Mike

I am pleased to announce that I have been accepted into Sioux Falls Seminary‘s new program in Omaha! I will be attending my first class, held at Grace University, tonight.

The essay I submitted with my application is included below. It is a testament to the many people who have supported and encouraged me over the years. I covet your continued prayers and involvement. Thank you!

I was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and so far, I have lived here my entire life. I am blessed to have been raised in a family of faith. While my mother and father come from somewhat differing religious backgrounds (my father was raised as a Catholic, and my mother was brought up in the Baptist Church), they both have Jesus at the center of their lives. I also have a brother and sister who both believe in and follow Jesus.

I can trace the beginnings of my faith story to my mother’s desire to see her children know Christ. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my family attending the Baptist church where she was a member. When we moved to a new home in the early nineties, we began attending an Evangelical Covenant Church. I still attend that same church, where I currently serve as the Director of Worship and Student Ministries.

Just like most Christians who grew up in the Church, I can recall when I finally made the decision, on my own, to follow Christ. Through attending my home church on Sundays and being heavily involved in the youth program at my friend’s church, I had a basic understanding of the Gospel by the time I was in junior high. I made the decision to be a disciple in the 7th grade when a speaker at a youth event presented the Gospel and held an altar call.

Since then, my faith in Jesus Christ has defined me. Throughout the rest of my school years, I sought out Christian friendships. I spent much of my time in community with other Christians as we studied the Bible together, seeking to learn what it means to follow Jesus.

I have also been in and out of numerous musical endeavors with other Christian musicians over the years. As I learned to play the drums and, eventually, the guitar, I took advantage of every opportunity I had to serve God through music. I have played in praise bands, led summer camp worship teams, led Bible songs for toddlers and pre-schoolers, and served as an instrumentalist and vocal leader in other various settings. I am currently in a band that sees our music as a ministry to both the churched and the unchurched. We had the privilege of playing at Sioux Falls’ Lifelight Festival this last year, where we partnered with a speaker who presented the Gospel in the middle of our set.

My faith has also been a source of comfort and strength in times of adversity. When I was a senior in high school, my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. If it were not for our faith in Jesus, I cannot imagine how my family would have responded to such devastating news. While I would not wish her disease upon anyone, her struggles and questions have caused me to hold on even more tightly to the hope I have in Christ.

It wasn’t too long after making the decision to become a committed disciple that I began receiving unsolicited encouragement and affirmations regarding my gifts. I can distinctly remember my pastor telling me that I had a strong potential for ministry when I was still rather young. While I was open to the idea of going into ministry, it wasn’t until I started helping my youth pastor lead various youth events that I felt I had a specific calling. I had been accepted to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and was planning to pursue a degree in computer science, but after one semester, I changed my major to Religion.

While a major in religious studies is not intended to equip students for vocational ministry, I feel that I benefited greatly from the academic study of the world’s religions. I generally agree with the popular colloquialism that states, “To know one is to know none.” By being able to understand the Christian faith in the context of the world’s religions, I believe that I can better interface with the spiritual views and vernacular of people who believe differently than myself.

While attending college, I was also privileged to work under my youth pastor as our church’s youth intern. It was during this time that I felt a strong calling to work with youth, and I have since decided to pursue ministry as a vocation. After graduating, I came on board as a full-time staff member in 2008, working with the youth and planning and leading the music for our Sunday morning services.

Since I started working in a full-time capacity, I have felt that God is calling me to take a “next step.” I have looked at various options including internships with other ministries and additional undergraduate degrees, but nothing has come to fruition thus far. The only constant leading I have felt is that I believe God has called me to remain in Omaha during this season of my life. Until now I haven’t been able to explain why, but Sioux Falls Seminary’s Omaha program looks like it may be the answer to my prayers.

As of now, I have not discerned that God is calling me to a specific ministry after receiving a seminary education, but I feel that He wants me to further my education so that I may be better equipped for what he has in store for me in the future. I do, however, feel affirmed and called to vocational ministry, so I am moving forward in faith, trusting that God will guide me every step of the way.