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Spiritual Growth | Faith in Action for Youth

by | Aug 13, 2025 | Spiritual Growth | 0 comments

Three smiling boys with nametags are drawing with markers at a table.

Faith in Action: How Spiritual Growth Shapes the Lives of Our Youth

At FrankTown Open Hearts, we believe that true transformation begins not just with hands-on skills, but with a strong foundation in faith. Our mission is to be “Jesus” to the youth of Williamson County, and we are committed to being the “hands and feet of Christ” by offering Christ-centered mentoring and programming. While our vocational and academic classes are vital, it is the spiritual growth of our students that truly inspires us and equips them to build a better future.

A woman and a smiling young girl as they draw together at a table.

Nurturing the Spirit, Building the Future

Our faith-based approach is woven into the fabric of everything we do. We provide a safe, supportive environment where youth can explore their faith and develop a deep sense of purpose. Through our weekly programming, students receive age-appropriate Bible study, mentorship, and opportunities for spiritual and emotional growth. We believe that by instilling Christ-centered values, we are empowering our students with the resilience, integrity, and hope they need to navigate life’s challenges. This spiritual foundation is a key component of our mission, which aims to inspire, empower, and equip at-risk youth to lead fulfilled lives.

Three inspirational boards at FrankTown Open Hearts


Community in Action: A Testament to Faith

Our work is made possible by the incredible support of our community, which often acts as a visible sign of faith in action. We are continually humbled by the generosity of those who believe in our mission. We recently received a beautiful example of this from a local church’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). The children, inspired to give back, raised a remarkable amount of money for FrankTown. The image below captures the heartwarming “Grand Total” of their efforts, a powerful testament to how faith can motivate people of all ages to serve others. This support allows us to continue offering our life-changing programs and a safe space where our students can thrive.

The Invitation to Serve

The spiritual journey of our students is at the heart of our mission, and it’s a journey we can’t take alone. The generosity of our community, both in time and donations, is what allows us to continue this important work. We invite you to join us in our mission to bring hope to the youth of Franklin, TN. You can learn more about our foundational beliefs and the programs we offer on our Who We Are page. 

Inspired by their story?

We invite you to be a part of our mission. Your support helps us continue to provide Christ-centered mentoring and life-changing programs.

Donate Today and Help Us Change Lives!

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Chris Barnhill, Executive Director

Chris Barnhill was born and raised in the great state of Texas. He is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan and enjoys playing golf when time allows. He has two grown children and has been married to his wife Jo for 37 years. Chris has been a member of the Fourth Avenue Church of Christ for 21 years, where he currently serves as an Elder. His undergraduate degree was from Oklahoma Christian University, and he served as a youth minister for several years at churches in Kansas City and Atlanta. He earned his MPA degree (in Nonprofit Management) from Tennessee State University, and was the Executive Director of Youth Encouragement Services, and CASA before accepting the position as the Executive Director of FrankTown Open Hearts. Under Chris’ leadership, FrankTown has developed new & more effective ways to generate revenue through diversified and sustainable sources. This includes new donor cultivation, increased monthly donors, new fundraising events, additional foundational support, targeted church appeals, intentionally increasing awareness through media relations, social media, board recruitment and focused programming. Chris is a selfless and hardworking Executive Director whose relentless effort in helping those less fortunate has propelled FrankTown to greater heights. He inspires others to act and has an innate ability to get things done by asking the right questions. He does all of this with the mission of FrankTown in mind. He truly inspires, empowers, and equips FrankTown students, staff, the board, and everyone he meets.

