Dawn Whitestone is thrilled to help launch the Deeper Walk School of Ministry as its first Director. The Deeper Walk School of Ministry equips pastors, missionaries and lay ministers with practical skills and tools to help real people with real problems. Training includes a Biblical foundation for understanding emotional wounds and trauma, spiritual warfare and growing in maturity.

Dawn’s passion is growing people and organizations into their full potential. Since 2013 she has served as an executive coach, strategic planner, and training designer. Her unique approach to following God’s purposes and plans is captured in the book Strategic Business Prayer and its companion workbook.

Dawn’s zest for joyful living is rooted in a strong family, vibrant faith, and familiarity with suffering. Her personal experiences with divorce, grief, and family illness give her a compassion that undergirds her love for life and passion for people. Dawn fills her joy bucket loving her husband, volunteering in her church, and spending time with friends in Lakeland, Florida.

Emily Duenser

Assistant Director, Deeper Walk School of Ministry

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Emily Duenser
Assistant Director, Deeper Walk School of Ministry

Emily is a seasoned administrator who combines those skills with a passion for joining God in his work to heal his people. She is honored to serve as the Assistant Director in our School of Ministry as well as the HR Administrator for Deeper Walk. Emily’s background as a teacher as well as her 10+ years of leadership experience in the non-profit and ministry world makes this role quite a sweet spot for her. Emily is certified as a prayer minister with Deeper Walk and has ministered for many years to/with trauma survivors. God has used her life experiences and healing journey as a calling to walk with people through the things they’ve suffered, to invite them to experience the kindness, freedom, and restoration available from the Lord through Jesus Christ.

Outside of this role, Emily tries to keep up with her three active kids and two spoiled fur-babies. She aspires to someday get caught up on laundry, blog consistently, learn to play the piano, have a therapy dog, paddle-board, climb mountains, & never get over seeing God work in miraculous ways.

FACULTY

Lisa Nirva

Instructor

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Lisa Nirva, M.A.

Lisa is excited to be a part of Deeper Walk School of Ministry and assist in training prayer ministers for a season such as this. Since the early 1990s, God has called her to participate in inner healing prayer ministry, leadership, and training at the churches where she had attended and the non-profit ministries where she served. She has been trained in Theophostic Approach, SOZO, Immanuel Approach, Freedom in Christ, Internal Family Systems and REAL Prayer. In November 2022, she completed Deeper Walk’s School of Ministry prayer ministry 10-month certification as well as AACC Christian coaching certificate.

Professionally she is a college planner and offers prayer ministry to individuals. She has been a high school English teacher in Hong Kong, California and Washington D.C. and in Minnesota where she currently lives.

Christy Edge

Instructor

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Christy Edge

Christy Edge has walked her own healing journey for the last 25 years and seen the Lord bring much freedom. As she’s walked this out it has given her a desire for others in the body of Christ to walk in freedom as well. Christy ministers to people locally in her community just south of Nashville, TN, and thanks to Zoom, anywhere around the country. For the last 18 years Christy has also worked with a church planting organization to share the Good news of Jesus with those on the other side of the world. As she has interacted with other cultures and seen the Lord work The Lord has opened doors to bring inner healing prayer ministry to many refugees who have come out of traumatic events, and to train many American believers to be trauma informed when serving the hurting people of the world.

Christy loves to bake, read, cuddle dogs, and hang out with like minded friends. Since going through DWI’s School of Ministry, she has now opened her home as a place of respite and inner healing for those looking for breakthrough.

Melissa Finger

Instructor

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Melissa Finger, M.S., N.C.C.
Founder & Executive Director of Trauma Healing Center

Melissa Finger is the founder and executive director of the Trauma Healing Center in Kansas City. In addition, she has worked as a biblical counselor for more than a decade assisting clients both locally and internationally as they heal from complex trauma. Melissa has a masters degree in Marriage and Family Counseling, has written three books on healing from trauma, and has spoken at dozens of events and workshops across the country. Her heart is to share God’s perspective of trauma and His plan of healing for every individual!

Dan Allison

Instructor

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Dan Allison

Dan and Sarah Allison live in Eastern Iowa. They are the proud parents of 4 amazing sons, 2 incredible daughters-in-law, and 4 fantastic grandchildren! Dan is the Founding Pastor of Crossroads Church, Peosta. Along with his wife Sarah, he currently teaches Faith Formation classes at Crossroads Church. They also lead women’s and men’s retreat weekends each fall, utilizing Deeper Walk’s content church-wide.

Dan’s role in the kingdom is “Catalyst” and the Lord has led Dan to catalyze engines that carry the gospel and healing of Jesus to others. This includes helping plant several churches in Eastern Iowa and starting multiple ministries both inside and outside the church. Dan currently serves as President of The Oak Grove Inc, a non-profit dedicated to helping people recover from the effects of childhood trauma. In addition to full-time ministry work, Dan has been serving in the Retirement Industry for 32 years. He is currently a Managing Director at Empower, the nation’s second largest Retirement provider. He also manages to find time in the woods, at his farm, and on the water, harvesting some of our lands’ most delicious fish and game.

John Pitterle

Teacher's Assistant

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John Pitterle

John Pitterle and his precious wife have two exceptional adult children and a wonderful son-in-law. He graduated in engineering from Penn State University where he continues to work. John has served overseas and mobilizes in missions. He has led small groups through Deeper Walk (DW) resources and co-hosted the Understanding the Wounded Heart Deeper Dives. John has received training in HeartSync, Connect Up, Immanuel Prayer, is a DW-certified prayer minister, and has been a TA for the School of Ministry. John is a broken vessel who has received love and acceptance from Jesus. His vision is to help people encounter Jesus and His unconditional love so that their hearts are healed and they are able to see themselves, God, and others more like He does.

Ben Graham

Teacher's Assistant

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Ben Graham

Ben is following Immanuel down the trail of life, one step at a time, finding healing, new challenges, and wonderful opportunities for connection and ministry. With a passion for the local church, his desire is to spread heart-focused (hesed) discipleship spread into and through churches and the Church. With decades serving in various roles within local churches, Ben currently serves his local community through prayer ministry, coaching, and finding other needs as Immanuel brings them along the trail of life.

Ben loves spending time with his wife and two children. They enjoy being outdoors, traveling, and just being with people. Aside from just loving relationships, he is a self-professed gear-head (he loves vehicles and racing) and rabid Georgia Bulldog. A graduate of the school of ministry himself, he is excited to take part in spreading these wonderful skills and resources!

Katie Rippy

Teacher's Assistant

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Katie Rippy

Hi! I am Katie Rippy. I am a born again daughter of God! He has set me free from so so much and has awakened me to joy! I love to serve the Lord, especially with my husband, Steve! Together, we are raising our four children and serving our church. A few years ago, I was able to graduate from Deeper Walk’s School of Ministry! Now I serve in my church’s lay counseling ministry as the leader of the prayer ministry team and joy groups. I feel so grateful each time I watch God work in His gentle and timely way! I also love to sing, speak at the occasional women’s event, mentor women in the faith, and teach! On my day off, you can find me with my popcorn watching a movie, painting, or playing my guitar! I am thrilled to be going through this class and cannot wait to get to know you!

Contact the School of Ministry

Name

Phone

Message

School of Ministry Team

STAFF

Dawn Whitestone

Emily Duenser

FACULTY

Lisa Nirva

Christy Edge

Melissa Finger

Dan Allison

John Pitterle

Ben Graham

Katie Rippy

Stay in the Know!