About this Blog

This blog is designed to be a place to cultivate leaders to experience and share the hope Jesus offers in all aspects of life. That’s an invitation to be on a journey of growing as a disciple of Jesus. It’s also an invitation to enter the story, the God Story, as it unfolds in ordinary life. My posts twice a month are designed to cultivate your leadership potential. 

If you really want to know…

About Sara

College towns, growing suburban communities, and changing urban neighborhoods have given me wide array of places to live, serve, and grow. In each of these environments, I have had the privilege of guiding people in new endeavors, navigating changing expectations, and leading people to align their actions with their goals. Mission drives me and gives me focus.

Serving with others, whether in my community or half way around the world, helps bring clarity and meaning to my life. One of my favorite adventures was at the beginning of my full time ministry in South Africa. Some of the favorite places I’ve served include Toronto, Canada; Rockford, IL; Juarez, Mexico; rural Tennessee and Ganta, Liberia. One of those experiences was organized in less than twenty-four hours when a missions trip was cancelled to Florida.

Closer to home, Cincinnati’s urban core captured my heart and allowed me to experience and share the hope Jesus offers in all aspects of life. As the Pastor overseeing twelve community ministries and four ministries around the globe, I recognized a need in our own backyard. While going to other places to serve has always impacted my life in meaningful ways, I grew tired of the conversations we had on the way home. Usually, those conversations included questions like, “How can we do something like that closer to home?” Because context is important, the characteristics that made the ministry special were unique to that time and place. “Something like that” never came close to what we experienced in another city.

As a result of those experiences, I initiated a summer impact ministry at that time called Awaken the City. We invited teams of people to Cincinnati to serve with people living in poverty. Adults and students in middle and high school came together to explore a daily three-fold rhythm of scripture, service, and celebration. The goal was to introduce participants to the needs of the city and connect them to ongoing opportunities for service as many participants were from the greater Cincinnati area. At the same time, participants were able to explore their passions and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Engagement with people living in circumstances different from our normal routine is a wonderful catalyst for growing as a disciple. How do I know? Hundreds of participants taught me the value of debriefing, or reflecting, on our daily experiences. In times of reflection, I often witnessed the light of Christ illuminating the dark places of people’s lives and our communities. As a result, when you hear me say, “be a city light” it is an invitation to reflect the light of Jesus in your own community.

While Cincinnati is no longer home, the people of Cincinnati allowed me to participate in one of the greatest privileges I’ve ever experienced in ministry: the transformation of lives. Let me be clear, it was often the participants’ lives that were changed. While I know Cincinnati is a different place because of the ministry we engaged in, I’ll allow you to figure out how it was changed the most.

Education

I love to learn so I’ve invested a lot of time in my formal education. My undergraduate degree is from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. Ask me sometime why I spent four years taking science classes (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, etc.) and have a Communication degree.

I have two Master’s degrees. Yeah, I know…

I earned a Master of Science in University Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

In March 2015, I completed by doctorate in Missional Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Pieces of my dissertation, “A Missional Approach to Discipleship in the United Methodist Church” were tested on this blog.

Professional

I am an Ordained Elder in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). I currently oversee the four primary program units (Leadership Ministries, Young People’s Ministries, New Church Starts, and The Upper Room) of Discipleship Ministries – UMC.

I’ve served as a pastor at three large and mid-size local churches in suburban and urban settings. My passions in ministry come from my time serving with youth, in the mission field, and starting new places for new people to worship. Teaching and preaching also rank high on my list of joys in ministry. Nothing compares to witnessing people encountering the love of Jesus.

Before entering full-time ministry I worked with new students and their families at Miami University.

Etc.

I’m a digital native, adopting the Apple platform as an eight year old thanks to my Mom and Dad. Yes, that means I’ve never written a paper on a typewriter (ok, Millennials, I know you haven’t either. But, I’m just old enough to be a Gen Xer and computers weren’t mainstream when I was a kid).  Technology fascinates me, as does design. Adobe products (PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign) are toys and tools I love to play with along with engaging in the ever-changing world of social media.

Etc. Etc.

I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in November 2014 after spending eighteen years in Ohio. I’m originally from Michigan, where my family still calls home. We can talk about how I learned to navigate the Big 10 rivalry between the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University…especially when I was living in Columbus, Ohio. The question that never got answered at the first congregation I served is, “Do I have a tattoo?”