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Janell Fadler, Senior Program Director

Janell Fadler was born in Missouri and moved often during childhood as her father pursued a career with IBM. These early experiences instilled in her a love for exploration and a heart for service. Alongside her family, she has traveled extensively; from Europe and the Amazon to the Himalayas on vacations and mission trips. She is driven by a passion for sharing the gospel and serving others through the Holy Spirit. Janell holds a bachelor’s degree in Private/Commercial Recreation from Missouri State University and a master’s in Christian Education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She came to faith in college and became active in CRU, sparking a lifelong passion for student ministry. Since 2001, she has called Franklin, TN, home. Her professional background includes hospitality roles with Hyatt Hotels and ministry positions at Eastside Baptist Church in Georgia and Brentwood Baptist Church in Tennessee. At Lifeway Christian Resources, she served in B&H Publishing, Church Leadership Training & Events, and Retail Marketing. A formative experience in her career was a two-year mission in Russia with the International Mission Board, where she taught English to college students using the Bible. She is currently volunteering in the student ministry at her church, The Church at West Franklin. Most recently, she was Project Management Team Manager for Marketing and Communications at Envision Healthcare. In April 2025, Janell joined FrankTown Open Hearts to continue her calling of serving youth and families in Franklin, now overseeing programming staff, volunteer engagement, and community relationships in support of the mission.

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Amy Dominguez, Finance & Operations Manager

Amy Dominguez grew up in Memphis, Kansas City, and Madison, Tennessee where her parents were involved in church ministry. She played all the sports growing up and in her teen years developed a love of music, intimacy with God, and seeing people come to know the love of Jesus. Amy graduated high school from Goodpasture Christian School and got her bachelor’s degree from Harding University in Spanish Education and Missions. It was there she met her husband Leoncio. They have been married since 2001 and have been involved in various ministries throughout the years. Wellspring Franklin has been their church family for over a decade. Amy speaks fluent Spanish, loves to travel and eat good food from around the world, and makes a mean salsa. She enjoys quiet walks, diving deep into God’s Word, encouraging others, and connecting people. Her greatest joys are her family and cheering on her children in all their sporting and artistic endeavors. Amy’s role with FrankTown serves behind the scenes to keep the organization running smoothly. Her skills with numbers, love for people, and determination to see things run efficiently have advanced FrankTown’s administrative functions and streamlined the effectiveness of operations.

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Amy Dominguez, Finance & Operations Manager

Amy Dominguez grew up in Memphis, Kansas City, and Madison, Tennessee where her parents were involved in church ministry. She played all the sports growing up and in her teen years developed a love of music, intimacy with God, and seeing people come to know the love of Jesus. Amy graduated high school from Goodpasture Christian School and got her bachelor’s degree from Harding University in Spanish Education and Missions. It was there she met her husband Leoncio. They have been married since 2001 and have been involved in various ministries throughout the years. Wellspring Franklin has been their church family for over a decade. Amy speaks fluent Spanish, loves to travel and eat good food from around the world, and makes a mean salsa. She enjoys quiet walks, diving deep into God’s Word, encouraging others, and connecting people. Her greatest joys are her family and cheering on her children in all their sporting and artistic endeavors. Amy’s role with FrankTown serves behind the scenes to keep the organization running smoothly. Her skills with numbers, love for people, and determination to see things run efficiently have advanced FrankTown’s administrative functions and streamlined the effectiveness of operations.

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Nicole McIntyre, Director of Programming Logistics

Nicole McIntyre, Director of Programming Logistics Nicole McIntyre grew up in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, with stints in three Texas cities, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Orlando, Florida by the time she was thirteen. The variety of people and cultures in those formative years gave her an appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation and people. She has been married to her husband, Nathan, since 2001 and they have two sons. She loves traveling to places she’s read about and will choose a historical city over a beach vacation every time; usually with a crochet project on hand. Nicole graduated from Harding University with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She decided she wanted to be an educator when she was seven years old and began volunteering in children’s ministry when she was fifteen. Since then she has been working with children in some capacity, whether it’s teaching in a variety of classroom settings, tutoring students, teaching Bible classes, leading AWANA, or making bad balloon animals. She is currently leading the Wednesday night children’s programming at 4th Avenue Church, as well as volunteering in the preschool ministry since 2007. Teaching children they are loved, valued, created beings of God is her most important thing. Nicole has been at FrankTown since 2022. She loves finding solutions for problems, usually with a color-coded spreadsheet. As the Director of Programming Logistics, she works to find the best spaces for volunteers, finding engaging opportunities for students, and making sure all of the many pieces of the puzzle work together.

