Gabe VanCoonis is 23 years old. While he was born in California, Gabe grew up in the Houghton Lake area of Northern Michigan. In 2022, he moved to Grand Rapids where he eventually came to Calvary Church that opened the door for him to begin a personal relationship with the Lord. Since coming to Christ, Gabe's passion for Jesus has been on fire and continues to grow. His favorite things now are studying theology and sharing what he is learning with others.

Gabe currently serves as the Facilities Night Shift Team Lead at Calvary Church, a role that gives him many opportunities for ministry. He regularly uses his passion and gift for teaching to pour into coworkers, high schoolers, and Community Service Volunteers. He's involved in facilities ministry, young adults' ministry, and leads a Saturday morning Bible study for his coworkers. Through everyday conversations and intentional discipleship, Gabe loves helping people grow in their faith and seeing the beauty of both them and himself as well walking more closely with Christ.

In this podcast, Gabe tells his amazing story of how, since coming to Calvary church, he came to real faith in Christ. He also shares how Jesus' presence in his life has produced in him an overwhelming love for our Lord and a passionate desire to share Jesus with those who don't yet know Him. While Gabe is working in a job that could be considered a bit tedious, he loves the fact that it allows him daily to be able to encourage other people to come to faith in Jesus or, for those who already are Christians, to grow in their faith.

Arek O'Connell is an Outreach and Young Adult Pastor at Hillside Community Church in Grand Rapids, MI, where he has served faithfully since 2013. He has been married to his wife Jamie for 14 years and they have two children (Kaia;5 -and- Leighton;4). Arek is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry at Gordon Conwell where his thesis will be focused on spiritual healing from trauma. The work that brings Arek the most joy is teaching trauma classes in high-needs communities and being the chaplain for the East Kentwood varsity football team.

In this podcast, Arek shares about his very turbulent background where, as a child, he experienced a home full of trauma and pain, which included multiple divorces and significant animosity and even cruelty. But, by the grace of God, as a young teen, Arek was greatly helped by a loving pastor who took Arek under his wing and brought him to saving faith in Christ. His life was radically changed!

Yet, as Arek began to attend a Christian college in California, the external trauma suddenly got even worse as Arek's father was viciously murdered. Arek shared how God clearly, miraculously, and even surprisingly empowered him to reach out to his father's murderer in love and forgiveness, and actually lead that man to faith in Christ!

Finally, Arek shared what a joy it has been to be chaplain of East Kentwood High School's football team. Despite EK being a public high school, his players have chosen to lovingly pray with their opponents' teammates after each game. Truly amazing! God is certainly on the move among Gen Z young people in our nation!

David Padgett is quick to tell you that his story is not about what he has done, but what God has done in his life. At 53 years old, he has been sober since June 21, 2014, and he gives all the glory to the Lord for the transformation that followed. After many years of struggling with drugs and alcohol, he was admitted to treatment at Bradford Health Services and then spent six months at Any Length Resources Sober Living. There, David experienced God's hand of restoration in a way that reshaped his life. Once broken and without his family, he now leads them spiritually, reunited with his wife Laura—whom he first married in 1996, divorced in 2010, and by God's grace remarried in 2018. Together they have three children and are blessed with two grandchildren.

Since being ordained at Highlands College after graduating in May of 2020, where he received a degree in Biblical Studies and Pastoral leadership, David has served faithfully wherever God has placed him. For the past six years, he has humbly led as Pastoral Director at Bradford Health Services, the same place where he first went for help. In February 2024, he helped launch The Church of Receiving Hope, a ministry born out of his own story of healing and redemption, where he serves as lead pastor. David also serves as a managing partner and director of Any Length Resources, pouring back into the same community that once carried him. His life today stands as a reminder that when we fully surrender to God, and intently pursue a relationship with Him, He not only restores what was stolen by the enemy, but uses it to bring hope to others.

In this podcast, David describes his upbringing in a rather strict religious home where God's grace and mercy were greatly under-emphasized. He now understands that he had a God-shaped vacuum in his heart (that everyone of us actually has) that he sought to fill with drugs and alcohol. Obviously, nothing other than God can adequately fill that void, and drugs and alcohol certainly didn't for David. But, by God's grace, David got help from caring people in various treatment centers. And he then gradually began to have a real encounter with our loving God which resulted in his freedom from addiction and even ultimately restored his marriage and family! David concluded this podcast by offering hope for all of us who seek to fill our empty hearts with anything other than God, which can include food, gambling, pornography, work, acclaim, or whatever.

Henry E., better known as "Hank" Erwin, is widely known as the "storyteller of motivation!"

His talent for telling stories that both entertain and result in commitment and action on the part of his listeners is legendary. Hank learned the art of storytelling from his late father, Medal of Honor Recipient Henry "Red" Erwin, who held small crowds spellbound with stories of bravery in World War II.

