November 2, 2025

Hosted at the Encounter Ministry building in South Reno (9222 Prototype Drive), a group of Christian leaders have been gathering on a monthly basis to hear empowering speakers, to pray together, and to learn how to share their faith in the workplace. These networking events called Christian Business Connections are scheduled on the first Friday of each month at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

NOVEMBER SPEAKER: Chaplain (Colonel, Ret.) George Youstra on workplace ministry.

NOVEMBER 15 – Awaken, a local ministry aimed at ending sex trafficking in our region is hosting its annual banquet called, “Illuminate & Restore”. It will be held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, November 15 beginning at 6 p.m. for the general admission reception.

DECEMBER 2, 3 & 4 – Encounter Ministry brings healing, hope, and strength to families. They do this through events encouraging powerful encounters with God and with their Biblical Counseling School. Their annual fundaising and celebration dinners will be held over the course of three nights in December. Choose the one that works best for you. Hosted at the Encounter Ministry building at 9222 Prototype Drive in South Reno.

Pastor César Minera is the newly appointed president and executive director of the Nevada Christian Institute (NCI) located in Reno. The school was founded in 2021 to serve the Christian community in Nevada to fill the void upon the departure of the Multnomah University satellite school from the state.

NCI offers various certificate programs, including in Bible studies, leadership, homiletics (preaching), and languages (Hebrew, Greek). The programs are designed to equip not just future pastors, but also lay leaders, teachers, and anyone wanting to deepen their biblical knowledge.

Jen Campbell and Melissa Holland co-founded the ministry Awaken, which focuses on addressing prostitution and sex trafficking in the Reno, Nevada community. Awaken has been operating for almost 15 years and has three main pillars: prevention, restoration, and city transformation.

Jen explains the three pillars, while also sharing fascinating stories about the early days of launching the ministry. Hers is a story of courage, passion, and reliance on God that has enabled Awaken to thrive and make an impact in our community in a profound way.

Coach Jason Ehlen leads up the conversation about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) with two of his former Reno High School football players, and past participants in FCA.

Drew Dutton and Hayden Parga discuss their current experiences as college student-athletes – Drew at Indiana Wesleyan University and Hayden at Texas Christian University (TCU). They talk about the positive impact FCA had on them during their time at Reno High. They share how FCA provided a community for them to grow in their faith and share the gospel with their peers.

Drew and Hayden explain how they continue to prioritize their faith and spiritual growth as they’ve transitioned to college. They emphasize the importance of taking personal responsibility for their faith and finding accountability through campus ministries.

Pastor Leo Castro, the founder of Eternidad Centro Cristiano (Eternity Christian Center) discusses the unique challenges of starting a church that serves a predominantly Hispanic immigrant community, including language and cultural barriers, high turnover, and financial constraints. Despite these challenges, Pastor Leo highlights the blessings of serving the members of his church. There is a strong sense of family, a joy in working together, and great rewards in assisting this underserved segment of our region. 

He emphasizes the importance of equipping believers to be disciples and ministers, rather than just focusing on church attendance numbers. His vision is for churches in the Reno area to come together in unity to reach the community with the love of Jesus Christ.

Coach Jason Ehlen, shares his personal faith journey and how it radically shifted his approach to coaching from being transactional to being transformational, focused on developing character and serving others.

He also discusses the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), a national ministry that combines athletics and the gospel to help coaches and athletes grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. FCA provides opportunities for student-led huddles on school campuses, where they can share the gospel and reinforce core values like integrity, serving, teamwork, and excellence.

Pastor César Minera shares the story of how he started Palabra de Vida, one of the first Hispanic churches in the Reno area. This happened after César felt called by God to preach despite his initial plans to become a dentist. He describes Palabra de Vida as a multi-ethnic, bilingual church that is a “picture of heaven.”

César also discusses his involvement in planting other Hispanic churches in the region and leading the Association of Evangelical Ministers of Nevada (AMEN) to promote unity and outreach among Hispanic churches. He highlights the unique challenges of pastoring a migrant congregation and the importance for all of the local church to support the Hispanic community.

What is Biblical counseling and how does it differ from traditional counseling? Rob Rodriguez, the Director of Biblical Counseling at Encounter Ministry answers this question in detail in this interview. He discusses how Biblical counseling focuses on using the word of God to help people with their struggles and suffering. This is done with the goal of discipleship and heart transformation rather than just behavioral modification.

