Educating & empowering children from non-English speaking homes with math and literacy skills
Equipping immigrant children for success since 1992.
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About us
At Cross-Cultural Ministries we believe every child deserves a chance to succeed.
Our programs equip children to master the foundations of math and phonics-based English at after-school centers in their own apartment complexes. When children acquire these basic but critical skills, they learn how to learn, stay in school, and become healthy, self-sufficient citizens.
Since 1992, our after-school programs have provided students with easily accessible learning assistance to build a foundation for lifelong learning that will allow them to excel academically and personally.
Our guiding principles
OUR MISSION AND VISION
Mission: We partner with children from low-income immigrant families, offering education and holistic support. Our after-school programs provide academic tutoring, mentoring, discipleship, and promote health and wellness - helping students succeed in school, grow in faith and confidence, and build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Vision: To create a community where every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to thrive academically, spiritually, and personally - leading to stronger families, more resilient communities, and a future filled with hope and possibility.
We believe that all people (even ourselves) deserve respect.
With our actions and words, we honor everyone that we come into contact with.
We believe every child deserves a safe and loving place to learn.
We provide a safe space for students to learn foundational math and English skills, get help with homework, study, hear the gospel and be mentored and discipled.
We believe integrity is the foundation of our relationships and resources.
We take the stewardship of the gifts we are given and the mission that we carry seriously and seek to honor our donors, volunteers, and, above all, God, in everything we do.
We believe scripture is our cornerstone and seek to live it out in every area of our lives.
The most valuable resource we can share with those in our care is the gospel of Christ. We share our faith by living the Word.
Supporting Cross-Cultural Ministries is an opportunity to change a child's life and impact a community.
Our team
Board of Directors
Lonice Barrett
Board member
Lonice Barrett retired from public service with the state government on January 14, 2019, after 49 years. During his career he served 9 governors including 34 years of service with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, that included five years as State Parks Director and nearly 10 years as DNR Commissioner. He served two years as Director of Implementation for Governor Perdue’s Commission for a New Georgia followed by nearly 14 years as a Special Assistant to Governors Perdue and Nathan Deal. He also served as Chairman of the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, served on the Jekyll Island Authority and Chaired the State Employees Retirement System Board.
Lonice and Carol live in Dunwoody where they are active in the Dunwoody Baptist Church where he serves as Church Moderator. Carol serves as a Deacon and frequently teaches the Lydia Ladies Sunday School Class. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Paul Gloyer
Board member
Paul began volunteering with Cross-Cultural Ministries in 2017 helping with boys' club soccer activities. He transitioned to tutoring 3rd grade and middle school students in 2018. He has also worked with students to connect them with local professionals to learn more about their career interests. He has a passion for education and believes that it is essential to the development and success of children. He has enjoyed getting to know the students and the families in the community through CCM.
Paul and his wife Sharon share a love of traveling and the outdoors. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Engineering and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. He currently works in the Pricing profession.
Iris Knapp
Board member
Iris brings more than 50 years of diverse ministry experience. Her background includes working with Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers such as Souls Harbor in Greenwood, SC, Youth Challenge in Greenville, SC, and serving as Director of New Life Home for Girls in Atlanta, GA. She has also led and organized inner-city kids’ clubs and been actively involved in a wide range of church and parachurch ministries.
Currently, Iris works as a Christian Life Coach, providing coaching, virtual support, and Bible study leadership for neurotypical wives in neurodiverse or complex marriages. She continues to volunteer weekly at CCM and is actively involved in ministry at Mary Hall Freedom Village in Sandy Springs, GA.
Iris is passionate about helping people grow in Christ and fulfill their God-given purpose. She is an engaged member of Chapel Hill Church, Dunwoody and lives in Chamblee with her family—Ellyn, Greg, and Alyssa Naomi—who all serve alongside her at CCM.
