What’s in the name?

Okay, we promised to tell you how the name “Beyond Us” came to be. I don’t think we fully realized until this past week everything that went into it. The journalism and business background in me knew we wanted to be able to succinctly explain, share, and brand our mission. Not branding in a corporate way, but in order to create something that was consistent and recognizable to communicate our vision (and of course make fun things like t-shirts down the road).

We brainstormed a bunch last fall when getting ready to launch our website and first main newsletter. Once we had some names that described missional living and serving, we checked if the site name was available and instagram and facebook availability. We kept coming back to “Beyond Us”. We liked it. It rolled off the tongue when paired with Brazil and easy to use. Then we sent it to our designer friend Jen who donated her time and talent to create the actual logo.

This is where it gets cool. We knew we had used it and heard it in some capacity over the years but couldn’t pin point where. Come to find out it was a Missions Team slogan we used at our local church when we served with outreach teams and dear friend Tami . However, the name was since retired and not found online when we had been doing market research. This experience of leading trips with our local church was so integral in getting us where we are that it seemed fitting it originated there.

Warning: Share time and journals (this is a rarity for me so take advantage). This past week I started rereading “What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God” by Lysa and Hope Terkeurst and came back across a chapter I worked through back in early 2019. At that time I had journaled through the prompts that took me through how to know if something I am hearing is from God. I journaled specifically about how God had been talking to me about serving as a missionary in Brazil…which is something few knew about at the time as we were wrestling through a lot and I wanted to make sure it was a God thing. There was one key question in that prompt— “ Is it beyond you?” Meaning is it something we can’t do on our own or would even come up with on our own? It can only happen because God — I can’t plan it or strategize or make it be. I wrote in bold in my journal “ YES BEYOND ME!”. Because I knew it was crazy and impossible and so beyond what my comfort level was. (For those wondering- it also lined up with all 4 other questions). This was reaffirming that God is working in the details and the heart of this adventure.

So to summarize-why the name?

• we are serving those beyond me, beyond you - beyond us, specifically in Brazil

• we need you to come along side this to make it work- this is beyond just Ashley + Chris

• we are human, imperfect and incapable of doing it alone- beyond our ability, and is God driven

So jump in, come along with us, and go beyond what we could do as individual humans.

• Ashley