Our Story

A story God is writing in the hills of Central Appalachia

God has been writing a story in Central Appalachia far longer than we have been paying attention to it. Ours is simply the part of the story He invited us—Jared and Bethany Arnett—to step into.

We met in college here in Pikeville, KY, not knowing that the place where we fell in love would become the place where God would call us to plant our lives, raise our children, and join Him in a work far bigger than anything we could have imagined. We’ve spent our entire adult lives in these mountains—working, raising Rozzie and Harker, pastoring, building relationships, and watching God breathe new life into people and places many had given up on.

But the truth is this: FaithLife did not begin with our idea. It began with God’s burden for His people and for this region.

From SOAR to New Beginnings: A Growing Conviction

For nearly two decades, God kept us in a unique intersection of economic development, community leadership, and ministry. Through roles in entrepreneurship, regional development, pastoring, and education, He allowed us to see firsthand:

  • the deep resilience and creativity in the people of Appalachia,

  • the ache for purpose and opportunity,

  • and the way the gospel transforms not only hearts, but whole communities when believers live sent.

During Jared’s years leading regional initiatives—including Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR)—and pastoring at New Beginnings Fellowship Church, God was planting a conviction that faith and work were never meant to be separated. We kept meeting believers who loved Jesus on Sunday but struggled to understand how their work, creativity, leadership, and vocation could be part of the “good works” God prepared for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

That verse became the foundation for everything that followed.

FaithLife Ministries: A Small Beginning With a Big God

In 2019, New Beginnings launched FaithLife Ministries, Inc.—a nonprofit created to inspire and equip believers to live out their faith with purpose and to launch ministries and enterprises that bless our neighbors.

What began as a simple outreach umbrella quickly grew into a movement of Kingdom initiatives:

  • FaithLife Market – a coffee shop and marketplace ministry

  • BattleLine Boxing Club – building discipline and identity in youth

  • The Freedom Center – spaces of relational, spiritual, and community renewal

  • Mission teams, mentoring programs, and emerging enterprises

God kept adding new expressions of hope, new leaders, and new opportunities.

We learned that when you give God your “yes,” He multiplies it. And when believers connect their faith to their everyday work, entire communities begin to change.

A New Chapter: FaithLife Appalachia (Launching 2026)

During sabbatical in 2025, the Lord made something unmistakably clear: this work needed greater focus, greater leadership, and a broader vision.

The ministries were growing. The opportunities were growing. And the call was growing louder—to step fully into leading an umbrella of Kingdom enterprises that would bring spiritual renewal and economic hope to the region we love.

FaithLife Appalachia is the next faithful step.

It is a movement built around four callings God has made clear:

1. Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Launching and supporting scalable, mission-aligned enterprises that create jobs and opportunity.

2. Next Generation Development

Shaping resilient, purpose-driven young people through creativity, discipline, and faith.

3. Community Transformation

Turning lights back on in forgotten places—reviving buildings, businesses, and systems of hope.

4. Missional Church Development

Equipping believers and churches to live “sent,” connecting faith to everyday work and ministry beyond the building.

This isn’t our strategy—it’s God’s story. We are simply trying to keep in step with what He is doing.

Why We Stay, Why We Build, Why We Believe

We love Appalachia.
We believe in its people.
And we trust the One who never stops bringing dead things back to life.

Our mission is simple: to unleash the good works God has prepared for His people—so that every cup of coffee, every job created, every young person mentored, every business launched, and every act of service points to the glory of Christ.

We believe a region once known for what it lost can become known for what is being built—by the hands and hearts of God’s people.

This is the story God is writing.
We are honored to play a small part in it.
And we would love for you and your church to join us.