Equipped: A Podcast Platform for the Equip Ministry of Cuyahoga Valley Church

Dean serves as the Director of Care and Culture here at Cuyahoga Valley Church and has been on staff at CVC for over 20 years. Dean holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary. At our 2025 Women's Conference, Dean led a WorkShop focused on Emotional and Spiritual Health, and helped attendees consider what it looks like to submit our feelings, our thoughts,...

In our first main session at the 2025 CVC Women's Conference, Director of Community Life and Women's Ministry, Becca Ferguson, taught on Romans 12:1-2, and invited attendees to think about what it looks like and what it means to submit our whole selves to Jesus, to surrender all to Him.

This week in Sunday Sessions, join us for our final week of our Equipped Parenting series as we host a panel discussion with three CVC staff members: Dean Siley (Pastor of Care and Counseling), Lauren Meyer (Director of CVCYouth), and Denise Petek (CVCKids Minister). As ministry leaders on staff and parents themselves, Dean, Lauren and Denise share from professional and personal experience, answer...

In Week 3 of Equipped Parenting, Raquel Schors teaches us how we can parent with a plan! She walks us through why it's a good thing for an intentional parent to have a plan, and how we can craft and implement a parenting plan that will help us parent our children with care, foresight, and prayerful consideration.  PDF Resources: Handout

In Week 2 of Equipped Parenting, Pastor Dean Siley helps us to consider what it means to be an emotionally healthy parent - and spouse! In our parenting and in our marriages, our emotional health and our spiritual health are intricately intertwined. When we are able to process our emotions in particular in healthy ways, we are able to equip and train our children to do the same.

In Week 1 of our Equipped Parenting miniseries, Pastor Joe Valenti teaches us what it can look like to be an intentional parent, parenting in a way that helps us intentionally disciple our children and point them to Jesus, both now and in their future.

In this special episode of Sunday Sessions, CVC pastors Joe Valenti and Josh Hamm, and ministry directors Lauren Meyer and Becca Ferguson, engage in a vibrant conversation about women in ministry, examining the complementarian model for understanding the role of men and women in the church and home that is followed by CVC. They look at the Scriptural basis for this position and talk about the ways...

This week in Sunday Sessions, Pastor Joe Valenti helps us wrestle with the question, "How Could a Loving God Send People to Hell?" He shows us how when we ask this question, to find our answer we must first rightly understand humanity's sin and the justice and judgment of God. When we correctly understand God's justice, we are even better equipped to understand His love and gra...

Join us for Sunday Sessions as we tackle the question, "How Could a Loving God Allow So Much Suffering?" Jennifer Gratz does a great job of teaching on a question that has been asked for as long as Christianity has existed - and even before! We will look at how the world looks at suffering apart from God, how the Bible teaches us about suffering, and how God can use suffering to point us...

This week on Sunday Sessions, Kyle Gustafson is answering the question, 'Doesn't the Bible Condone Slavery?" Kyle does a great job of walking us through what slavery in Scripture looked like and how it differed from slavery in the U.S. in the 19th century and before, and what slavery looks like around the world today. He shows us how EVERY kind of slavery goes against God's des...

Join us this week in Sunday Sessions as Becca Ferguson walks us through answering the question, "Isn't Christianity Homophobic?" Our culture has a lot to say about the LGBTQ movement, but as Christians we find our answers to questions about human sexuality in the Bible. God's Word doesn't change and it's always true, and we need to understand both God's truth and...

This week in Sunday Sessions. we looked at the question, "Doesn't Christianity Denigrate Women?" Join Becca Ferguson as she shares with us how God and His Word are good for women, how the life and ministry of Jesus elevated and empowered women, how the early church equipped women to serve both the body of Christ and the lost, and how a Christian theology of marriage is a powerful me...

Join us for a thought-provoking round table discussion with members of the CVC staff as we dive into the significance of church membership. Is it biblical? Why does it matter in today's culture? Together, we tackle common objections, explore the benefits of belonging, and share how church membership connects to living out the Great Commission. Whether you're a longtime attendee, a new vi...

Learning how to defend our faith carries with it the great danger for pride and harm.  In the final week of Apologetics Part 1, Pastor Joe shares how to apply apologetics in the real world, with real people, in a way that is reasoned, defensive (instead of offensive), and winsome. Session Handout (PDF)

This week in Sunday Sessions, Jennifer Gratz teaches us about the intersection of faith and science by tackling the question, "Hasn't Science Disproven Christianity?" Drawing on personal study, on our chapter for the week, and on her experience as an engineer at NASA, Jennifer helps us look deeper at how the discipline of science can actually help us in our quest to understand our f...

In week 6 of our Apologetics miniseries, we will look at how and why the Bible is a trustworthy source that teaches us about who God is and what He is like - and what He wants for us. Becca Ferguson helps us answer the question, "How can you take the Bible literally?" We examine the Bible as a historical document, and we dip our toes into the study of the varied manuscripts of Scripture...

In this episode, CVC elder Kyle Gustafson addresses the challenging question, "Doesn't religion cause violence?" Drawing from Chapter 5 of Rebecca McLaughlin's Confronting Christianity , Kyle explores the historical and cultural complexities surrounding this accusation. He provides a thoughtful analysis of Christianity’s teachings on peace, justice, and reconciliation, contrast...

In this episode, Rich Ontko takes on the thought-provoking question, "Doesn't religion hinder morality?" Guided by Chapter 4 of Rebecca McLaughlin's Confronting Christianity , Rich examines the relationship between faith and ethics, challenging the assumption that morality thrives better without religion. Through historical and contemporary examples, Rich explores how Christian...

In this episode, Jennifer Gratz engages with one of the most pressing questions in modern culture: "How can you say there's only one true faith?" Drawing from Chapter 3 of Rebecca McLaughlin's Confronting Christianity , Jennifer unpacks the exclusive claims of Christianity and their implications for a pluralistic world. She addresses common objections, highlights the unique tru...

In this episode, Josh Hamm tackles the challenging question, "Doesn't Christianity crush diversity?" Using Chapter 2 of Rebecca McLaughlin's Confronting Christianity as a guide, Josh explores the rich history and global nature of Christianity, dispelling misconceptions about its cultural and ethnic exclusivity. Discover how the Christian faith has flourished across diverse soci...

In the opening episode of our new season, Becca Ferguson introduces the foundational role of apologetics in the Christian faith, emphasizing its importance for both personal growth and effective witness. Drawing from Chapter 1 of Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin, Becca addresses the question, "Aren't we better off without religion?" and provides thoughtful insights on...

In the final episode of this season, Joe Valenti brings us into the 20th century and beyond, exploring the complex and ever-evolving landscape of modern Christianity. Using Justo Gonzalez’s The Story of Christianity as a roadmap, Joe examines the church’s response to world wars, the rise of new denominations, and the impact of global cultural shifts. Discover how technological advancements, social...

 Join Rich Ontko as he delves into the 1800s, an era marked by incredible expansion, revival, and challenges for Christianity. Guided by Justo Gonzalez’s The Story of Christianity , this episode explores the rise of missionary movements, the influence of industrialization on faith, and the response of the church to social issues like slavery and poverty. Rich provides insights into how this transf...