Pastor Josh is the Lead Pastor.
Tell us about your job?
Pastor Josh says there really isn’t a typical day of ministry, which is one of the things he likes most about being a pastor. He enjoys the wide spectrum of roles that he gets to take on depending on the day: preaching, teaching, planning, administration, working with youth, communication, and technical support. It brings him great joy and fulfillment to invest his gifts into a community that embodies and shares God’s love in so many ways.
About you?
When Pastor Josh was younger, his family lived in the Chicago area and in New Jersey. But, the majority of his childhood was spent in Litchfield Park on the west side of Phoenix. Pastor Josh studied systems engineering at the University of Arizona before heading to Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota for seminary. Pastor Josh is an avid UA sports fan and will throw in a “Bear Down” as merited. He has been married to his “amazing” wife, Cheryl, for 10 years. They are parents to six-year-old twins, Luke and Micah, and two-year-old Tessa. Pastor Josh’s and Cheryl’s parents both live in the Tucson area.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs! Pastor Josh says that cats are too hard to read. They have a 10-year-old Puggle named Eli. (Puggle is a real word. It is a crossbreed of a pug and a beagle.)
Hidden talent?
Pastor Josh was an All-State soccer player in high school, playing center midfield. Pastor Josh adds that he’s “not sure how much of that talent has been preserved!” He recently introduced Luke and Micah to some retro video games and was happy to find out that his skills in Mario Brothers and Mario Kart held up after 20 years.
Pet peeves?
Pastor Josh’s systems engineering background enables him to view things through the lens of efficiency. His pet peeve can be anything done or ran inefficiently.
Happiest doing when you’re not working?
Other than spending time with his family, Pastor Josh enjoys hiking and being out in God’s creation. He has a ‘to-conquer’ list of all of the local mountain summits that he is gradually checking off!
What inspires you?
Pastor Josh is inspired by positive change in individuals’ lives and in our world brought about by people giving of themselves.
Personal motto?
Pastor Josh’s motto is “Be light.” He gives thanks for the incredible opportunity to make the world around him brighter each and every day, and believes life is usually best when he is making the most of that opportunity.
Favorite church memory?
Pastor Josh remembers June 24, 2018 as a special day. He was installed as TVLC’s lead pastor and Tessa was baptized.
What wasn’t asked, but should have been?
Pastor Josh says he should have been asked: “What items do I regularly consume that draw sneers from the office staff?” Pastor Josh’s standard office lunch is a spinach salad topped with peppers and sardines. He claims that it is much tastier than it sounds, and that he even has a convert in Joe. He also brews his own kombucha — a fermented tea — of which he drinks a bottle each day after lunch. But, Pastor Josh doesn’t have any converts there yet. (You may have been in the office close to lunchtime and smelled the sardines….)
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