Shows
The Grand Awakening PodcastMichael Farris shares how children are an incredible blessing from God: the more the merrier! 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...
2025-04-0328 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAllen Heneveld shares how bitterness is cancer to the soul while forgiveness brings life Allen Heneveld has an amazing background! He now is a practicing attorney in the greater Grand Rapids area, focusing on helping small businesses thrive. But he also has prior experience as a CPA accredited accountant. Allen has an undergrad degree from Hope College, an MBA degree from Duke University, and a Juris Doctor (law) degree from George Washington University Law School. Allen is married to his dear wife Nina, and together they have four wonderful children. Beyond that, Allen states on his law firm website that he is a very blessed man. Why? He says it’s be...
2024-12-0330 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastNadia Gordinsky tells how a painful loss ultimately resulted in a life-saving ministry Nadia Gordinsky is a native from Ukraine. She founded and now runs Save A Life international, a life-saving organization that helps women in crisis pregnancies, and also those who have survived sexual abuse or domestic violence. In the past 10 years, Nadia has shared with many groups in the U.S., Ukraine and Europe her personal story of loss, overcoming obstacles, and fully thriving in her new country of America. She has also summarized her life story and heart in a book she recently released entitled: ”Little Feet, Big Hurt: One hour that changed my life.” Women in crisis situations can...
2024-11-2226 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGrand Awakening Podcasts Rev. Tim Vink lives in Zeeland, Michigan and is a Disciple Making Movement Catalyst. He has been married to Dana for 37 years and together they have three adult daughters, two sons-in-law and now seven grandchildren. Tim has served churches in southern and central California, Iowa and Michigan. He has been part of starting hundreds of new churches with thousands of new believers grounded in Christ. He has also been engaged in healing and deliverance ministry for over 38 years. In this podcast, Tim describes his passion for making disciples who, in turn, make other disciples, with the res...
2024-11-2029 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJonah Engle shares how spiritual revival is already here, and it is growing! Jonah Engle is a graduate of Spring Arbor University, and he now makes his home in the Grand Rapids area. About six years ago, God began to move deeply on Jonah’s heart and he became, in his own words, “passionately in love with Jesus.” This passion grew to the point where he knew he had to share this good news of Jesus with others. So together with some close friends who likewise loved Jesus, they formed the EveryHeart movement. It started with just Jonah and his best friends traveling the country to share Jesus with people in America during...
2024-10-2421 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastKarl House tells of the many blessings likely will flow from our upcoming one-day prayer event Karl House grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary. Karl has planted a Christian Reformed Church near Toronto and a Vineyard Church in Tampa. He is back in Grand Rapids planting The Way MicroChurches—A new family of simple churches in Grand Rapids and beyond. Karl's passion is to pour into a new generation of disciples, leaders and MicroChurches. In the various places where Karl has lived, one of the many things he has done has been to encourage pastors in that geographical area to unite on a regular bas...
2024-09-3025 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRick Warzywak describes the incredible joy and privilege of courageously sharing the Gospel Rick Warzywak is the founder and director of Transformation MI, whose mission it is to connect Michigan’s 83 counties in day and night prayer. As one way of accomplishing this goal, Rick hosts a nightly prayer call that began on November 4, 2020 and continues to the present time bringing literally hundreds together nightly at 9PM EST. Believe it or not, this call has been going on for over 1420 nights in a row! Rick also hosts prayer at the MI State capitol the Last Thursday of each month at 10AM in Room 426, as he and those in attendance pray for those in...
2024-09-2424 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGeoff Eckart shares how revival is truly coming to America in our day!Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife, Arianna. Together they have 3 daughters. He is the Lead Pastor at Daybreak Church in Hudsonville, MI, and the Founder & CEO of “Never The Same,” a national youth ministry. Geoff is also the Chairman of the Board for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. In this podcast, Geoff talks about how he is God is helping him to juggle his various job responsibilities, keeping a top priority on his walk with Jesus and his family. Geoff has led a ministry for young people for a number of...
2024-08-2228 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJason and Jen Rykse’s lives demonstrate the Gospel’s Amazing Power!Jason and Jennifer Rykse were High School sweethearts. They have been married for 22 years. Together they have 11 children, 7 boys and 4 girls. For many years they were neighbors with Randy and Marcia Hekman. Marcia shared the gospel with Jen who received Jesus in the front yard of their home and was freed from a crippling anxiety. She was led to the knowledge that Jesus loves her children more than she does. This was a turning point for their family and for their relationship with Jesus. Together with Randy and Marcia they met in a house church for several years watching many co...
2024-07-3041 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastClare DeGraaf shares how giving all to Jesus truly brings the very best life! Clare DeGraaf is truly an amazing person! He is a native of Grand Rapids, MI where he still makes his home. Clare has been married to his high school sweetheart Susan for over 50 years, and they are parents to six children and grandparents to 20 amazing grandkids. Clare is a graduate of Calvin College, and, early in his career, one of Clare’s top priorities was to have a successful business and make a lot of money, which he did! But a life-threatening encounter with cancer at that point got his rapt attention and ultimately led him to discover a re...
2024-06-2232 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAndrew Brunson shares how persecution is helping the American Church become stronger even if smallerAndrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons. However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018. Andrew and Norine’s current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim...
2024-05-1332 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJared Blauwkamp shares what true revival requires and how it is coming closer daily! Jared Blauwkamp is the young adult's pastor at Resurrection Life Church here in West Michigan. He has a degree in Exercise Science from Grand Valley State University and will be graduating this December with a bachelor's degree in ministry from the International School of Ministry. Jared has a deep hunger and desire to know Jesus and make Him known, to fight for a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, and to restore the identity of the Father in the next generation. In this podcast, Jared describes how he came to faith as a young child of age 4. B...
2024-04-2337 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastVernon Spears shares how his faith in Christ helps him be an effective Probation Officer Vernon Spears was born in Louisiana, but his family moved to the Kalamazoo, Michigan area when he was four years old. There they attended the Second Baptist Church until, when Vernon was in 9th grade, they switched to a First Assembly of God church. Two years later, his family moved to Wyoming, MI, which is a suburb of Grand Rapids. After relocating to Wyoming, Vernon’s family attended The First Assembly of God Church in that town. After graduating from Wyoming Park High School in 1990, Vernon went on to Michigan State University, graduating from there in1994 with a de...
