Churches - LakeView FM - Westgate Alliance - Meadowbrook Church - Butternut Creek - Philpott Church

Experiences Experience, they say, is the great teacher. Some learn faster than others-- and I must have a learning disability considering how long it has taken me to learn some lessons. I've done odd jobs in lots of different fields. I grew up learning how to do plumbing and some basic electrical from my dad. I cut grass for people to make a few bucks here and there, like most people I guess. My first real job was as a park attendant in a conservation area. I worked for seven weeks in the Canadian Naval Reserve Student Youth Employment Program. While in college I worked for the school, burning kitchen garbage, cleaning up food, stuff like that. I played piano in bars for tips, too which was quite fun. The school paid a bunch of us (musicians) for three summers to travel across Canada and the U.S. to recruit students. After college I moved to Saskatoon and worked for two years at LakeView Free Methodist church as an assitant music director and assistant programming coordinator. I was paid with room and board, so had to work part-time at Fuddruckers, a restaurant and Mr. Entertainment, a music store to put gas in the car. I also worked part-time for an organ company, and at a bankruptcy store as a salesman for the plumbing department. After LakeView I was anxious to find a job as a music director that wouldn't require me to have multiple part-time jobs. I was able to find another part-time employ at Westgate Alliance Church as a music director, and supplemented my income as a photographer at Sears Portrait Studios. Finally the full-time job came around. Joanne and I moved to New Jersey and worked at Meadowbrook Church in North Haledon. We were there for five years before moving back to Canada and helping out a struggling church plant, Butternut Creek Church. Now we're quite happy at Philpott Church. The church has a difficult history which makes every decision a challenge, but it's a challenge I enjoy. We took this job in August of 2000 and started a new contemporary service in a 105 year old church. That service has grown to over 250 weekly attendees, and continues to welcome new people.