Episodes

  • Episode 1 - All Things Ark: Faith, Fellowship, and Fresh Starts

    Episode 1 - All Things Ark: Faith, Fellowship, and Fresh Starts
    Apr 21 2026
    In this inaugural episode of The Arkcast, host Derrick Bennett is joined by Rob Raines, an associate pastor and former assistant director, to pull back the curtain on The Ark Ministry in Panama City Beach. What began 40 years ago as "Noah's Ark," a Methodist retreat center, has evolved over the last 12 years into a vibrant Christ-based transitional housing program dedicated to tackling local homelessness.
    Derrick and Rob share the "secret sauce" behind their ministry's success, which balances strict accountability with radical grace. They discuss:
    • The Mission of Housing: Managing roughly 140 beds across men's, women's, and single-parent family units.
    • The "Front Door": The Pour, a local coffee shop that serves as the community's primary connection point to the ministry.
    • Holistic Support: How the ministry assists residents with financial training, parenting classes, dental care, and even the logistics of securing vehicles for work.
    • Leadership from Within: Their unique model of empowering residents to take on management roles and mentor one another.
    • The Faith Festival: A look back at their successful community music festival and a preview of the upcoming event on October 24th at Aaron Bessant Park to raise funds for their "compassion closet".
    Through stories of "road-worn" musicians finding their rhythm again and the messy, beautiful reality of building a "family" out of strangers, this episode highlights how The Ark serves as the hands and feet of Jesus on the Emerald Coast.
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    40 mins