It is an honor to minister in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It is incredible how this area is growing and “on the move”. Many youth, too, are “on the move” looking for something new. As well, I know that God is also “on the move” and that He desires for us to join Him. Joining with Him brings new and exciting things.

Angie, my wife, and I have had the pleasure of passionately ministering to youth for 15 years. We have a desire for youth to know all about who God is and what He is about; and for youth to have and live a daily life-relationship with Jesus Christ. We want to walk alongside youth and their families, encouraging, teaching, and learning together, as we pursue all of the life that God has intended for us.

My passion for youth and ministry is based in Mark 12:29-31. In Jesus’ response to the religious teachers He instructs them (and us) that the greatest command is to love God with everything that we are, and to secondly love each other. It may not always be easy (for life has challenges), but keeping a right relationship with God and others will bring us life worth living.

Today’s society is complex and challenging. We live in a culture that is fast paced and filled with unmet expectations, false impressions, and broken dreams. Communication and technology, designed to make life simple, have become exponentially faster and more reliable, yet life often feels as if it only gets busier and more stressful. We are left only to feel alone, broken, and unfulfilled in a world whose sole purpose is to consume.

Christ offers restoration and fulfillment. He seeks a personal relationship with each of us and a friendship that is intimate. When we worship Christ, we are responding to His grace, mercy, and love; we are offering an authentic expression of gratitude and thanksgiving for the works He has done in our lives. Worship is the surrender of self; it is the decision of the creation to live passionately in the presence of the Creator, living each moment of every day seeking to glorify His name.

I moved to Rio Rancho in the year of 2000 to complete my Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of New Mexico, which later became a realization and an accomplishment in 2003. During these three years, Christ led me to become a member of Celebration Baptist Church and I later answered His call to become His church’s worship leader, or lead worshipper. It is my heart’s desire to serve God and His people, developing relationships that are real. I have been involved in music for over fifteen years playing and leading for a variety of church services and various events and productions. I believe that God calls musicians and singers to “…play skillfully for the Lord,” as stated in Psalm 33:3, with a heart set solely on Him. I also believe that God equips and prepares each one of us with specific gifts and abilities with which we may serve Him, as stated in Ephesians 2:10.

We strive to create a worship environment that is enriching and that provides God’s people with the opportunity to worship together and internalize the truths that are the basis of our faith. We also desire to create a multi-sensory atmosphere of worship so that we may experience God beyond just ear and eye. When we engage our whole being, it is then that God’s presence becomes fully manifested.