Tell me about your family.

My wife, Mary, and I have been married for 35 years. We have two sons (26 and 20 years old). Our oldest son is engaged to a wonderful young woman. Our youngest son is going to Life Pacific Bible College and wants to be a pastor. He wants to be a barber/pastor. Everybody needs a haircut and everybody needs Jesus.

I was born and raised in San Diego, grew up in Claremont Mesa, and moved to North County when I was 20 years old. At the time, I had a job at Longs Drug store and moved up here. That’s where I met my wife. She was working there part time while she went to school to be a hair dresser. We wouldn’t date until we stopped working together. When she quit we started dating.

How did you find Community?

We were attending another church at the time. Our youngest son was getting ready to go into Confirmation and the youth program at Community was very positive. We talked to some friends that were attending Community and it was just a real positive thing for us to move over to Community and get him in the youth program. We went to the Escondido campus for many years and more recently we’ve been attending the San Marcos campus. I’ve been a Stephen Minister for 16 years. I like it because it is kind of under the radar and all about accepting people where they are, when they are.

What are your hobbies?

I love to golf. I have a group of five friends that I grew up with that are still around and we’ll get together for a round of golf. We are all pretty equal in the game. We each take our turn taking a couple dollars off each other.  It’s not just the game but also the relationships with those friends. My real hobby is getting to know people and building relationships. I love to know people’s stories. I love to try to walk a little bit in someone else’s shoes. Everyone has a reason they are on a certain path.

God wants us to get out there and meet people. I think it’s about accepting people where they are and being open to the Holy Spirit working in them. And, not trying to be the one who brings them to God, because God’s got all that handled.

You said you like to learn other people’s stories. What would you say is your story?

A non-active Christian for 25 or 30 years; Somebody who probably did enough things when they were young that didn’t believe that they were worthy of Christ’s love at that time. And thought, “we’ll you’ve already past this point so you can’t really have it.” Somebody who is very interested in forgiveness and grace, and sharing that with other people. My story is a broken person that is trying to be better every day. I wouldn’t say it is anything more than that.

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY TREE PROJECT? 

Community Lutheran Church is a growing congregation worshiping 550 people between two campuses each week. As we continue grow, it is important that our relationships with one another continue to grow as well.  Over the coming months, our church website and Facebook page will be introducing you to a member of Community that you may or may not know yet. You’ll have the opportunity to learn a little about each member and delight in the different personalities and lifestyles that come together each week to worship our Savior.

When you join us for worship on Sunday mornings or events throughout the week, we encourage you to reach out and connect with someone you don’t normally talk to. As Pastor Vogelsang so eloquently reminds us, we are all “dear Christian friends.” We just don’t know each other yet! I’d like to change that one photo at a time.

"So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:25-27