Pastor says he was clearly led to serve at Christview
Name: Jeremy Harper Church: ChristView Christian Church, 8100 Greenbrook Pwky. in Southaven Title: Senior minister Age: 34 Hometown: Rockford, Mich.
Family: wife, Andrea; two sons, Eric and Christian; one daughter, Eliana
What church did you grow up in: I grew up in a Christian church in Michigan. I truly loved the Lord as a young person, but when I got into high school, I started hanging out with a bad group of friends, and I ended up straying from the Lord.
What age did you decide to go into the ministry: At 25, God rescued me from a life of drugs and alcohol, and very soon after that, my dad encouraged me to apply for the position of youth minister at our church. The youth group grew very quickly, which I took as a sign that I was meant to do ministry full time. I decided I needed to go to Bible college, so I went to Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
Opportunity strikes: I was blessed to land a fulltime ministry in Heber Springs before I graduated. I worked with that congregation for four years, and after much prayer, I felt God releasing me from that ministry. He led me to ChristView in a very clear way in 2009.
What makes each Sunday special: Recently I have taken a more active role in the worship service. Music is one of my passions, so helping people experience God through music and other venues thrills my heart.
What has been your most defining moment in the ministry: I love see-
ChristView Christian Church minister Jeremy Harper ing breakthroughs with anybody — that moment when people realize their need for God and respond. Sometimes that happens during the worship service on Sundays. Recently, I’ve had some amazing experiences while visiting people in their homes. One of these visits ended up being an answer to someone’s prayer, and they started coming back to church. Another visit ended with a person shouting praises for the whole neighborhood to hear. She had a breakthrough that day, going from depression to ecstatic joy in the Lord.
What is your favorite activity outside of church: Spending time with my family. I’m a big fan of music, mainly Christian rock and Christian con- temporary. I love drinking coffee and spending time with people. I like to watch football, UFC and movies, as well as play board games.
Favorite Bible verse: Philippians 4:13, but I also like Proverbs 3:5- 6.
Favorite hymn: I love singing any hymns or contemporary Christian songs, but my favorite artists are Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill and David Crowder.
Favorite book: “What’s So Amazing about Grace” by Philip Yancey. I have used that book many times as a resource. It enhanced my understanding of grace and how it fleshes out in real life in a tremendous way.
Compiled by Chris Van Tuyl