Staff | Creative Arts

October 26 was one of the best days of my life. It was a bright, sunny day with the crisp, cool air of a Southern Californian breeze blowing across the campus. As a student at Biola University, I was walking to class when a beautiful 19 year-old girl gave me a note. I read it on my way to class and couldn’t wait until later. Well, later finally came, and I found myself sitting in a gazebo near the cafeteria with sweaty palms, a slight lump in my throat, and an entire lifetime ahead of me. That day, I asked Debbie Deal to be my girlfriend. It was a day I’ll never forget.

Debbie and I now have three children: Brett, Nate, and Tori. We arrived at Palmcroft when Tori was only six days old. Perhaps we were crazy, but we were following the Lord’s calling to serve Him in music ministry here at Palmcroft. Many years later, we still love it here. There is no greater joy than to lead people in worship each Sunday and train young leaders as they prepare for their own future in worship ministry.

When not at church, I am passionate about my family. I love cheering for my children at their sporting events, taking walks with my wife, as well as golfing and hunting with my two sons. I play Wii on occasion (I still can’t seem to bowl a 300 on Wii Sports!). I also like texting my children and staying connected through this modern marvel of technology that we all take for granted.

I especially value my time alone with the Lord. Recently I have been reading all the references about hope in the Bible. During the tough times, so many people are in need of hope. While going through this personal Bible study, I came across one of my favorite verses again, a verse my mother shared with my family when I was growing up in Los Angeles: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,’” (Jeremiah 29:11). It reminded me again that no matter what stage of life we’re in, God has plans for us. Whether young, old, or somewhere in the middle, God is working in our lives to accomplish His purposes…and that gives me hope.

It’s been a great ride! I was born in Michigan, trained in the south, married my college sweetheart, moved to Arizona for five years for youth/music ministry and grad work at ASU, served a strong church in Northern California for 33 years (reared four good kids there), came back to Phoenix to begin a music consulting ministry, finally landing the ship at Palmcroft where the entire family has been worshipping and serving for the past 17 years. A great ride!

I enjoy reading the works of Tozer, Spurgeon, and Steve Korch (My Soul Thirsts)…they reflect my passion to practice the presence of God, know God more intimately, and to be found faithful when the last chapter of my life is written.

Developing a Christ-centered family life is an ongoing goal and a top priority for Melba Jo and me.

As a director of the Palmcroft orchestra, I have a passion to train our instrumentalists to play skillfully in authentic, Spirit-filled worship and to lead our congregation into the presence of God with instruments of praise.

I have a passion for the local church. There’s nothing more beautiful than people coming together in ministry for the common goal of glorifying God. When I found out I could use music and media toward this goal, I was set for life.

I’ve grown up at Palmcroft. Since 1997 I’ve been hanging around campus, making friends, and becoming involved. In junior high, I started making fun movies with my buddies. In high school, I picked up guitar and started jamming with the worship band. Those were the years when I discovered that my true loves were media and music. My senior year of high school, my mentor, Jeff Wolfe, channeled these interests into a media internship at Palmcroft.

Following high school, I plunged into short-term missions every summer. These experiences fostered an excitement for ministry in my heart; they also revealed the scope of God’s church to me (wow). My freshman year of college, I discovered that my true calling was in music ministry. I transitioned to Southwestern College my sophomore year and ended up with a Bachelor’s in Music (vocal performance). Just recently I was brought on to the full-time staff working in web management, media, and music.

In May of 2009, I married my high school sweetheart, Brooke Simms. She and I live in the northwest valley and enjoy every day together. We also love spending time with friends and family at our kitchen table or in the college group at church. Beside music and video, I’m into photography, racquetball, and film. Confession: I also have a slight obsession with collecting vinyl records (and listening to them).

One of the coolest things for me recently is building into the lives of young men the way that others like Jeff Wolfe, Phil Carr, Neal Bowman, and my dad have mentored me. It’s great to see the future of the church rise up before my very eyes in some cool, young dudes. I’m specifically learning lessons of humility lately; encouraging words from the writer of Hebrews that curb my pride: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1). I’m not the first at anything, yet these saints of old and those who mentor me today encourage me to run this race well for His glory.