Pastor Jim has one of those hearts, filled with a desire to grow the church for Christ and his people.  He believes that all need to feel welcomed and a part of the Good News which Christ and the church have to offer.  He is instinctively accepting of a wide variety of people, and casts few judgments.  Consequently, Pastor Jim pays attention to those who feel outside the group or distanced from God, advocates for them when their voices feel silenced, and looks for ways to sensitively draw them back into the conversations and activities of the church.   

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Pastor Jim has an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for seeking ever new and better ways: he started his own business out of college; re-energized a youth ministry in a large, suburban church in Wayzata; lead the formation of a nonprofit to aid neighbors-in-need in the Delano area; and answered the call to try and launch a new United Methodist church in Big Lake.  He certainly doesn't mind being on the front edge of a wave of trying new things!  Creative-thinking, problem-solving, risk-taking, and organizational development are energizing to him.  

 

Pastor Jim and his wife, Janet, live in Mound, where they enjoy being close to their two grown boys, family, and long-time friends.  They enjoy traveling with their RV trailer to national parks, photographing wildlife, playing cards and board games, and decorating.  He claims his wife makes the best chocolate Heath cheesecake in the world, and thinks that parties with chips and dip are the best!