Ecclesiastical Status:

PC(USA) Candidate

Membership Presbytery:

GRAND CANYON PRESBYTERY

Ordination Date:

Not Ordained 

Candidacy Date:

9/17/2005

Formal Education:

Continuing Education:

Experience Level:

First Ordained Call

Primary Skills:

- Administration of Programs
- Communication (Written / Oral)
- Congregational Fellowship
- Corporate Worship / Sacraments
- Defining Program Needs
- Development of New Educational Experiences
- Evangelism
- Leadership Development
- Preaching
- Teaching

Past Experience:

Outreach Coordinator then Interim Director of Senior High Ministry
1/1/2003 – 11/16/2007
Valley Presbyterian Church
6947 E. McDonald Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
Membership: 2,000

Internship
Spring of 2006
Morningstar Presbyterian Church (New Church Development)
Morning Star Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 7577
Surprise, AZ 85374
Membership: 85

Internship
Fall 2004, Winter and Spring 2005
Scottsdale Presbyterian Church
Scottsdale Presbyterian Church
3421 N. Hayden Rd.
Scottsdale, Az. 85251
Membership: 185

Other Non-Church Work Experience:

General Manager, Phoenix Branch
Phoenix, AZ
Global Crossing 1997 – 2001

Senior Account Executive
Mankato, MN
Firepond 1995 -1997

National Account Manager
N. Mankato, MN
Coloplast 1990–1995

Multi-National Account Manager
Chicago, IL
Infonet Services, Inc. 1989–1990

Account Manager
Chicago, IL
Memotec, Inc. 1988 -1989

Account Manager
Houston, TX & Chicago, IL
NCR, Inc. 1985 -1988

Chaplain at Montlure Presbyterian Youth Camp, 2006 (Senior High, 3)

Member of the Big Event Task Force 2004 (Presbytery of Grand Canyon)

Ordained Deacon 2001 – 2004

Chairperson
Regional Alpha Conference
2004 – 2005

Alpha USA Advisor for Arizona 2004-Present

Church Characteristics Desired:

I would like to serve a church that takes seriously the great commission. This church would focus all of its activities around its participation in God’s mission in the world.

This church would take seriously the call from our Lord to make disciples. The church and all the operations and ministry would be focused on making disciples. The church would encourage me and all members to be actively participating in mission work with leaders of missions, out in the world. This church would understand that the congregation itself is sent by God to proclaim and to be a sign of the reign of God. Just as God sent Jesus, now Jesus sends the church (John 20:21).

This church would be relational, with strong relationships with our Lord (UP), within the community of faith (IN), and our relationship with the world (OUT). Together we would find creative ways of going beyond simply doing church to thinking, acting and being like Jesus in every respect, every day taking up our cross and following the master.

I believe I have a heart for people who do not know Christ. God has placed this upon my heart. I am a second career pastor so I have a varied background that suits me to the ministry of which I am called. I think my past real life and business experience helps me relate to the average person inside or outside the congregation. I believe that I am authentic and real with people.

Accomplishments in present call:

I am currently seeking a call to parish ministry. In the meantime, I have been assisting my friend Rev. Tadele Lonsako and the Healing Rain Ministry which provides leadership training and support for pastors serving in Ethiopia. I have assisted with the production of brochures and videos. I have also assisted in fund raising.

I have previous parish ministry experience at Valley Presbyterian church as interim Director of Senior High Ministry and serving as the part time Outreach Coordinator while I was in seminary.

I have developed on-going youth development experiences such as student leadership teams that serve Junior High and Grade School youth, outreach events, retreats, service projects, and camps and missions trips. In addition, I have been responsible for creating curriculum for Sunday school, Sunday Nights and Wednesday night small group Bible studies.

As the Outreach Coordinator, I provided vision, direction and leadership focused on ministry and outreach to the local community. I provided expertise and consulted on current best practices for outreach and evangelism serving the Evangelism committee. My primary responsibility in this role was directing the Alpha ministry. I recruited and trained forty-five volunteers for Alpha ministry team. We had 400 attendees in six sessions in the first two years. I implemented follow-up courses for Alpha graduates. I was part of the leadership and training for the launch of a small group model based on Life Shapes.

Leadership Style:

I would describe my style as casual and nurturing seeking to empower while utilizing humor and fun. I consider myself approachable, honest and caring.

In practice, I do not want to lord over people. I do not see myself as an autocratic chief who lords over the congregation, but as a servant who exercises authority with concern and care (Rom. 12:8; I Thess. 5:12, 13; I Tim. 3:5; 5:17). I hope the congregation would feel that my leadership is a partnership in the cause of sharing the gospel to all people.

Our Presbyterian polity is such that this leadership partnership is shared with the elders and the session. The session is called to be the spiritual leaders in the church. I want to work alongside the elders of session as colleagues in ministry as we each strive to honor our calling.

I believe in the priesthood of all believers. I believe the gatherings we have as a community of faith for worship will be focused on re-energizing the body for mission. There will need to be a continual cycle of gathering and sending, not just the laity but also for the pastors and staff. The worship would include more testimonials from the mission field and reports on how God is moving in our world. All this needs to be lifted up and celebrated.

My experience has helped me to see the continuity of apostles and the teaching of Jesus. My experience has helped me to see more clearly the pastoral role we fill as ministers of word and sacrament.

Key Theological Issues:

We live in a post Christian culture. In the past, we could argue about our differences in style and doctrine among the denominations. We no longer have the luxury to argue about our differences. The mainline churches are all struggling to respond to the seismic shifts in our culture that are occurring at a rapid rate in our world. The church’s influence is not what it was. However, I am convinced that God’s spirit is alive and will be working among us as we reshape our priorities to respond to the needs of this ever changing world.

As a covenant people we are claimed in love by the living God and called to be disciples by the Holy Spirit, and we need to recommit to this calling by being an effective witness in the name of Jesus Christ.

As servants of Christ we must be grounded in the biblical narrative and nourished by scripture and tradition, only then are we able to urgently respond to the challenges we face in our continually changing world.

As missional people we will need to be nurtured by the community of faith and God’s Holy Spirit. We will be empowered through our worship and prayer, we are sent forth to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to teach the Word of God, and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.