Art graduated from Taylor University in 1962 and married Taylor student, Lois Staub, that year. He then entered the Ph.D. program in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Illinois, obtaining his M.S. in Nuclear Engineering in 1963. He worked two summers for Argonne National Laboratory learning to build nuclear reactors. Then in 1964 God called Art into the ministry of Youth For Christ. From 1964-69, he served as Executive Director of East Central Illinois YFC. In 1969, Art and Lois and their daughter, Deanna, (born in 1966) moved to Pasadena California where Art attended Fuller Seminary and directed the YFC ministry in the east L.A. suburbs. Their son, Jeff, was born in 1969. After receiving an MA in Youth Ministry in 1972, the family moved to Denver where Art became the Training Director for Denver YFC. He was the International Training Director from 1978-81. Then, as part of his D.Min. program at Denver Seminary, Art moved to Columbus, Ohio to begin a YFC ministry there from scratch. In 1984, Art was asked to move to Indianapolis to become the Regional Field Director for the Western Great Lakes Region. He received his D.Min. degree in 1986.
In 1993 Art moved to the YFC/USA World Outreach Office in Denver to become the International Liaison Director for the Asia-Pacific Area. In that position, he provided people, projects and resources for our 17 Asia-Pacific YFC programs. In 2002 Art's position as International Liaison Director was moved under Youth For Christ International. As part of that assignment, he was charged with starting new YFC ministry in the central Asia Region.
Lois supports Art's ministry through her hospitality and the operation of their "missionary apartment" for those traveling through Denver. She also does "educational therapy" out of their home for children with Learning Disabilities.
The purpose of the Directors of Missionary Development is to coach, advise and encourage YFC/USA World Outreach missionaries to become more efficient and effective in ministry.
World Outreach desires that all missionaries become true-faced, authentic people who are growing to be more effective in ministry, more productive in support-raising, more trustworthy in personal relationships and more intimate with the Lord. The words “coach” and “develop” are good descriptors of what Art and Lois Deyo do as they visit missionaries as the Directors of Missionary Development . Their main purpose is to help develop the missionary in various areas of life such as ministry, fund-raising, leadership journey (career path), personal relationships and spiritual formation.
Art and Lois are tasked to walk alongside a few selected missionaries at a time. They coach these missionaries in one or more of the above-mentioned areas of responsibility. This coaching relationship will continue after Art and Lois return home until the desired improvement is realized.
In order to facilitate this coaching relationship, Art and Lois take missionaries through a self-assessment process – using a self-assessment tool. Assessment should not be confused with “evaluation,” as evaluation is often viewed as a supervisory function. Art and Lois are not supervising the missionary. The missionary has a local national (usually) as their supervisor, as well as a stateside supervisor in the persons of Bill Housley and/or Royal Benjamin.
During Art and Lois’ visits with each missionary, they will take time (perhaps as many as 10-12 hours) – spaced over a 2-3 day period – to go over the following:
Get better acquainted; hear more about background, family, etc.
Review current job description(s)
Discuss current highs (blessings) and lows (difficulties) of the ministry
Review the self-assessment form completed in advance by the missionary(s)
Review the five top SMART goals of the missionary(s) for the current year
Meet with the missionary’s local supervisor and review the supervisor’s assessment form of the missionary(s). Talk over any relationship problems that might be affecting the ministry
Discuss recent spiritual growth of the missionary(s) and other family members
Review the missionary’s budget and current support level – and possible strategies to improve the situation, if needed
Discuss credentialing, if applicable, and the leadership journey of the missionary
Observe any ministry that the missionary(s) might be conducting during the course of the visit. Meet fellow staff with whom they work
Discuss any other problems that may have arisen
Obtain prayer requests and pray with the missionary(s) plus family members
Art and Lois give feedback (advice, recommendations, suggestions, coaching, etc.) to the missionary, and, if possible, to the missionary’s local supervisor, before leaving. The missionaries need to know that Art and Lois will share their findings with Royal Benjamin and Bill Housley upon their return to Denver – unless it is agreed between the Deyos and the missionary that certain items are confidential and should not be shared.
Art and Lois spend a minimum of 2-3 hours in two separate sessions with them – and it may take as many as a total of 10-12 hours or more if there are serious problems.
Though World Outreach has done excellent missionary care through Ron and Ruth Berger and Bud and Carol Sparling, Art and Lois are doing something quite different. With their 40+ years in YFC, they not only have the knowledge of the ministry but also the heart for ministering to and helping and encouraging people. They can truly be trusted to come alongside with love, concern and genuine empathy – not only in regard to ministry but also for personal matters. e-mail: Website:
adeyo@yfc.net;
adeyo@comcast.net;
loisdeyo@comcast.net;
artnlois@comcast,net
www.yfc.org/wo/deyo