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Raymond Waymon, Director of Programming Operations

Raymond Waymon Jr was born in Los Angeles, California. Raymond has lived in Franklin, Tn for 30 years. Raymond has been married for 19 years and is a member of Limestone Missionary Baptist Church. Raymond graduated from Franklin High School and was a part of multiple sports teams. Raymond played collegiate football at Lambuth University and University of Memphis. Raymond has a Bachelors degree in Business Economics and Administration. Raymond has worked professionally at Vanderbilt Medical Group where he was the satellite clinic office supervisor for several years. Raymond most recently worked at Williamson County Juvenile Court and was the Intensive Probation Supervisor. Raymond is a Leadership Franklin alumni. Raymond has served on several state and national committees in vast capacities. Raymond is the founder of United Front, an event/mentoring sole proprietary business. Raymond has coached young men and women in football and basketball. Raymond last coached as an assistant coach at Spring Hill High school in 2019. Raymond has a deep love for community and the development of tomorrow's future generations. Raymond has received community awards and recognition for his service within the Franklin community. In his free time Raymond loves the outdoors and grilling and spending time with his loved ones. Raymond is committed to living a life of service and believes it's vital to be a part of the solutions not the gossip.

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Karen Brockington, Senior Programming Assistant

Elder Karen Brockington was born and raised in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland. She attends Aspen Grove Christian Center in Cool Springs TN. Karen has a passion for sowing into the lives of young people and has served as a mentor for over 20 years. Having survived childhood abuse in various forms, Karen knows God has taught her not only how to teach young people how to navigate through their own challenges, but also how to walk with them through life. Karen was ordained as an Elder over youth and music by the late Bishop Veronica Watson of the Bethesda Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she was a member for 23 years. She is the founder of the Washington Semester Student Association at American University in Washington DC where she worked for 15 years before God instructed her to move to Franklin, Tennessee. Upon her move to Tennessee she served under the ministry of Christian artist Nicole C. Mullen’s Baby Girls Club, here in Franklin and then in the Country of Belize. Every Saturday, she connected with youth in Belize who had experienced the same adversity she went through, and helped them overcome their challenges through the performing arts, her teaching, mentoring and immense love for them. She was called back to the U.S. mission field by God and has been involved with the Franktown Open Hearts Ministry for 6 years where she is the Senior Programming Assistant and volunteers as the performing arts coordinator. She currently works with and proudly serves Nicole Mullen as her assistant and Road Manager. If you ask Karen what she wants people to know about her she will say “I love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul and strength. I have traveled the world and still my favorite place to be is in the presence of my Father, the lover of my soul who’s I am and whom I serve.”

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Jennifer Greenberg, Senior Programming Assistant

Jennifer Greenberg, Senior Programming Assistant Born and raised in Oklahoma, Jennifer Greenberg spent a decade in Southern California before settling in Franklin, Tennessee, where she has lived for the past 23 years. A nature enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time outdoors. She is the proud mother of three grown children—graduates of Centennial High School—and a Nana to two granddaughters. Jennifer holds a degree in Early Childhood Development and began her career as a preschool teacher while raising her children. Her passion for ministry began early in life, serving in both high school and middle school ministries at churches in Ada, Oklahoma, and Ventura, California. She has also led worship for churches and women’s conferences across California and Tennessee. Her heart for service has taken her around the world—she has traveled to eleven countries for both ministry and leisure, and has lived abroad as a missionary in Monterrey, Mexico, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Jennifer currently works in the Professional Development Department at the Williamson County Schools Central Office. She first learned about Franktown while on staff at Centennial High School and has been involved with the organization for the past seven years. She cherishes her evenings spent with Franktown students, especially leading devotions—her favorite part of the night. A close second is overseeing dinner time, which she sees as a meaningful tradition that brings people together like family. Jennifer’s life reflects a deep commitment to faith, youth, and community. She considers it a blessing to be part of what God is doing through Franktown.