a l i v e & a w a k e

I believe God has called me to be a spiritual leader, active agent of evangelism, developer of ministry teams, and to invest and cultivate disciples, to be mature, duplicating Kingdom Christ followers. I diligently and authentically seek, see and celebrate the work of Christ in all aspects of my life.

History

I was born in Scarborough Ont, and raised in Bancroft. Lived the country life although I feel I never fully fit in.Raised in a church setting and did the 'christian' thing but God got a hold of my life at 18 (story soon to come). I was thrown into 'ministry' work at age 21 in a drop-in centre called Switch Yard in Bancroft. I had worked at Graphite Bible Camp and Joy Bible Camp as well as helped out with Bancroft Bible Chapel's youth group. My life change as I worked with the hurting youth of Bancroft. They became my friends and the face of Christ to me teaching me things that I had never would of known. Mentors were also a big part of my life and still play a key role in my emerging development.

After 4 years at Switch Yard, I took some time off dealing with burnout. I found myself brought back into ministry by God and Mike Clark (mentor) who founded The Dam Youth Drop-in (a site on our page). I became a staff member there for seven years and now I am working as a lead pastor in Brampton at The Meeting House (as of Jan 2006).

Passions

Some of the things I am most passionate about are nature, biking, journaling and reading good books (Chapters is one of my favorite places). I have a passion to journey with those who seek to see their fullest potential realized in Christ. You can catch me in coffee shops, bars and movie theatres in discussion reading and studying or maybe even smokin' my pipe on a walk (tabacco). My favorite times of worship are in reflection, meditation and contemplation on a walk or a mountain top.

Some Good Books That Joe Reccomends

In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen

Tale of Three Kings, Gene Edwards

Spiritual Leadership, Henry Blackaby

The Fifth Mountain, Paulo Coelho

Waking the Dead, John Eldridge

The Barbarian Way, Erwin McMannas

Unleashing The Church, Frank Tillapaugh

Blue Like Jazz, Donald Millar

Theirs is the Kingdom, Robert Lupton

God in the Alley, Greg Paul

Joe's Favorite Movies (discretion needed!)

Fight Club, Shawshank Redemption, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, Life is Beautiful, It's a Wonderful Life, Life as a House, The Story of Us, Batman Begins, Braveheart,

  Cultivation is a key to any growth for plants. The same goes for people. In this generation we not only want to be cultivated to our fullest potential, but to see others touch unlimited possibilities. Three areas of cultivation are: