bio

Hi, I'm Mike. I'm a husband, father, and pastor-theologian that has always foujnd music to be a source of healing and inspiration. 

I grew up on songs that actually had something to say — Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, James Taylor, classic country, folk, gospel, and the singer-songwriters who could make three chords and a good story feel like an entire world. That’s still the kind of music I love most. When Mr. Rogers asked, "What do you do with the 'mad' that you feel?" my answer was always, "Prayer, my guitar, and a good song." As an adult, I continued to be influenced by the songwriters as I discovered the music of Rich Mullins, Larry Norman, Keith Green, and Vineyard Worship. 

These days, you’ll usually find me with an acoustic guitar in my hands, playing songs I’ve loved for years, digging up forgotten favorites, working on originals, taking requests, learning something new on the fly, and telling the stories that live between the songs. That’s why I call the show Acoustic Stories. I’m not particularly interested in putting on a perfectly polished performance. I’d rather make something that feels human. Sometimes a song will be beautiful. Sometimes I’ll forget a chord or hit a wrong button on the pedal. Sometimes we’ll spend twenty minutes talking about guitars, songwriting, faith, life, or some completely unexpected rabbit trail before anybody remembers I’m supposed to be playing music. That’s part of the show.

Away from the microphone, I’m a husband and dad of three grown sons, as well as serving as the founding/lead pastor of The Vineyard Church of Freeland, Michigan. I hold a Masters of Arts in Theology from Fuller Seminary and continue to study theology today. I've been deeply impacted by the likes of N.T. Wright, C.S. Lewis, Kallistos Ware, Alexander Schmemann, and John Wimber. I have accumulated over 8500 books (both physical and digital) and My family and faith shape how I understand my life, my music, the stories I tell, and the way I try to treat the people I meet. You don't have to share my views or experience to connect with me - but I do hope something I share impacts you in a positive way on your own journey.

God did not gift me with daughters, so I've adopted far too many acoustic guitars and named them according to their personality. In my shows you'll meet Maddi, Bobbi, Anni, Molli, and others. (You can meet them on my PERFORMACE GEAR doc). 

So grab a cup of coffee, make yourself comfortable, and stick around for a while.

There’s probably another song coming.

Mike