Jay Hewitt serves as a member of our teaching team as well as pastor to our young married couples. He and his wife Natalie have been at Friends Church since 2001 and we are excited to get to hear him as he uses his passion and gift for communicating God's word.

We got the chance to ask Jay a few questions so you all can get to know him and his wife better.

Tells us about your call to ministry. What made you want to be a pastor?
As a teenager I realized that I had no clue how to live my life. In a short amount of time I had created quite a bit of chaos for myself. Then I heard the gospel. I learned about a God who loved me to the point of being willing to give his life for me. That was all I needed. "God," I said, "I can't figure this life out...but you seem trustworthy. So take my life and teach me how to live." From that day on he has lead me on a journey that changed my life and my heart to the point that I wanted nothing more than to serve him. So one day I asked God, "How can I serve you best." That prayer stuck with me and over the next few years God helped me realize that he created me to be a pretty good story teller...and that is something he could use for his glory. By the time I graduated high school I had decided that God was calling me to be a pastor, telling the story of gospel for the glory of God and the salvation of man.

What are your areas of interest and passions?
I love learning new things so I am always out exploring. I love traveling with my wife, riding my Harley, and playing sports. Right now, I am having a lot of fun learning how to box and I am experimenting with writing fiction. But above all else, I love people. No matter what I am doing, I value the people I am doing it with more than anything. You will always see me smiling, laughing and enjoying the people around me.

What excites you most about Friends Church?
I feel like the people of Friends Church are family. Natalie and I have developed so many deeply significant friendships here. And with a church this size, there are always new people to meet. This place is so welcoming, encouraging and supportive. I also believe in the vision of Friends. It is important to me to be a part of a church that is getting outside of its four walls and making a difference around the corner and around the world. I want to be a part of a church family that is bringing heaven to earth and people to God.