2024-04-1822 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAndrew Brunson shares about the lessons learned through two painful years in Turkish prisonsAndrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons. However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018. Andrew and Norine’s current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim...
2024-04-0932 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJudy King has seen God perform amazing miracles, giving us huge hope for our timeJudith E. King was raised in Canada, but is now a Christian therapist in Grand Rapids, MI. Her interests include women’s issues, substance abuse, and caring for professionals in ministry. She has traveled extensively in her ministry of teaching, counseling and music, as she applies sound psychological principles, spiritual concepts, and a very biblical worldview. Presently, Judy works in her own private practice called “Sonlife Associates” which was founded by her and her late husband Dr. Stephen King, a medical doctor psychiatrist. She is the author of three books and numerous journal articles about her research and interventions. Judy i...
2024-03-2530 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastSydney Faber shares God’s power in freeing thousands of Pakistanis from bondage Sydney Faber has worked as a pastoral administrator and writer at ResLife Church in Grandville, MI for the past five years. After graduating from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Literature and Writing, she joined the Missions Department at ResLife and enjoys working with over 70 missionaries from around the world. Recently, she has had the honor of witnessing a massive move of God in the brick kilns and slums of Pakistan. In this podcast, Sydney relates her amazing ministry in Pakistan as she and her team courageously and wholeheartedly followed the leading of the Holy S...
2024-03-1822 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJadon Fowler shares the power of prayer to bring what seems dead back to life Jadon Fowler is now a teacher and film director from Grand Rapids Michigan. After spending eight years in Mortgage Finance and Real Estate area, Jadon decided to pursue his life passion of film making. He then started and now owns a film academy for kids called the Children’s Theater Company. Jadon previously attended Word of Life Bible Institute where his passion for God was really strengthened. He is also the proud father of two sons. In this podcast, Jadon tells the story of his life that includes a very dark time about seven years ago when he ca...
2024-03-1125 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAaron Bolduc shares about the importance and joy of evangelism for all Christ-followers Aaron Bolduc is currently an evangelist with Ambassadors for Christ International (AFCI). Previously, Aaron served as a pastor in West Michigan for nearly 15 years. He has also served with Dare2Share, a national youth evangelism ministry. Aaron’s current ministry of Ambassadors for Christ International has a vision of bringing revival in the church, evangelism through the church, and training for the church. Through his ministry, Aaron works with local churches by providing evangelism training, pulpit supply, and the coaching of pastors. Aaron also serves as a conference speaker. Aaron is married to Emily and, toge...
2024-03-0440 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastByron Paulus shares how God is powerfully moving among Gen Zers, ideally leading to Revival! Byron Paulus is the Founder of OneCry, a nationwide call for revival and spiritual awakening. For over three decades, Byron served as President and CEO of Life Action Ministries. As an author, speaker, and proven leader, he is passionate about mobilizing God’s people to seek Him for another revival and spiritual awakening. Byron is married to Sue, and they have three married children, and 13 grandchildren. They live in Niles, MI. In this podcast, Byron shares why, after close to 50 years in revival ministry, he is now actually growing in his belief that our merciful God will soo...
2024-02-1325 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGreg Dempster shares how God is powerfully bringing God’s healing grace to ministry leadersGreg Dempster is the director of ChristLife ministries. He's married, has two boys, and has served in full-time pastoral ministry for the past 23 years. He's been a senior leader, elder, ministry director, and has played an instrumental role in developing the ChristLife experience and vision. In this podcast, Greg begins by sharing the amazing story of his own conversion to Christ as a teenager. While raised in a solidly Christian home in California, as a young teen, Greg began to wander from God. Eventually, he was pursuing a very sinful lifestyle that included immorality, psychedelic drugs and th...
2024-02-0532 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastBill Brownson calls the American Church to Pray with Great Power for Revival Dr. William "Bill" Brownson Jr., was a long-time voice of the West Michigan-based radio ministry "Words of Hope" and was a former seminary professor. While he passed away at the age of 93 in 2022, I was able to get to know Bill and greatly appreciated his love of the Lord and his desire for revival and spiritual awakening. A little more about Bill Brownson: following his own seminary training, Bill served in two church pastorates. He moved to Holland, MI in 1964 to become a professor of preaching at Western Theological Seminary. He also took his pastoral approach to...
2024-01-2329 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJay Jones shares how God rescued him from the grip of near-certain death Jay Jones is a church planter, speaker, author, and senior pastor of the Pentecostals of Kentwood Church in West Michigan. His training included studying at the Christian Leaders Institute, and he has instructed at the Purpose Institute. Jay is a passionate worshipper of Jesus Christ, a husband, and a father. He has a genuine heart for fervent prayer, for selfless service, and for seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout his community, state and nation for the glory of God. In this podcast, Jay recounts a trip last fall to Africa where he contracted typhoid fever...
2024-01-1625 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastHany Ammanoeiel shares how the number of people coming to faith in the world is acceleratingHany Ammanoeiel leads a ministry focusing on discipleship and leadership training events in Egypt and Spain. He and his wife Natalie now reside in the U.S. with their two children. He has a college degree in business. His passion is for the global church to receive God’s heart for the millions of the sons of Ishmael scattered around the world so they will be drawn to Jesus. In this podcast, Hany tells how God has given him a heart for all people, regardless of their background, to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Sa...
2024-01-0524 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJason Botbyl calls fathers to seek God’s power to bless their families and not abandon them Jason Botbyl currently serves as the Minister and Director of Men’s and Marriage Ministries at Calvary Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Jason was raised in Muskegon, Michigan, growing up in a single-parent home where he regularly witnessed physical abuse, alcoholism, and brokenness. By God’s grace and the loving input of a Christian neighbor, Jason came to know Jesus as a young adult. A few years later, while attending his mother’s graduation ceremony at a rehab program, Jason sensed the call of God on his life to preach the Gospel. So, in obedience, he moved to Grand Rapids...
2023-12-2126 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMark Blocher calls the American Church to awaken and fight the spiritual battles of our timeMark Blocher is the co-founder and CEO of Christian Healthcare Centers, Inc., a Grand Rapids, MI-based non-profit organization providing primary and specialist medical services in Michigan. His educational background includes undergraduate and advanced degrees from Cornerstone University, Dallas Theological Seminary and Kennedy-Western University. Mark has personally taught at many colleges and universities in Michigan and has founded and run a number of non-profits concerned with pro-life and health related matters. Mark has authored a number of articles and books and is well known nation-wide as a speaker on issues dealing with life, health and bioethics. ...