Hank became a committed Christian in college and married his sweetheart Shelia Daniel the

day before his graduation. They have now been together for 53 years and have two married sons,

and seven grandchildren. They reside in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

But it was telling stories that guided Hank's life. He attended Dallas Seminary in Texas to

become a preacher. But during those days, God opened a door into radio and TV leading him to become an on-air personality. So, instead of becoming a preacher, Hank plunged into media for nearly thirty years as a journalist and talk show host. He soon became a media advocate for pro-life and family values, patriotism, and conservative issues. All that eventually won him awards and notice in Alabama among voters looking for fresh faces in the world of politics.

So in 2002, Hank was elected to the Alabama State Senate, serving two terms as a firebrand for

conservative family values across the state. He fought to bring gambling to a standstill and helped usher in a whole new Republican government for the people of Alabama.

However, strange as it may sound, it was his bedtime stories that really changed history! As a loving father, he told his two sons bedtime stories when they were very young. For example, he used Woodlawn football stories that were so colorful that it ultimately ignited their imaginations to the point that they wanted to become movie makers! So, forty years later the world now knows the famous Erwin Brothers, Andy and Jon, who have gone on to produce and direct ten faith-based motion pictures, all of which that have garnered Dove Awards for outstanding achievements in Christian film! You will undoubtedly recall many of them, including "October Baby," "Woodlawn," "I Can Only Imagine," "Jesus Revolution" and "House of David."

Hank now spends some of his time traveling around the country telling stories in banquets and churches to entertain and motivate people. But, recently Hank also assumed the role of leading a nation-wide movement for revival and spiritual awakening called the Great American Prayer Revival, or GAP26. This effort has the potential to be used by God to bring much-needed healing to America.

In this podcast, Hank tells how, when he was in college, God lovingly brought him to faith in Christ and then, through a wide variety of career moves, to where he currently is now leading GAP26, a nation-wide effort to bring much-needed revival and spiritual awakening to America. You will find his call to get involved with this important effort very compelling! For more information, go to GAP-event.org.

Whether smuggling Bibles, feeding lepers or working/living amongst a Muslim people group as a Humanitarian Pastor, Mick Veach's commitment to share the love of God has taken him all over the world.

Mick has served as a Global Partners' Area Director for Central Asia and the Middle East, he has presented the gospel in more than 60 countries, been the Lead Pastor of a large suburban church north of Detroit, planted Mosaic Midtown in Detroit and has been the Lead Pastor of Kentwood Community Church in Kentwood, Michigan for more than 5 years. Their goal is to be "a church OF the nations and FOR the nations."

Mick's desire is and always has been to see God's truth compel others to action and to foster healthy local churches that engage in evangelism and discipleship.

He and his wife, Melanie, have three adult children and live in West Michigan.

In this podcast, Mick describes how he continues to maintain personal holiness, integrity and humility even when, as a pastor, he is often faced with pressure to stumble and fall. He also describes how his congregation has grown into a church that is incredibly diverse but still enjoys amazing unity and love. Finally, Mick tells how, by example and word, he and his team are motivating the people in his congregation to bring non-believers to faith in Christ, and to help those who are already believers to grow into disciples who in turn make disciples.

Michael Carrier is one amazing person! From an educational perspective, after graduating from high school in Michigan, he spent a year at DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. Then he went to Central Bible College (later named Evangel University) in Missouri, getting his bachelor's degree in Bible. Because of his excellent grades there, he was then awarded a fellowship in Semitic Languages at New York University in Manhattan, NY. Unfortunately, as he was working on his PhD dissertation there, political turmoil in the early 1970s rocked the campus and prevented him from getting his doctorate.

Ultimately, Mike returned to Michigan with his dear wife Evie and began to work for a security company. Within a year he was made general manager of the second largest security company in West Michigan. Then, a few years later, Mike started his own security firm that he ran for about 30 years. He did contract work for the Military, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), General Motors, and other large and small corporations, along with thousands of private individuals. It was while Mike was running his security firm that another chapter in his life came alive: He wrote and self-published his first book entitled WIND. We will chat more about this in a minute.

But about 15 years ago, Mike developed a heart condition that prompted him to sell his security business. Yet, not liking the boredom of "retirement," Mike began to write what he calls his "hardboiled thrillers" marketed as "murder mysteries set in the Midwest." To date he has published 18 of them with his author name Michael Carrier. Yes, Mike is one amazing dude!

In this podcast Mike tells how a miraculous event with his radio of all things led him to understand the deep need in our nation for revival. And that, in turn, started him on a faithful routine of fervent prayer one day per week for revival to happen. Then along came self-publishing his book on revival entitled "Wind" followed by 18 fiction books. Truly, Michael Carrier is one unique and wholehearted follower of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Bill Elliff is the founder and National Engage Pastor of The Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. His passion is to see both genuine revival and methodological renewal in the church—both new wine and new wineskins. He is a frequent conference speaker, writer, and consultant to churches drawing from his 50+ years of pastoring and revival ministry. Bill is also the Pastor/Church Director for OneCry, A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening and the author of fifteen books and booklets and numerous articles. He lives to faithfully and effectively communicate the whole counsel of God to as many people as possible through preaching, writing, church development, and personal equipping that they may become intimate, reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ. Bill and his wife Holly are parents to eight children and grandparents to 27. Five of their sons are in fulltime ministry.

