about
Our Mission and Vision
ReFrame Media is a media ministry, helping you see God's story in your life. We produce a range of of programs on the air and online, and our goal is to invite you to see in a new way what God is already doing in your life.
God reveals, revives, restores, reforms, renews, and reshapes your life to be more and more in line with the script he has for this world. It’s all about the God of second chances, in Christ, by the Spirit.
And when you see it, your whole world is reframed by God's perspective. When God’s story gets poured into your life, your whole life changes. God made you to glorify him in everything you do, so everything about you is renewed--your marriage, your kids, your work, your play, your friends, your projects, all of it--so that you might flourish, the way you were meant to. God makes your whole life whole again.
So we invite you, right where you are, physically and spiritually. Old or young, near or far, Lost or Mature. We want to help you discover more of God. And to do that we maximize the media tools--Internet, video, radio, print, and other technologies--to invite you to engage us, each other, and especially God.
About BTGMI
ReFrame Media is the English language ministry of Back to God Ministries International. For over seventy years, Back to God Ministries International has used media to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission to preach the Gospel and disciple believers. BTGMI aired its first radio program in December 1939 on one station in Chicago. From that small beginning, BTGMI has grown into a media ministry that reaches out in ten major world languages, and employs a vast array of media methods: from radio to the Internet, from broadcasts reaching millions to one-on-one Bible studies.
Convinced that the most effective media missionaries are those who understand and speak the ”heart language” of those we are seeking to reach, BTGMI carries out its mission through indigenous teams that are knowledgeable both in Scripture and in effective media tools. Media production spans the world, and includes media centers in Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, Russia, the Middle East, and Brazil, as well as our home base—the International Ministry Center in Chicago.
About CRCNA
As the media ministry of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, Back to God Ministries International partners with congregations in North America and around the world to announce God’s good news. Reformed Christians are a small part of a much larger body of believers who love and serve Jesus Christ. We’re part of a family that includes Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical, and a host of other churches that confess and practice the Christian faith.
We call ourselves Christian because we are followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that he is the center of human history.
We’re called Reformed because we grow on a branch of the church tree that emerged from the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth-century Europe. We see that in all things, God acts first, and we respond to him.
We’re a Church because we believe God has called us together to be a people who belong to him and live for him.
Reframe Media Staff
Rev. Steven Koster
English Team Leader
info@reframemedia.comRev. Steven Koster joined Back to God Ministries International in 2006, bringing a wealth of media knowledge and experience, as well as a heart for outreach. Rev. Koster's journey to this ministry comes from a passion to use media and technology to build communities in Christ.
As English ministry leader, Rev. Koster oversees the production of various media and discipleship ministries. He and his team continue to develop new avenues for reaching English-speaking audiences throughout the world. He also speaks and writes about issues of media in worship.
Steven and his wife Deb enjoy leading pre-marital counseling and marriage enrichment seminars.
Kelly Van Engen
Assistant Producer, Under the Radar
kellyvanengen@crcna.orgKelly joined the staff at Back to God Ministries International as an intern in 2010 and was hired as Producers Assistant for Under the Radar in 2011. She is very passionate about music and ministry so the opportunity to satisfy those desires at work is something she considers a blessing in her life.
She has lived in the Chicago area for most of her life with the exception of her two years at Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA where she was pursuing a degree in Theology and English. In 2003, she returned to the Chicago area and started a family with her husband; they now have 4 children. In her free time she enjoys researching anything and everything, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.
Josh Larsen
Editor, Think Christian
jlarsen@crcna.org
Josh Larsen joined ReFrame Media in 2011 after 16 years in the newspaper business. During that time, as either editor or reporter, he covered everything but sports. His longest – and most treasured – beat was the seven years he served as the full-time film critic for The Naperville Sun.
Josh graduated from Trinity Chrisitan College with a degree in English and Communication Arts. He attends Christ Community Church in Lemont, Ill., with his family.
David Trout
Senior Producer, Under the Radar
dtrout@BackToGod.netDave has a passion for ministry through media. His own spiritual life grew during his pivotal teenage years through listening to the music and announcer on a local Christian radio station. That birthed a desire to be on the giving end of media ministry. From 1994 until 2007 Dave carried out that desire by working at several Christian radio stations in the Chicago area.
Dave joined the ReFrame Media team at Back to God Ministries International in 2007 as the Marketing Manager. In 2008, he helped launch a new ReFrame Media program Under The Radar, which features the best in under-appreciated Christian music. Currently he produces and hosts that program. Dave, his wife Laura, and three children reside in Oak Lawn, IL.
Courtney (Schutt) Jacob
Producer, Groundwork
cschutt@BackToGod.netCourtney has served Back to God Ministries International in writing and production capacities since graduating from Calvin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 2006. She currently produces the Groundwork program, in partnership with Words of Hope, and writes for Spotlight. In the past, she also edited and produced The Back to God Hour flagship radio program.
She received her Masters of Divinity from Northern Seminary in 2011. When she has free time, she also enjoys running and playing flute in community groups.
Marc Miller
Web Producer
mmiller@BackToGod.netMarc started working for Back to God Ministries International in 2007 to help support the growing ministries and increasing number of web properties. He manages the technical aspects of all the ReFrame Media websites.
Marc graduated from Calvin College with a B.A. in Communications. He put that degree to use working on TV commercials and movies in the Chicago film industry for 5 years before switching to a career in web development.
Michael Geertsma
Producer, Walk the Way
mgeertsma@BackToGod.netMichael serves ReFrame Media (Back to God Ministries International English outreach) as a radio, video and web producer for a number of programs. He has been with ReFrame Media since 2006, and has been the head producer of the Walk The Way program since its inception in 2008.
Michael holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Mass Media and Journalism from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. He has a passion for excellent writing and captivating images, and is always looking for new ways to engage the online community.
Jerod Clark
Senior Producer, Church Juice
jclark@BackToGod.netJerod joined Back to God Ministries International ReFrame Media team in 2007 to develop a project to help churches energize their church communications. As a result, churchjuice.com was launched to help train and consult with churches on how to use media better as an outreach tool. It's our way of giving back to congregations who help fund our ministry work.
Jerod graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Journalism and a B.S. in Political Science. Before beginning his work at BTGMI, Jerod spent nearly six years as a local TV news reporter in Joplin, MO and Little Rock, AR. While working as a news man, Jerod met his beautiful wife Sarah. They live in the Chicago area, but enjoy traveling around the world.
Barb Brouwer
Producer, Kids Corner
bbrouwer@BackToGod.netBarb serves as producer of Kids Corner, the English language radio/web outreach to children. She is also a follow-up correspondent for ReFrame, Back to God Ministries International English language ministry.
Barb has a Masters in Christian Ministry from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. She served as group leader and director of Coffee Break Bible Study in her church for 17 years. Barb is blessed with 8 grandchildren who enrich her life and energize her passion for children and their parents to know Jesus and to follow his way.
Robin Basselin
Senior Producer, International English / Spotlight
rbasselin@BackToGod.netRobin began working with ReFrame Media (the English outreach of Back to God Ministries International) in 2008. Her primary role is producer for the Spotlight Radio program. This globally minded program is produced for non-native English speakers and English learners using a simplified English technique. Robin writes, voices and produces programs, and is also part of the Spotlight administrative team.
Robin received her Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies with a concentration in Islamic Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2002. She instructs online courses in the area of Islamic Studies for Fuller Seminary and has previously worked in the area of Muslim-Christian Dialogue. Robin has a wonderful husband and three beautiful and boisterous children. As a family, they enjoy traveling, camping and serving in their local congregation.
