I speak during our regular worship services, and coordinate a variety of creative classes and experiences to help our congregation grow. We have a place for you!

I had a fantastic summer coaching baseball with youth from 6 to 14 years old! Working as part of a small team, we saw great growth in players while sharing our love for the game of baseball. I fulfilled a childhood dream of playing the game I love dressed in a Tiger uniform at Comerica Park! Meeting various Tiger players and coaches and introducing them to our players as a privilege. I watch the game now with even greater appreciation for all that goes into preparation and execution, including echoes of those basic principles we taught in our camps.

I worked in a variety of formats at Northwestern Mutual's Troy, Michigan office. I started out to build my own team, gaining valuable training and experience in networking, prospecting and sales. I moved onto a team for another advisor and saw the bigger picture of a planning practice. I made great friends in my time there, expanded my own personal and professional network, and learned a great deal about the business of financial planning.

The role of Senior Minister is rich and varied, including varying from individual church to individual church. The essence of a Congregational church is an organizational style led by the members of the congregation. The Minister works for and works with the congregation, requiring a collegial leadership style and a message of interconnectedness. In Royal Oak, we built on a long and rich tradition of service in the area. That history provided great wisdom and experience to current efforts, along the occasional burden of long-standing traditions that were in need of refreshment. We reflected on all of that during 16 years together that began in the shadow of 9/11 and ended with the celebration of 175 years of ministry in Royal Oak.Through the church, I became connected to a wide variety of organizations in the area. I led the Royal Oak Pastors Association as president for many years. I served in the Royal Oak Kiwanis Club, including two terms as president. I was on the board for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan, now the Metro Detroit Youth Clubs. I was on the board for the South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless, Royal Oak Youth Assistance, a planning team that created a 9/11 Day of Service in Detroit, and the planning team that created and continues an annual Martin Luther King Day remembrance that brings Royal Oak and Berkley together in service in metro Detroit. Those connections strengthened the church's role and visibility in the community, and were each very satisfying to me personally.Through my service at the church I wore many hats, including preacher, teacher, counselor, administrator, visionary, listener and friend. I am very, very grateful for my time there.