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Doug Marcum Email: Doug Marcum I am Doug Marcum. I was born in Muncie on August 19th, 1971. While growing up I attended Cowan Christian Church and was baptized on March 25th, 1984. I graduated from Cowan high school in 1989. I attended Purdue University for 2 years and finished my undergraduate degree at Ball State. I finished my master's degree from Ball State in 2005. I met my wife, April, in the November of 1997 and we were married on September 26th, 1998. We have four daughters, Ruthie, Lily, Anna, and Ella.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? Although, I grew up in the Church there was a time in my life when I decided to see what the world had to offer and I walked away from God's plan for me. God decided to work through others to bring me back into his will. These men challenged me and truly helped me find my way back to God's will. I believe that God has put the same passion for his people on my heart. I have a desire to see others grow in their relationship with Christ and I believe that God can use my experiences to help others better see him and understand his love for them. I believe that God has placed this calling on my heart because he wants to use me for this purpose. I don't think that I have any special talents that will make me a good shepherd, but I do have a heart for his people and I trust that God will use me to teach and to challenge others so that they may follow God's will for their lives.
Steve McDowell Email: Steve McDowell My name is Steve McDowell. I grew up near Liberty Indiana and graduated from Union County High School. I came to Muncie in 1990 to attend Ball State University, where I received a Bachelors degree in Telecommunications and a Masters degree in Information and Communication Sciences. My outlook on life totally changed in June of 1992 when I was helping with the youth group in Liberty, and I was able to experience God and His grace in my life. That’s when I knew it was time for me to accept Christ as my Savior and to be baptized. During my years at BSU, I worked with the Ball State football team and later with the Indianapolis Colts, both as an equipment manager. I met my wonderful wife, Heather at the Ball State Christian Campus House and we were married in May 1995. After God’s perfect timing, we now have two beautiful girls, Sarah and Hannah. I have been working at Ontario Systems in Muncie since 1996.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? I humbly want to serve God and His church at Harvest. I feel like God has been preparing and calling me to serve Him in areas of leadership, both through many life experiences, with good choices and bad, and by the direction He has led me and my family. I’ve been involved with and seen many churches over the years, but I haven’t always understood or found Biblical reasons as to why some operate the way they do. I believe God calls leaders who will honor and serve Him through serving His people. I don’t necessarily feel qualified to serve God in such a way, but He has placed on my heart an exciting desire to serve people by helping them get closer to God and deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Dave Rawls Email: Dave Rawls My name is David Rawls. I became a Christian in 1987. My wife Gina and I married in 1989. God has blessed us with three children: Ashley, Kaitlyn, and Joshua. Shortly after becoming a Christian I felt God’s call on my life to enter into ministry. Not knowing exactly where God would place me I entered Great Lakes Christian College in 1988 to prepare for ministry. After graduating I became a youth minister in East Lansing, Michigan. It was during this time that God placed a burden on my heart to disciple people into a closer walk with Him. Through prayer and counseling I entered into Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1993. After graduating in 1994 I accepted the call to preach. Over the next 10 years I would preach in churches in Toledo Ohio and Spencer, Indiana. In August of 2005 I accepted God’s call to be a part of the Harvest family here in Muncie.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? I am reminded of a little saying that rings so true in my life. The saying goes like this. “If a turtle is on a fence post you know it did not get their by itself. Someone had to place it there.” I am so convinced of this fact. I am where I am at in life because God has put some wonderful Shepherds in my life. God has blessed me with some humble men who have shown me how to walk close to Jesus. These were not perfect men but they were men with a shepherd’s heart. I feel at this time in my life that God is calling me to be a shepherd of His church. My passion in life has always been to know God intimately through prayer and through His Word. I have the desire to pass this same passion on to God’s people here at Harvest. I want to place people up on the “fence” so that they too may know the joy of seeing such a great and wonderful savior.