In this podcast, Bill shares about the incredible joy and blessing we experience when we abide in the manifest presence of God. Sadly, it is all too easy for us Christ-followers to be distracted from pursuing that sweet spot of His presence, thereby causing us to lose the treasure that is freely offered to us by our loving Lord. Bill continues by suggesting what practical steps we can take to help us increasingly rest in God's wonderful presence. Bill ends our conversation by sharing briefly how the revival and spiritual awakening many of us have been seeking for years is now happening, especially among Gen Z young people throughout America. He encourages us to not miss the growing opportunity for prayer and evangelism that this exciting movement of God provides.

Dean Vander Mey serves as the Executive Director of Set Free Ministries located here in West Michigan but touching lives around the world. Set Free guides individuals through the process of finding freedom from various forms of spiritual and emotional bondage. Not only does Dean oversee his dynamic staff, he also personally meets with individuals in crisis, offering them comfort and direction based on the truths of Scripture. In addition, Dean has a teaching ministry in which he shares the profound wisdom of God revealed through Freedom Ministry.

In his personal life, Dean finds joy in his marriage to his beloved wife, Sharie. Together, they are blessed with six daughters, four sons-in-law, and eighteen grandchildren. Before dedicating himself to ministry, Dean successfully ran a business called Action Packaging for 23 years. When he's not fulfilling his calling, Dean takes pleasure in spending quality time with his family and pursuing outdoor activities. As an enthusiastic sportsman, he cherishes moments spent hunting, fishing, and retreating to "Deer Camp" in the UP of Michigan.

In this podcast Dean tells how Set Free Ministries continues to touch thousands of lives both locally and around the world. He says that a vast majority of the people coming into their West Michigan offices are followers of Christ but who are being held captive by lies they have embraced either intentionally or unintentionally. Ultimately, lies enslave, but truth sets us free! And so many of the people who engage in freedom appointments at Set Free do in fact receive a wonderful measure of God's healing touch.

Dean also describes how their Set Free Global division is seeing so many lives come to faith in Christ and growing into dynamic leaders for Christ who are passing His truth onto many more, all for His glory. The stories are truly exciting!

Finally, Dean shares how, in our age of growing anxiety and worry, we can find God's peace and joy as we concentrate on His truth and His promise to be with us and care for us. So we can take those scary steps of faith as we keep our eyes on Him.

Michael P. Farris is a litigator, educator, public advocate, and communicator, and is widely recognized for his successful work on both the national and international stage.

He was founding president of both the Home School Legal Defense Association (1983) and Patrick Henry College (2000). Michael served as the President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom from 2017 to 2022. He is currently General Counsel to the National Religious Broadcasters.

For over 40 years, Michael has practiced constitutional appellate litigation specializing in religious freedom and parental rights. In that capacity, he has argued before many state appellate courts, federal circuit courts of appeal, and even the Supreme Court of the United States!

Of particular note is that Mike was CEO of the Alliance Defending Freedom organization while ADF was serving as co-counsel to the Attorney General of Mississippi for the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health which reversed Roe v. Wade!

For his work, Michael has received numerous awards and honors, including two honorary doctorates. He is the author of over fifteen books, as well as law review and other scholarly and popular articles. He and his wife, Vickie, have ten children, 31 grandchildren and one great-grandchild (with more to come!)

In this podcast, Michael talks about how as an attorney he helped me (Randy Hekman) in 1982 when I as a Juvenile Court Judge faced potential consequences due to my ruling on a case involving a 13 year old girl who sought an abortion.

Michael also talks about the incredible blessing of children, a concept that far too few Christian parents fully embrace. Why should we Christians buy into the world's lie that children are more a burden than a blessing and therefore should be minimized?

Finally, Michael shares about a trip to the Soviet Union in 1988 where he met many Christian couples who had very large families. And they explained to Michael that they chose to have many children to show the distressed world around them that, with God and His blessings, we can have genuine hope for the future rather than despair.

Karla VanOtteren is an author, speaker, and prophetic teacher with a calling to equip and activate the body of Christ to know God's voice, live out healthy prophetic ministry, and seek the Father's heart for inner healing. She has authored a book "God Conversations: Prophetic Journaling that Ignites Transformation." Karla is the National Day of Prayer Task Force Coordinator for the State of Michigan, where she is blessed to reside with her amazing husband of 31 years, Jim, and their rescue dog Ellie. Jim and Karla have one remarkable son, Alex, an exceptional musician and powerful man of God, of whom they are extremely proud every single day.

In this podcast, Karla describes her amazing conversion to Christianity in the midst of struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. And how, thereafter, she has been growing in her faith in and love for God. Karla also shares how God has been consistently and increasingly speaking to her by the Holy Spirit through various visions and words in her heart. But she cautions that what we sense God is saying to us must never be allowed to contradict the written Word of God, the Bible.

Karla also describes how it was that she became connected to the National Day of Prayer and the importance of prayer for our region, state, nation and world. We see revival and spiritual awakening happening! May we continue to pray toward that end!