Steve Peters
Board member - Treasurer
Steve has been participating with Cross Cultural Ministries over the past five years and has always been looking for ways to help. The consistent theme of his working career always included some type of organizational support as a military supply officer, federal budget manager, small business operations manager and logistics supervisor. Introduced to CCM through Dunwoody Baptist Church's Naomi Ministry, his early involvement included delivering furniture and household goods to ministry families. Over time, Steve found fun ways to stay connected with Vacation Bible School driving, Summertime and Christmas field trips and then holiday giveaway preparations. Through it all, he appreciated the wonderful impact CCM is having with the children, the families, the community and the volunteers. Today, Steve has participated with various committee roles within the board and tries to grow community awareness and volunteering assistance.
Jim Reiter
Board member
God saved Jim by grace when he was in second grade, growing up near Boston, and the Holy Spirit has guided him ever since—through all kinds of fascinating twists and unexpected turns. In 2025, Jim and his wife Marsha will celebrate 37 years of marriage. She is not only the love of his life, but also his constant partner in life and ministry. Together, they’ve raised five children who have brought inexpressible joy, gut-wrenching responsibility, and a lifetime of fun and learning.
Professionally, Jim serves as Director of Strategic Relationships at RIB North America, a software firm dedicated to making engineering and construction more efficient and sustainable. He’s been with RIB for 8 years and deeply values its innovative and purpose-driven culture.
Before entering the tech world, Jim was a pastor for 23 years. He first encountered the ministry of CCM in 1999 while serving as Senior Pastor for 11 years of Dunwoody Community Church. He is now thrilled to reconnect with CCM and be part of the powerful work God is doing through its mission. Jim and Marsha enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling and downhill skiing.
Nick Salazar
Board member - Chairman
Nicholas Salazar is a member of the Board of Directors for Cross Cultural Ministries. Nicholas has prior Board experience serving on the boards of Dunwoody Christian Academy in Dunwoody, Georgia, and Chapel Hill Church Dunwoody campus. Nicholas's education consists of a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, a Master's Degree in Business Administration, both from Florida Gulf Coast University, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. Nicholas was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2013 and runs his own law practice in Chamblee, Georgia, with an emphasis on criminal defense and civil trial work. Nicholas is married and has a teenage daughter. In his spare time, he loves to travel and learn new things. He is particularly passionate about the Gospel and all things related to Christian apologetics.
Rich Scheff
Richard joined the Cross Cultural Ministries board in 2022 at the encouragement of his wife Maria, a former board member and long time volunteer at Cross Cultural. Previously, he helped coordinate a Chess Club at Cross Cultural. Richard and Maria are members of Dunwoody Baptist Church. His hobbies include cycling and working at Georgia Tech football and basketball games.
Richard and Maria are the parents of four grown children, Rick, Anthony, Veronika and Yegor and have three grandchildrend. He is a two-time graduate of Georgia Tech with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He has worked in the aviation field for his entire professional career, starting with a 14-year career at Delta Airlines, followed by over 20 years doing aviation related consulting. Rich has worked for the football and basketball programs at Georgia Tech for more than 40 years.
Board member
Susan Still
Board member - Secretary
Susan has been volunteering in the CCM after school program since retiring as CEO of Olympic Pool in 2016. Susan was greatly influenced by her mom who was very involved in missions at their church. Susan shared “God has given me a heart for these children and there is such joy in sharing Christ’s love for them.” Susan is a native of Atlanta and graduated from Georgia Southern with a degree in Economics. She and her husband Philip have three adult daughters and two granddaughters. Susan is member of Dunwoody Baptist Church.
Rob Weaver
Board member
Native Atlantan Rob Weaver, a Georgia Tech graduate, is an entrepreneur and technologist. He has built and led businesses in the fields of software development, real estate investment, and industrial controls. He currently serves as a deacon at Dunwoody Community Church and board chair at Dunwoody Christian School. Rob and his wife Sydney have four children and live in Alpharetta.
Staff
Adriane Wagner
Executive Director
Adriane’s journey has been shaped by over 20 years of nonprofit work in international education. Her passion for serving others led her to Cross-Cultural Ministries (CCM) during the pandemic, when she volunteered at the Pearl Lane Center to support families during a challenging time. Originally from Canada, Adriane’s connection with internationals began nearly 30 years ago when she studied abroad in Japan as a high school student. She earned a BA in East Asian Studies and Sociology, later working as an ESOL teacher and dedicating her career to nonprofit student exchange programs. Five years ago, Adriane and her husband relocated from Columbus, Ohio, to Atlanta, where they live with their three daughters.
