What is your role at MHC?

Executive Pastor, Member of the Board of Directors (MHC Treasurer), Executive Elder, and member of the West Seattle Campus leadership team.

Tell us about your family:

Married to Patty for 36 years, my high school sweetheart; 2 adult children – Julie (married with two sons) and Tim (single, but looking).

When did Jesus change your life?

I accepted Jesus as a sophomore in high school…March 1969.

How has your life changed since meeting Jesus?

I was on a road to destruction and most likely would have ended up in prison had it not been for the saving grace of Jesus. I wouldn’t have a loving wife, two adult kids who are following Jesus, and two grandsons. There would have been no opportunity to serve the Lord at MHC nor experience the fun, adventure and character building of 25 years in the CG, nor would I have gained any leadership or executive experience beyond leading a group of inmates.

Tell us how you came to be at Mars Hill, as a visitor, member, and elder:

We came to MHC in October 2003 after leaving a small church in Arbor Heights. We became members about 18 months later and got involved as a mentor couple in the marriage ministry and on the leadership development support team led by Pastor Dave Kraft. I was called to become an elder in late 2006 and started the process in early 2007.

What is your biggest challenge in this ministry?

Living up to the standards set in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1 for overseers will be a daily lifelong battle until the Lord brings me home. From a ministry standpoint, it is developing the capacity and infrastructure to fund and resource the ambitious vision the Lord has given us. He provides the resources and I get to lead the team to allocate and steward these resources wisely and fairly.

What is your greatest joy while serving in this ministry?

Being able to serve Jesus and to be part of a global movement wholly devoted to mission of seeing the lives of people transformed by Jesus.

Please share a favorite quotation:

#1 has to be Carpe Diem – seize the day, and #2, “You can either count days, or make every day count” (from a Father’s Day card my son gave me 15 years ago)

What books have fueled your thinking or challenged you in the last few years?

• Pastor James Noriega’s Biblical Counseling Class Materials
• John Kotter’s “A Force for Change”
• “The Fourth Turning” by William Strauss and Neil Howe
• “Good to Great” by Jim Collins
• All the Patrick Lencioni books from “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” forward
• “The Celtic Way of Evangelism” by George G. Hunter III.

What’s your favorite/preferred genre of music?

Rock – love to listen the Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Seger, and hundreds more from the greatest era ever in music (60’s-70’s). Also, both of our children are talented pianists and it was pure joy listening to their live music as they practiced a multitude of musical pieces throughout their childhood.

What’s your favorite Seattle-area eatery?

Jak’s Grill for filet mignon, Bistro Baffe for genuine Italian, and Pegasus on Alki for pizza

What’s your favorite scripture?

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Why?

This whole chapter rocks with God’s sovereignty and design for us…I love a plan, especially when it’s God’s.

Check out Pastor Tim’s blog posts from the Mars Hill Blog and content he’s submitted to West Seattle. For sermon/Q&A audio involving Pastor Tim, click here.