Youth Minister

Biography

I grew up in Mesa, Arizona and love living in the West. I received a B.A. in Preaching from Harding University in 2011 and began my work here in Salt Lake City soon after.  I met my wife Laura Jean at Harding. She is a fifth grade teacher at Children’s Christian School and helps me out as much as she can with my ministry (see: proofreading my biography page). 

Spiritual Background

I was born into a large Christian family (both immediate and extended). The event which has impacted who I am the most was my mom’s death on January 18, 1997 when I was seven. My dad mostly raised us by himself after her death, but my grandma helped by picking up my six siblings and me and driving us to Canada each summer.  On the way, we would pass through Arkansas and Minnesota (the scenic route). At each of these places we would attend church camps, attend/help run vacation Bible schools, and visit our aunts and uncles, who have all been either ministers or missionaries. 

I’ve grown spiritually because of the multiple Bible camps I’ve attended and from different youth groups I‘ve been apart of for a couple of weeks each year. I have powerful sections of scripture written on my heart that I’ve lived by, and I have seen the wisdom and truth of their teachings in my own life. Lastly, I have grown to see that God works through everything, and that even a mother’s death can be used by Him in His plan to equip His people for ministry and leadership.  

Hobbies and Interests

I really enjoy moving. I do a lot of road cycling and hiking. I also enjoy building things, whether it be legos, puzzles, or building people up. I play cello and am probably too much into music (all genres). Lastly, I enjoy reading--which I’ll talk more about in the next section.

Favorite Scriptures & Authors

My favorite Old testament author is Hosea. I love his metaphorical marriage and how it shows God’s unending love and faithfulness to us, when we honestly don’t deserve it. My favorite New Testament author would have to be Paul, though I really enjoy James as well. I love how Paul gently, and very personally, helps people solve problems in their Christian walk, especially in 1 Corinthians. I also love the way that James teaches us so much about how to live as a Christian. 

I also enjoy reading counseling books, and am constantly intrigued by the ways our minds work.  For fun, I usually read fantasy novels, such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time or Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. My (current) favorite contemporary Christian authors are Donald Miller and Gale Erwin.