Overland Missions is led by Phil Smithurst, who we affectionately call “The Indiana Jones of Missions.” Phil earned this title. He was in Special Forces in the South African Army during the Angola War, was a champion Land Rover racer, and is an all around adventurer, so who else would God call to this mission? The folks at Overland take the Great Commission - to the uttermost regions - quite seriously, and Phil teaches his recruits a fearless passion for taking the Gospel where others simply do not go. Each team is trained in survival, first aid, truck repair, and all the skills most missionaries would rarely need. Anthony Walton - Global Tribe Founder - gets regular emails from his daughter Rebecca who is serving in Zambia with Overland. Whether from their base at Victoria Falls in Zambia or in the Amazon, they are going, blazing trails and proclaiming Christ! The vast majority of Zambia’s 11 million people still live in abject poverty.

Pictured above: By heavy truck they go in teams, and the truck becomes a stage! Far right: children gather for a treat - bubbles.

Using the platform of a FREE Newsboys concert, we partner with a key local radio station, local churches and businesses, and a local food pantry to conduct an evangelistic event called REACH. Preceding each event, we visit with radio who hosts a meeting of pastors and another for businessmen. There we cast the vision, and encourage the churches to provide volunteers for the prayer team, and leadership for the assimilation team to make sure responders are connected to a church. We encourage Christians to bring neighbors, coworkers, friends, classmates, or anyone needing to hear the Gospel in an entertaining environment. Since fall 2008, we have done 3 events: Tucson AZ, Johnson City TN, and Saginaw MI. Collectively we saw 24,000 attend, 800 make decisions for Christ, 9 tons of food collected, 75 churches come together to impact the community, and 3 radio stations who were passionate about the Gospel!

China was a Global Tribe and newsboys focus in 2006. China is a country with about 100 million students. Newsboys traveled to China for a series of free and low-cost events, foreshadowing REACH events in the U.S. They were not prepared for what developed as a result of those nights. The audience consisted primarily of university students who came either out of curiosity or a hunger for western rock . It was apparent to all that the student’s hearts were touched by the message and the music and the genuine love and commitment shown by the band. Many people serving God in those Chinese cities as teachers, planters, and mission workers communicated the overwhelming response to the message and the increased opportunity to share the Gospel with their student friends. Many students came to Christ. Today, the impact Global Tribe and newsboys had on these students for just one night in their lives is still felt in these communities where the Christian population is growing steadily.(Pictured left to right: Arena in China for Newsboys concert // Jeff with kids in an orphanage // The boys on the Great Wall!)

In 1995 Global Tribe founder Anthony Walton had a vision for a youth venue designed specifically as a facility to inspire creativity and provide a platform to share the Gospel socially - friendship evangelism. “Zeal is all about a chance to be creative, whether it’s jamming some music with your mates, performing your solo tunes, showing your first art exhibition, designing or painting a masterpiece, or being entertained by a great night of rock, hip hop, acoustic shows and much more.”

Global Tribe has two Zeal locations - Wellington and Waitakere. The Wellington Zeal venue overlooks Glover Park in the Wellington CBD, and sees over 200 young people every week through its various programs and events. The venue is an intimate setting that can stand 250 people, with a stage that has held many well known, as well as up-in-coming New Zealand artists. There is an upstairs mezzanine floor that over looks the rest of the venue, with couches to lax out in, and a media room with 5 computers running broadband. It houses a main stage with a 500 seating capacity, Acoustic / DJ stage, Rehearsal rooms, Recording Studio, a Global Cafe, Art studio, Art Gallery Wall, and Media room.