2023-11-2729 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy and Marcia share how God has helped them stay best friends for 54 years
2023-11-2225 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMatt Guy shares how going from law enforcement to prison inmate was actually good
2023-11-2030 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJohn “Barney” Barnes calls American men to courageously take that next step of obedienceJohn “Barney” Barnes grew up in East Tennessee graduated from Carson-Newman University in 1968. Barney then joined the Navy as an Aviation Cadet earning his commission as a Naval Officer in April of 1969, earning his Navy “wings of gold” in April of 1970. Barney fought in the Vietnam War, flying helicopters there in support of navy SEAL teams, Swift Boats, and other allied units. His squadron, known as The Seawolves, was the highest decorated Navy squadron of the Vietnam War. Subsequent to his time in Vietnam, Barney’s 25-year Navy career included flight instruction and leading Navy Corrections...
2023-11-1433 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman calls the American Church to repent for its ungodly views of sex and childrenRandy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge and then directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 37. In this podcast, Randy calls the church of America to wholeheartedly repent for its part in unintentionally, but...
2023-11-0224 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJames Sherbin shares how God quickly answered his prayer about how to know Christ James Kyle Sherbin is an attorney who is employed by the Van Den Heuvel Law Office here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. James was born in the state of Maryland. He attended college in North Carolina, earning his BA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He subsequently obtained his Juris Doctor (Law) degree from Cooley Law School, in Lansing, Michigan. For enjoyment, besides fellowshipping with other Christ-followers, James enjoys going to the beach, playing pick-up basketball, and riding bikes on a summer day. His faith story is amazing and I’m sure you will be touched by how Go...
2023-10-2326 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJames Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 28This is Part 2 of a podcast that is a bit different from most of those we have done in the past. As we did in Part 1, Marcia and I start with a brief introduction, talking about how we first met with Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and his wife Shirley back in February of 1990 at a conference in Phoenix, AZ. After a very warm and friendly breakfast together, Jim invited Marcia and me to be guests on his daily radio program. So, in April of 1990, we took our whole family—Marcia and me and ou...
2023-10-1731 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJames Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 1This podcast is a bit different from most of those we have done in the past. Marcia and I start with a brief introduction, talking about how we first met with Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and his wife Shirley back in February of 1990 at a conference in Phoenix, AZ. At the time, I was a Probate-Juvenile Court Judge here in Kent County (greater Grand Rapids area) Michigan. His team had invited us to resign our judgeship and become the founding Executive Director of Michigan Family Forum, which was connected to Focus on the...
2023-10-1043 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastEmerson Eggerichs shares how God’s truth about marriage continues to bless many couples Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is an internationally known public speaker on the topic of male-female relationships. Based on over three decades of counseling as well as scientific and biblical research, Dr. Eggerichs and his wife, Sarah, developed the Love and Respect Conference which they present to live audiences around the country. This dynamic and life-changing conference is impacting the world, resulting in the healing and restoration of countless relationships. Dr. Eggerichs has authored several books, including the national bestseller Love & Respect, which is a Platinum and Book of the Year award winner, selling over 2.1 million copies. Em...
2023-10-0328 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastStephen Nylen challenges us to pass onto others the greatest gift we have received: Jesus! Stephen Nylen is a fulltime Street Preacher of Frontline Street Ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a street ministry he founded a decade ago. He is also the Veterans Chaplain for Equine Assisted Development of the Great Lakes. Stephen is sent out as an evangelist by the Reformed Evangelistic Fellowship and is a member of Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Stephen is the joyful husband of the beautiful Jessica Nylen and the proud father of 4 wonderful daughters (one through adoption) and the grandfather to 3 grandsons. You can find Stephen in various contexts in the streets of Grand Ra...
2023-09-2639 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJordan Sweezer lovingly proclaims the grace and truth of God to women seeking abortionJordan Sweezer married his dear wife Marie back in 2014. They have been blessed with four children Jordan (Jr), Caleb, Charles, and Calvin. Jordan started doing outreach in 2016, and has felt a strong conviction from the Lord to preach the gospel to the lost. By God’s grace his heart has grown to have a deep love for Christ, for Christ’s followers, and the sinners who don’t yet know Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Jordan feels called to stand in the gap for the Lord, to hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter, and to be a...
2023-09-1931 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastDean Luurtsma describes the amazing answer to prayer that stopped surgical abortions in Grand Rapids Dean Luurtsma is a lifelong resident of Ottawa County, Michigan. He senses a call and equipping from the Lord to follow the Lord and love the Lord with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength. Dean is a small businessman, father, and lay evangelist. When the baby body parts from abortions scandal broke in 2015, he believes he was awakened fully from his slumber to diligently try to let his light shine in the greater Grand Rapids area. Dean is grateful that, through God’s providential leading, the Lord connected him with his co-laborers in the G...
2023-09-1239 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastArt Guice calls American Christians to courageously be salt and light in our dark worldPastor Arthur Guice received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1980, while attending Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL. It was during this season in his life that Arthur sensed a call to ministry. As a result, he changed his major from Business Administration to Theology. In May of 1983 Pastor Guice received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College with a double major in Theology and Psychology. On March 23, 2003, Arthur was installed as the Senior Pastor of Spirit of Liberty Church of God, Markham, IL. A few years after serving as Senior Pastor, Arthur faced personal tragedy a...
2023-08-2636 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMark Schaap shares his joy seeing young adults become true disciples of Jesus Mark Schaap lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is currently the minister for College and Young Adults at Calvary Church. He is married to his college sweetheart Megan and together they have four awesome kids. He previously graduated from California Baptist University in Riverside, California with a major in Theology and then completed his Masters Degree at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. Besides seeking to be a godly husband and father and also desirous of leading a large group of young people at Calvary to become wholehearted disciples of Jesus, in his spare time, Mark enjoys playing basketball...
