Homecoming 2026 Sponsor Marketplace

"My faith shapes how I approach my family, our business, and the people we serve. I believe the work we do is an opportunity to honor God through integrity, stewardship, and care for others." Ohannes "Oni" Ortiz, Co-owner

Now hiring: a Lead Carpenter for high-end projects. Young people interested in learning the trades are welcome to reach out too: admin@topnotchcontracting.com

We use a domestic missions model to train, plant, and sustain church planters, pastors, and churches through long term partnerships with supporting donors and churches. Our work involves a training school for urban ministry, the Haynes School of Ministry, as well as new and sustained churches and pastors throughout New England including Central Falls, RI; Dorchester, MA; Lewiston, ME; New Haven, CT; Worcester, MA and more.

Visit neuchurchplanting.org to learn more and join the work that God is doing in New England's underserved urban neighborhoods.

Through generous donors and ministry partners, the BFNE invests in church planting and revitalization, collegiate and youth ministry, leadership development, scholarships, emergency needs, and other strategic opportunities. We also help individuals and churches establish endowed funds that can support ministry for generations to come. Our goal is not simply to fund good projects. We want to invest where God is already at work and help effective ministries flourish and multiply.

Whether providing a grant to a small church with a big vision, helping a student prepare for ministry, supporting Gospel outreach on a college campus, strengthening a pastor or congregation in a time of need, or building an endowment for the future, the BFNE is committed to helping Gospel ministry flourish throughout New England. Together, we can make an impact today that continues for generations.

The core mission of The Navigators is summarized in their motto: “To know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.” Rather than relying primarily on large events or programs, Navigators emphasize meeting people one-on-one or in small groups to study the Bible, pray together, share life experiences, and develop spiritual maturity.

The ministry serves in a wide variety of settings, including college campuses, military bases, workplaces, local churches, neighborhoods, inner cities, and international mission fields. Their goal is to reach people where they live, work, study, and serve, helping them develop a personal relationship with Christ and become disciple-makers themselves.

A distinctive feature of The Navigators is their emphasis on spiritual multiplication. They seek not only to help individuals grow in faith but also to equip those individuals to invest in others. This creates “spiritual generations” of believers who continue passing on what they have learned, following the example found in 2 Timothy 2:2.

The Navigators provide training, resources, mentoring, and leadership development to strengthen believers in areas such as Scripture engagement, prayer, evangelism, community building, and discipleship. Their vision is to see ordinary Christians living out their faith authentically and influencing their families, workplaces, campuses, churches, and communities for Christ.

About Small Town Summits

The goal of Small Town Summits is to see the small places of New England filled with gospel-centered, community-engaged churches and Christian workers, for the glory of God.

We love New England and the local church, and we believe that a key way to reach our region with the gospel is to serve the churches and leaders already serving in New England’s small places.

Since our inception, God has been pleased to use Small Town Summits in the following ways:

Summits. We partner with churches and leaders on the ground to host small, regional, one-day gatherings. These Summits are highly collaborative in nature, drawing upon the gifts of local leaders to provide training, encouragement, and connection for those who attend. We host a Summit in each New England state every year.

Resources. We create gospel-centered, theologically-rich content that speaks to the unique joys and struggles of serving Christ in small places. Our articles are written by and for those serving in small places and are aimed at speaking to the particular needs of rural pastors and laypeople. Our podcast features stories of those faithfully serving in the small places and seeks to offer encouragement toward a faithful endurance with joy. Our own Stephen Witmer’s award-winning book, A Big Gospel in Small Places, also grew directly out of the ministry of Small Town Summits.

Trainings. We host one-day training seminars which seek to equip small-town churches with practical tools to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and to make disciples in their context. Our trainings include equipping women to study God’s Word, One-to-One Bible reading, and evangelism training.

Mentoring & Coaching. Under the leadership of our co-founder and Director of New Initiatives, David Pinckney, we’re connecting and mentoring pastors in their first five years of ministry in New England. We’ve also assembled a team of experienced pastors who are coming alongside churches that need encouragement and direction.

Recruiting. David and STS teams are also visiting Christian colleges and seminaries to invite young people to bring their callings and careers to small-town New England for the sake of the gospel. These recruiting visits especially focus on inviting young men to consider serving in New England rural residencies and pastorates.

Visit our table or smalltownsummits.com for more information.