As I was growing up, my family regularly attended a small UMC church in Allentown, PA. I was involved in "Youth Fellowship", and have fond memories of the leaders and the activities/bible studies/sunday school that they led. I was a very shy kid, but, they made me feel welcome, and challenged my understanding of God. I volunteered in youth ministry at my home church while I attended college.
I attended summer camp at the Gretna Glen, Innabah, and Pocono Plateau, finally discovering Youth Music Camp at Pocono Plateau. The counselors and campers had a profound impact on my faith journey, modeling Christian community in a manner I had not yet experienced. As I matured, my faith became real, I started to "own" it. A challenge by one of the music camp counselors led me to volunteer as a Camper in Leadership Training for a children's camp at Pocono Plateau, and thus began a long history of volunteerism in Christian Camping, and subsequently, youth ministry.
After High School, I attended Moravian College, receiving a degree in Computer Science. In my senior year, I worked as the Systems Administrator for the Computer Science Department, which include supporting the other science departments. After graduating, I was offered the position as a full-time employee. I will forever be grateful for the continued opportunity to learn and develop skills in many areas that weren't even formal disciplines at the time. While the primary focus was UNIX/Solaris systems administration, I was also responsible for the local network, and eventually Moravian College's first Internet connection. At that time, there was little focus on what we now call Cyber Security, that was a fledgling discipline. My experience at Moravian provided the foundation that I leveraged in subsequent professional positions. I left Moravian and work for a small startup that was a Sun Microsystems Reseller and Systems Integrator. In 1999 I left that company and joined a Fortune 50 Global Healthcare company where I work in Cyber Security.
After graduating, I transferred from my home church to a larger UMC church in the area. (Where I knew many people from Youth Music Camp.) I began to volunteer in youth ministry at that church, and was privileged to learn from several strong Directors of Youth Ministry, some clergy, others laity. They saw leadership potential in me, something I did not see myself. I never imagined that I would speak to groups, let alone lead them. At the same time I was trained to facilitate cooperative group building, high, and low ropes at Pocono Plateau. The mentoring I received, and subsequent training obtained at the National Youth Workers Convention, shaped my understanding of youth ministry, and helped me realize my call the call to youth ministry. In retrospect, it was clear that God was calling me to youth ministry, though I did not have the language to express it.
I was blessed to have served in youth ministry at both Asbury UMC (17+ years) and First Presbyterian Church Bethlehem / Grace Church Bethlehem. (11+ years)
I currently attend Faith Church in Allentown, PA. The worship and teaching are extraordinary.