Randy Tempest Email: Randy Tempest I am Randy Tempest. I was born June 27th, 1971 in Columbus, Indiana. I graduated from Columbus East High School in 1989 and attended Ball State University, where I received a Bachelors Degree in Marketing as well as a Masters in Business Administration. I was raised in a Christian family, which I count as a great blessing. I lost my father in 1982, but through the Lord’s strength my mom raised me and my sister in His way. I gave my life to Jesus Christ on July 3, 1983 when I was immersed in the watery grave of baptism. I met my wife, Laurie, while serving as a camp counselor at Hilltop Christian Camp in the summer of 1990. We were married in 1994 and have been given two wonderful gifts in Joseph and Kyle, born in 1998 and 2001 respectively. I was hired at Ontario Systems here in Muncie in January of 1995. I have served as a Youth Sponsor since 1996 and have led our Youth Group at Harvest since 2003.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? I absolutely love Jesus Christ. He has been my continuing and eternal hope since I was very young. I love God’s plan and His ways. I know that God has called me to be many things as a Christian, the first being a servant…humbly. I love serving God’s people in any way I can. I have always tried to use the gifts that He has given me, and while I am not always successful I do see Him working through me despite me. I feel the Lord calling me to shepherd His people. After years of praying for His will, studying scriptures, consulting with spiritual advisors both at Harvest and outside of Harvest, I started to understand what a shepherd really is. However, in the last year I have listened to God and feel He is calling me to this role, although I feel extremely unworthy. It is hard to accept as I realize the responsibility that comes with this, but my heart and mind both want to follow Jesus as He leads. I desire to see God’s people grow and I feel that I can assist in that growth as God gives me strength and works through me.
Drew Wright Email: Drew Wright I am Drew Wright. I was born January 10, 1970, in Muncie. I am the seventh of eight children. God blessed me with two wonderful Christian parents who taught me from the outset that God should always be in the center of my life. I was raised in the Cowan Christian Church and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior through baptism on April 11, 1982. I graduated from Cowan High School in 1988. After college, I met my wife, Stacie, while living in Corydon, Indiana and we were married November 27, 1993. God has blessed us with 3 beautiful children, Kendal, Will, and Ezra Daniel. We live in the Cowan area and have been a part of Harvest since 2003.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? I feel like God has given me a heart of service and the passion to serve others. I think of myself as a servant first, before a leader. It’s my desire to be a tool for God and to allow him to use me however he wants. I can see how Christ has allowed my relationship with him to continually grow and mature throughout my life, and I’m truly grateful for that. When I look back over the last couple of years, and especially opportunities within the last year, I feel that God is calling me to help others develop or strengthen their existing relationship with him. I don’t profess to have all of the answers and I’m far from perfect, but I am willing to answer Christ's calling for my life, no matter what that may be.
Sam Wrisley Email: Sam Wrisley I am Sam Wrisley. I was born in MI September 16th, 1969. I graduated from Vestaburg High School in 1988. After high school, I went to Great Lakes Christian College and graduated majoring in Biblical theology with a minor in counseling. While at the college I gave my life to the Lord in October of 1989. I served with GLCC after graduating as an admissions counselor and coach till 1994. In September of 1994 I was married to Kathy and began working construction building houses for a local construction company. In 1995, I accepted the call to youth ministry from University Christian church in Muncie. I served in that capacity until May of 2002 when God placed a call on my heart for a new work in Muncie. In June of 2002 we started Harvest and from that time until this day I have been serving as the senior minister of Harvest Christian Church. I feel God has blessed me in so many ways. There are 4 that come to the top of my mind immediately: Kathy, my wife and my three kids, Taylor, Silas, and Mason. I cannot begin to tell how much of a blessing and support they are to my life and ministry.
Why do I feel called to be a Shepherd? The greatest event in my life bar none is my encounter with the living God through Jesus his son. Growing up as a non Christian I know what its like to be without God. I know firsthand how dark the world can be. I know what it is like to be hopeless and helpless. I desire to share Jesus with all that I am around. I have felt God’s call on my heart even before I yielded to it in 1989. It has been a call of passion to share Christ with the lost. I believe God desires in every Body of Christ to raise up Shepherds who will watch over his people the sheep of his pasture. I feel called to be one of those shepherds at Harvest. One of the greatest reasons for the tug on my heart is because I feel like shepherding is what I have been doing for quite sometime without the official title. I also feel like shepherding is about laying your life down to guide and protect others. My life is committed to just that. I faithfully and fearfully walk toward God’s calling, knowing He will teach me as I go. |
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Shepherds |
