S3:45 | Before the First Day: How Pre‑Freshman Retreats Are Keeping College Students in the Faith (ft. Trace Hamiter of Oaks)

S3:45 | Before the First Day: How Pre‑Freshman Retreats Are Keeping College Students in the Faith (ft. Trace Hamiter of Oaks)

In this episode of the REACH podcast, Manny sits down with Trace Hamiter, founder and Executive Director of the Oaks Collaborative, to unpack the vision, strategy, and fruit of a unique ministry that meets students before they ever step onto campus. Since 2012, Oaks has hosted 3‑day, 2‑night pre‑freshman retreats on more than 20 college campuses—from Auburn to Rutgers and soon UCLA—connecting incoming students with trained upperclassmen, local churches, and campus ministries to counter the stark reality that nearly 70% of regular churchgoing high schoolers drift from their faith in college. Trace shares his origin story, the biblical “oaks of righteousness” vision from Isaiah 61:3, andwhy anguished, desperate prayer is the starting point for mission, then walks through how peer‑led retreats, church partnerships, and intentional discipleship are helping students build a Christ‑centered reference group in the critical first 72 hours of college life.

S3:44 | Why a Fresh Look at Your Campus Matters

In this episode of the REACH podcast, the focus is on why taking a fresh look at your campus matters. It’s easy to get used to familiar spaces, ministry rhythms, and assumptions, but stepping back onto campus with fresh eyes can reveal new opportunities, changing student patterns, and overlooked places for connection. Using stories, examples, and the F.I.R.S.T. framework — Fan out, Inspect, Reimagine, Snap, and Talk — this episode encourages college ministers to rediscover their campus and approach the new season with renewed vision and energy.

S2:43 | Worth It for the One: The Hope That Fuels Evangelism (ft. Paul Worcester of NAMB)

In this episode of the Reach Podcast, Manny sits down with Paul Worcester, national collegiate director for the North American Mission Board and founder of Christian Challenge and the Campus Multiplication Network, for a wide-ranging conversation about college ministry, evangelism, discipleship, prayer, and multiplication. Paul shares how God used trials, small beginnings, and everyday faithfulness to shape his ministry at Chico State and beyond, offering practical encouragement for leaders who want to build a culture of evangelism and raise up students who make disciples. Paul's Resources: https://linktr.ee/paulworcester      •    Thrive Bible Study     •    Three Habits Ebook     •    For The Harvest Podcast     •    Jim Elliot conference message https://www.campusmultiplicationnetwork.com/podcast/s1e11     •    “Master List”

S2:42 | BLI (Bible Leadership Institute): How Everyday Servanthood Shapes Kingdom Leaders (ft. 2025 BLIs)

In this REACH episode, we sit down with friends from our first-ever Bible Leadership Institute (BLI) cohort to unpack what a year of bi-vocational leadership training at the Acts 2 Training Center is like. In addition to classes and workshops, they share how God used serving behind the scenes at the Acts 2 Training Center (ATC) helped to stretch their servanthood muscles in surprising ways. Along the way, they talk about finding rest in daily Scripture, gleaning wisdom from seasoned pastors and Barnabas leaders, and gaining a “front-row seat” to what God is doing across youth, college, church plants, and global missions in our network. Whether you are in ministry, bivocational work, or just curious how leaders are formed over decades, this conversation offers an honest, hope-filled window into how ordinary faithfulness over time shapes kingdom leaders.

S2:41 | CPIs (Church Plant Interns): Giving Your First Year After Graduation to God’s Mission (ft. 2025 CPIs)

In this episode of the REACH podcast, we sit down with CPIs (Church Plant Interns) who chose to give their first year after graduation not to career or grad school, but to helping plant new churches in college towns. We trace the storyof our CPI program from its beginnings in 2014 at UC Santa Barbara through the “Great Scattering” to the recent teams at UIUC, MSU, and IU, where they witnessed salvations, baptisms, and countless behind‑the‑scenes stories of God at work. Along the way, we talk about calling, life on a church plant team, learning under pastors, and how a CPI year can clarify life purpose and set a long‑term trajectory for missions and ministry. Whether you’re in our network or just curious from the outside, this conversation offers an honest, faith‑building glimpse into what it’s really like to spend that precarious first post‑grad year on high‑stakes gospel mission as a CPI.