2023-08-1831 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGanesh Venkataramanan tells how he went from atheist to whole-hearted Christ-follower As the Vice President of Presales for Global Accounts at AVEVA, an international information technology consulting company, Ganesh leads a team of high-performing professionals who deliver innovative solutions to the world's leading industrial and engineering companies. With over 20 years of experience in the simulation and training domain, he has a proven track record of growing internal businesses from less than $1M to over $50M by building talented teams and systems that enable rapid execution. Ganesh is also the author of a fictional book entitled “Let Me Into Heaven” that explores the journey of three computer scientists chasing the...
2023-08-1130 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastLud Golz, while a senior, is very young in heart and shares how we can finish strong in ChristLud Golz has been a pastor for over 50 years. Prior to that, he was a Bible teacher at Wheaton Academy where Randy Hekman was one of his students. He is now focusing his time on his daily radio program, “Getting God's Message” that is heard on hundreds of stations around the world. Over the years, Lud has traveled extensively to many foreign countries on mission trips. The churches he pastored always had a substantial missions’ ministry. He has authored articles and books and some of them have been translated into foreign languages. Lud was married for 63 years to Muri...
2023-07-2843 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMaranda shares how a wholehearted Christ-follower can still be a bright light in media. Maranda (her stage name) is the WOTV 4 Women kids and family expert. She hosts a daily segment, “Where You Live” which features a combination of information, inspiration and insights for West Michigan parents. It’s taped around West Michigan and is about real family life. “I love the new challenges everyday and connecting people with services they want and need,” said Maranda. Maranda joined WOOD TV8, WOTV4 and WXSP-TV in January of 2001 as Children and Family Services Manager, but has served the community as an advocate for kids and families for more than 25 years. Maranda oversees the development o...
2023-07-2723 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastBob Fu tells how persecution against Christians in China is growing, but so is the church! Rev. Bob Fu, Ph.D, was a former student leader during the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989. In 1993, he graduated with a law degree on international relations from Renmin University of China in Beijing. He was a faculty member at the Beijing Party School of the Chinese Communist Party from 1993-1996. He was also a house church leader in Beijing until he and his wife, Bochun “Heidi” Cai, were imprisoned in 1996. In 1997 he was exiled to the U.S. In 2002, he founded ChinaAid in Philadelphia to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. He graduated with Ph.D. from...
2023-07-1837 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMark Gottlieb shares how to trust and even love God in the midst of very painful trials.Mark Gottlieb is one amazing man! I will summarize some of the highlights of his life. While raised in a culturally Jewish, but spiritually atheistic home, Mark, later in life, came to genuine faith in Christ. Mark did his undergraduate studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Then he earned two Masters Degrees in technical areas from Stanford University. From there, Mark moved to the Washington, DC area where he worked with SRI International assisting a governmental agency on its technology. He also taught some graduate courses at GWU on the side. In 1985, Mark launched his own...
2023-07-1138 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastKelly Clark shares how she daily finds joy in the Lord despite her challenging medical issuesKelly Clark, age 32, grew up in a Christian home and always knew about God. But she would say that at age 15 she was rather lethargic in her walk with God. At the same time, from an early age Kelly demonstrated a great ability in the area of ballet. So much so that, in her teens, she was invited to study with the Kirov Academy and the Royal Ballet School (summer program) in London. However, a growing medical issue in her life put a halt to her ballet dreams. Kelly was ultimately diagnosed with POTS, a non-curable disease that limits...
2023-06-2023 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAttorney David Kallman shares how freedom of speech is under major attack in MichiganDavid Kallman has been a licensed attorney in the state of Michigan for the past 40 years. His law firm, the Kallman Legal Group, has clients with legal needs in a wide variety or areas, including business, probate and estate law, general litigation and education law. A number of years ago, in a landmark decision before the Michigan Supreme Court, David helped get home-schooling declared legal in Michigan. He is also the co-founder of the Great Lakes Justice Center which represents clients whose fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution are being challenged. David is married to Beth and together they...
2023-06-1326 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJonah Engle shares what he sees God doing in America, raising hope for true revival! Jonah Engle is a graduate of Spring Arbor University, and he now makes his home in the Grand Rapids area. About six years ago, God began to move deeply on Jonah’s heart and he became, in his own words, “passionately in love with Jesus.” This passion grew to the point where he knew he had to share this good news of Jesus with others. So together with some close friends who likewise loved Jesus, they formed the EveryHeart movement. It started with just Jonah and his best friends traveling the country to share Jesus with people in America during...
2023-06-0524 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJerry Kirk, in his 90s, shares the incredible joy of daily abiding in Christ Dr. Jerry R Kirk pastored three congregations and was Senior Pastor of the College Hill Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati, Ohio for eighteen years. Under Jerry’s leadership, College Hill Church became an international equipping center for pastors and leaders. He also founded pureHOPE in 1983 and the Religious Alliance Against Pornography in 1986 to address the increasing sexualization of our culture. In 2013 he established The Prayer Covenant as a ministry to serve as a catalyst for a spiritual awakening to the supremacy of Christ. In this podcast, Jerry, who is now in his 90s but still going so strong fo...
2023-05-2424 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGod was on the Move at West MI National Day of Prayer event May 4th, 2023This year’s National Day of Prayer event was held at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids at 7:00 pm. It was there that over 150 folks from a variety of West Michigan congregations heard from a number of community leaders briefly pray for various “Cultural Mountains” like government, business, education, media and family. Two of those leaders were Kentwood’s Mayor Steve Kepley and WOOD Radio morning host Steve Kelly. That was all very good. But probably the highlight of the evening was hearing from three Gen Z young people who are literally on fire for the Lord share their passion for Jesu...
2023-05-1117 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRon Sandison shares how his autism has opened amazing doors for sharing the Gospel Ron Sandison works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of the Art of Autism and the Els Center of Excellence. Ron has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice, Biblical Wisdom published by Charisma House, and Views from the Spectrum. Amazingly, he has memorized over 15,000 Scriptures including 22 complete books of the New Testament! He speaks at over 70 events a year including 20 education conferences. Ron and his wife Kristen re...
2023-04-1825 minThe Grand Awakening PodcastKarl House explains the power of MicroChurches to promote maximum impact for God’s glory. Karl House grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary. Karl has planted a Christian Reformed Church near Toronto and a Vineyard Church in Tampa. He is back in Grand Rapids planting The Way MicroChurches—A new family of simple churches in Grand Rapids and beyond. Karl's passion is to pour into a new generation of disciples, leaders and MicroChurches. In this podcast, Karl explains what MicroChurches are and why they are not a new concept at all. In fact, the book of Acts in the New Testament desc...
