Refer also to my facebook profile page!
Some random factoids:
–Mike grew up as one of three lone ethnic kids in his neighborhood and elementary school (the other two were his cousin and brother).
–Mike is an avid Pittsburgh sports fan and is awaiting the day when the Pirates,Penguins and Steelers can all bring home a championship in the same year. 2011 is our year!
–Mike can make the sound of one hand clapping.
–Mike spent 11 years in Chicago —in college or seminary for 10 of them.
–Mike’s personal best golf score —110…with a few mulligans allowed (Mike has not golfed since 2002 and recently donated his clubs to a church planter).
–Mike often wins limbo contests at wedding receptions and pre-school Father’s day outings.
–Mike is deceptively good at Taboo and other “description”games. Beware!
–From August 1996 to June 2008,Mike never once flew internationally. From July 2008 to October 2009,Mike will have been in Kenya twice,France,Switzerland,Germany,India,Turkey and England. SN –Mike has discovered he likes to travel.
Favorites:
–Coffee —Anything African,Brazilian,Honduran,Nayarit Mexican
–Beverage —New Castle Brown Ale,Harp Lager,Coke Zero
–Cuisine —Mediterranean,Indian,Chinese,Japanese,Korean,French
–Meat to stick on the grill —Ribeye,Tri-tip,N.Y. Strip
–Appetizers —French Onion Soup,Chopped Salad,Bar Finger Foods,Hot n’Sour soup
–Dessert —Coffee ice cream with a warmed up brownie
–Music —80′s,Alternative,Soundtrack music
–T.V. shows — Friday Night Lights,Psych,Man vs. Wild,Glee
–Books —Lord of the Rings,Harry Potter,Forgotten Ways,Organic Church,Heavenly Man,The World is Flat,MegaShift,Shaping of Things to Come,Notes from Underground,Army of Ordinary People,Church Planting Movements
–Movies —Anything Terminator,The Professional,Sneakers,The Fifth Element,Alien Resurrection,Slumdog Millionaire,The Wedding Singer,Zoolander,Casablanca
One of the questions it is hard for me to answer is “What do you do?”
I am a father of three awesome children
I am a husband of 17 years who loves his wife
I am a spiritual parent to family God has given me
I am a son of God who is learning how to transform to a Beatitude life
I am a detoxing suburbanite consumer learning how to live a more rugged spirituality
I am a champion of a new wine skin called Basecamps:resilient,missional,disciple-making communities. I am trying to live out new kinds of reproducible communities that will express its spirituality and engage in mission in entirely new ways.
I am trying to start/develop small businesses for local evangelism,social entrepreneurialism,and sustainable mission.
I am a barista and coffee snob wannabe
I am a little league coach
I am a G.E.D.,math and English teacher for the community college on the Apache reservation
What I am telling unchurched people about our move to Globe: I am a former church minister who is retiring from pastoral ministry in order to better help people outside of the reach of the church. Moving to Globe,AZ is our experiment of what it would look like if the church had no walls,but instead the entire city was the church or parish in need of wholeness and transformation. What would we do? Who are the people in need of help? How could we help them? I believe this is how Jesus did things,and our move is our attempt to better act on this deeply felt belief.