ReFocus Coaches play a vital role in guiding ministry teams through a self-evaluation process that fosters intergenerational discipleship and strategic growth. Using the ReFocus three-step coaching model, coaches help churches assess their generational landscape, identify key areas for connection, and develop actionable plans for ministry impact. Coaches also provide a 6-month follow-up to support accountability and ongoing development.
To become a ReFocus Coach, you must first complete a ReFocus Ministry Cohort. Once completed, you can participate in a 4-hour ReFocus Coach Training, where you will learn the coaching framework, practice facilitating conversations, and gain access to exclusive resources. If you’re passionate about helping churches grow in intentional ministry, we invite you to take this next step!
Dr. Christina Embree, Founder/Director, christina@refocusministry.org
Christina Embree is the founder and director of ReFocus Ministry. She holds a doctorate in spiritual formation with a focus on age segregation and intergenerational ministry and a masters in ministry focused on Children, Youth, and Family Ministry.
In addition to coaching churches of multiple denominations and traditions all around the globe, she is widely recognized as a speaker and author in the areas of generational discipleship, intergenerational ministry, and family ministry
Christina coaches all of our ReFocus Ministry Cohorts including all follow-up coaching and leads the ReFocus Coaches Training.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTINA HERE
Joy Brown, ReFocus Coach, joy@refocusministry.org
Joy has served as the Pastor of Worship and Family Life at Amherst Community BIC Church in Massillon, Ohio, for 15 years. Her passion is to see people of all ages grow in their knowledge and understanding of God’s great love for them and then to live their lives to honor God. She brings this passion into her work connecting generations together. She believes our faith is strengthened when we learn from one other and all generations can sow into the lives of others. She has seen firsthand how a congregation can come alive through intergenerational ministry models and she is passionate about seeing more congregations experience this life-giving approach to ministry.
Joy is also a wife and mother to two (soon to be three) amazing children who have grown in their faith journeys by experiencing intergenerational ministry in their own church. She understands the impact that one generation can have upon the next and the importance of discipling future generations.
Ryan Cagno, ReFocus Coach, ryan@refocusministry.org
Ryan was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA and still lives there with his wife Ashleigh, daughter Naomi and foster daughter DW. In addition to his role with ReFocus has served since 2010 in various capacities within the Brethren in Christ Church; currently he serves as the Pastor of Discipleship at Harrisburg BIC and as the Director of Next Gen Ministries for the BIC’s Atlantic Conference. He is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College (’11) and Princeton Theological Seminary (’18).
With experience and education in youth, young adult and adult ministry, Ryan is driven in all of his different roles to see generational siloes broken down, and in their place to see built up the type of vibrant, transformative, intergenerational church that Jesus envisioned and modeled.
Aria Rajnic Schmitt, ReFocus Coach, aria@refocusministry.org
Aria studied Worship and Congregational Ministry at Messiah University and has served churches and ministries of various denominations in the areas of visionary leadership, worship, preaching, mentorship, and ministry to women, children, and families.
She has cared for families as a pastor, nanny, housekeeper, and birth doula. One fun fact about Aria is that she’s a lifelong dancer and loves guiding people to connect with God through movement.
She has become a ReFocus coach because she believes God expands His people’s faith through relationships with one another across differences, including life stage and generation, and she loves walking with churches as they bravely step into the ways God desires to bless them.
Your Coaching Journey
Your ReFocus coaching experience begins with a FREE 30-Minute Initial Coaching Call and ends with a congregation connected to one another and their community like never before. Together, you and/or your team will discover the generations in your church, identify the bridges and barriers to intergenerational interaction, and create an action plan to grow your community.
“Our Pastoral staff has had a number of ZOOM sessions with our coach as we attempted to enhance and enlarge our Intergenerational Discipleship ministry. Her insight into this facet of ministry has illuminated our thinking and… guided us as we formulated a structure and plan of implementation for our own local ministry both within the congregation and reaching into the community” – Associate Pastor, Ohio
Connect Generations Coaching & Assessement
Connect Generations Coaching is a one-time intensive coaching experience that uses a research-based ministry assessment tool designed for churches to complete in less than a week.
You’ll work directly with a ReFocus Coach in this unique coaching experience that offers specific insight into the barriers and bridges to connect generations in your faith community.
For a sample of the Connect Generations Assessment, please email us HERE.
To learn more about this incredible ministry tool, click HERE.
