Faith · Community · Leadership
Goal: build a nationwide hub for coffee-house-style youth & young-adult ministry — resources, free leader training, and a founding chapter launching Fall 2026 in Maryland. Starting on the East Coast. Every denomination. Every young person. Welcome.
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." — 1 Timothy 4:12
What Katie has to say about Nieto Ministries™
Four decades of youth leadership behind one mission. Read our full story, mission & vision →
Felix pioneered the coffee-house youth-ministry model more than 20 years ago, out of three decades on the front line of youth leadership — long before national programs made the idea popular. He has led as a Conference Coordinator and club director of four clubs, and holds the field's highest leadership credentials: Master Guide at the Advanced, Leadership, and Instructor Award levels, with the full Pathfinder honor set (250+ awards).
He is a certified Pathfinder Leadership Instructor Trainer and Teen Leadership Instructor Trainer — credentialed to train the trainers — plus a Red Cross Instructor Trainer, competitive Drill Instructor (six first-place trophies), and an instructor in event planning, sound, and security. As his conference's Club Staff Background-Check Coordinator, youth safety has always come first. A John Maxwell–trained leader and founder of an engineering company (est. 1992), Felix brings a builder's discipline to ministry: a proven system others can be trained and certified to run.
Neusa is the heart of hospitality and community behind Join The Grind™. A certified Master Guide and Kids Blast Teen Leader, she has spent decades mentoring young people and building the kind of warm, welcoming spaces where they feel safe enough to belong.
Where Felix builds the system, Neusa makes sure no young person walks in and feels invisible. Together they've devoted their lives to developing the next generation — from childhood faith to adult conviction — and to equipping other leaders to do the same in their own communities.
The coffee-house model at the heart of Join The Grind™ isn't borrowed — Felix built and ran it more than 20 years ago, out of decades on the front line of youth ministry. What national programs later made popular, he was already doing: coffee, music, real conversation, and a short, honest message that meets young people where they are.
Now we're scaling what we pioneered — into a national hub that equips and certifies leaders everywhere to do the same. We're not here to babysit. We're here to build leaders.
Our certification standard is backed by a real training pedigree — not a self-appointed badge:
Master Guide — Advanced
Conference-certified youth-leadership trainer
Full Pathfinder honor & certification set
Decades as club director & youth leader
Everything we do flows through these three principles.
A place to belong. Before you can grow spiritually, you need to feel safe. We build that space — authentic, judgment-free, and alive.
Growth that's intentional. From the first visit to leading others — a clear path from curiosity to conviction to multiplication.
Faith in action. Not hidden, not performative — lived. Fellowship, study, prayer, and service that others can see and experience.
Growing every month. Partner with us or support the mission.
We're becoming the nationwide hub for coffee-house-style youth & young-adult ministry — starting on the East Coast, growing across the country.
The go-to library for everything youth & young-adult (to age 22) and coffee-house-style programs.
Explore resources →Learn to start and run your own Join The Grind™, under our guidance — free training through NEIademy.
Start training →A growing network of local Join The Grind™ coffee houses. Bring one to your community.
Start a chapter →Everything you need to build real community for young people — free and growing.
The model, the vision, and how a Join The Grind™ night runs.
Youth protection, waivers, ratios, and policy templates.
Run-of-show, hospitality, music, and games.
Short-message formats and discussion guides.
Sponsorships and support to keep the doors open.
Building a safe, judgment-free space.
Enter your email to unlock three free resources — a starter guide, a youth-protection checklist, and a shareable one-pager.
Four certification tracks take you from safety-first fundamentals to a launch-ready, certified chapter leader — free, self-paced, and guided by us through our academy.
Youth protection, background checks, adult-to-youth ratios, chaperone & emergency policy, and mandatory-reporter basics. Required first — the gate for every leader certification.
Certification: Certified in Youth Protection Required PrerequisiteUnderstanding ages 14–22, the discipleship path, building community & belonging, communication, and leading volunteer teams.
Certification: Certified Youth Ministry LeaderOur founder-authored coffee-house playbook: the model & vision, running the night (hospitality, food, live music, the "Super Short Sermon"), moderation & safe space, Bring-a-Friend growth, sponsorships, and the launch playbook.
Certification: Certified Join The Grind™ Chapter Leader → Eligible to open a chapterLegal/entity/insurance basics, the digital stack (site, chat, phone, blog), marketing, and measurement. Optional, for leaders scaling up.
