The sound of waves hitting the shore of North San Diego county beaches has been familiar to me for as long as I can recall. I was born in La Jolla at Scripps Hospital and moved to Escondido, CA when I was five. Moonlight Beach in Encinitas was a favorite weekend jaunt for my family back when the hills were covered with flower fields and roadside vegetable stands were common. I attended Del Dios Middle School and Escondido High School graduating in 1975 with hopes of entering Aviation.

During my growing-up years my family attended Emmanuel Faith Community church in Escondido and it was there that I was introduced to Jesus Christ. I learned at the age of five that, as the creator of all we see, Jesus had the answers to all of life's questions- including my simple question about how to get to heaven. Over the years since then I have felt his healing touch on my hurts and his sympathetic help in my struggles. He has welcomed other questions from me as well like: "Why do good people suffer?" "Can one person really make a difference in this world?" "How can God help fix the brokenness and shame we all feel in life?

I learned as I pondered these questions that God was calling me to work with him in fixing broken things. He was working on my heart to re-direct my focus from aviation to pastoring, a change I resolutely resisted until 1979, and my senior year at Moody Bible Institute. I had gone to the school with a passion to study missionary aviation, but graduated with a heart to help people heal. That summer I came back to Southern California to work with the High School group at Emmanuel Faith and encountered another life-changing moment- meeting my wife, Lisa. We eventually married and move to Dallas, Texas to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating in 1986. We told God we were willing to serve Him wherever he desired, sent out 350 resumes all across the U.S., and eventually ended up in San Clemente, CA at the Evangelical Free Church- back by the waves again! After fifteen wonderful years of helping people along the south Orange County coast discover God and his amazing grace and completing my Doctoral work and its emphasis on assisting parent's to train their children to know God, we sensed God's call to move once again.

On September 16, 2001 just a few days after 9-11, Lisa, my two daughters Julie and Jessica, and I joined with Faith Community Church by the Sea to serve the people living along the North Coast of San Diego County. It is our privilege to work with this amazing church loving people and seeking ways to help heal and fix the brokenness life brings.

Each week unfolds new stories of God's grace at work in and through our lives, a grace we all truly need.

As I look to the future, I get very excited by what I see. God wants to use the devotion of the people at FCC to Him, His people, and our world as a starting point to help people where they have their greatest needs. I see hurting people hearing about God's love and experiencing it thru the caring actions of the people of FCC. I see inner shame and deep-seated pain giving way to feelings of worth and joy. I see broken lives, marriages, and homes mending by the application of Gods truth in the context of deep relationships and God's power to transform us. I see children and young people packing their hearts and minds with the stories and wisdom of God so they are prepared to face life with a deep confidence and genuine competence.

So, that's a bit of who I am and where I am at. I would love to hear your story as well (feel free to e-mail me!). Then come and spend some time with us - don't wait until we move to our new campus to build a relationship with us. In fact, let me share with you some ways you can get to know us better:

1. Surf our website and staff, ministries, community groups, and our vision for the future. We are here to help you.
2. Stop by for a Sunday morning service and our discipleship time. Come to a weekday Community Group/Bible study, or bring your middle/Senior High school students to "The Wave", "Crash", or "Friday Night Live". One of the best ways to build relationships is to take time to be together.
3. Contact us here at the office either by phone or email with your prayer requests and needs. We would love to meet you and find out more about you. We are committed to the people of our world.