Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate
Charismatic
Hard-working

What advice would you give yourself 15 years ago, and why?
I would go back and give myself a pep talk. Then, I would start preparing to church plant and pioneer with these five essentials: First, you can do it! You have what it takes to plant a church. Second, find a tribe that believes in church planting and lives the values of coaching, financial support, and peer-to peer-partnering. Third, love your wife and family; this is the most important key to church planting and life. Fourth, get to know yourself—know your Enneagram type, Strengths Finders results, and preaching and leadership styles. Fifth and most importantly, prayer is your first resource, not your last resort.

I would give myself this advice because although 15 years ago I knew I wanted to plant a church, I didn’t have any idea how to start or who should groom me, and I struggled to find opportunities to learn.

What is it like behind the scenes on your average Monday morning?
A lot of my best adventures take place behind the scenes on Monday mornings. I start the day at the gym at 5 am before grabbing some donuts to take to our weekly men’s Bible study at 6:30.

After Bible study, I make breakfast for my leadership team and join them in our sanctuary for prayer from 9 to 9:30. When we conclude prayer, we begin our Monday morning meeting from 9:30 to 11 am. During these meetings, we leaders take an honest look at how the weekend went, talk about upcoming events, and discuss how we can continue to improve our commitment to excellence. After that meeting I join a worship debrief from 11 am to 12 pm.

How would you describe your hopes and desires for your life and a testimony of God’s faithfulness in your life?
My hope and desire are to empower the current generation and next generation to be what God has called them to be! I believe this call has been in the DNA of our church and my heart from the beginning. God is writing a story of faithfulness to His people through the work He’s doing in our church. We have seen impossible situations in people’s lives be touched by the power of the Lord, resulting in healing and restoration beyond our wildest dreams.

Our church has seen God come through with miraculous provision as we prepare to open our third campus. Changing lives and new testimonies keep us going week after week. We believe that ordinary people partnered with an extraordinary God have the power to change their city and the world, and our leaders reflect this vision. We have received an overflow from God, and it’s my heart’s desire to share it with other churches and pastors. We know what it was like to struggle to find support when planting a church, and as God has continued to sustain us, we look forward to the opportunities to help serve, equip, and empower others.