I grew up in one of the main-line denominations. I was baptized as an infant, went to church
every week, sang in the choir, and went through confirmation. My only memories of
hearing anything about Jesus are from the Bible stories that were told to me in Sunday
school at a very young age.
I started playing the guitar at the age of ten. I rapidly realized that I had a strong desire to
play music. Approaching High school age, I found that playing music was really the only
thing that interested me. As my desire to play music grew, I discovered that the church had
little to offer musically except playing the church organ, and the church itself seemed
spiritually dead. I gradually turned toward the world to see what it had to offer.
During my time in High school, I was never into drugs or alcohol. After graduation,
however, all that changed. As I got out into the world and pursued a career in music, the
whole life-style of drugs and alcohol came right along with it. This was during the 60's, and
that life-style wasn't just in music... it was everywhere! Although to others I appeared to be
successful and happy, that kind of life just left me with a total sense of emptiness inside.
Many years later in 1979, the Lord was drawing me toward Him in many ways. After I
returned from a brief time on the road with a band, the Holy Spirit touched my heart one day
as I was watching a Christian television show called the PTL Club. While I watched and
listened, Jim Bakker described just how I was feeling inside. Then he asked me to pray with
him and to invite Jesus into my heart. I prayed with him, and in a moment I knew my life had
changed!
For the first time in my life, I really didn't care if I ever played music again. You must
understand... for so many years the guitar was my God! Now, I had no desire to play
it. That whole life-style lost it's appeal to me. With the laying down of my guitar, I also put
aside all of my striving to "make it" in the music business.
During the months that followed, all I wanted to do was learn about God and read
His Word. My whole perspective on life and God's purpose for me had been
changed. Eventually, God introduced me to something I never knew existed -- Christian
rock music. God showed me that He was using this powerful medium to reach people with
the Gospel, and He showed me that He wanted to use me in that way!
This time when I picked up my guitar, it was no longer my idol -- it was now a tool for His
purpose.
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God brought me into Young Ministries 7 years ago at
a time when my life needed major reconstruction. Through the ministry I
have witnessed the life-changing power of Christ's love and have come to
realize that there is nothing we have lost that God can't restore. I gave
Him my failures and He gave me His faithfulness.
Since I was young, I always loved to sing, but when I decided to give God everything, he
showed me the power of worship and the life that comes from praising His name. My favorite verse is 2 Timothy 2:15:
"Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a workman who is not ashamed, but who correctly handles the
word of truth."
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I came into the world on the 20th of May in 1986. I was lucky enough to be born into a
christian home where my Mom, Debi, and my Dad, Fred, encouraged me to read God's word
and follow Jesus. Through their teachings I was saved as a young child.
I began playing drums when I was in the fourth grade, and I first became a
member of the ministry when I was about twelve years old. When I first played with the
ministry, it consisted of my Dad playing guitar and my sister Melissa providing vocals. I
accompanied them with various forms of auxiliary percussion instruments.
Sometime during the concert my Dad would usually give these little speaches about the gospel
and the life of Jesus Christ. Around our second time playing together, I began to really listen
to these little talks, and I noticed that when he talked of Jesus, it wasn't what I was used to.
He spoke of him like a real person. I came to the realization that Jesus really was a mortal
human being. He felt pain, he was betrayed, and he was persecuted. He was forced to go
through every time of hardship the normal human being had to deal with. I realized how much
of a man Jesus really was. It was this that prompted me to further my walk with Christ, and
I decided to recommit my life to him in the summer of 1999.
Since then I have taken up webdesign and explored the idea of one day becoming a technical
engineer. However, music is still my true passion, and I am glad to have the opprotunity to
use this gift God has given me to do His will.
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I am the youngest member of Young Ministries. I sing and play saxophone and keyboards in the band. I got saved when I was 7 years old, but I have recommited my life to Christ
since then. I enjoy listening to Switchfoot, Audio Adrenaline, the Newsboys, and John Reuben. I love listening to Christian music. I also love singing, performing, and sketching, and basically anything that is creative or artistic. My life-long passion is to go on missions trips and talk with all of the children from other countries about God's amazing love.
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