Rob explains that any believer can be trained to counsel biblically, regardless of their background or qualifications, as long as they have a desire to honor and glorify God. The program, that Rodriguez helped launch locally, is open to anyone and provides a community-based approach to applying biblical principles to assisting people in their everyday lives and challenges. Learning how to counsel others is the perfect way to love your neighbor.

Pastor Craig Dyson shares how he felt called by God to plant CONVO Church in Reno, Nevada in 2018, and describes the difficulty of navigating through the pandemic in 2000. He also talks about how he enjoys leading a diverse, multi-generational congregation that empowers both young and seasoned believers.

Pastor Craig also speaks about the church’s mission to influence culture and address difficult topics from a Biblical perspective. Dyson encourages people to pursue their God-given purpose and use their unique gifts to impact the world around them.

Beginning by sharing his journey to faith, Pastor Bryan Smith tells the story of Summit Christian Church, which was founded in the late 1990’s and has since expanded to a large campus in Sparks and another in Fernley. 

Pastor Smith shares what he believes is the key to bringing young people into the church, and he also talks about the importance of collaboration and support among local churches to collectively reach the community for Christ.

Pastor Phil McKay shares his journey of faith, from being saved at a young age to serving as the pastor of Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks. He discusses the importance of having a multi-generational congregation and the church’s vision of “walking authentically with Jesus” and “giving hope” by sharing the Gospel.

Pastor McKay emphasizes the church’s role in engaging with the local community and collaborating with other pastors to make an impact in the city.

Pastor Jack Quinn discusses his role at Grace Community Church, where he oversees the youth, middle school, and young adult programs. Jack shares his personal journey of growing up in a family of faith and finding his own connection to the Church later in life.

He emphasizes the importance of mentorship and intergenerational relationships within the church, and how older, wiser leaders have impacted his own faith. Jack also speaks about the challenges and opportunities of ministering to the younger generation, and his efforts to collaborate with other youth pastors in the community to reach more young people for Christ.

Encounter Ministry is a non-denominational Christian organization that hosts weekend encounters for men, women, and married couples. The ministry aims to provide a safe and supportive environment for people to share their personal stories and struggles, and to find healing and spiritual growth through the power of testimony and community.

The ministry also offers biblical counseling to help attendees continue their journey of faith and restoration after the encounters. The founders, Richard and Shelli, share their own story of overcoming marital challenges and how that led them to start the ministry in Reno, Nevada, which has since expanded to multiple cities across the country.

Tim Lewis talks about stepping into the role of facilitator for Christian Business Connections, a group of business people and community leaders desiring to build relationships as they grow in deeper understanding of their ministry opportunities in the marketplace.

Tim discusses the importance of engaging the youth of the church, and for older generations to take on the role of mentorship in developing the next generation of Christian leaders. He points out how vital it was for him to be blessed with mentors in his leadership growth. We also learn about Tim’s personal faith journey and how he is intentionally passing on his values to his own children.

Dave Quinn shares his journey to faith and how he was called to a teaching ministry, which led him to help start the Acts 4 Prayer group that brought together churches across the Reno-Sparks area to pray for the community.

Over the course of five years, Acts 4 Prayer held prayer events at over 26 different churches, fostering unity, and laying the groundwork for the current CityFest initiative.

Pastor Christopher Dahir shares his journey of faith and service, including his roles as a pastor, educator, city councilman, and leader of the Nevada Veterans Memorial Plaza.

He discusses the challenges and joys of ministry, his experiences running for political office with integrity, and his involvement in the founding of Nevada Christian Institute. Dahir emphasizes the importance of being available to God’s calling, regardless of the path, and talks about his new podcast “Finding Your South” which explores themes of leadership and purpose.

Gordon Evans shares he was a “late bloomer” as he came to faith at age 49 and how that transformed his approach to business and serving others.

Gordon explains how his participation in organizations like Promise Keepers, Sierra Harvest, and Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (FCCI), allowed him to use his business skills and experience to support ministry efforts. He explains how Christian-owned businesses can be a platform for sharing faith and serving the community.

Randy Burtis, the festival director for Palau, discusses the organization’s shift many years ago from traditional crusade-style events to more community-focused festivals. He explains how the festivals were designed to create a comfortable environment for non-believers, incorporating contemporary music, action sports, and children’s activities.

Randy shares stories about the logistical challenges and spiritual moments involved in organizing these large-scale events across the United States and around the world.

Drive-Thru Hope began in 2020 as the pandemic started and it was sensed there was a need to connect as a community. A group of churches chose to reject the narrative of hopelessness and gather together in a new way. We are not made to be isolated. So these churches opened up their hearts and their parking lots.