The Minister…
His spiritual journey to a life of service
Steve didn’t go to church growing up. So, as a highschool Freshman in the artistic community of Broad Ripple, the last thing Steve wanted to do was to be "dragged" off by his family to a church in the cornfields of Northern Indianapolis. Although he didn’t want to be there, he found a love and an acceptance there that he could not deny, and he heard about a special love and acceptance that God had for him personally. It was a simple love, but it seemed to fill something empty in him. As he continued in his spiritual journey, he ventured down a path of his new age backgrounds. But during his college years, Steve had a transforming and renewing spiritual experience with God that brought him into an encounter with the truth about God. At that moment, he surrendered and vowed the rest of his life to serving God and people.
His education & service
Upon receiving a degree in Education at I.U., Steve began ministering to hundreds of young people in 1991 at the very church he came to know God, East 91st Street Christian Church. Steve went on to receive his Masters Degree in Religious Education from Cincinnati Seminary in 1996. After 8 years of ministering to youth, Steve was called to become the Preaching Associate at E91, assisting the Senior Minister, David Faust, in the weekly preaching, teaching & pastoring to the church of 3-4,000 people, many of whom have known him since he was a mohawked teen! In the meantime, he had even begun some work toward his doctorate! But that would take a back seat to the next call from God...
In 2001, Steve was called to be the minister to start a new church that would start new churches in the Northwest. He and his associate, Ken Bussell (www.kenbussell.com) started OUR PLACE - YOUR CHRISTIAN CHURCH a new church started in the Orenco Station area of Hillsboro, just West of Portland, Oregon. It is the first church plant in E91's new & exciting movement of starting high-impact, regional, church-planting churches which will result in 136 new churches in the next ten years, strategically started in the most unchurched regions of the United States (the Northwest & Northeast). While its mild climate, wondrous natural beauty, and new host of high-tech companies are making Portland & Orenco Station the most livable places in the country and the new "Silicon Forest" of America, only 4% of its people claim any kind of affiliation or experience with God through faith, and there are very few dynamic & relevant churches to proclaim the good news of God's love in Christ. Steve and Renee are very excited to be a part of such an awesome, God-sized adventure together to "spread the good news where Christ is not known!" (Romans 15:20)
