Background: I grew up in Medina and have attended Weymouth Church since "before I can remember." I have some faint memories of being in the classroom with the little colorful chairs, and of being mildly disruptive in children's church.

Family: Well, my wife Melissa and our kids are the joy of my life. We do foster parenting at my house, so when I say "our kids" that is usually in a state of flux. As for my sister, brother, parents and beyond, they're around Medina too. (If you've ever done time, you know my parents - they're the chaplains at the Medina County Jail).

Education: I have my undergrad from Moody Bible Institute in Biblical Studies and a Masters in Pastoral Leadership from Liberty Theological Seminary.

Favorites...

Food? Mexican.

Movie? Batman Begins, The Dark Knight

Vacation Spot?  Marco Island , Florida

Hobby? Investing, Websites, Politics

Books? Founding Brothers (Ellis), Undaunted Courage (Ambrose), Rich Dad, Poor Dad (that Hawaiian guy) and The 360 Leader (Maxwell).

Games? Stratego (board game), StarWars Starfighter (video game)

Place to Be? Home, in my super-extra large recliner. (Nicknamed "The Beast" at the furniture store.)

My Story:

I started in Medina when I was two years old, my parents building one of the first homes in that development behind WalMart (I remember when there was no WalMart - just an old farm!)   I had a wonderful childhood, with memories of family vacations, soccer practice, and lots of friends.  I went to Weymouth Community Church with my mom and sister a few times a week, which laid the foundation for what God was going to do in my future.

However, I have negative memories from those days - my father had problems with alcohol and, unknown to me until later on, drugs as well.  This threatened to tear our family apart until a great miracle occurred when I was 11.

My dad became a Christian.  I saw the power of God change him and totally re-direct our family, and I saw the power of God firsthand.  I remember kneeling in our backyard and praying, "God, I know you are real. You can have the rest of my life - I'll do whatever you want me to do."

Recognizing that I now belonged to Jesus Christ, I felt a great drive to know Him better and tell others the Good News of His kingdom.    I knew early on that He wanted me to devote myself to communicating His truth - although I never thought I'd end up working at a church.

I attended Wayne College in Orrville while living at home and working at a printing company with my dad.  Next, I volunteered to spend two years traveling across America with  Life Action Ministries.  From Texas to New Hampshire to Florida and back again, I had the privilege of helping adults, youth, and children grow in their relationship with Christ.  Those two years on the road team not only gave me a chance to impact lives, but also "grew me up" in my own faith - teaching me how to live what I believed.

Next, I worked at a church south of Medina as an assistant pastor.  This position gave me the opportunity work on AbsoluteTruth.Net, continue to hone my teaching and communication skills both in the church and at  the local jail, and even spend evenings earning my undergraduate degree from  Moody Bible Institute .

Three years later, Life Action invited me to return as a staff writer and ministry strategist during 2003.   My year was full of travel, speaking, writing, editing, learning, and fun (of course).  I developed some great relationships there, most importantly - met my wife Melissa! She had grown up in Iowa , worked in camp ministry, and after college, took an inner-city teaching job in Indiana.  She happened to work for a few months at Life Action, and that was all the time it took! We were married in the spring of 2004.

About that same time, the phone rang again with another interesting twist of events - the pastor I had worked with in Ohio was offering me a job on  Marco Island, Florida. Beaches, palm trees...living in the postcard. Melissa and I took the opportunity for a year-long honeymoon in paradise before deciding where we wanted to settle down for a while.

And when that decision came, all roads led back to Medina! We felt like God wanted us to come here and serve in the community. And, after a great meal at Fiesta Jalapenos with Pastor Bob, we knew that God wanted us to get involved at Weymouth.

Today, my role at the church involves preaching regularly, working with children and teens, assisting with church administration, strategy, and leadership training -- and all the "other" that fills up the calendar, too. On the side, I enjoy blogging, camping, and doing some freelance editing for Life Action Ministries and EndPoverty.org.

I never thought life would turn out this way, but it has been a fun journey so far. I'm looking forward to to what God has in store for the future!