| Five
ways to describe him . . . |
- He is a short, heavy
set Kojak kind of guy
- He is a Miami Ink
poster boy
- Sometimes he believes
he is really a displaced Jamaican
- He is an E-bay maniac
- He tends to be a
techno guru wanna' be
|
| What
other people are saying about him . . . |
- He's so cool they
call him "Three Below"
- He can sometimes
be a little intimidating when you
first meet him
- He is a compassionate
person who has a big heart
- He could try out
for sumo wrestling and have a chance
to win
|
| About
his family . . . |
Brent is married to Cathy,
the love of his life. They have been married
for 23 years. Brent and Cathy met while
he served in the US Air Force in England
and it was love at first sight. That is
what she told me, honestly! Brent and Cathy
have three daughters, Jessica 21, and twins:
Kelly and Brittany 18. Their daughter Jessica
is married to DJ Barber and they have twins
of their own; Braydon and Brooklyn. Yep,
Brent is also a grandpa! Being a
grandpa is a real joy, even though he looks
way to good to be a grandpa!
|
| What
makes him cry . . . |
- Lost people who
won't acknowledge that they are lost.
- Homeless people
freezing to death on cold nights.
- People who
have nothing, yet are content (contentment-instead
of greed).
- Hitting his thumb
with an axe makes him cry a lot!
|
| What
are his pet peeves . . . |
- His is crazy about
starting and being on time.
- He finds himself
repenting from road rage many days.
- He thinks the speed
limit is only a guideline.
- Sunday drivers.
- If you empty the
"sweet tea" pitcher, FILL IT UP!
- He freaks and feels
like a "hippie" when his hair is longer
than 1/8 of an inch.
|
| If
he wasn't a minister . . . |
- He would own a Chinese
restaurant and eat more than he sold.
- He would love to build
a giant youth center in the community that
would give teens their own place to hang
out, with a positive image.
|
| What
his dream for ministry is . . . |
- That all people would
come to know Jesus as Lord.
- That teens and adults
would put aside cultural differences and
be united in Christ, working for the common
good regardless of cultural and personal
preferences.
|
| Other
places his talents has taken him . .
. |
- He has taught for several
years at "Summer in the Son" and "Junior
High Challenge" at Kentucky Christian
University.
- He has taught for Christ
in Youth on several occasions.
|
| By
the book . . . |
He hasn't been in a book
yet, but has been booked . . . just kidding!
One day he plans to write a book entitled,
"Rumors of War: In the Trenches of Youth
Ministry."
|
| Where
he learned his stuff . . . |
- Everything he knows he
learned from E-bay books.
- He actually spent most
of his college days enrolled at Lincoln
Christian College in Lincoln, Illinois.
As he served in ministry, he relocated
to Kentucky and finished his Bible degree
at Louisville Bible College. He has an
associates as well as a bachelors degree
in Sacred Literature.
- He has also completed
about 1/3 of his master's degree.
- Before ministry, he thought
about getting a law degree and has taken
courses in Criminal Justice at the University
of Maryland and Business Law from Joliet
Junior College.
|
| How
does he keep up with current trends . .
. |
- He is an avid Facebook and My Space traveler.
He believes that in this era of culture,
this is where teens are most "real" and
where they share their thoughts, personalities,
and hurts.
- Books are also a great place to keep
up with some trends.
- Group Magazine is also a pretty good
source.
|
| What
are his specialties . . . |
Brent has a passion
for electric guitar and enjoys playing
on the worship team, as well as in his
band, Kardia. Although the doesn't know
more than four chords, his heart for
playing makes up for it.
|
| What
does he excel at . . . |
He has a burden for young people, especially
teens who are "troubled". You can really
see him shine when it comes to students
that others would view as "unreachable"
or "problem teens".
|
| Why
he wanted to work at North Terrace . .
. |
- When he first came across the web site,
he was excited to see the leadership and
staffing network that was in place.
- North Terrace showed itself as a church
with great visions and purpose.
- His love for growth and discipleship
led him to join the team.
|
| What
he does for North Terrace . . . |
- He is the full time student minister.
- He works directly with the junior
and senior high students.
- He plans and organizes programming
and events.
- He spends many hours in teen counseling
sessions, leading small groups (both
teens and adult), speaks occasionally
for ministry groups within the church
and is part of the missions' ministry
of North Terrace.
- He is a primary guitar player for
the worship team and leads a teen
worship band called Kardia, that travels
to youth events to lead worship.
|
| When
he's not here . . . |
- You might find him riding a borrowed
Harley Davidson motorcycle (he can't
afford his own, but is accepting donations!),
letting the wind blow through his hair
. . . wait, he doesn't have any!
- He also loves to hunt and fish. He
has a 12-point buck hanging in his office.
Stop by and see it sometime.
|
| What
are his secret ambitions . . . |
If he told you it wouldn't be a secret
. . . but, he would really like to take
his wife on a "first" honeymoon all alone
(they never went on one), grab a honeymoon
suite and renew their vows on the beach
in Cancun.
|
| What
he thinks of the church today . . . |
He feels the church today, generally
speaking, has lost its first love. Too
many churches feel they need to try and
fit the mold, instead of being the church
of the Bible. We've lost central teachings
and doctrine, while politics and personal
interests have taken over so many congregations.
The church needs to get back to teaching
the truth, standing on that truth and
those who want to dig deeper, will. Otherwise,
the Gospels tell us that the message
of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing.
|
| What
is his best advice for aspiring youth ministers
. . . |
- Ministry can be brutal, do your best
to be thick skinned (fat is okay, but
be able to take the heat!)
- Learn compassion, practice patience,
study the word daily and love teens no
matter what they throw at you . . . hopefully
not literally!
- Stand on the truth of God's word even
when it's not comfortable, popular or
accepted by your audience.
- Leave your opinions out, speak God's
word, not yours.
- Respect your eldership even when you're
in disagreement.
|
