Making a difference around the world for Christ is an amazing calling, and we have plenty of opportunity to make that impact together at Grace. This conference is designed to inspire, train and equip ALL those who are interested in engaging their “next yes”. Whether you have never served before, or are currently involved in the Give It Away Ministries at ANY of our Grace Church campuses, we invite you to join us!

Main Speakers

After growing up with no religious background, Ryan has experienced radical life change since hearing the story of Jesus from a friend in college. His friend invited him to the Bath Campus in 2000 where he later came on staff as pastor. He worked with the areas of Biblical Community, Ministry Training and our Grace College program. For years, Ryan shared leadership of the Bath Campus, including Adult Ministries and staff development. In January of 2020, Ryan became the Campus Pastor of our Ellet Campus.

He and his wife, Lori, have four children…a boy & three girls. They love spending time as a family hiking, exercising, and hanging out around the house. Ryan loves to be outside building his woodpile for his wood burning stove, playing Frisbee, and uses a whiteboard whenever possible. He has a special passion for reaching people with no religious background, seeing the gospel advance into new areas and leadership development.

Joe and his wife, Mandy, began attending Grace in July of 2008 and he is currently Lead Pastor of Give It Away at the Bath Campus.

Joe is the host pastor at the Bath Campus’ Montrose location as well as the host for the online community. He works to connect and develop the needs and the dreams of the church, the inner-city and the world with the passions, gifts, and skills of the people from Grace. He’s a Browns fan and loves Star Wars and superhero movies.

Joe and Mandy have been married since 2006 and have a daughter, a dog, and a bunny. They love having any kind of fun together, from hikes to sushi, paddle-boarding and kayaking or nerding out on behind-the-scenes Disney.

Workshop Speakers

Nicknamed Evel Knievel by her middle school teachers, Bena has always been willing to say YES to the next challenge, whatever it may be. It was this tendency to say, “I’ll do it!” that led to Bena tutoring refugees from Cambodia as a high school student.  And those tutoring experiences taught her that it’s possible to truly connect with, love and care for people who are very different from oneself. 

As Founder and Executive Director of Crossings Akron, Bena thrives on bringing order out of the chaos that is cross-cultural ministry.  Members of the Crossings family come from about 20 different countries and people groups, speak more than a dozen languages, and represent more than 20 churches, mosques and other places of worship.  It’s an amazingly diverse and vibrant community, and Bena counts it a privilege to do life with so many wonderful people.

Bena’s innovative spirit means she’s willing to try new things and sees failures as puzzles to be solved, re-worked and tried again.  She loves people-watching, seeing what makes individuals tick, and then helping them identify and use their God-given gifts to flourish in life and to achieve their goals and dreams.

Bena and her husband Andrew have been married for 36 years.  Their four children are all grown and married, and they have four delightful grandsons (so far!)  In her free time you’ll find Bena backpacking through the wilderness with Andrew or snuggled on her sofa watching the Great British Baking Show.

Are you wondering what role God might have for you within the Crossings Community?  Reach out to Bena; she’d love to help you figure it out! Bena@crossingsakron.com.  www.crossingsakron.com

John and Rachel Reaser are the founders and directors of Shoulder to Shoulder Mexico. Their passion is to bring every possible resource to empower the local church, bringing hope and light to the world.

The church is God’s simple yet amazing plan to be His hands and His feet in every corner of the world.  When we work with the local church bringing food and shelter to the homeless or building a house for a widow or when we give a Bible to every home in the community, provide medical and dental care and rebuild roofs after a hurricane, we multiply our work through the efforts of many and shine the Light that will never go out.   The church continues to point people to the true hope that is Jesus Christ.  When STS can help the local church expand its impact in the community, God brings a transformation in lives that lasts for all eternity.

The Reasers have been missionaries in Mexico for 20 years.  Their extensive experience in church planting and development is what inspired them to establish a ministry that serves, supports and trains the church in creative and tangible ways.    As directors of STS they lead a team of missionaries who are passionate about serving the local church.  A church that is thriving, impacting the community and reproducing.  A church that is showing up to make God’s presence felt.

Team Sintic consists of Mitchell, Susan, Eloise (4 years old) and Verity (16 months old). The family was established in 2008, after Mitch graduated from college. Mitch and Susan had dreams of going to the mission field but that dream did not come to realization until 2015. By God’s plan and timing, with the help of the Big Little project and Grace’s heart for Chad, the pieces of the dream came together for Mitch and Susan to begin their ministry in Chad. For the next 6 years, they would learn multiple languages, live in France and Chad, and grow their family.

Their passions were to reach the least reached through the gifts God had given them. Susan did this through nursing, using her skills to communicate the love of Jesus to patients at the local hospital in Chad. Taking care of patient’s physical needs was a great way to have a conversation and pray for their spiritual needs as well. Both Mitch and Susan worked with the national church to develop and construct a community center that would be a safe place to share life and Jesus together. The center was just being finished when they ended their time in Chad in 2020. They have returned to the states for the next chapter of life, working and serving locally in the Akron area while continuing to pray with an open heart about returning to overseas work. They hope one day to work with reaching the least reached once again.