Spiritual Pilgrimage
God has blessed us in so many ways: salvation, a wonderful family, and the opportunity to serve in various ministries around the world. God called us both into ministry as teenagers. We responded by preparing at Northwest Nazarene University where we met and fell in love. As God has directed our lives, we have adopted two beautiful children, served as pastors, missionaries, professor, nurse, chaplain, and other ministries. We have seen God’s direction through the many challenges we have faced. Our family verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. We are learning to trust in the Lord in all we do.
Pastor Dave and Pastor Rhonda began on September 7, 2025. They are both ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene. David’s background includes pastoring four churches, interim pastor at two churches, college and seminary professor, hospice chaplain, educational administrator, plus fry cook, human shovel, car rebuilder, house builder, and all around handyman. He earned three degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Northwest Nazarene University, Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Philosophy from Iliff School of Theology and the University of Denver. He has written many books, articles, and various materials for discipleship. Pastor Dave maintains a daily devotional blog: acky4.com.
Pastor Rhonda’s background includes being a registered nurse. She has worked in various hospitals as a nurse, but her favorite ministry is working with people. She was the first graduate with a Compassionate Ministry degree at Northwest Nazarene University. She went on to earn her Bachelor in Science in Nursing from Rockhurst College and Research College of Nursing. Her calling is to shepherd God’s people.
Their daughter, Shan, has a special ministry of connecting with people as the bridge builder of the family. Everywhere she goes, she meets people and makes friends.
Their son, Joel, works in videography in Boise, Idaho. He loves to travel and meet new people around the world.
| Ministry Vision
· To help people find hope and full salvation in Jesus Christ |
| Ministry Skills
· Biblical preaching and teaching to help people hear God’s purpose for us in Christ |
The essentials of being church have not changed and are universal for all cultures. What changes are the images and methods we use to share the gospel with the people around us. The early church was characterized by study of God’s Word, fellowship, compassion, and prayer (Acts 2:42). The church today must practice these essential elements. People are looking for meaning, and part of that involves developing relationships with others. One of the most effective ways to grow the church today is by genuine relationships of love. As the church, we function best when we are unified in our devotion to Christ and whole-heartedly devoted to helping one another get to heaven through godly living in this world. The Bible provides all the information we need. Thus, we need to focus on the Word and find new ways to help people be connected to the central message of the Word. At times, we will need to be creative in our methods because the world is changing. Following and adapting the best examples will help us be the church in our communities. We begin with study of the Scripture and then listen and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us as we connect with those around us.