Michael Gillingham
Director of Youth Ministry
mgillingham@bethelchurch.com
Hi! My name is Michael and I serve as Director of Youth Ministry here at Bethel. I was born in northern Alberta and grew up in the beautiful Peace River country. I was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith at Valhalla Lutheran Church in Valhalla Centre, Alberta.
As a teenager and young adult I served as a ministry volunteer in many settings. In 1993, I started working full-time in the church. I've worked at churches in the greater Vancouver area, in small-town Alberta and now in Sherwood Park.
Prior to working at Bethel, my focus was youth ministry, music, and young adult ministry. At Bethel, I focus mostly on youth. I appreciate Bethel's willingness to explore new models, new methods and new approaches to ministry. I also appreciate those many people at Bethel who understand servanthood and live it. It's a positive and busy place to serve . . . never boring!
In the youth ministry at Bethel, I pray that young people are encouraged to worship, to study the Scriptures, to care for each other and to serve. I pray that parents are encouraged to be the faith-shapers and faith-teachers that God has called and equipped them to be. Finally, I pray that Bethel's youth ministry would provide youth with a safe place to grow into mature disciples and servants of Jesus.
I'm pretty busy with work commitments, but I also enjoy time with my family and friends. I love music and I love to read; I also love to walk.
Some of my heroes include Abraham, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, John the disciple of Jesus, Paul the Apostle, Augustine, Martin Luther, C.S. Lewis, Walter Wangerin Jr, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Bono, and Shane Claibourne.
Some of my favorite websites are Youth Specialties, Dick Staub, and our District site, (ABC District - Lutheran Church - Canada). Some of my favorite writers are Eugene Peterson, Michael Yaconelli, Leonard Sweet and C.S. Lewis.