What is a "Pastor
of Youth and Families"?
Mike is responsible for the spiritual oversight and leadership
of our youth ministries, which includes birth through college
ages. He is responsible for developing strategies to spiritually
strengthen and educate the families within the church,
and recruits, trains, develops and oversees all senior
leaders for both Kids’ World and inside-out. Moreover,
Mike provides spiritual leadership to the children of those
ministries.
How did you come to Fully Alive?
On I-44 from Oklahoma, land of the SOONERS!
Since I worked with Mark Nunn back in the day and I was
with Scott and Mark at the moment that they were deciding
to begin Fully Alive, I have always had Fully Alive on
my heart. In November of 2003 my family began asking God
if we should stay in Oklahoma and continue transitioning
churches or move to a church that had already transitioned.
Just a short time after we began praying Scott called asking
us to pray about coming to California to be a part of Fully
Alive. My heart immediately said, "Yes!" but
I wanted to make sure it was God's desire for us. As we
prayed and listened to God, doors kept opening and we kept
going through them. Next thing I know, I was sitting in
a theater watching "The Passion of the Christ" with
Fully Alive Community Church, and loving it!
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What is your favorite
scripture verse?
Jesus wept.
John 11:35
It's easy to memorize. Everyone
can do it. It shows the humanity of Jesus and as well as
the power and compassion Jesus has to care for us in every
situation. |
Who is your favorite
Christian and/or secular artist?
Christian - Reliant K, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall
Secular - John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews |
Where would be your
dream vacation and why?
Begin with a day of snow skiing in Aspen, CO. Next, spend
the day at Disney World. Then off to Cancun for a day on
the beach. After that, spend the day at the Cotton Bowl watching
OU beat Texas, again. Last, spend the day in San Francisco,
CA. All of this with my family and my dad, of course. |
What is your favorite
ice cream?
Do I have to choose one?! I just discovered Cold Stone Creamery
even though we've had them in Oklahoma for a while now. |
What is your favorite
food?
Mexican |
Mac or PC
Whichever one is given to me, FOR FREE! |
Coke or Pepsi
Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free |
Tell something about
yourself that most people don't know about you.
I'm accident prone and I speak with an Oklahoma twang! |
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How have you progressed on your
spiritual journey to be a Christian?
I grew up respecting God but really not liking the church
at all. It was after my freshman year of college that I
started a personal relationship with God. After spending
3 years working at a church in San Mateo with a pastor
named Steve Williams, I realized that church life could
be a bridge to God rather than a barrier the keeps people
from God. My journey led me to Oklahoma where I spent 17
years attempting to transition churches from being a barrier
to being a bridge. Most recently, my own spiritual journey
has grown immensely as a result of reading some books by
Jim Cymbala, experiencing 40 Days of Purpose and moving
from Oklahoma to Fully Alive.
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Who are the biggest
influences in your life?
A grandfather who taught me to love God
Another grandfather who taught me to love music
My dad who taught me to love people
My mom who taught me to love life
My children who taught me how much God loves me
And my wife, whom I dearly love.
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