2023-04-0626 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastIsrael Wayne teaches how to raise Godly children in our very secular culture Israel Wayne is a father of eleven who is passionate about defending the Christian faith and developing a Biblical worldview. He is the Director of Family Renewal, an international speaker, and author of the books Questions God Asks and Questions Jesus Asks, among others. More information may be found at www.familyrenewal.org. In this podcast, we talk about the joy, and actual benefit, of having a large family. We also discuss in depth what we parents must do in our increasingly secular culture to raise children who truly love and serve our Lord wholeheartedly. I encourage every Ch...
2023-03-3051 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastGeoff Eckart talks about the peaceful presence of God at Asbury’s revivalGeoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Arianna. Together they have 3 daughters. He is the lead pastor of Daybreak Church and the founder and CEO of Never The Same, a national youth ministry. He also serves as Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Day of Prayer and leads America’s National Prayer Committee. In this podcast, Geoff tells of his recent visit to Asbury University. He describes the overwhelming sense of peace he believed was flowing from the manifest presence of Christ during their time of revival there. He also remarked how ama...
2023-03-0319 minThe Grand Awakening PodcastPastor Bill Elliff shares how the Revival begun at Asbury is now spreading to the World!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...
2023-02-2432 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastAs leader of the National Prayer Committee, Geoff Eckart offers realistic hope for revival Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Arianna. Together they have 3 daughters. He is the lead pastor of Daybreak Church and the founder and CEO of Never The Same, a national youth ministry. He also serves as Chairman of the Executive Board of the National Day of Prayer and leads America’s National Prayer Committee. In this podcast, Geoff shares about his call to ministry, particularly to calling high school students to pray for their schools with specificity. And how God is answering those prayers! He describes how his ministry, which started in one sch...
2023-02-1328 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastKevin Palau tells of the joy we receive as we lovingly share the Gospel with othersKevin Palau is President and CEO of the Luis Palau Association. Under his leadership, LPA has united tens of thousands of churches in hundreds of cities to love and serve their communities and clearly share the Good News of Jesus. During Kevin’s time at LPA he has also helped develop a global network of thousands of partner evangelists. Kevin helps lead TogetherPDX, a sustainable, united movement of churches in Portland, Oregon. His book, Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel describes the ongoing impact of the movement. Kevin lives in Beaverton, Oregon w...
2023-02-0336 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJonathan Bergsma tells about going from a jail cell to now freeing many in ChristJonathan Bergsma is the Pastor/Director of City Impact Outreach Center in Cedar Springs MI, 288 N Main St. Cedar Springs MI, 49319 Jonathan lives in Rockford MI, He has been married 25 years to his lovely wife Kelley. Together they have four children, 3 boys 1 girl, from ages 25 to 9. Jonathan was raised in Hudsonville MI, and was actively involved in church throughout his early life. However, little-by-little, in his late teens Jonathan fell off God’s path. But God marvelously worked through many circumstances--some rather unpleasant--to get his attention and bring him back to Jesus. Jonathan is n...
2023-01-2741 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJosh VanderKolk shares how revival requires greater unity among believersJoshua and his wife Emily VanderKlok serve as the Lead Pastors of Resurrection Life Holland and Iglesia Vida. Pastor Joshua graduated from Rhema Bible Training school in Tulsa, Oklahoma and received a BA in International Business from Oral Roberts University. He has lived as a missionary in Mexico and served in Pastoral and ministerial roles for more than 20 years. The VanderKloks are an active family with six children that enjoy exploring the beauty of God’s creation. Josh and Emily feel passionately called to equip Christians and expand the Kingdom of God in the name of Jesus. In...
2023-01-1137 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastTom Olsson shares about his joy-filled move from lawyer to pastorTom Olsson currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Calvary Church here in Grand Rapids, a role he has filled for the past 16 ½ years. Previous to that, Tom worked in the investment services industry and was in a law practice as a licensed attorney. He and his wife Jennifer have been married for 32 years, together they have three adult children, Jeffrey, Jonathan, and Kate who currently all live and work in Chicago. (Tom and Jennifer are hoping and praying their kids eventually will move back to the West Michigan area.) In this podcast, Tom shares how God u...
2022-12-2227 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastSara Blue shares how God brought her from the pit of despair to incredible hopefulness and joySara Blue, is currently the Director of Benevolence at Calvary Church here in Grand Rapids. She has an amazing background. In her distant past, Sara was herself addicted to hard drugs. But, through the grace of God, she now has been in long term recovery which means being off all opiates for over 15 years. Following her own freedom from drugs, Sara has done much to help many others find help. Sara has done a number of trainings and speaking engagements all over the United States on topics of Trauma Informed Care, Medicated Assisted Treatment and Recovery Oriented...
2022-11-3031 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman shares about our culture’s warped views of gender and marriageRandy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and then served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge. Following that Randy directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 35. In this podcast, Randy discusses how people’s subjective feeli...
2022-11-1709 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman shares what it will take to reduce crime in AmericaRandy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and then served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge. Following that Randy directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 35. In this podcast, Randy draws on his law enforcement, jud...
2022-11-0207 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJoel Beeke shares both the good news and the bad news about the American Church todayDr. Joel R. Beeke was converted at the age of 14, and has pastored for more than forty years in three churches. Currently, he is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (since 1994), a pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan (since 1986), editor of Puritan Reformed Journal and Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, president of Inheritance Publishers, and vice-president of the Dutch Reformed Translation Society. He has written and co-authored one hundred books (most recently, Reformed Systematic Theology, Reformed Preaching: Preaching...
2022-10-2031 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastArt Remington tells us that, despite the darkness of the hour, God’s light will shine throughArt Remington, Jr., despite being in ministry for over 55 years, describes himself as a “footwasher for Jesus.” He is the Pastor and National Ambassador-at-Large for Promise Keepers, a ministry he has been involved with since 1994. Art also currently serves in two other capacities: he is a staff pastor for Project 200, a disciple-making ministry; and he is a pastor/partner at Come Behold Israel ministry. Art prepared for a career in ministry by attending Northwestern College in Minnesota and spent a number of years in various churches as a youth and college pastor. Art and his dear wife Miriam reside in L...
