Our Mission is the Great Commission.

Jesus came to (his disciples) and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

Lasting commitments to Jesus, one step at a time.

Founded in 1971, Step Up to Life is a global missions resourcing organization committed to equipping people to confidently carry the Great Commission forward and guide others toward saving faith in Jesus. We’re based in Omaha, Nebraska and have champions dispersed throughout the world.

Our Mission

We believe evangelism should never be about pressure, scripts, or clever lines, but about guiding people, listening to their heart posture, and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them step-by-step.

Step Up to Life exists to empower followers of Jesus to share the Gospel in a way that’s simple, relational, and effective. We understand that many Christians want to help others encounter Jesus, but fear uncertainty or confrontation in the process. That’s why we develop practical resources that guide conversations along the pathway from spiritual indifference to saving faith.

Our vision is for individuals and ministries on every continent to be equipped with the five-step Gospel framework and confident in conversations about spiritual position and relationship with Jesus Christ.

WHO WE ARE
STATEMENT OF FAITH

Meet the Team

Lincoln Murdoch

Lincoln Murdoch is a fourth generation pastor who has dedicated his life to mobilizing the local church in fulfillment of the Great Commission. He’s passionate about seeing Jesus lifted up and worshipped everywhere, particularly among the unreached people groups of the world. Lincoln has taught in more than 40 countries, drawing upon his experience as a decorated triathlete to engage audience members and invite them to self-assess their spiritual condition through the five steps that lead to lasting conversions to follow Jesus. Today, Lincoln leads a team of over 30 international champions throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia who are committed to taking the Gospel message to every corner of the Earth.

    • Youth Pastor

      • 1982 - 1990 at Trinity Church (Omaha, Nebraska, USA)

    • Missions Pastor

      • 1990 - 2000 at Trinity Church (Omaha, Nebraska, USA)

    • President, Antioch Network

      • 2000 - 2007 (Phoenix, AZ)

    • Church Planter & Lead Pastor

      • 2004 - 2007 at All Nations Church (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

      • 2008 - 2014 at All Nations Church (Omaha, NE, USA)

    • Executive Director

      • 2014 - present at Step Up to Life (based in Omaha, NE, USA)

    • Launching the Great Go-Mission (book and resource manual)

      • A resource designed to guide local churches as they recruit, train, and send their congregants on short term mission trips with a strong discipleship focus throughout the process.

    • See You at the Finish

      • A book which outlines eight principles of spiritual endurance based on completing at the World Championship Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon. Click here to order a copy!

    • B.S. in Social Work, Asbury College

    • Masters of Divinity, Asbury Theological Seminary

    • Founder of the P.A.N. Network (a network of churches, missions organizations and individuals who have focused on one particular unreached people group in Central Asia)

    • Founder of The International Christian Triathlon Network (a group of amateur and professional triathletes)

    • Finished three 140 mile Ironman triathlons (including the Hawaiian Ironman, recognized as the toughest single day endurance race in the world)

    • Finished two ultra-marathon 50 mile running races

    • Recognized as a 16-time USA Triathlon All-American

    • First-place overall in 41 triathlons

    • Qualified for Triathlon Team USA five times and raced for the USA in Germany, Australia, and London

      • Finished 6th in the world

      • Finished 1st for all USA athletes in his age group

    • Three-time USAT Regional Champion 

    • Three-time National Champion in Triathlon/Duathlon

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Nick Bank, D.Min.

With more than two decades of pastoring, preaching, and teaching, Dr. Nick Bank serves the Church by helping people encounter Jesus Christ and think clearly and biblically in a complex cultural moment. He is deeply committed to the careful exposition of Scripture and its wise application to everyday life and ministry.

Beyond the pulpit, Dr. Bank invests in pastors, parachurch leaders, and Christian educators, offering encouragement, pastoral counsel, and strategic training aimed at long-term ministry faithfulness. His work frequently draws from church history and cultural analysis to help leaders address contemporary objections to the Christian faith with clarity and confidence. He holds a Th.M. in Apologetics and Philosophy from Dallas Theological Seminary and a D.Min. in Advanced Biblical Preaching from Talbot School of Theology, and has conducted focused research on pastoral longevity, emotional health, and maximizing effective communication for Christian leaders.

    • U.S. National Director

      • 2022 - present at Step Up to Life (based in Omaha, NE, USA)

    • Adjunct Instructor

      • 2024 - present at Omaha School of Ministry (Omaha, NE, USA)

    • Lead Pastor

      • 2016- 2022 at PassageWay Church (Blair, NE, USA)

    • Associate Pastor for Preaching & Teaching

      • 2010 - 2016 at Reach Church NE (Blair & Bennington, NE, USA)

    • Student Ministries Pastor

      • 2007 - 2010 at Reach Church NE (Blair, Nebraska, USA)

    • Youth Pastor & Worship Leader

      • 2003 - 2006 at Heartland Church (Omaha, Nebraska, USA)

    • Down Like Jesus - A Roadmap for Navigating Ministerial Sorrow

      • Down Like Jesus: Navigating Pastoral Pain in the Footsteps of Christ invites pastors to confront the often-overlooked emotional toll of ministry with honesty and hope. Too often, the pain inherent in shepherding God’s people is dismissed or ignored, yet it is an unavoidable part of the pastoral call.

