We Are Thrilled to Introduce
a Very Special Family!

We want to welcome Darren and Amy Carlson to Pine City EFC! Darren has been asked to come as our Interim Pastor and we are thrilled! Darren and Amy are from Andover and have two little girls, Makena (20 months) and Gianna (6 months).

Darren earned a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and will finish his Master of Theology in New Testament this fall.

Since moving to Minnesota, Darren has served as the chaplain of Meadow Creek Christian School in Andover where he taught and counseled many families. He was also Head Boy’s Basketball Coach for the high school. He currently works at The Bethlehem Institute, which helps train future pastors and missionaries for service.

Darren is the founder and owner of DC Camps and Performance where he enjoys teaching the fundamentals and competitive skills of basketball to elementary and high school students. Darren has also coached elementary through college level basketball. (While coaching at Westlake Academy in Illinois, the team finished second in the state and 4th at the National Basketball Tournament. For two years he coached at Trinity International University, the team finished 4th and 3rd in the very competitive Chicago Land).

A little more about Darren…
Darren’s first experience hearing about Christ, happened during his junior year of high school. Darren attended Mary Washington College and joined a Bible study through InterVarsity. It was there where the truth began to take hold. Yet, while he was wrapped up in defending Christ, he was never wrapped up in loving Christ.

The summer after his college graduation, he was discipled by Ed Hart, an Evangelical Free Church pastor. For that summer he put down all the books he was reading and began reading the gospels over and over again. That fall he attended the LIFT Discipleship Program. One day while the group was discussing the doctrine of scripture it dawned on Darren that he had always been studying to look for answers, but not to know Christ. He was baptized two days later, was convinced of the things of faith and committed for life. Darren went to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School a year later. He received a Master of Divinity at Trinity in December of 2005 and will finish his Master of Theology in New Testament this fall.

Darren was married on June 14, 2003 to Amy Sturm (he asked for her hand in marriage on a farm in Minnesota). Darren met Amy at Camp-of-the-Woods where they were both on music staff and subsequently attended LIFT at the same time.

Darren and Amy's first Sunday at Pine City EFC will be July 6. Darren will be in the office starting Tuesday, July 1.

Welcome to Pine City Darren and Amy!