2022-10-1332 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJohn Barnes and two fellow warriors challenge us to courageously show God’s love to allJohn “Barney” Barnes grew up in East Tennessee graduated from Carson-Newman University in 1968. Barney then joined the Navy as an Aviation Cadet earning his commission as a Naval Officer in April of 1969. He then completed his flight training, earning his Navy “wings of gold” in April of 1970. Barney fought in the Vietnam War effort, flying helicopters there in support of navy SEAL teams, Swift Boats, and other allied units. His squadron, known as The Seawolves, was the highest decorated Navy squadron of the Vietnam War. Subsequent to his time in Vietnam, Barney’s 25-year Navy career included flight ins...
2022-10-0637 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastDick Brill tells how Ukraine Christians are a great example to American Christ-followersRichard “Dick” Brill is a business owner of a flourishing irrigation company here in West Michigan called H2Oasis. While raised in a Christian family, Dick himself says he gradually came to faith in Christ, but made sure of that reality at a Promise Keepers event in 1997. Since then, he has grown to be a mighty man of God who gives generously of his time, talents and treasure for the cause of Christ. Dick is a graduate of Calvin College and seminary and is a licensed CPA. He and his wife Sandra have been married for over 56 years, and toge...
2022-09-2833 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJim Samra is optimistic that the American Church will repent and have positive impactJim Samra serves as the senior pastor of Calvary Church where his main responsibility is to lead others in worship of God. In addition to published articles and book reviews, he is the author of several books. His most recent publication is an allegory style novel entitled “Passage to the House of Power: a Prophetic Parable” Jim holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, a Master of Theology in New Testament and Pastoral Ministries from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Oxford in England.” Jim an...
2022-09-2327 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman shares how we can become free of the awful bondage of bitternessRandy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge and then directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 35. In this podcast, Randy describes from both scripture and his own life why bitterness brings with it suc...
2022-09-1214 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman shares how we humans are breaking the “Everlasting Covenant”Randy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge and then directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 35. In this podcast, Randy looks at Isaiah 24 where the prophet, speaking about the end times, relates how the...
2022-08-3119 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastCameron Smith calls us Christians to courageously follow Christ’s example of “brutal love.”Cameron Smith is the CEO of the Triptych Foundation whose mission is to promote a more virtuous society through investments in media, business, and public policy, laying the foundation for sound cultural leadership. Prior to that, Cameron served as the Executive Director of the House Republican Policy Committee in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he provided counsel to Governor Bill Lee as part of the governor-elect’s policy transition team. He has also worked on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and served as an executive and general counsel with several nonprofits focused on sh...
2022-08-2332 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastKevin DeVries calls men to stand and humbly walk forward by God’s graceKevin DeVries is the Founder and on-going President of Grace Explorations, a ministry with a mission to reach more men through Gospel-centered storytelling events. Kevin’s personal story is totally fascinating that includes years of feeling shame and failure, ultimately finding his heart and voice, climbing some of the highest mountains in the world, surviving a near-death experience, and much, much more. You will learn much from listening to his story and hearing his eagerness to call even more men to victory through humility and faith.
2022-08-1742 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastChad Peck shares what God is saying to the American Church in our dayChad Peck is an aspiring Pastor/Preacher who has a heart of passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. Chad has preached at several different churches and events throughout his time serving the Lord. He currently intends to plant a church in the Reformed denomination in Genesee County, Michigan sometime next year. Chad has a large following on social media, now reaching hundreds of thousands of people each month. He uses his platform to share the gospel and the love of God to all those who are willing to listen to God's word. He loves reading, writing sermons, and spending...
2022-08-1027 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastBill Elliff shares the importance of our humbly seeking God’s power in times of cultural chaosBill 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...
2022-07-2929 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJulian Guzman shares how God is using his ministry to bless many inner-city churchesJulián Guzmán, an ordained minister of Church of God-Anderson, IN, is the director of the Urban Church Leadership Center (UCLC) and founder pastor of Iglesia Vida Plena, a local Hispanic congregation in Wyoming, MI. Throughout his years in ministry, Guzmán has held numerous leadership positions in the church, including as an elected bishop for the Council of Missionary Churches of Christ Inc., overseeing Hispanic congregations in four states. He also has professional experience in both the insurance and construction industries. Julian received both his Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and Master of A...
2022-07-1930 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastChris Cooper shares how BlessEveryHome.com helps us love our neighborsChris Cooper led a team that founded the Mapping Center for Evangelism and Church Growth in 1997 and currently serves as President. BlessEveryHome.com is the primary project of the Mapping Center and a major movement to fulfill the Great Commission throughout the United States. More than 87,000 Lights for Christ have signed up to live Pray-Care-Share lifestyles with 3.3 million neighbor homes. These Lights have posted more than 26 million prayers by name for those neighbors. Previously, Chris was the VP for Development for the “I'm Third Foundation” that sponsored Christian sports camps for more than 4,000 urban youth from 65 citi...
2022-07-1127 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJim Sprague shares how we can respond with love and truth in our post-Roe worldJim Sprague, MSW, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) of Grand Rapids, MI whose mission is to live the truth that people matter to God. Jim has been leading the organization for more than 20 years. He and his wife, Jody, have been part of the ministry since its inception in 1985, the same year they were married. The Sprague’s have 3 adult children and one grandchild. Each of their children was adopted from an unplanned pregnancy situation, making Jim and Jody’s heart and passion for pregnancy care ministry both personal and...
2022-06-3038 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy Hekman shares why the American Church today is shrinking, but how it could growRandy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge and then directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy’s writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 35. In this podcast, Randy attempts to explain why the churches in nations that are under persecution in our...
2022-06-2122 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastWindle Davis calls Michigan Christ-followers to gather at the Solemn Assembly in Kalkaska July 22Windle H. Davis was born and raised in the Missouri Boot Heel and Northeast Arkansas. In 1972, he moved to Battle Creek, Michigan where he met and married the love of his life, Denice Rayburn Davis. In their 47 years as husband and wife they are thankful for their two children and seven grandchildren. Windle spent a number of years in music ministry, singing bass in a successful Southern Gospel quartet. He then began as pastor of his first church in Charlotte, Michigan which lasted five years, followed by seven years in direct evangelistic ministry. In 2002, Windle and Denice mov...
