Tell us a little bit about your family and where you’re from.
I’m a northeast Ohio native who relocated to Mount Vernon in 2003 and have been here ever since. I met my wife, Lindsay, in 2015, we married in 2017, and have six kids, two cats, and a dog.
When did you meet Jesus?
There’s never a time in my life that I wouldn’t have identified as a Christian or say that I didn’t know Jesus. I remember going to church from a young age and being active in youth groups and Sunday school – mostly getting in trouble for being a bit of a jokester. I think my faith became my own in my early college years, but honestly, I wasn’t very good at living it out. By God’s grace, he patiently and persistently revealed more of himself to me, made the Gospel the most beautiful message I had ever heard, and called me to teach and preach the good news of salvation through Christ.
What is one of your favorite Bible verses?
Ephesians 2:1-20: And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
What is your current role with Lifepoint? How long have you been on staff?
I was blessed to be installed as an Associate Pastor (volunteer) in July 2022.
How do you hope your ministry will impact people?
I want to encourage others to know Jesus and live out a deep and authentic relationship with him that rests in his finished work on our behalf. I also hope to help people see how God’s redemptive purposes through Christ are interwoven throughout the entire Bible.
What experience/education/training has helped prepare you for your current role?
I have served as a Lifegroup leader since 2015, which has greatly helped me with Bible study, teaching, and discipling. My background in communications and broadcasting also gave me a pretty strong foundation for speaking clearly and concisely.
What are some of your favorite shows, books, movies, music, etc?
Shows: Parks and Recreation, Community, Seinfeld, Arrested Development, 24,
Books: Michael Crichton, Ted Dekker, Erik Larson, and Andy Weir are some of my favorite authors. I read a fair amount of commentaries for group and preaching prep, and also really enjoy apologetic books – especially about the intersection of science and faith.
Movies: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13, Terminator 2, the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, basically action/thriller type flicks.
Music: Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Eat World, Angels & Airwaves, Relient K, Huey Lewis & the News, Corner Room, Arcadian Wild, The Grey Havens, James Horner…my musical tastes are broad, to say the least.
What do you do for fun?
Around the house, I enjoy home improvement projects and woodworking. I love baseball and am a huge Cleveland Guardians fan. I golf occasionally, but never well. In general, I like being active and exercising. But mostly, I love spending time with my wife, kids, and pets.