Certification: Certified Ministry OperatorPathway: Youth Protection → Foundations → The Grind Model™ (capstone). Each track ends with a quiz and a verifiable certificate; complete the capstone plus a signed chapter agreement and safety proof to be approved and listed in the network.
Certified Grind Leader™ (CGL™) is the official leadership certification of Nieto Ministries™ LLC — the credential that qualifies a leader to launch and run a Join The Grind™ coffee-house youth ministry. Free, guided, and mission-first.
A Certified Grind Leader™ (CGL™) has completed our seven-session Grind Launch Course, signed the Grind Leader Covenant, and presented a launch-ready plan — qualified to lead one official, licensed Join The Grind™ chapter that is faith-centered, welcoming to everyone, and safe.
Credential: Certified Grind Leader™ (CGL™)Seven 90-minute sessions: The Roast (vision) → The Pour (the night) → The Blend (team & safety) → The Setup (venue & budget) → Now Serving (launch) → The Real Thing (mock night) → To Go (commissioning). Complete the sessions, the mock night, and the launch-plan assessment.
7 sessions · self-paced · freeYour CGL™ credential makes you eligible to apply for an Official Licensed Join The Grind™ Event license — written authorization from Nieto Ministries™ LLC to run an official chapter under the Join The Grind™ name and logo.
→ Eligible to open a licensed chapterCertified Grind Leader™ (CGL™), Join The Grind™, and The Grind Model™ are trademarks and the proprietary training system of Nieto Ministries™ LLC.
Bring Join The Grind™ to your community. Here's the path from "I'm interested" to a launched, certified chapter — with us guiding you the whole way.
Tell us your name, your town, and the young people you want to reach. We'll follow up and set up your free leader account.
Complete Youth Protection & Safety first, then Foundations and The Grind Model™ capstone — self-paced, guided by us.
Line up a room, a few caring adults, and a date. We help you plan the first night and build a youth-led team.
Sign the chapter agreement and safety proof, launch your first Join The Grind™, and join the national network directory.
Our founding chapter is open — with more communities on the way. Find a Join The Grind™, or be the first to bring one to your area.
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Nieto Ministries™ is an independent, Christ-centered ministry — all denominations, all young people, fully inclusive. We're not here to divide by label; we're here to build the next generation together.
What we're building — one gathering at a time.
Friday night coffee house for ages 16-22. Music, food, short messages, real community. Twice monthly.
Launching Summer 2026Quarterly outdoor experiences. Camping, hiking, team challenges. Building courage and connection in God's creation.
Coming 2027Quarterly community service. Faith made visible through action. Teams serving together, growing together.
Coming 2027For youth ready to lead. Public speaking, event planning, mentoring skills. Preparing the next generation of church leaders.
Coming 2027Gatherings, services, and community nights. Come be part of it.
Our first coffee house pilots are being planned now. Want to know when the next one is?
Get notified →We launch 2 new pilots every month. Your church or community could be next.
Learn about partnering →Moments from our community, programs, and gatherings.
Photos from our first events coming soon. Follow us for updates.
Our ministry-wide safety standard. One enrollment, one $40 fee — professional background screening, abuse-prevention & leadership training, and leader certification. We handle the rest.
More than one coffee house — a growing network of youth & young-adult ministries, safe (background-checked, trained) leaders, and vetted events. It all connects here.
For families, leaders, and partners.
An independent, Christ-centered ministry founded by Felix and Neusa Nieto, building the nationwide hub for coffee-house-style youth and young-adult ministry. We run our flagship (Join The Grind™) and equip and certify leaders to launch their own.
We're independent and all-denominations. Every young person and every leader who shares the mission is welcome.
Our flagship program — a free Friday-night coffee house for youth and young adults ages 16–22: coffee, food, live music, a short message, and real community. Learn more at jointhegrind.org.
Reach out, complete our free leader training (safety first), set up your night, and launch under our guidance. See the "Start a Chapter" steps above.
Yes. The Ministry tier is free — mission first. You'll get a free leader account scoped to our leadership training as tracks roll out.
Not at this time. Nieto Ministries™ is currently a for-profit LLC; giving is appreciated but is not tax-deductible.
Be the first to know about new chapters, events, and opportunities to get involved.
Every dollar goes directly to youth coffee houses, leader training, and building community. Sponsor a night, feed the crew, or give any amount.
Donate Now100% goes to ministry operations. Nonprofit status in progress.
Whether you want to join, partner, serve on the board, or just ask a question — we'd love to hear from you.