2022-06-1426 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy and Marcia Share How to Invite Others into a Personal Relationship with GodRandy and Marcia Hekman have been married for 52 years, but only have 12 children (and 35 grandkids) to show for it! They now lead The Grand Awakening, a nonprofit with the goal of calling the Church of West Michigan to revival, leading to another Great Spiritual Awakening. After graduation from MIT and GWU Law School, Randy served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and then was a Probate-Juvenile Court Judge for 15 years before leaving the bench to serve various roles in the Christian nonprofit world. Prior to the birth of their firstborn, Marcia taught at Thomas Jefferson High...
2022-06-0626 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJudge Vance Day Shares How as a Christ-follower He was put on Trial for His FaithVance Day is a modern-day profile in courage who strongly believes in helping to raise a generation of leaders equipped to address an ever-changing world. Few have had their personal convictions more sorely tested or triumphed over the politics of religious persecution and personal destruction like Judge Day. Judge Day received his undergraduate degree Warner Pacific University in 1984 and his law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1991. Vance is an accomplished trial lawyer and a member of the Oregon State Bar, and numerous other courts including the United States Supreme Court. He has tried over 300 b...
2022-05-2436 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastErwin Lutzer Calls American Christ-followers to Repent and Wholeheartedly Live for our LordErwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the Senior Pastor for 36 years. He earned an undergraduate degree in theology from Winnipeg Bible College, a Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Masters in Philosophy from Loyola University, and an honorary law degree from the Simon Greenleaf School of Law. A clear expositor of the Bible, Dr. Lutzer is the featured speaker on three radio programs that are heard on more than 1,000 outlets in the United States and around the world: Running to Win—a daily Bible-teaching broadcast; Moody Ch...
2022-05-1739 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRandy and Marcia Share How Jesus Alone has the Power to Bring Healing to AmericaRandy and Marcia Hekman have been married for 52 years, but only have 12 children (and 35 grandkids) to show for it! They now lead The Grand Awakening, a nonprofit with the goal of calling the Church of West Michigan to revival, leading to another Great Spiritual Awakening. After graduation from MIT and GWU Law School, Randy served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and then was a Probate-Juvenile Court Judge for 15 years before leaving the bench to serve various roles in the Christian nonprofit world. Prior to the birth of their firstborn, Marcia taught at Thomas Jefferson High...
2022-05-1022 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJon Mitchell Calls Us to Pray with Increased Hunger for the Manifest Presence of ChristRev. Jon Mitchell has an amazing spirit, heart, and passion for the Kingdom of God and he desires to see lives ignited by the manifest presence of Christ. He is the Growth Director of the College of Prayer International, a global ministry actively mentoring, training, and equipping over 15 million Christian pastors and church leaders to reach a lost world through a revived church. He provides oversight to the growth, traction to the vision, and travels extensively to stir revival and teach on prayer wherever he goes. Jon also oversees Revival Now Media, an equipping ministry that provides churches and...
2022-05-0335 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJonathan DeCou Shares about what We Christians Must Do to Bring Healing to AmericaJonathan DeCou is currently serving as the Lead Pastor of Preaching & Teaching at Whitneyville Bible Church in Alto, Michigan. He brings more than 40 years of ministry experience to his current ministry responsibilities. After his training at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, DeCou served a number of churches across the country in various capacities. He has served as teaching pastor, worship arts pastor, and provided pulpit supply, all in addition to an extensive ministry of teaching at conferences and through church consulting. DeCou states his passion for life this way: “I want to spend my li...
2022-04-2636 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMoses Alexander Shares about the Power of God to change a Life, a City and a NationMoses Alexander is the Pastor of Acts Gospel Outreach Ministry located in the NW quadrant of Grand Rapids. Moses has been in ministry for 37 years, 25 of which he has served as a pastor. He and his dear wife Diane have been married for 49 years. God has blessed them with 5 wonderful children, and now 6 precious grandchildren. Moses feels called by the Lord to reach those that are not saved with the life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also has a heart to reach out in love to those who are homeless, addicted to drugs or ensnared by other debilitating habits...
2022-04-1922 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJay Jones Shares How God Wants Us to Keep our Eyes More on the Reviver than on RevivalJay Jones is a church planter, speaker, author, and senior pastor of the Pentecostals of Kentwood Church in West Michigan. His training included studying at the Christian Leaders Institute, and he has instructed at the Purpose Institute. Jay is a passionate worshipper of Jesus Christ, a husband, and a father. He has a genuine heart for fervent prayer, for selfless service, and for seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout his community, state and nation for the glory of God. In this podcast, Jay talks about the importance, in ministry and life itself, of keeping Jesus...
2022-04-1229 minThe Grand Awakening PodcastMick Veach Calls the American Church to Wholeheartedly Share the Gospel and Make DisciplesWhether 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 is now the Lead Pastor of Kentwood Community Church in Kentwood, Michigan. Mick’s desire is and always has bee...
2022-04-0537 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastScott Hekman Shares the Joys and Trials of Following God’s Call from Engineering to MinistryScott Hekman is the Executive Pastor of the Downtown Congregation of the Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas. He’s married to Lydia and together they are the parents of four awesome children, three daughters and one son. Scott received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Calvin College and a Masters Degree in Water Resources Engineering from University of Texas in Austin. Scott transitioned from engineering to ministry about nine years ago as he and Lydia sensed the call of God to do so. Due to his background as both a pastor and an engineer, Scott enjoys ta...
2022-03-2937 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRenee Allsbrook shares how God’s truth, through her music and words, ministers to many lives.Renée Allsbrook is a classically trained pianist, church music director, worship leader, and songwriter. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in piano performance from Indiana University-Bloomington, and subsequently went on to study at Mannes College of Music in Manhattan, giving recitals and free-lancing during her nine years in New York. Renée has a poet’s pen and a prophet’s heart, and tends to write music appropriate for worship, repentance and renewal. Her first album of original songs, “Call it Joy” (under the artist name Novare Music) came out in 2015, and her second album, “Daughters and...
2022-03-2234 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastMarlin and Becky Bontrager Share about the Joys of a Large FamilyMarlin and Becky Bontrager, as husband and wife, are now blessed with 10 amazing children. While Marlin spends part of his days managing his farm, he also spends much of the year traveling throughout North America with his family blessing churches and groups of people with the wonderful music of their Bontrager Family Singers. Wife Becky is a full time mother who loves investing daily in the lives of their family. Becky thrives on having everyone around the table, gardening and cooking, and going on coffee dates with her children or young mothers who need encouragement. She also loves babysitting...
