Pastor Cal Thompson, along with his wife Kelly, were a part of the North Dakota Ministry Network for over thirty years, serving as Youth Pastor for more than 28 of those years with Northview Church (formerly known as First Assembly). Initially, Cal joined the Fargo staff as the Evangelism Pastor, after having served for more than seven years as an Assistant and Youth Pastor in Wheaton, Illinois.

Pastor Cal lead an outreach to the inner city of Chicago for over 30 years (which continues to this day), introducing thousands of midwest students to cross-cultural ministry. In 2019, Cal and Kelly then expanded their vision, launching the Reach the Heart non-profit in 2019, with a passion to "see the unseen” and bring hope to both urban cities and rural communities.

The purpose of Reach the Heart is to impact the core of both urban and rural communities for Jesus Christ by bringing a message of hope and encouragement to people of every generation. Reach the Heart endeavors to partner with inner-city churches in Chicago and Minneapolis, as well as various smaller, rural communities in the heartland of the upper Midwest. At each location, the goal is for participation that spans generations. Reach the Heart endeavors to create events that impact every age group - children, youth, families, and older adults. Evangelism was always a very high priority in Cal’s life.

Several years ago, at a North Dakota Youth Camp, speaker Mark Zweifel shared a very pointed prophetic word about Cal’s future, and thanks to Twyla Kuntz, who wrote down what was spoken, Cal had an opportunity to review that word and pray about its implications for the future. The written notes are something Cal carried with him until framing them and posting on the wall of their home.

Here are several of those words: “Cal, you will experience a decade of harvest and your next 10 years will be your best yet. Your ripples will become waves and you will be a forerunner in Youth and Rural America. You will travel more; and will have a lot to impart to young people. You will impart to them and they will run with the vision”.

Through Reach the Heart, Cal was able to live the words of that prophecy as he challenged even more students and adults to be involved in reaching and impacting others in urban cities and rural communities.

Pastor Cal unexpectedly passed away in July of 2022, but the vision of Reach the Heart continues through those who he mentored.