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Jeff is an amalgamation of sorts. Born
and raised in the heart of Pennsylvania, he has always felt called to
bigger things, bigger dreams. As a teenager, he hoped those bigger things
would include record deals and hit songs, but when his band failed to go
anywhere, Jeff didn’t quit dreaming.
Over 9 years after his first venture
into the music industry, Jeff has seen the Christian music industry from
many different sides; as a promoter in central Pennsylvania, as a road
pastor for touring bands, as a member of the Pro-Life group Rock for
Life, even as a roadie and a sound technician. And after all of these
years, he now feels called to a more personal ministry, prompting him to
turn again to speaking and serving in what God has placed on his heart.
At the heart of Jeff, he has a desire
to lead people to the same hope and purpose that God has for all of us.
With a firm belief that if we are not actively planting life in others,
then we are destroying life, Jeff has a strong love for community and
relationship building. Though peacekeeping and social justice issues are
close to his heart, primarily he is concerned with living a life pleasing
to God, and emulating Jesus in every way he can, even when that means
blessing those that curse me and loving the unlovable.
Jeff tries to live out his convictions,
and after feeling called to homeless ministry, spent countless nights
living on the streets of Philadelphia, putting names and stories to faces
so often overlooked. It is from these experiences with this often
over-looked community that his book, The Streets of Hope was written.
This collection of stories and essays is a call to arms, a charge for the
followers of Christ of this generation to serve and love everyone without
showing prejudice or passing judgment.
Many years have passed since he had
hoped his band or musical endevors would get
him into the music industry. His life time has been full of hope, that over come ups and downs. He has watched his father
battle stage four cancer for 2 years and witnessed the breakup of a
church family he once belonged to (and seen the consequent
disillusionment inherent within). Despite these obstacles, he is still a
dreamer.
With a peace loving past and a heart
for relevant social issues like abortion, homelessness, peace and the
environment, Jeff is ready for the next chapter of his life.
He has endured many difficulties and
done his best to persevere, gaining wisdom and a clear vision of how
followers of Christ in this generation should be living and serving and
loving, and a strong desire to help bring about this change.
Jeff continues to be heavily involved
in new projects he is seeing into fruitation
every day; such as Engage The Culture which is a progressive peace
education project for a progressive culture and The Friends of Crystal
Park, which is a community and park re-imaging program in the 10th ward
of his hometown.
He is a Child Ambassador with World
Vision, a Intern at the Vineyard Church of Lancaster, and a member of the
Speaker's Bureau for Every Church a Peace Church.
Jeff also cares for the booking, development
and management of many artists and productive resources; through the
North Coast Agency.
This Biography was written by Noelle Blicha.
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