2022-03-1533 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastLee Strobel Extends Hope to the American ChurchAtheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books and curricula that have sold fourteen million copies in total. He currently serves as Founding Director of the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University. Lee was educated at the University of Missouri (Bachelor of Journalism degree) and Yale Law School (Master of Studies in Law degree). After probing the evidence for Jesus for nearly two years, Lee became a Christian in 1981. In 2017, Lee’s spiritual jour...
2022-03-0830 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastRich Correll Shares Firsthand about the Needs of the People of UkraineRich Correll is a former steel marketing executive turned church planting missionary to Ukraine. Since 1991, Rich has traveled to Ukraine over 145 times and has helped plant 2071 churches resulting in over 14,000 baptisms and the establishment of 91 drug rehab homes. When he launched Church Planters' Training International (CPTI) in 1992 as founder and president, Rich had no prior theological or church planting experience, nor did he know any of the languages spoken by the people of Ukraine. "My joke is we did everything wrong but it worked out pretty good," said Correll. However, Rich does possess the gift of exhortation...
2022-03-0130 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJames Pool Calls the American Church to Corporate RepentanceJames Pool has served as a pastor in Texas for 30 years. After that, he became the National Prayer Director for OneCry, and has been in that role since its inception ten years ago. He also started a college student organization called OneCry for Baylor University, and now serves as its onsite sponsor in Waco, TX. James is also a part of PrayerLink, the Southern Baptist Convention's state prayer leader network. He and his wife Valerie are parents to three wonderful children. In this podcast, James shares his heart for revival and spiritual awakening and the...
2022-02-2240 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastBruce Bruinsma Challenges Christ-following Seniors in America to Be All InBruce Bruinsma is a central figure in the "Retirement Reformation" movement. As the Founder and CEO of Envoy Financial, a retirement provider that serves those in ministry, Bruce has encouraged men and women for over 25 years to look at retirement as a "Future Funded Ministry" where they will have the time and financial freedom to apply a life's worth of talent and experiences to God's Kingdom. In addition, Bruce is the co-founder of several businesses that financially support ministries and communities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Bruce is also the author of several books (including Retirement Reformation re...
2022-02-0819 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastNeal Karsten Shares What God is Saying to the American ChurchNeal Karsten grew up in West Michigan and came to know Jesus when he was at Hope College. With this major change in his life, Neal immediately gained a desire to see passionate believers raised up and empowered for mission. After working as a pastor within the traditional church for 10 years, Neal sensed a clear calling to see disciple making and simple church multiplication take place throughout North America. This work is continuing to multiply in many cities and states by the grace of God. He currently serves with Biglife as the Director of the work throughout North America. He and...
2022-01-3131 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJim Denison Shares What God is Saying to the American Church (Part II)Dr. Jim Denison returns for a second podcast. Jim is the Chief Vision Officer of Denison Forum. Through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast (DenisonForum.org), social media, interviews, and articles across the internet, Denison Forum reaches 2.6 million culture-changing Christians every month. Jim and his wife, Janet, live in Dallas, Texas, and they have two sons and four grandchildren. In this podcast, Jim talks about his recently released book The Coming Tsunami: Why Christians Are Labeled Intolerant, Irrelevant, Oppressive, and Dangerous—and How We Can Turn the Tide. This book does a great job of clarifying what is comi...
2022-01-2429 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastDianne Lee Shares What God is Saying to the American ChurchDianne Lee grew up on a farm in northeastern South Dakota and has lived in Aberdeen, SD for over 30 years. She was employed as a medical social worker until her retirement in 2020. Dianne and her husband, Jeff, have three adult children and four grandchildren. For the past several years, Diane has had the privilege of mentoring many young women in her community, offering these women encouragement, support, and counsel based on Biblical principles. Eight years ago, she followed God’s prompting to gather a group of women from different area churches for prayer. This resulted in the founding of “Women at...
2022-01-1824 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastWayne Grudem Shares What God is Saying to the American ChurchDr. Wayne Grudem is Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona. He is a graduate of Harvard, Westminster Seminary, and the University of Cambridge, England. He has published over twenty-five books, including Systematic Theology, and Politics According to the Bible. He is a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society, and he was the general editor of the ESV Study Bible. He and his wife Margaret have been married since 1969 and have three adult sons. In this podcast, Wayne offers some hope for the Church in America while also admitting she ne...
2022-01-1136 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastKeith Hemmila Shares What God is Saying to the American ChurchPastor Keith Hemmila graduated from the University of Minnesota, Duluth with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Bethel Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota. He pastored in San Francisco, California, Hibbing Minnesota, Marquette Michigan, and Crossfire Church in Rockford, Michigan that he and his wife Judy founded in 2005 and continue to Pastor at present. Pastor Keith is presently the co-founder of the Black Robe Regiment which is a network of pastors who are committed to cultural change based on a biblical worldview. He strongly believes that civil government will only positively change when the...
2022-01-0427 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJohn Geaney Shares What God is Saying to the American Church (Part 2 of 2)John Geaney serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church here in Kentwood, MI. Originally from the United Kingdom, John moved to the Grand Rapids area with his Wife Stacie and 8 children in September 2016. His undergraduate is in Theology, from Westminster College, Oxford. Following on from that John studied at Cornhill in a one year intensive of Biblical Exegesis. John previously served as the Pastor at 5th Avenue Baptist Church in Rome, GA, associate minister at The Holy Redeemer Church, South London, and as Youth worker at Christ Church in East London. John’s passions are Jesus, his family, preac...
2021-12-2726 min
The Grand Awakening PodcastJohn Geaney Shares What God is Saying to the American Church (Part 1 of 2)John Geaney serves as the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church here in Kentwood, MI. Originally from the United Kingdom, John moved to the Grand Rapids area with his Wife Stacie and 8 children in September 2016. His undergraduate is in Theology, from Westminster College, Oxford. Following on from that John studied at Cornhill in a one year intensive of Biblical Exegesis. John previously served as the Pastor at 5th Avenue Baptist Church in Rome, GA, associate minister at The Holy Redeemer Church, South London, and as Youth worker at Christ Church in East London. John’s passions are Jesus, his family, preac...
2021-12-2123 min