Mother's Day

This weekend, we are thrilled to have guest speaker Kim Meeder for our Mother's Day services.

About Kim:
At nine years of age, Kim Meeder’s life was torn apart by her parents’ murder-suicide.

On the day of their funeral, Kim experienced healing that only Jesus Christ can give and unique emotional comfort through a horse. This restorative refuge become the foundation for all that was to follow. Through the love of Jesus and a little mare, Kim’s life was saved. Redeemed by the hope of Christ, she rose through the pain and become a powerful and encouraging influence in the lives of hurting youth. Inspired by Jesus’ love, in 1995, Kim and her husband Troy transformed their 9-acre cinder quarry into a ranch for kids and Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was born. This unique non-profit organization rescues abused and neglected horses and with the kids help, nurtures them back to health. These same horses are then integrated into the ranch’s riding program for children. With the understanding that all kids are at risk in today’s cultural climate, the ranch remains focused on individual instruction for each participant with one leader, one horse, and one child… always free of charge. Having assisted in the rescue of more than 300 horses, CPYR currently supports an equine family of 30 to 35 horses and welcomes four to five thousand visitors every year. The ranch has also assisted into existence over 200 similar ministries across the United States, Canada, and more than a dozen in foreign nations. These similar ministries are also committed to serving families in need toward the love of Christ.

Kim has written and released five books (Hope Rising, Bridge called Hope, Blind Hope, Fierce Beauty, and Encountering our Wild God). Her books have been translated into five different languages and her radio interviews with Focus on the Family remain as some of the most requested shows in their broadcast history.

Also, an accomplished and enthusiastic speaker, Kim has addressed audiences from home groups to mega churches, high schools to universities, women’s conferences to missionary conventions. She has spoken the Gospel of Jesus Christ to villages in the poorest nations of Eastern Europe to the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C.

Kim is humbled to have received multiple awards acknowledging her commitment to serve others. A few include the Red Cross Heroes Award, the Regional Jefferson Award, the National Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award, and Woman of the Year for community service. In addition to her responsibilities as the Co-founder and the Chief of Communications Officer at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, speaking and authoring, Kim is a deep wilderness adventurer. She and her childhood sweetheart, Troy, have been married for 37 years and enjoy living in Bend, Oregon.