OUR HEART FOR MINISTRY & COMMUNITY
Chris and Sara believe that ministry happens best in the context of real life—not just inside church walls, but in the everyday rhythms of family, school, sports, and community. With five children of their own actively involved in Genoa schools, sports teams, and extracurriculars, they understand firsthand the joys and challenges families face in raising kids who love Jesus in today's world.
Their family doesn't just live in Genoa—they're woven into the fabric of the community. From coaching soccer and teaching in local schools to leading community programs and cheering from the bleachers, Chris and Sara are already walking alongside the students and families they hope to serve. They see ministry not as a program to attend, but as a lifestyle of loving God and loving others right where they are.
A Vision Rooted in Relationships
Chris and Sara have learned that the most meaningful discipleship happens through authentic relationships built over time. They've seen transformation occur not in perfectly crafted programs, but in conversations after practice, texts checking in on a hard week, meals around the table, and showing up when it matters most.
Their approach to ministry reflects this conviction: relational, not transactional. Discipleship, not just entertainment. Gospel-centered, not activity-driven. They want to create a space where students don't just show up for an hour on Sunday nights—they find a spiritual family that walks with them through middle school awkwardness, high school pressures, and the critical years of forming their identity in Christ.
Why Genoa? Why Now?
Chris and Sara have watched their own children navigate friendships, social media, academic stress, and the pull of competing voices telling them who they should be. They've seen how desperately students need—and want—authentic community, biblical truth, and adults who genuinely care about their lives.
Genoa is full of good kids from great families, but many are spiritually adrift. Some have never heard the gospel clearly presented. Others grew up in church but have never been challenged to own their faith personally. Still others are carrying burdens—anxiety, family struggles, identity questions—that they're facing alone.
Chris and Sara believe God is calling them to create a ministry where students can encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, and rise up as leaders who live with conviction, character, and purpose. Not someday when they're older—right now, in sixth grade, in ninth grade, in their schools and friend groups and sports teams.
A Family on Mission
The Soltis family doesn't see ministry as something Chris and Sara do—it's something they live as a family. Their five children aren't just watching from the sidelines; they're learning what it means to live missionally by seeing their parents open their home, invest in others, and follow Jesus with their whole lives.
Chris and Sara want to model for their own kids—and for every student who comes through Rise Up—that following Jesus isn't boring, restrictive, or irrelevant. It's the most adventurous, purposeful, joy-filled life possible. And it starts now, not later.
AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE MISSION
Chris and Sara aren't doing this alone. They believe God is already stirring the hearts of other families, students, and leaders in Genoa who share this vision. Rise Up Student Ministries is an invitation for everyone—students, parents, volunteers, and supporters—to join what God is doing in this community.
Whether you're a parent hoping your teenager finds solid Christian community, a student looking for something real, or an adult who wants to invest in the next generation, there's a place for you in this movement.
This isn't just about starting another youth group. It's about raising up a generation of students who know who they are in Christ and live like it—at school, at home, on their teams, and in their community.
It's time to rise up. Will you join us?
