My Calling to Ministry

  When I was in High School I received my calling into ministry.  However, my calling was shaped long before that time.  I don't have a date or time or moment when I remember walking the aisle or giving my life to Christ.  In fact, there isn't a time in my life that I can remember not believing in God.  Some people have this similar experience, we grew up in the church, have always known God since we were kids, and feel ashamed of our testimony.  But I feel so blessed to have known God from an early age.  God gave me an early love for Him and His Word.  From the end of elementary school onward I read the Bible every single night, until my devotional times changed in college. 
  My youth ministry also played a significant role in my calling.  I found a family of friends, used my musical talents to worship God, and became a leader.  I felt confident, loved, and at home.  It was in this setting, at youth group that God called me. 
  One Sunday evening, at youth group, our senior pastor, Pastor Feldman, preached.  He preached on vocation, saying something like "you might be a policeman, teacher, pastor, engineer, etc."  It was at that moment, when he said pastor that I thought to myself "I think I could do that.  I love the church.  I love the Bile.  How amazing would it be to study and teach the Bible and be a part of the church as my job!"  Nothing flashy, no lighting from the sky.  My calling came from my pastor preaching a simple message on vocation.
  My next move was to meet up with my youth pastor and grill him on how to become a pastor.  He told me it would take about 7 more years of school after high school!  Reflecting back, its interesting he didn't encourage me to go right into ministry after high school or even after college.  But, he pointed me to college and seminary.  Which is what I did.  Although, as a sophomore or junior in high school (not sure when exactly this all happened), hearing that I needed to do 7 more years of school after high school did not excite me! 
  I grew up in a Lutheran church and so I naturally thought I would be a Lutheran pastor.  That's all I knew.  I went to Valparaiso University, a Lutheran affiliated school and enrolled as a Theology Major.  Later I took on Greek and double majored in Theology and Greek. 
  Something significant happened my sophomore year of college: I chose to take a youth ministry class which would shape the next 12 years of my life!  I initially chose this class thinking that I would need to be well rounded as a pastor and should take different kinds of ministry classes, thus, youth ministry was just a means to an end. 
  It was while I was taking this youth ministry class and other Lutheran theology classes that I began to sense my calling change, or at least being redefined.  I came to realize that I wasn't Lutheran and that I loved youth ministry.  Not being Lutheran was a huge struggle for me.  That's all I had known!  I knew I was a Christian, later in college knew I needed to go on to seminary, but had no idea what denomination I would fit into.  I believe through a number of different influences God called me into the EFCA.  Youth ministry also became a passion for me.  I used my skills I learned in college to try to develop my home church youth ministry.  I volunteered and took on internships in youth ministries in Valparaiso.  When looking for a seminary, finding one that emphasized youth and family ministry was very important to me.
  From high school (2000) until the end of my ministry at Compass EFC in Missouri (2015), I engaged in youth ministry, but all along God increased my love and desire for adult ministry.  I began to love preaching more and more.  I had passion for elders, men's ministry, family ministry, marriage ministry, and missions.  Around 2014 I began to search for other ministry jobs.  Anywhere from small groups pastor, men's ministry pastor, lead pastor, and missions pastor.
  On my birthday, February 9th, 2015 I had an extended conversation with Andy Veith about being the Adult Ministries Pastor at Lighthouse Community Church.  I remember it so vividly.  I applied, got the job, and started on Mother's Day, May 10th, 2015.  I loved that role.  I loved working for Andy.  I loved Lighthouse.
  In 2016, Andy moved to South Dakota, I became interim lead pastor, and then finally voted in as Lead Pastor.  For three and a half years now I have been the lead pastor at Lighthouse.  It has been a joy, a struggle, exciting, encouraging, affirming, a learning process, and I can't imaging doing anything else!  I love Lighthouse Community Church.  There have been times when I wanted to quite.  Times I thought I was going to be fired.  But in the end, I believe God has called me to this church.  To fulfill my calling, to shepherd the flock with the Word of God, in joyful confidence, surrounding with intimacy.