We have some incredible servant leaders at PBC. One of them is Catch Hurst, who is our Community Group Team Lead. Get to know some of his story and say Hi when you see him!
Where are you from?
I was definitely spoiled growing up in Santa Cruz, California. If you’ve never visited, you should; it has beautiful weather, redwood forests that reach down to the beaches, & some of the most interesting people in the world.
What brought you to Arizona?
Late in 2014 my wife & I were living in Southern California when we felt called to pursue more school so I could become a Physical Therapist. God had been growing our love for Jesus-centered community, church planting, & urban churches; at the same time, the Spirit was convicting us that it was unwise for us to prioritize the school or city over the Church. This world would have us move to a city because of its great weather, its great culture, or its great school… & if you wanted to do the church-thing you can find one of those too. For most the church is a side note, an addendum, an add-on, but God had blessed Laurel & me so much by allowing us to date, get married, & grow while being embedded in an awesome Jesus-centered community. We wanted to approach applying to school differently, so we looked for church plants that emphasized Jesus & the community Jesus calls us to be (apparently, not always easy to find). In the end, we found 4 cities with churches that seemed to match & also had Physical Therapy programs nearby.
I vividly remember sitting on the corner of Central & Roosevelt in January 2015. I had just interviewed at Midwestern University & had a few hours before I needed to be at the airport. Not knowing what God was doing in our lives, I prayed for my family & this city. Then I made two phone calls, one to my wife & one to my mom asking them both to pray. I was immediately wait-listed at all the programs & forced to trust that the LORD was good regardless of our circumstances. We waited 4-months before we had the hint of an answer, but in a two week period we accepted a spot in a program, signed a lease for an apartment, & came to PBC for our first Sunday service… all in that order. It was a big step of faith & we were left with a lot of questions when it came time to make a commitment, but God has blessed it far more than we could have imagined.
Tell us about your family.
My wife, Laurel, is an amazing blessing, incredibly intelligent, & incredibly introspective. In 2017 she finished her first two Ironman 70.3 triathlons. We also have two almost-identical gorgeous dogs, Arrow & June. They only have two speeds: super high energy or curled in your lap (regardless of how much free space is available on the couch).
We also have two almost-identical gorgeous dogs, Arrow & June. They only have two-speeds: super high energy or curled in your lap (regardless of how much free space is available on the couch).
What do you like to do for fun?
Laurel and I both love reading. One time while we were dating we read East of Eden together… out loud. If you know anything about the content of that book, you know that broke the ice pretty quick. We also love hiking with our dogs, live music, or anywhere with good coffee.
What is your favorite part of your work at the church?
I lead our Community Group Leaders and I get excited seeing them love the members of their groups well. It’s so natural for us as humans to isolate ourselves & hide from true authentic relationships, but we’re designed for community & through Jesus renewing us we can thrive so much better together than we ever could apart. This is what Acts 2:42-47 describes and it is so counter-cultural to the way we tend to isolate ourselves from others.
I get excited about PBC’s mission: Love Jesus, Live Like Jesus, & Lead Others to Jesus. Really this is just a re-phrasing of the Great Commission which should be the mission of every Christian: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). At PBC, I see more and deeper disciples being made and people proclaiming Jesus not only by their words but by the way they live their lives.
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