        Drawing from the life of Christ—who endured emotional, spiritual, and physical suffering—this book offers a Christ-centered blueprint for facing betrayal, burnout, and brokenness in ministry. Each chapter encourages pastors to reflect deeply on their own struggles through the lens of Jesus’ pain, discovering how His example reshapes expectations and restores perspective.

        Rather than masking or minimizing hardship, Down Like Jesus validates the difficult realities of pastoral life while equipping leaders with biblical tools to endure faithfully. The result is a renewed vision for resilience, a healthier approach to pastoral calling, and a deeper fellowship with the Savior who knows our suffering.

    • The All-Knowing God - A Defense of God’s Limitless Omniscience

    • B.A. in Pastoral Ministry, Grace University

    • Th.M. in Philosophy & Theological Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

    • D.Min in Advanced Biblical Preaching/Homiletics, Biola University Talbot School of Theology

    • Evangelical Training Association Graduate Teacher 

      • Dallas Theological Seminary

      • Issued August 2014

    • Prepare & Enrich Premarital & Marital Counseling

      • Dallas Theological Seminary

      • Issued January 2013

    • Professional working proficiency in biblical Hebrew & Koine Greek

    • Rec+ Bennington Baseball Coach 2025

    • 10U Bennington Baseball Coach 2024

    • Student Body Class President - Grace University 2001-2002

    • Sophomore class president - Grace University 2000-2001

    • Freshman class president - Grace University 1999-2000

    • Founder and manager of ‘fROMdUST’ music evangelism group 1997-2014

    • Campus Life Coach for Millard West High School 2001-2002

    • Student leader for CRU 1995-1999

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Alex Daum

The trajectory of Alex Daum's life changed his senior year of high school, when the Holy Spirit brought him to his knees in deep conviction at a Todd Becker Foundation outreach and he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. That transformation gave him a passion he has carried ever since: equipping the next generation to share Christ boldly and effectively. Alex has spent the past decade learning, living, and teaching Biblical evangelism. He served ten years with the Todd Becker Foundation, training interns in evangelism and Christian worldview and personally impacting thousands of middle and high school students to know and follow Christ. Drawing on his extensive network of trusted ministries, pastors, and leaders, Alex now equips students to use the trusted five-step Step Up to Life model to engage their peers with the Gospel—championing lasting conversions over temporary decisions. He is most passionate about seeing individual students' lives transformed the way his own was, making the Christian life exciting, meaningful, and urgent.

    • National Director of Student Evangelism & Strategic Partnerships

      • 2026 - present at Step Up to Life (based in Omaha, NE, USA)

    • STINT Discipleship Weekend Visionary & Coordinator

      • 2023 - 2026 at Todd Becker Foundation

    • High School Events Coordinator

      • 2017 - 2026 at Todd Becker Foundation

    • Lead Singer & Music Producer, All the Noise

      • 2018 - 2026

    • STINT Intern

      • 2016 - 2018 at Todd Becker Foundation

    • Certificate in Christian Apologetics, Biola University (2021)

    • Commissioned Colson Fellow, Class of 2024

    • Founded and coordinated the STINT Discipleship Weekend, a two-day faith-equipping event drawing approximately 800 high school students annually

    • Eight years as a full-time Todd Becker Foundation staff member, training new interns in Biblical evangelism and Christian worldview

  • Alex married his wife, Ahna, in 2018. Together they are raising four children—Thomas, Adalyn, Evan, and Lillian. He is passionate about family ministry and loves helping his children understand God's plan of salvation even at a young age.

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Our Team

  • JENNIFER MURDOCH

    Executive Assistant

  • KATELIN KNUST

    Communications Director

Board of Directors

  • RAY DOTZLER

    Board Chairman
    President, Dotzler Creative Arts

  • CHERYL PENNER

    Ministry Office Administrator,
    PassageWay Church

  • JAISON SAMUEL

    CEO, eCubed Enterprise

  • BRANDON KINNIE

    Owner, Alliance Sports Training & Faith Jump™️

  • DAN WARNOCK

    President, Vanguard Cleaning Systems of Iowa

A Little History

In February 1957, Pastor Elmer Murdoch preached a sermon entitled, “Steps Leading to Salvation” and distributed his notes to the congregation.

Although he didn’t know it at the time, this sermon became the seed for the evangelistic booklet, Step Up to Life.

Beginning with the first edition in 1971, it has been translated into 101 languages and specialty versions.

Today, there are over . . .

  • 18 million copies

  • in 71 countries

  • on 4 continents

Step Up to Life is committed to equipping everyday people to confidently share the Gospel. Our vision is for individuals and ministries on every continent to be equipped with the five-step Gospel framework and positioned to introduce people to Jesus Christ.

This is the late Pastor Elmer Murdoch with his wife, Nancy.

Want to find out more?

Learn more about the global ministry of Step Up to Life.

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