I was born in Johnstown, PA and lived in Ebensburg, PA for a little over 10 years before I moved to Pender County with my family and settled in Hampstead. I had the opportunity to attend elementary school, middle school, and high school in Pender County Schools. I became a part of an amazing church called Renovation Church when we first moved here and being a part of the church family shaped me as I grew up here. Renovation Church is all about opportunities and they gave me so many to not only respond to Jesus but also to grow and learn as I grew older and more mature in my faith. So growing up in this school system coincided with serving at my church in the kid’s ministry and set up and breakdown due to Renovation Church being portable and taking place within Topsail High School. I played 4 years of football for THS and through knowing the nature of serving and being exposed to FCA as I played football, I was inspired and decided to jump in and help lead FCA at THS my Senior year of High School. It was amazing to see God work through me in that time but it has been amazing to see God set up relationships that have led to my increased involvement in FCA today.

Pender County isn’t just made up of my home in Hampstead, but it spans a big area with three high schools, six middle schools, and plenty more on the way. This area is growing and I have been very fortunate to walk into a county that has a thriving Christ culture and a strong FCA presence. Knowing the growth of the area, and the increasing number of sports teams, it is easy to say that there is so much opportunity for God’s kingdom to grow within this county. It is amazing that I can report that God is already on the move within the schools and churches in this area. It is even more amazing to envision that if this growth and what God is doing continues to be cultivated well, that the best is yet to come.

A prayer I continue to pray, especially over Pender County in this season, is that of Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21, which says, “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT"