Amos & Faith Shelley

We are very pleased to announce that Amos Shelley has accepted the position of Children and Family Pastor.  He will begin in this role on August 1.  Please pray for him and his family as they prepare to relocate and settle into their new life here in Hanover.

Amos comes to us after spending three years as the Children’s Pastor at U-Town Church/Point Grey Community Church in Vancouver, BC.  He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Religion – Major in Biblical Theology – in 2007 – received his Master in Christian Studies – Major in Christianity and the Arts – from Regent College in Vancouver this past spring.  His Thesis consisted of writing and illustrating an original children’s book, focusing on themes regarding abandonment, existential isolation and eternal hope.  He has a wide range of passions, including philosophy and theology, his wife and family, and, of course, hockey!

Amos grew up in Simcoe, five minutes north of Lake Erie, as the middle child of seven – stuck between four boys and two girls – all named for Biblical characters.  he and his wife, Faith, have recently welcomed their first child, newborn daughter Eden Anderson and they currently live in his childhood town.

Amos has an acute passion for the well being of children, specifically their spiritual growth, identity and imaginations.  He is creative and artistically minded while being theologically balanced and relationally driven.

Amos has had many creative ideas for Children’s Ministry.  Among his favorites was the creation of an interactice 8ft by 4ft 3-dimensional model of the Land of Israel, complete with tribal boundaries, individual cities, soldiers, agricultural systems, temple and Ark of the Covenant which proved to be a consistent and highly successful teaching tool.  He is currently in the process of developing a narrative/play based teaching and learning style, based on play therapy and theory, narrative and story.

His favorite Bible character is a toss up between the Apostles John or Paul.  He likes how they are both thoughtful and poetic, understanding the importance of the gospel and articulating it so beautifully.

Amos likes to spend lazy afternoons browsing through thrift stores or hanging out with family as a delicious meal is being prepared.  He has a weakness for both coffee and chocolate, the combination of which has proven to be lethal!  He loves to play, draw and create and looks forward to entering into the Biblical story as an active participant and becoming a mature disciple of Jesus Christ.