LEADERSHIP

I am a big believer in the local church. To see the local church passionately following Jesus and inviting others to do the same is a game changer. Jesus continues to transform lives, bring restoration and healing and hope - and His primary means to accomplish this is the Church. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

Sitting down as a family and reading stories to our kids before bed. We worked our way through The Chronicles of Narnia last year and are currently going through The Wingfeather Saga. I highly recommend it!

Frank Wevers. Frank was my mentor and friend and I served as an intern and then associate pastor for a total of 10 years with him. He faithfully served the church for decades while always encouraging the church to grow closer to the heart of Jesus. He came through vocational ministry still loving the church, and still being loved by his wife and kids. I aspire to the same! 

Jerusalem! I have had numerous opportunities to travel there and study and work and meet some remarkable people. No matter how many times I traveled to Jerusalem there remains so much to learn and experience. Of course I also love to bring other people there with me and show them the world of the Scriptures in new and profound ways.

In a university class on the integration of Psychology and Christianity, a professor looked me in the eye and said one thing that changed my life and how I see the world: “William, you are a beloved child of God.” My vision for ministry is to see people find and follow Jesus and to realize and live into that beautiful truth that you are God's beloved child.

As an English major in University, I’ve got the chance to read a LOT of good books! I’ve managed to narrow it down to two favourites! I cried when I read When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a brain surgeon who wrote about his own journey with terminal brain cancer. My other all-time favourite would have to be Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, a mythological tale in which the character comes to realize her true identity in life after years of not knowing herself.

I look up to Fred Rogers (aka: Mr. Rogers). He was musical, he loved people deeply, he was full of joy, patience and compassion and he had a vision for a world in which all of his neighbours - like and unalike - were friends. For me, Mr. Rogers has always been a model of what following Jesus looks like!

Easy. The Incredibles. My favourite animated film of all time. It has action. It has conflict. It has romance. It has the beauty and brokenness of family dynamics. It has super-heroes. It has a happy ending and yet is a cliff-hanger. What’s not to love!?

To empower, equip & encourage our faith community to create a place of belonging where they can invite others to find & follow Jesus.

I think at this point I've basically watched every European/Nordic crime noir show there is! I think my favourites would have to be Broadchurch or The Bridge.

Nelson Mandela. I read his book Long Walk to Freedom a few years ago and I admire his perseverence and tenacity in the face of adversity. Not to mention his ability to work for justice, forgive and unite a country.

Easy - I would have loved to see Martin Luther King Jr. give his iconic I Have A Dream speech at the Washington Mall. I can only imagine the hope in the air and feeling like you're part of something bigger than yourself.

To empower, equip & encourage our faith community to invite others to find & follow Jesus.

I have an identical twin sister - I mean IDENTICAL. We live in different countries but when I visit her I have random people greet me or remind me about a meeting next week. I just nod and pretend I'm her. We also decided to get the same eye glasses just to mess with our Mom.

Brian Regan hands down! Although, Jim Gaffigan is a close second. His content is clean and his body language, gestures and facial expressions just crack me up. I've watched him so many times that I often quote him. Do yourself a favour and go watch his I Walked on the Moon show and have a good laugh.

Wish #1 - to have five wishes
Wish #2 - to have everyone know and follow Jesus which in turn would bring world peace and everlasting life for all
Wish #3 - to be able to speak all the languages in the world (just because that would be cool and it's preparation for heaven)
Wish #4 - to be able to dance any style because I love movement and I'm terrible at it
Wish #5 - to have two more wishes...

To prepare, maintain & develop our space to create an inviting place for all who enter our doors.

I would say Modern Family - I know, not the most spiritual, but the script is hilarious and the spin on real life parenting is very relatable! (Note: this will change once Seinfeld is added!)

I love spending time outdoors in the summer. The best?  A good cup of coffee, first thing in the morning - on a quiet campsite or on a deck at a cottage - and no phone notifications going off!

Israel *mic drop* I was fortunate enough to spend 12 days there many years ago on a work assignment. It gave me a small taste of what an amazingly beautiful country it is. I'd love to have the time to “walk in Jesus’ steps”, go to all the historical sites (Biblical and non-Biblical), visit the beaches in Eilat, go to cafes in the Old City, and of course, floating in the Dead Sea!