Life Story

I grew up in Celina, Texas. I attended church most Sundays as a child mostly because that is what “good people” do. It felt like we had to check that box if we wanted God to approve of us. I thought God was far away, watching over everything and waiting for me to mess up so He could be disappointed in me. I was saved at VBS in elementary school. Looking back on it, I believe I was saved because I feared what would happen to me if I wasn’t. It probably wasn’t until my late 20s that I realized God wasn’t waiting for me to mess up, but instead, He wanted to have a relationship with me. He loved me despite my shortcomings and failures. I didn’t have to clean up to come to Him! God wanted my mess and filth, and He would make it into something good.

I met my wife, Heather, in 8th grade. We dated at that young age, which led to many trials and temptations that tested our commitment to Jesus. We were married at 20 and had our first son, Major, at 21 years of age. We had our daughter, Maci, two years later and then boy/girl twins, Marisa and Maguire, two years after that. We were done with children, we thought, by age 25. But God had a different and better plan!

God put on our heart a desire to seek out the least of these—the despised, the rejected—through the gift of adoption. He orchestrated, planned, and provided. All we had to do was say “yes.” We adopted our sweet girls, Maggie, in 2013, and Mattea and Maybree, in 2015. His kindness and goodness blessed this dad with seven wonderful children.

Hope for The Village Church

My hope for The Village Church is that we continue to boldly proclaim the gospel to a world that needs the hope only Jesus provides. I hope we continue to be a welcoming home for sinners in need of a Savior. I hope our grace will far exceed our rules, and that we at TVC will love people right where they are.