Faith in This Place
A space for slowing down, paying attention, and practicing faith without pretending everything is settled.
A space for slowing down, paying attention, and practicing faith without pretending everything is settled.
Reflective teaching rooted in scripture and real life. A place to slow down and pay attention to what God might be saying.
Following The Bible Recap chronological reading plan. A guided approach to reading scripture thoughtfully, with room for questions and honest engagement.
As a child, I was taught not to question things. If someone in authority said something was true, then it was true. Faith was about agreement and obedience, not curiosity. That worked until it didn't. Life eventually asked questions that the answers I had been given could not hold.
I did not begin questioning because I wanted to tear faith down. I questioned because I wanted a faith that could survive real life. Over time, I learned that avoiding questions does not strengthen belief. It usually makes it fragile. A big faith needs room to wrestle, doubt, and grow—not as rebellion, but as faithfulness.
Before entering ministry, I worked in marketing and communication. That experience made me aware of how easily words can sound confident without being honest. It also made me suspicious of faith that relies on polish and certainty. I felt drawn into ministry because I wanted to help people slow down, tell the truth, and discover a faith rooted in grace rather than fear or performance.
I do not believe my job is to tell people what to think. My hope is to help people nurture a real relationship with Jesus Christ, one that is strong enough to handle tough questions and unresolved tension. Faith is not built by collecting correct answers. It is formed over time through trust, practice, and honesty.
I teach scripture seriously, which means I do not rush past the parts that are uncomfortable or unclear. I name the tension rather than smoothing it out. I trust that God is not threatened by honesty and that wrestling is often part of faithfulness. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is stay with a question longer than we would like.
My approach is reflective, practical, and grounded in everyday life. I rely on story, lived experience, and theology that connects to real decisions and real people. The goal is not certainty, but depth. Not conclusions, but formation.
I serve as a pastor in central Illinois, leading two congregations and working closely with students and families through youth ministry.