A New Calling - Yes, We're Moving

After 5 1/2 incredible years of living and serving in Sioux City, Iowa, we are moving to a new town and a new ministry opportunity. We will be moving to Cleveland, OH at the end of December and I'll start serving as Pastor of Worship Arts at Parma Heights Baptist Church in Parma Heights, OH (Cleveland Suburb). It's a church with a Sunday attendance of 1,000; is launching a new vision/passion for impacting the Cleveland area; has a 300 pupil elementary school; a 200 child preschool; and is located right next to a large mall, retail and significant residential area.

It was not an easy decision to leave a church that God has been blessing so incredibly. It's been amazing to be one small piece of a great ministry team that has seen so many lives change and a congregation that has grown from 400 to 1,500 people attending each Sunday. But my current position has moved from a musical leadership role to a technical and programing mode. Also, as a very progressive church, there are fewer opportunities for me to conduct and touch some of the traditional music elements that I was trained for and love. So after 8 months of praying and talking, Kristin and I decided it was time to start a national search. I could go on forever about the amazing God-breathed journey we've been through which is landing us in Cleveland (but I won't for now).

Here are a few details about what I'll be doing at PHBC:

-Design and lead the blended and the contemporary services

-Conduct the 50-60 voice choir which sings each week for the blended services

-Lead and build the orchestra which is used primarily during the blended services and the worship teams for the contemporary service

-Lead paid and volunteer worship arts staff

-With the staff, work to develop ways that the worship arts can contribute to reaching

out and impacting the Cleveland Area

-Utilize my experience at a growing church to help support new ministries to help prepare for

growth through their new sports ministry

-...many more exciting opportunities to serve

Below are photos of the outside of the church; inside sanctuary; choir room and part of the youth center.