ELMWOOD CHURCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of NextGen Ministries
Dave grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn't until he was attending the University of Minnesota that he called Jesus both his Savior and his Lord. It was at the U of M that he met his wife Chelsea, and they were married, after they had both graduated, in the winter of 2007. Before coming to Elmwood Dave graduated from Bethel Seminary with a Master of Arts in Community Ministry Leadership, served as the planting and Lead Pastor of a church plant in Northeast Minneapolis for eight years, walked beside his wife as she became a brain cancer survivor (praise the Lord!), and now has three wonderful kids: Sophie (13), Selah (11), and Josiah (9). They live in New Brighton, and Dave is excited to see the ways that God is moving in the hearts of the Next Generation in the northern suburbs to know and follow Him.
When Dave isn't at church he loves to hang out with his kids: swimming, coaching soccer, camping, and encouraging them to be better-women and a better-man.
John grew up in a Christian home, and his faith became his own during his junior year of high school. He sensed a call to ministry and was a leader/teacher in the youth group at his home church for the three years leading up to college. He married Dena in the summer of 2013, and they now live in Columbia Heights with their two daughters, Chloe (7) and Makenna (5).
John received a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, and then went on to receive his Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is a lifelong learner, and places great value on team-ministry and collaboration. In addition to his ministry passions, John loves coffee, reading books, and hiking mountains.
Linda was raised in a Christian home and gave her life to Christ during her childhood. She worked as a bank teller and as an administrative assistant for over 20 years and then was a stay-at-home mom for 9 years. Linda came on staff at Elmwood in 2010.
In 1992 Linda married Dave. They currently reside in New Brighton and have two children: Hannah (a graduate of Bethel University) and Josh (a student at Univ of Minnesota-Twin Cities). Linda oversees the daily operations of the church, including assisting the pastors with various projects, preparing for worship, purchasing, data entry and maintaining the facility schedule and calendars. When she is not in the church office, Linda enjoys creative arts such as lettering, watercolor painting and card making.