Carman, Pastoral Apprentice ‘23-24

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My name is Carman, and I serve as a Pastoral Apprentice of Steel Valley Church. My primary responsibilities include assisting the council of Pastors/Elders and Deacons in their day-to-day activities and preaching God’s Word as the opportunity is given. I’m also the lead for the Greeting and Welcoming Team and SVC YTH, our middle to high school youth group! I also serve on Steel Valley’s finance team. I was born and spent my early childhood on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio, and later raised in North Jackson, Ohio. I’ve also lived in Cincinnati, Ohio; Akron, Ohio; and Orlando, Florida. I now call Poland, Ohio, home and have been married since 2021 to Kristin, and we currently foster two toddlers. I have earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and International Business from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Master of Business Administration from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Throughout the week, I work as a Contracting Officer of procurement and acquisitions for the U.S. Federal Government and substitute teach elementary through high school students within the Youngstown City School District. My passion within the church is teaching and serving others, whether they are first-time visitors, members, adults, youths, or those stopping in for our monthly food pantry. Having the “gift of gab”, I love hearing others’ stories and testimonies about how God is moving in their lives to pray for, edify, and connect believers. Additionally, I am passionate about diving deeper into Theology and church history to better understand the Holiness of our God to progress my discernment between His ways and the “ways of this world”.

Fun Facts:

Hobby List: Reading, Golfing, and Fly Fishing.

Favorite Author List: R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, Kent Hughes, and C.S. Lewis.

What is the Gospel? “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is Strong!”

The Gospel is a beautiful love story of our Holy and Just God doing for us, a depraved and weak sinner, what we could never do for ourselves. That through Jesus Christ’s virgin birth, perfect and obedient life to the Law, sacrificial death, glorious resurrection, ascension into heaven, and dominion over all He is truly man and truly God, the “…I Am” (John 8:58), our Savior who atoned for our sins. That no work nor deeds of our own will suffice, but by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone will we be justified and saved to spend eternity glorifying Him!

To those that believe and repent: our debts have been paid, all of our sins forgiven, our lives saved, for we belong to Him, His Holy Spirit indwells us, we have been adopted into a mighty family, and there is nothing that will be able to “separate us from the Love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord”! (Romans 8:39).

This is Good News and provides us with Hope!