What is Grace Encounter (GE)?
Grace Encounter is a Christian ministry that focuses on spiritual and emotional healing. Our mission is Transformation Through Loving Connection. We believe that we are transformed by the love of God and the love of His community of believers. We believe that Christ's mission was to heal the broken hearted and bind up the wounded. In this fallen world we are often hurt, wounded, and confused by the pain and darkness all around us. We believe that grace is for more than just saving us in a future state, grace is here for us now, to heal us and to grow us into mature wholehearted people. This involves truth, emotional honesty, intentional personal investigation, and a loving community. We provide workshops, ongoing community, and teachings that help people to heal, grow, and thrive.
Grace Encounter Board
Randal Weidenaar, Behavioral and Organizational Psychologist
Randal is a Culture Change Consultant. He works with organizations to help them focus their culture on valuing people. He spent a decade of his life in missions in Europe. Randal has read extensively in the fields of psychology and neurobiology for his work and ministry. He holds a master's degree in behavioral and organizational psychology from the London Metropolitan University. He is certified in ACT Therapy. He has studied neuroscience at Harvardx and team culture development at the University of Pennsylvania. He attended Moody Bible Institute and has a deep love for knowing and experiencing his heavenly Father. He attended Grace Encounter in 2013. He and his wife, Rebekah, have two grown daughters and grandchildren. They live in central Missouri on a small hobby farm.
Leadership Team and GE Director
Rebekah Weidenaar, LPC
Rebekah is a Licensed Professional Counselor; graduated in 2020 from Grace College and Seminary with a masters in clinical mental health counseling. She received her bachelor degree in counseling from Central Christian College of the Bible in 2017. Rebekah has a lifetime of multi-cultural experiences as she lived in different countries for 20 years as a missionary child and then as a missionary. She has led a number of women's groups, attended Grace Encounter in 2012, and has been a GE trainer since 2014. She loves to watch her heavenly Father lovingly and graciously speak to people's hearts bringing healing and hope.
Grace Encounter and its workshops are not affiliated with her clinical practice at Rebekah W Counseling.
Leadership Team and Workshop Facilitator
Frank Marth
After getting his BSBA/Management degree, Frank has held several positions in the business field currently operating his insurance agency. Hobbies include remodeling houses and various building projects. He is married to Linda, resides in mid-Missouri, and is dad to two sons and a daughter. He has held many leadership positions in his community, his church, and he facilitates groups for Making Peace with Your Past and Financial Peace University. Frank has a passion for Grace Encounter as through this workshop he discovered the man God created him to be. Frank desires to help others discover what’s keeping them from finding joy and freedom to rest in God’s love and grace.
Leadership Team
Linda Marth
Linda began her career in business after earning her BS in Business Administration/Marketing. Reassessing values led her back to school years later into the field of physical therapy. She now is blessed by helping people with rehabilitation and gaining quality of life. Grace Encounter is the most impactful experience in her life discovering WHO God created her to be, and inspiring a life-long journey with Christ for spiritual and personal growth. She is humbled to walk with others who desire to break the chains that are holding them back. Linda is continuously amazed at how God is at work through joys and challenges in life. She enjoys time with family, friends, her golden retriever, and being in nature.
Leadership Team
Janice McCollum
Janice has been involved as a trainer with Grace Encounter since 2009, after attending a similar workshop in Kansas City in 2005 and experiencing a life transformation as a result of it. She is married and lives in the Kansas City area. She received her Associate’s Degree in 2000 and works as a Registered Dental Hygienist. She has a passion to help people uncover their true identity in Christ, and to help them see how God can take any area of brokenness and offer grace, hope and healing, just as God did for her. She loves to spend time with family, is involved in her local church, enjoys discipling younger women, cooking with her husband, and using their home for various ministries. She believes Grace Encounter is one of the most transformative workshops available, and has witnessed countless lives changed as a result of it.
Leadership Team
We Believe in...
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The Bible as God’s inspired, inerrant Word
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The Holy Trinity of the Godhead
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The virgin birth of Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God
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The death and resurrection of Jesus as God’s atonement for sinful human nature
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The need for each individual to respond to God’s grace by faith
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The sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all believers
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That all Grace Encounter leaders and trainers should live lives that reflect the life-giving principles and behaviors described in the Bible.
GE’s the most significant event of my life.
Even in difficulties, I have more peace and joy than ever.
Grass is greener; birds are sweeter. My life is richer and
more worthwhile than ever.
Goal
Moving toward recovery of the “real you,” enabling you to both give and receive love; discovering a life of grace and truth based on God’s Word and Christ’s love.
Realization
Removing the masks you wear; identifying and overcoming lies you’ve believed about yourself, God, and others; discovering the joy and freedom of being who God made you to be.
Accountability
Realizing you’re not responsible for what happened to you, but you are accountable for how you respond: deciding not to remain a victim, choosing to forgive, and embracing the truth of God’s perspective.
Community
Developing trust and openness with others in a confidential setting, while empathizing with each other’s unique journeys; building supportive continuing relationships.
Experience
Experiencing Christ’s love and taking it into your home, workplace, and church; modeling authentic Christianity; using the tools you’ll receive to experience lasting change.