From left, Encouragement Media Group team members Ivette Zavarce, Nikki Martinez, Edward Zavarce, Nathan Lamastar, President and CEO Troy Kriechbaum, Teresa Kriechbaum, Mike Harper and Lois Harper stand for a photo with Baylor Impact Great Commission Award Encouragement Media Group received Friday.

An East Texas radio company was honored for its commitment to sharing the Gospel with its listeners.

Encouragement Media Group, which has a family of Christian radio stations including KVNE 89.5, received the Baylor Impact Great Commission Award on Friday.

Baylor’s Impact Awards ceremony celebrates successful Texas family-owned businesses and businesses owned or led by Baylor alumni with a transformative impact in their field and community.

Troy Kriechbaum, Encouragement Media Group president and CEO, said while he’s a 1990 alumnus, the work of the radio group’s entire team made receiving the award possible.

“I just say thank you to God for giving us a great team to impact the community with,” he said. “It was really cool to be recognized by Baylor.”

The name of the award references a part of the Bible in which Jesus encouraged the disciples to teach and preach what he taught them, Kriechbaum said.

He added the award shows KVNE 89.5 and the other stations at Encouragement Media Group are spreading the Gospel.

“First and foremost, I want to give glory to God for what He’s doing through this ministry. I want to say thank you to our generous listeners who donate so we can keep telling people about Jesus,” Kriechbaum said.

He noted the radio team received the award on its 38th anniversary of being on the air. It started Oct. 29, 1983.

Kriechbaum said he never could have imagined God would do such amazing things through Christian radio and allow him to be a part of it.

Other stations include worship radio Lift Worship 91.3, Spanish Christian radio Fuzion 102.3 and 103.1 and Bible teaching station The Well 94.3 and 95.3.

KVNE and Fuzion’s signals cover all of East Texas, while Lift Worship and The Well cover the Tyler-Longview areas.

On Oct. 5, Encouragement Media debuted an online Spanish Bible-teaching station called Modo Vida, which means life mode.

Encouragement Media is also continuing to expand by adding 5,800 square feet to its facility on Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler. Construction will start in two to three weeks to bring in more office space and a video room to spread the Gospel through the medium, Kriechbaum said.

Construction should be complete by October next year, and the group is still trying to raise $64,000 for the project, he added.

A recent radio signal purchase will soon allow Fuzion to be available in the Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas, which will expand the Spanish station’s reach to include Northeast, East and Deep East Texas likely by the end of the year, he said.

Kriechbaum said he also enjoys that Encouragement Media partners with other ministries in East Texas to give people the opportunity to get involved.

Right now, the radio group is promoting The Fostering Collective to let people know about the importance of helping children in the foster care system.

Last month, listeners were encouraged to donate coats for the PATH (People Attempting To Help) Coats for Kids, and over 1,000 coats were brought in. During the summer, the group brought in almost 2,000 shoes for St. Paul Children’s Services. The station surpassed the goal for both initiatives.

“That’s the kind of community outreach that our listeners appreciate and value, and I know that was a big reason why we received the Baylor Impact Great Commission Award,” Kriechbaum said.