She is a member of Chapelhill Church of Dunwoody and feels deeply called to serve alongside CCM. Adriane sees CCM as a growing organization with a vital mission, and she is committed to helping improve the experiences of young internationals who face unique challenges.
Allison Jansen
Discipleship Director
“Teaching has always been a passion of mine,” Allison says. She discovered her passion by teaching Sunday School and training over 100 employees at Chick-fil-A. Allison tutored children in our evening program before joining the staff in August 2019. She has also helped to lead a youth group in a mobile home park and served in a program that prepared taxes for low-income individuals. Allison has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Berry College and one year of corporate experience. She is a member of Dunwoody Community Church. “My past and the hardships I have faced shaped my passion for telling others, specifically the marginalized, that they are fully loved by God,” Allison explains.
Madison Bailey
Education Director
Madison serves as the Education Director at Cross Cultural Ministries, bringing nine years of experience in education combined with a heart for discipleship and immigrant families. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education, with endorsements in literacy and English Language Learning (ELL), and is trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy.
As a wife and mother of three, Madison is passionate about creating a nurturing, positive, faith-filled environment where every child feels seen, supported, and loved. She believes education is a powerful way to share Christ’s love and empower children to thrive. In her free time, Madison enjoys gardening, baking sourdough bread, and writing children’s books inspired by her own story.
Shawn Pack
Bookkeeper
Shawn Pack is giving back to CCM with her talents and time. She is our consultant on all things accounting and finance for the organization. She has over 25 years of accounting/finance experience and has been a CFO for both a non-profit and for-profit media companies. She has been a tutor at our Pearl Lane location over the last three years and has loved every minute of it. Her favorite grade so far is second. She gets to help and share the love of Jesus with these kids and that is beyond fulfilling.
Shawn and her husband Sam are active members of Dunwoody Community Church where they serve in hospitality and other needs of the church. And Shawn helps out in the kids ministry. They love to travel and be doggy parents to a 13 year hound and 4 year old corgi.
Lynette Nolan
Ministry Admin AssiStant
Lynnette discovered her passion for the world's children when she and her husband adopted their daughter from China and their son from Russia. She came to CCM to substitute in our Kindergarten Good News Club for two weeks, and she loved the children so much that she stayed for two years. Previously, Lynnette taught preschool at The Kingswood School. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Wheaton College and a master's degree in communications from Northwestern University.
Obdulia Trujillo
Assistant, pearl lane center
Obdulia assists at the Pearl Lane Center to provide a clean center and organized kitchen. She is also liaison with parents when needed. Obdulia is a mother of three students who are actively involved.
Cross-Cultural Ministries, Inc. is an independent, 501(c)3, nonprofit organization partnering with churches, ministries, organizations, and businesses. CCM is not affiliated with any one denomination. We partner with all denominational and nondenominational churches, various Christian and non-Christian organizations, and individuals that share our values.
Statement of Faith
We adhere to the following creeds:
Apostles' Creed (Modern English Version)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again; he ascended to heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him, all things were made. For us and for our salvation, He came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, He became incarnate from the virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day, He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy, universal and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Get involved
Help vulnerable children learn how to learn, stay in school, and become healthy, self-sufficient citizens.
You don't have to leave the country to find a mission field. There's one right outside your door.
Providing the basic skills of reading, writing, and math to non-English speaking students in a gospel-centered environment both empowers them to succeed in school and shows them that there is hope for their lives in Jesus Christ.
Donate
Your financial support allows us to open more after-school learning centers and support more students with educational outreach.
DONATE NOW
Volunteer
We are always looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of these children. From tutoring to organizing events, there is plenty of work to be done!
Pray
Pray for our staff, volunteers, and the families we serve. Pray that those who don't know Christ will come to know Him and that we will be a light to the community at large.
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