Leadership

“Walking together to take the next step in a Jesus-first life.” You’ll likely hear this phrase if you spend any length of time with Jason as it captures the purpose behind his ministry at Granger MC. Growing up in a church setting in his home state of Pennsylvania, Jason spent more than a decade in the automotive and insurance industry before God called him and his family to seminary to prepare for full-time ministry.

After serving as Pastor of Discipleship for eight years in Pennsylvania, Jason received a call from Granger MC to serve as their lead pastor. Jason, his wife, Christine and their six children left their family home in March of 2017 to join God’s work in Granger, Edwardsburg, and the Michiana area and are excited to see what Christ will do through families fully devoted to Christ, our neighbors, and the nations.

With a love for those within the church and a passion for those outside, Jason invites believers to walk faithfully in the areas they live, work, and play. The aim of Jason’s ministry echoes the words of Paul in Colossians 1:28, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Following his formal training and certifications in the automotive field, Jason received his MDiv in teaching and pastoral ministry from Evangelical Seminary in Lebanon, PA.

Emily has always felt drawn to serving families- walking alongside all generations as people take their next steps of discipleship.  She is delighted to be able to serve God as the overseer of Student Ministries and Children's Ministries at Granger MC.  Emily believes God gifted her with hospitality and organization, as well as the energy and enthusiasm needed to connect with youth, children, and parents.  She greatly enjoys connecting with families, building relationships with them and encouraging them to take their next step in a Jesus-first life.  Emily desires to see children and students establish deep roots of faith in their younger years so they have confidence and trust in God as they discover His great plan for their lives.  She believes in engaging and teaching children and students when they are within the church walls, and equally believes in encouraging parents to do the work of discipleship in their homes.

Emily and her husband Josh first walked in to Granger Missionary Church in 2019 and have called this their church home since.  Emily brings with her many stories of God’s faithfulness, redemption, and sovereignty.  She graduated from Anderson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry and a Bachelor’s degree in Family Science.  Upon graduating from college, Emily worked for a faith-based social service agency for a few years and then also served as a case manager for the Indiana Department of Child Services.  She stepped out of the “working world” for a period to care for her special-needs son, Asher, but is now overjoyed to be fulfilling her calling to full-time ministry.  Altogether, Emily and Josh have six children- their son Asher, and five spirited daughters- Isla, Eloise, Brooklyn, Lauryn, and Oliviah. 

"I am a resilient shepherd and a restorative safe-haven sent to shield the burnt and rebuild the broken by loving, listening, leading, and lending courage to those facing the purifying flames of life." This is Jordan's mission statement and a great look at his calling into ministry. In the Summer 2021 Jordan felt a strong pull to become a full-time pastor with a vision to plant a church. Some of Jordan's gifts that are apparent in his ministry are leadership, teaching, and discernment. Jordan's greatest desire is to see others pursue Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. He believes that while Sunday morning teachings are vitally important, "Monday morning practices" are just as needed to a Jesus-first life.

Jordan is a recent graduate of Bethel University with a B.A. in Ministry Leadership. His wife, Mackenzie, is finishing her final year of Nursing School at Bethel University. She hopes to bring light to dark places and joy to the mourning. Jordan has served the past 8 years at Nappanee Missionary Church in various departments including Worship Ministry, Student Ministry, and Adult Ministry. Jordan and Mackenzie are excited to come along and serve GMC, but also become a part of the wonderful community.

Since his senior year of high school, Zach has known that God placed a calling on his life to serve in the local church. Having been a musician for most of his life, Zach has been serving in worship ministry in some capacity since he was 10 years old, and leading worship in various ways since he was a junior in high school. He’s had some musical adventures outside of church music, forming a band with some friends in high school like any young musician would, as well as recording some other projects in recent years, but nothing compares to the passion of leading the local church in praising God. He sees a strong need in the church for worship leaders who will reclaim the current culture of worship music to be primarily about guiding the words sung by the people of God to be honoring to Him, expressing the beauty of the gospel through song, and reminding themselves and those around them about who God is and what He has done and continues to do for them.
 
Zach graduated from Bethel University in the Fall of 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Worship Arts, where he also served for one year as a chapel band leader. Before coming on staff at GMC, he worked in the Admission department at Bethel, and served for a few months as the interim worship leader at River Valley Church in Mishawaka. Zach would claim nothing as his own, but as a gift from the Lord cultivated by great mentors who have been carefully placed in his life. He seeks every day to take everything he has been given and lay it at the foot of the cross as an offering for all that God has done for him.