Where are you from?
I like to answer this question by saying “it’s complicated”. While I grew up in Southwest Florida, I was actually born in Chicago Illinois, (Go Bears) and both sides of my family are from Croatia (hence the tough-to-pronounce last name). I first came out here to Phoenix to attend Grand Canyon University in 2014, and have stuck around the Valley ever since! I love the diversity and growth of the Phoenix area and am excited to see how God continues to give me a passion for reaching young people here in Arizona.
Tell us about your family
Right now, my family consists of my amazing wife Amy, myself, and our Border Collie mix named Winnie. Amy was born and raised in Southern California, so I think we have a pretty epic story of meeting in the middle out here in the desert. We met during our freshman year of college at GCU, but actually didn’t start dating until our junior year. In the in-between, God really molded us into who we are today. For me, it was through taking a leap of faith to change my major from sports management to youth ministry and start an internship with a guy named A.C. And for Amy, it was taking steps of dependence on God, going back to California and doing the Disney College Program and growing her faith before coming back to GCU. We reconnected on a trip up to the Grand Canyon with a group of friends, started dating a few months later, got engaged a couple weeks before we graduated in 2018, and got married on April 13, 2019. It has been the biggest blessing for us to be married and see how Jesus has continued to grow us together and refine our calling and commitment to life with him.
What do you like to do for fun?
When you meet me and Amy, you’ll quickly discover something really important about us: we are huge nerds. From a deep love for all things Star Wars, Spider-Man, Lord of the Rings, Halo and more. We love stories and getting excited about new movies and experiences. Along with this, we are lovers of the outdoors – we try to get away to Flagstaff or Pinetop and be in the trees and mountains as often as possible.
What is your favorite part of work for the church
For me, hands down, it’s being with students. I love getting the opportunity to invest in the lives of young people and be a positive influence for them. Along with that, I love being a part of how God uses multiple individuals, uniquely in unity, to impact His Kingdom and build church community together. And, I am so pumped to be joining the Team at Phoenix Bible Church! Like I mentioned above, I did an internship with Pastor A.C. back at Camelback Bible Church; and ever since then, I’ve thought about wanting to work with him again. After getting to know the rest of the team, I’ve been equally excited to work with them!