Ministry Network
Find out more about Men’s Ministry Network at Iron Sharpens Iron, a one-day men’s conference focused on topics such as “Influential Disciplemaking,” “Becoming a Man of the World” and “Communicating with Your Wife.” Held at Christ United Methodist Church, at 8645 E. Brainerd Road, the event is for men age 13 and older and is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:55 p.m.
Men's Ministry Network Executive Director and Xtrax owner Chris Ackerman stands in front of the ministry with new Xtrax Operations Manager Keith Collins.Signal Mountain resident Chris Ackerson plans to grow the carpet-cleaning business he started 13 years ago, Xtrax, but he has a bigger goal than simply providing customers with good service and cleaner carpets.
About eight years ago, Ackerson met the founder of Men's Ministry Network, who became his mentor. MMN focuses on helping Christian men understand what it means to be mature in Christ, and to challenge and equip them to be the husbands, fathers and men they need to be, Ackerson said.
When his mentor was ready to retire, he made Ackerson executive director of the ministry, now located next door to Xtrax at the foot of the mountain.
Ackerson's son had been running the business, but when he joined the Army in July, Ackerson found himself running both the ministry and the business.
"The business gives me the funding to be able to do the ministry," said Ackerson, who wants to help other men become involved in ministry as well, and feels expanding his business is an opportunity to grow the ministry.
He recently brought in Signal Mountain resident Keith Collins to serve as operations manager of Xtrax, and hopes to utilize Collins' 25 years of business experience to expand into East Brainerd and eventually Knoxville and Nashville.
"My job is to grow Xtrax and to let people know who we are," Collins said. "What appealed to me about working here was that I liked the idea of helping men do ministry."
Collins, who met Ackerson at church, said he's very sensitive to mold and mildew, but when Xtrax cleaned a few rooms in his house, the smell disappeared.
Aside from Xtrax's connection to the ministry, he said what sets the business apart is its dry-extraction cleaning method, which doesn't use water and doesn't leave customers with damp carpets for days - or with the mold, mildew or musty smell that leaving moisture in carpet can create.
"[Water-based cleaners] also tend to leave behind soap residue, and a lot of times the carpet resoils faster because it's sticky," Ackerson added.
The Xtrax cleaning method involves scrubbing organic HOST Sponges into the carpet to break down and absorb soil and stains.
"It's a more convenient way for customers to get their carpet cleaned," Ackerson said.
It's also environmentally friendly, he said, adding that the HOST method is the only Environmental Protection Agency-certified carpet cleaning method that's been proven to remove allergens.
According to the company's website, HOST Sponges are proven to reduce dust mites by 78 percent, dust mite allergens by 89 percent, cat allergens by 85 percent and mold spores by 97 percent.
Xtrax and the Men's Ministry Network are at 1028 Signal Mountain Road. Call Xtrax at 517-8100 or MMN at 893-8885, or learn more at xtrax.biz or mensministry.org.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.