Marvin Neal, the co-founder and executive director of Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch, shares his personal story of overcoming a troubled youth and finding purpose through his faith in God.

After experiencing a life-changing encounter in prison, Marvin dedicated his life to ministering to at-risk youth, helping them find a path to success through counseling, education, and career guidance.

The Sierra Nevada Teen Ranch provides a safe and nurturing environment for these young people, guiding them towards a relationship with Christ and equipping them with the skills and support they need to become productive members of society.

Joined by his wife and co-founder Jan Neal, their unwavering commitment to this mission, despite facing obstacles and opposition, is a testament to their faith and the transformative power of God’s love.

Kim Ellsworth shares about the Perspectives ministry, a 15-week course that provides biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic perspectives on the global Christian movement.

The course is designed to equip and inspire believers of all backgrounds to engage in God’s mission, whether through going, sending, welcoming, mobilizing, or praying.

The course covers topics such as the biblical basis for missions, the history of Christianity’s global spread, best practices for cross-cultural engagement, and strategies for effective ministry.

The goal is to help participants understand their role in God’s plan for redemption and to provide them with the knowledge and tools to effectively participate in the Great Commission.

Mike Cutler explains the ministry of International Students, which aims to reach out to international students studying at universities in the Reno, Nevada area.

Mike shares his personal story of how he became involved and the various ways the ministry supports and connects with international students. This includes providing housing, organizing social activities and outings, and creating opportunities for spiritual conversations and discipleship.

The ministry seeks to welcome these students, many of whom come from countries with little Christian presence, and share the love of Christ with them, with the hope of impacting their lives and their communities back home.

Mike highlights the significant opportunity this ministry provides to engage in local missions and make a global impact.

Chuck Grimm shares about Pathfinders Children’s Ministry, which aims to reach out to the 10,000 children living in poverty in the Reno-Sparks area.

The ministry, founded 25 years ago, aims to lead these children to a relationship with Jesus. It operates a fleet of vans and buses to pick up the children, many of whom come from single-parent homes and face challenges like abuse, neglect, and lack of access to nutritious food.

The ministry provides the children with hot meals, Bible studies, small group discussions, and a summer camp experience. Over the years, the ministry has seen many children make commitments to follow Christ, with the highlight being the baptisms of many children this past year.

Chuck talks about the many ways in which volunteers can get involved to support this important work.

Halie Meiners, the West Regional Impact Director for Scarlet Hope, discusses the ministry’s mission to share the hope and love of Jesus with women in the adult entertainment industry.

Scarlet Hope has locations across the country and focuses on outreach, community, and discipleship. The ministry goes to strip clubs, brothels, and online to build relationships with women, provide resources and support, and share the gospel.

Haley shares her personal journey of how she got into this ministry work. She emphasizes the importance of patience, consistency, and the church community in helping women find freedom. The ministry welcomes volunteers to participate in the work being done.

Melissa Holland, the co-founder of Awaken, a Reno-based ministry that works with victims of sex trafficking, shares her personal testimony and the origins of the organization.

Awaken’s mission is to transform the city of Reno into a safe place where victimization no longer occurs, while providing direct services and healing for minors and adults affected by sex trafficking.

Holland describes her journey from a troubled youth to becoming a missionary in China, which led her to recognize the issue of sex trafficking in her own community. She partnered with Jen Campbell to start Awaken, which has grown to offer prevention, restoration, and city transformation programs.

The organization has faced challenges but has seen God’s hand at work in miraculous ways, including securing a building and gaining community support to combat the legalized sex trade in Nevada.

Nicku Bruce, the executive director of Real Choices Women’s Center in Northern Nevada, provides an overview of the organization’s services, which include free and confidential pregnancy tests, options counseling, ultrasounds, parenting classes, adoption support, and abortion recovery programs.

Real Choices is a pro-life Christian ministry that aims to empower women facing unplanned pregnancies to choose life for their babies, while also providing practical and emotional support.

The organization relies on volunteers and community donations to fund its operations and outreach efforts, which include digital marketing to reach women considering abortion.

John Katov, the founder of Open Table, shares how this ministry helps people in need by connecting them with volunteers and community resources.

The core of Open Table is small groups called “tables” that meet regularly with individuals or families to identify their goals and work together to remove barriers preventing them from achieving those goals.

The ministry also has a “neighbor” model where volunteers regularly text and connect with lonely individuals, as well as a “network table” where a group of volunteers leverages their personal and professional networks to solve specific challenges for those in need.

The key principles of Open Table are building relationships, accessing community resources, and empowering those being helped to take the lead in defining their own path forward.

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

Pastor Shay Gilliam shares the story behind his new ministry, A2GG Apologetix, which aims to teach apologetics – the reasoned defense of the Christian faith – to youth in Northern Nevada and beyond.

Shay was inspired to start the ministry after being asked to teach apologetics to a homeschool group, which led to hosting regular apologetics sessions in his home that drew large crowds of interested teens. He believes this generation of young people is particularly open to exploring questions of faith, and he wants to provide them with the tools and knowledge to defend their beliefs in the face of challenges.

A2GG Apologetics uses interactive sessions where Shay plays the role of a skeptic to help the youth practice responding to common objections and arguments against Christianity.

First Responders for Christ ministry, which was started by Steve Walker and Kyle Endres, two local firefighters who felt called to share their faith with their colleagues. (Retired firefighter Chase Perham also was a co-founder).

The ministry is a weekly Bible study open to all first responders, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and military personnel. The goal is to create a safe and judgment-free environment where first responders can openly discuss their faith and support one another.

The founders emphasize the importance of having a ministry specifically for first responders, as the nature of their work can make it challenging to be open about their beliefs. They discuss the growth and impact of the ministry, with both Steve and Kyle expressing their vision to expand the group and fill up the worship room at their meeting location at Encounter Ministry.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.