimbabwe, laying the foundation for what would become a multiplying movement around the world.

2015: First Church Planting Training

In 2015, ZimZam Global hosted its first full Church Planting Training Remixed with Less is More Leadership in Meru, Kenya, marking a significant step forward in the ministry’s mission.

This training equipped over 200 local pastors and leaders to disciple children, strengthen families, and begin planting healthy, multiplying churches. It introduced a powerful Gospel-centered approach that starts with reaching children and raising up local leaders, laying the foundation for long-term Kingdom impact.

This milestone helped establish the vision and training model that would continue to spread across nations in the years ahead.

2015: Church Planting Remixed (CPR) Training Model Launched

Later that year, ZimZam Global, in partnership with Awana Africa, launched the first Church Planting Remixed (CPR) Training in Kenya, a 4–5 day experience equipping leaders to plant and grow healthy, multiplying churches.

ZimZam Global realized that the way to multiply trainings was to train other trainers, which are called facilitators. They also realized training indigenous facilitators was the wisest path forward for the mission organization as indigenous leaders make the best facilitators in each culture. In September of 2016, ZZG held its first facilitator training in Nairobi, Kenya.

Training Focus:

Day 1: Vision for reaching children and youth
Day 2: Practical introductory training for children’s ministry
Day 3: How to plant a healthy church through a new church planting strategy
Day 4: The church as a refuge, protecting and discipling vulnerable children, including those with disabilities
Day 5: Less is More Leadership - how to make disciples and teams
- Presenting a strategic ministry plan and commissioning new church planters

Leaders graduated with a clear strategy, were commissioned, and received follow-up support as they returned to their communities.

2017: First Churches Planted

We are praise God for the many new churches that have now been established and many more that are continuing to be planted.

Leaders returned home and started discipling children, reaching families, and creating churches that became true places of refuge for the hurting, the overlooked, and the marginalized.

During follow-up visits, we witnessed the fruit firsthand. Children were learning about Jesus, communities were being restored, and those once forgotten, including individuals with disabilities, were being welcomed, loved, and lifted up as valued members of the body of Christ.

2016: First Training in South Asia (NE India)

ZimZam Global expanded its reach into South Asia, equipping leaders in regions where less than 2% of the population knew Christ.

In partnership with Awana India, Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI), and Bibles for the World, we hosted our first training at Trinity College and Seminary in Seilmat, NE India, opening the door for church planting and discipleship efforts in some of the least-reached areas of the world.

This training marked the beginning of a growing movement in South Asia, advancing ZimZam’s vision of “A Church for Every Child.”

2019: Thousands of New Churches Planted and Revitalized

Through the faithful work of local leaders, ZimZam Global reached a major milestone: 100 churches planted or revitalized.

Each church became a place where children could encounter Christ, grow in faith, and experience His love.

During this time, ZimZam also began translating training manuals into local tribal languages, ensuring leaders across cultures could be fully equipped to disciple children and multiply healthy churches.

Ongoing Church Planting Trainings across Africa and South Asia.

2020 and 2021: ZimZam Global was able to continue ministry during the Pandemic

ZimZam Global realized in early 2020 they would need to pivot during the Covid-19 Pandemic and they initiated online training in Kenya. They conducted multiple online trainings as well as helped with food relief to our facilitators and their families in Kenya.

The team also used this time to begin the first edit of the CPR church planting training with one of our Kenyan leaders.

2022: Expanding Impact Through Generation Hope

In late 2021 and into 2022, ZimZam Global was introduced to Generation Hope, a ministry of Kids Around the World.

During this season, ZimZam Global became a sponsor for three HopeZones and also became the official training partner for Kids Around the World. This partnership created new opportunities to strengthen local churches, care for vulnerable children, and equip leaders to bring lasting Gospel impact in their communities.

2023: Celebrating 10 Years of Ministry

ZimZam Global celebrated 10 years of ministry, marking a decade of equipping leaders and multiplying churches around the world.

By this time, leaders trained through ZimZam Global were serving across multiple continents and reaching thousands of children each week with the hope of the Gospel.

As the growing South Asia ministry was expanding the leadership realized we needed Asian Facilitators and first facilitator training took place in South Asia in November of 2023.

2023: Opening the Door to Nepal

Following a vision trip in 2022, God opened the door for ZimZam Global to begin ministry in Nepal in 2023.

This new step created opportunities to equip local leaders, strengthen churches, and bring Gospel-centered training to communities with great spiritual need. It marked the beginning of a new chapter of ministry in South Asia and a fresh reminder of God’s faithfulness in expanding the vision.

2023: Launching Ministry in Ecuador

In January 2023, ZimZam Global held its first OneMeal food packing event with IBC Church, creating a hands on opportunity for churches to serve locally while making a Gospel-centered impact globally.

In March 2023, ZimZam Global hosted its first Church Planting Remixed (CPR) training in Ecuador, equipping local leaders and helping lay the foundation for long-term discipleship and church multiplication.

That same year, ZimZam Global expanded ministry into Ecuador through Church Planting Training and the launch of OneMeal food packing events in partnership with Kids Around the World. Led in part by the Scottsdale Bible Church Special Needs Ministry, people of all ages and abilities came together to pack meals that would support churches, children, and families serving vulnerable communities in Ecuador.

2024: First HopeZone Launched

After ZimZam Global’s first OneMeal food packing event, a team from ZimZam Global and Scottsdale Bible Church traveled to Ecuador to deliver meals and launch our very first HopeZone.

Created in partnership with Kids Around the World, HopeZones serve vulnerable children and families through the local church. Each follows the pathway:

Story → Feed → Play → Train → Plant

HopeZones provide children’s discipleship, feeding and play programs, church planting training, and integrate disability ministry, leadership development, and community outreach, equipping leaders to multiply churches and transform communities.

2025: Growing Global Impact

Since 2013, God has been faithfully using ZimZam Global to equip leaders, plant churches, and disciple children around the world.

Today, through the prayers and partnership of faithful donors and churches, our impact includes:

6,712 leaders equipped to disciple the next generation
358,450 children being discipled each week, learning to know and love Jesus
1,933 new churches planted or revitalized in communities where the Gospel had never been heard

In 2025, our training manuals were fully updated and translated into multiple tribal languages, helping local leaders reach children and families more effectively than ever.

Every number represents a life transformed by Christ, a child experiencing His love, a family changed by the Gospel, and a community being lifted and cared for by Jesus. Together, we are seeing God’s kingdom grow one life, one church, one child at a time.

Data through 12/31/2025

Looking Ahead

The Vision Continues

ZimZam Global remains passionately committed to the vision of “A Church for Every Child.”

Looking ahead, God is guiding us to:

Expand Church Planting Remixed Trainings into new countries
Launch additional HopeZones to serve vulnerable children and families
Host more OneMeal Food Packing events around the world
Raise up and equip thousands more leaders to plant multiplying churches
Grow healthy churches as places of refuge and hope
Reach children in every community, including those being trafficked and those with disabilities sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with even more lives

Together, we trust God to continue transforming lives through the local church. It is our prayer and desire that He strengthens every local team, empowering them to bring His love, healing, and salvation to every child and community.

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

History