Place of Birth: Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany (son of a two war decorated 82nd Airborne veteran father - Army brat - one of five siblings - love the military)
Places I've Done Missions Work: Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico (my wife joined me on four of those trips and two of my children on others)
Years Married: 30 (all to my life's love, Kim)
Favorite Music: Diana Krall, John Coltrane, Kenny G, Chicago (jazz), contemporary Christian music like David Crowder, Big Daddy Weave, Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Tobey Mac, King & Country, Karen Jobe, and Jesus Culture among others, as well as the great traditional Christian hymns. I enjoy all kinds of music.
Favorite Sports: Football, football, football - especially Delta Panthers, Colorado University Buffs, and the World Champ Denver Broncos! Love hockey also.
Favorite Preachers: Allistar Begg, Tony Merida, H.B. Charles, Jr., Francis Chan, Albert Mohler, John Piper, Thabiti Anyabwile, Matt Chandler, Kevin DeYoung, David Platt, Timothy Keller, John MacArthur, Charles Swindoll, Charles Stanley, and Mark Dever. Wayne Grudem is a favorite theologian as is D.A. Carson and the late Norman Geisler.
Fun Fact: I have always lived near the mountains - Bavarian Alps, Smokey Mountains, Colorado Rockies, visited the Canadian Rockies and Andes in South America. Conversely, I'm not a fan of the desert.
Pastor Greg
Education: B.A. in Psychology - University of Colorado (1995)
Master of Arts in Psychology - emphasis Marriage, Family, & Child Counseling (MFCC) - Chapman University (1998) - Magna cum Laude (3.98 CGPA)
Master of Divinity (M.Div) - Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (GGBTS - now renamed Gateway Seminary),
William O. Crews Presidential Leadership Award (3.65 CGPA)
Post Graduate Studies in Elementary School Counseling
Planning doctoral work in theology
Work Experience: I did a variety of manual labor jobs early in my life. Roofing, ice plant, janitorial, restaurants, paving state highways, loading lump coal, working as a professional mover for a moving company, master potter's assistant. Its how I paid the bills and stayed in high school and college. Then I worked in/with a variety of mental health, social work settings, and school populations from 1993 to 2006. During those years I had a private practice of counseling, worked for the Department of Human Services in El Paso County for five years, did some outpatient substance abuse treatment, and have done inpatient mental health care also. These were primarily multi-problem families and young criminal populations. I also worked six years as an elementary school counselor for a school of 500 kids.
Since 2006, I have been in full time vocational ministry for SBC churches. I served eight years on staff as a minister at a large suburban SBC church in Colorado Springs, Colorado where my family attended for 21 years. Now it is my pleasure to serve at Calvary in Delta.
A Few Favorite Books: The Holy Bible, Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Lone Survivor (Marcus Luttrell), Same Kind of Different As Me (Moore, Vincent, & Hall), Radical (David Platt), Systematic Theology (Wayne Grudem), and Ordering Your Private World (Gordon McDonald), Imperfect Pastor ( Zach Eswine), The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All the Answers (David Hansen). I love the Chronicles of Narnia (CS Lewis) and the Fellowship of the Ring (JRR Tolkien) series. I pretty much love all military history and tactics books. I also value classical literature as it reflects the deeper aspects of the human condition.
Favorite Foods: BBQ, Smoked meat, Sushi with my son, anything Asian (preferably Korean BBQ), Italian food (cooking linguine & clam sauce with my youngest is awesome). As a recovering Mtn. Dew-aholic, I'm now a sweet tea guy. A Caesar salad on a regular basis isn't too bad either...
Favorite Things in Life: My wife and kids, my church family, and God's Word in my hand and on my lips as I meditate on and pray the Scriptures.Favorite place to do this is on the side of a high mountain overlooking a high lake in the Colorado Rocky mountains (preferably RMNP, Holy Cross Wilderness, Silverjack, or Grand Mesa wilderness areas) with an ice cold Mountain Dew in my other hand! I am passionate about preaching and pastoral work!
Favorite Art: The Thinker (bronze sculpture - Rodin -1902), Ansel Adams photography (as well as some of Stan Rose's tribute photography), Leonardo di Vinci's original The Last Supper oil on canvas painting (1498), Beverly Doolittle western art, Thomas Kincaide art, and Washington Crossing the Delaware (Leutze), as well as pictures of nature, preferably Colorado. There is no artist like God!
Favorite Joys/Hobbies: Reading and looking at books (I love books!), shooting, hunting, hiking, backpacking (used to), camping, outdoor motor sports (some), and watching M*A*S*H* and action/adventure movies with my family and friends. I prefer SCUBA diving any warm, clear water. Spending anytime with my wife or just being in her presence. Playing and hanging out with my kids. Spending time with friends. These are my greatest earthly joys. However, these relationships and past times pale in comparison to being in the Presence of our heavenly Father, just meeting to be with Him.