How I became a Christian…

I grew up going to church on Sundays, but I never really knew the purpose of God or church in my life. By the time I was in high school, I hardly ever attended church services. My entire life was dedicated to school and sports (the “gods” in my life). When I left for college, I lived in a dorm where I met several people who loved me for the person I was and I knew that there was a fundamental difference in their lives that made them real. When one of them invited me to attend church, I went with an open heart and it was like hearing about Jesus for the first time - how He died for me and had forgiven me of all the bad things I had done in my life. It was at that moment that I realized I wanted to live my entire life for Him, that I didn’t have to search for meaning anymore if He was the center of my life!

How I got to Pantano…

Okay, try to tell me this wasn’t a God thing! After I graduated from college, I got a job working in human resources for a tech company in Silicon Valley. At the same time, I started volunteering with the high school group at my church in San Jose, California. I served in the high school group with my wife April for four years and then we decided to move into the college ministry. After two years in college ministry, the youth pastor we served under at our church in San Jose left to go to a church in Tucson… Pantano Christian Church. Then life got pretty interesting. I took over as the volunteer leader for the college ministry at my church. A few months later, the company I worked for laid off about 4000 people and I was one of them! Another month later, I saw our former youth pastor from San Jose at a wedding for a mutual friend, and we started talking. Shortly thereafter, I interviewed for the director of college and sports ministry at Pantano, and was honored to be offered the job. We sold our home, and moved 0ur family to Tucson in summer of 2003.

How I became the Student Ministries Pastor…

Check this out - I had been working at Pantano for less than two years when the decision was made that we would be planting a church in Vail - which had been a desire of the leadership at Pantano for years! Then I learned that the guy leading the church would be my boss, Ben Pitney, the Student Ministries Pastor at Pantano! So the guy that had hired me to move from California to come to Tucson and work for him was now leaving to start another church. Great googaly-moogaly! I didn’t know what to think when Pantano asked me to become the new Student Ministries Pastor. But God put the desire in my heart to take a step of faith and accept the position, and it has been a wild ride!

Here’s what you need to know about me…

Before moving to Tucson, I had never lived outside of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. I graduated from high school in 1992 and attended Santa Clara University. I was a Business Management major with a history minor, graduating in 1996. I loved playing sports growing up, including soccer, tennis, golf, snow-skiing, and water-skiing. I played varsity tennis in both high school and college, but an injury during my freshman year of college ended my career.

I met my wife April during freshman orientation in college. We dated for five years and were married on July 27, 1997 (we’re celebrating our ten-year anniversary in New York this summer). Our oldest son Nathan is five years old - we had the joy of being able to adopt him and getting to be in the delivery room when he was born. April gave birth to our other son Logan in January of 2004 - our house is filled with the activity of our two boys. Our dog Jake is a nine year-old Jack Russell Terrier and spends his time finding new ways to escape out of our back yard.

I am passionate about soccer - I have over 20 different jerseys that are either hanging in my closet or are on display in my office. I love the World Cup, although my favorite team (Spain) never lives up to expectations in the big tournament. I also collect Pez dispensers and have about 60 in my office. When it comes to superheroes - Batman is really the only choice (Superman is a wuss). I cheer for the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland A’s, and the Phoenix Suns (I went to college with Steve Nash). I have no self control when it comes to junk food and have been known to devour bags of chocolate in a single sitting.