The Fireside180 Team
Who We Are
Kenny Kopta
Founder & President
I am a son of the one true living God. Married in 1982, my wife and I have 3 children and 6 grandkids. I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ in August of 1979 in the small town where I was born and raised - Avon Park, Florida. It was because of my strong loving Christian family that Jesus revealed himself to me. While I don’t claim to be perfect and had my share of rebellion, after surrendering my life to Jesus Christ, He led me down the path of serving in the local church. In the local church, I became a youth leader teaching young men. Later, my wife and I became part of a church plant that is known today as Avon Park Lakes Baptist Church.
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Because of a job transfer, I moved to Kansas in 1999. In 2012, I was introduced to the firesides by Dan Southerland, a lead teaching pastor at a local church near my home in Olathe. It was a transformational experience seeing broken men get raw and real before the Lord at a fire. I have not missed a fire in almost 12 years. They truly embody how Jesus wants us to be fishers of men. Even though I was raised in the church, I never experienced the strong brotherhood that I see around the fires. It is like you are always on the mission field without leaving your town or neighborhood.
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After doing fires for 9 years and with much prayer, God led me to launch Fireside180. My vision is to see a fireside in every neighborhood across the Kansas City area, even across the Nation.
Today, I still continue to lead a fireside in Olathe, Kansas. I work closely with the board leading the F180 vision. We will continue to cast the net to be fishers of men using a firepit in neighborhoods for Jesus Christ.
Doug Mehner
Vice President
I am a son of the living God of the universe! I am also a married father of 3 kids. I reside in the KC metro and work for Purple Wave Auction as a territory manager. I had the opportunity to start attending firesides back in 2019 through my local church and pastor, Dan Southerland.
To say my life has changed since then is an understatement. While I was raised in the church with a very solid understanding of who Jesus is, living to aspire to be a follower and an adopted son in God's universe was another thing. Having a consistent opportunity to meet with other broken men who have gone through or are going through very similar things has changed my world. We are bringing Jesus into the conversation with 2 simple questions: what is Jesus teaching you and what are you doing about it? My family can attest to the changes they have witnessed first hand as my walk with Jesus has become closer. I am more patient, less angry and irritable than my previous version.
I am so thrilled and beyond excited to be a part of F180. My previous experience with management and business processes has helped prepare me for this opportunity to serve as VP. We all know this world is getting darker and we need to partner with more men so they can be the spiritual leader in their world. I am so looking forward to working with all the fires and looking forward to hearing how we can serve the men around our fires better.
Rodney Hoskins
Associate Vice President
I am a son of the Most High God! I married up to a fantastic woman and we have 2 sons and 1 daughter. I am an entrepreneur owning a local electrical business. This business keeps me on my toes and I need more than 1 1/2 hours a week attending a church service. I need a place I can do life with a bunch of brothers where iron sharpens iron.
While I was raised in Turner, Kansas, I did not grow up in the church. It was not until after I was married that my wife and I started going to church. After attending a men's retreat back in 2019, I was looking for a group of men to walk with in my everyday life. I found out about the fires from some guys that I attended church with. My life changed when I started the journey of transformation around the fires with a bunch of messed up dudes who love Jesus. We do life around the fires and help build up one another. Coming to the fires has been such an encouragement to me and helps me grow more in Jesus. I am excited to be a part of F180.
Mike Mielke
Treasurer
First and foremost, as can sometimes be heard around the fire, “I am a child of God”. Second, I am a husband, father, and as of a year ago, a grandfather. It’s the best gig ever!
I was raised in a strong Christian home. I grew up as a military kid, so we moved around every few years. I spent time in Washington DC, Arizona, Germany, Massachusetts, and since 1985, Kansas City. We usually attended the chapel on the fort where we lived. There were a few different services normally offered at church; Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. The Protestant services were led by the Chaplain, who could be from any denomination.
I live in Shawnee with my wife. We thank God for His innumerable blessings. My entire career has been in the banking industry and I am always looking for ways to be a part of organizations that make a difference. Spending my entire life growing up in the church, my desire has been to see others know Jesus.
I started coming to the fires about 3 years ago. I had never experienced anything like it. I still remember my first time. It was scary and weird to sit down in a circle with a bunch of men and talk about life. It was a foreign concept to me. I remember being pretty quiet for the first couple of times I attended. Then it hit me, these guys were just like me. We all have burdens, we all have issues, and we all need guys we can lean on and trust to help us get through. I saw first hand the transformation of many men around the fires and transformation in my life too. Becoming intentional and leaning in allowed me to hear from God and do something about it. That is why I said yes to being part of F180 team to further help men in need and spread the gospel with the use of the fires. Having a tight brotherhood has been something that kept me coming back to the fires and me continuing to be a better man. Doing life around the fires allows us to hold each other accountable and share our hearts so we don 't find ourselves stuck and alone. We are not alone in this journey and the fires give men a hand up to build up one another. I am thankful and glad to be a part of F180 in spreading the fires to other neighborhoods.
The fires are a place where you can, “Come as you are”. What’s said at the fire, stays at the fire. As you answer our two main questions; “What’s God teaching you”, and “What are you doing about it”, there is always a group of men that want to pray for you, celebrate your good news, or just have empathy for what you have going on.
Now, three years later, I find myself craving fire time. My job takes me out of town quite often. When I can’t make it to my fires, there is just something missing. Maybe you feel like something is missing too. I pray you can join us at a fire soon.
