Practical Faith Academy - Episode 24 - Ana Megrelishvili, From Poverty to Prosperity to Faithful Service

The Practical Faith Academy Podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries presents guests who have important things to say about putting your faith into practice. Cecil interviews each guest to understand their life stories and their ideas for living a seven-day practical faith.

Ana Megrelishvili lives in Atlanta and is the founder of Christian Professionals Network Worldwide. She has an incredible life story and faith journey to share. Ana began life in a nearly homeless situation with her atheist family in the streets of Russia. She later relocated to the United States for a college education and a successful professional career, with wealth acquisition on her mind. But finding that goal empty once achieved, Ana became a Christian with a passion for serving those who are homeless, as she nearly was.

A theme you’ll hear on this podcast is “relational poverty.” Ana believes that a lack of relationship and community is the #1 factor in homelessness. It’s a situation that we Christians can do something about.

Highlights of the podcast: 

2:41 What does seven-day practical faith mean to Ana?

3:46 Ana shares her origin story, growing up atheist (“Every single one of the Ten Commandments was broken in my family”) and nearly homeless in Russia, and how she came to the United States, where she has prospered and become a Christian.

11:01 Ana explains how relational poverty almost made her family homeless, and how relational support rescued them.

14:54 How the lack of church community contributes to relational poverty, which also has an economic impact on the country.

20:06 About the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide organization and how its mentoring program helps the homeless.

24:56 How her own faith has changed while serving others.

27:57 The hardest part about putting faith into practice.

32:03 Her best tip to develop and maintain a seven-day practical faith.

36:41 How people can get involved in the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide by starting a local chapter

Ana Megrelishvili is the founder of Christian Professionals Network Worldwide and the author of the book, “Finding Courage to Change.” She holds a Bachelors degree from Berea College and a MBA from the University of Kentucky. She seeks to expand the Christian Professionals Network Worldwide with new chapters dedicated to fostering meaningful relationships through a common faith, values, and service. You can learn more at https://CPNworldwide.com.

Cecil Taylor is an author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and provider of Instant Content to churches and small groups. Cecil wants to give you a sample of his writing with a free mini-book gift, “Collections, Volume 1,” containing 31 of his most popular devotions and essays from years of social media posting. Register on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page at CecilTaylorMinistries.com through the pop-up window or the orange box, and he’ll send you a soft copy of the mini-book to your email inbox. You’ll also receive his two free monthly newsletters, Backstage Pass and Monthly Connections.

For more free content like this podcast from Cecil Taylor Ministries, visit https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content.

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Cecil’s Instant Content portfolio of books and video studies includes the following:

- “Unison Parenting: The Comprehensive Guide to Navigating Christian Parenthood with One Voice” is about Christian parenting. Cecil provides proven parenting strategies with an underlying layer of parenting in unison through all the ages and stages of a child’s life. “Unison Parenting” has been honored with the 2025 Independent Press Award for Parenting/Family and the 2025 Living Water Award for Best Nonfiction.

- “From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone” is about deepening faith. Cecil explores a dozen Bible studies of Jesus inviting people out of their comfort zones into their trust zones and how to apply these stories to our lives today.

- “The Next Thing” is about crisis responses. Cecil shares a four-part Christian model for dealing with crisis. You’ll find the model to be flexible and applicable to many crises.

- “Live Like You’re Loved” is about vibrant living. Cecil affirms the scriptural truths that God loves you, forgives you, sends you, and walks with you in eternal relationship. Then he shows how your life is transformed when you embed these truths into your daily faith and your soul.