Equipping Pastor Jon Denney

Avondale has been home for my family since we came from the Midwest in 2006. Before coming to Avondale, I pastored churches in Oklahoma and Missouri for eight years and served in Rescue Mission ministry for seven years.  As the Equipping Pastor, I lead the Outreach, Christian Education and Counseling ministries.  I am a Certified Biblical Counselor and have earned the D.Min degree from Southwest Theological Seminary.  Unlike Mike and Ben, I am not a PK; but I have been married to one for 15 years.

My favorite Bible character other than Jesus is…Noah because…his ministry was such a great example of how foolish it is to use statistics as a measurement of success in ministry.  He preached for 120 years and had a 0% growth rate.  Yet, he is listed in the "Hall of Faith" (Hebrews 11) as an enduring testimony to the fact that success will always and forever be measured by faithfulness alone.

When I order coffee I like a…Soy vanilla latte, extra hot

Some bands I really like are…Any band or artist that has something to say of eternal value. Some older stuff would be Petra, or guys like Keith Green and Terry Clark.  Newer bands would be Newsboys, Casting Crowns, or guys like Chris Tomlin and Steven Curtis Chapman.

The most important lesson I learned from my parents was… Perseverance.  My mom was single a lot of the time that I was at home, trying to hold it together for my sister and I.  There were times that she had three jobs, but she kept pressing on and didn't give up.

In the Bible I’ve been reading…Revelation.  I tend to read where I am teaching from.  I just have to be careful that I am reading to learn what God wants to teach me and not just what I can teach to others.

The last book I read was…Chosen But Free by Norman Geisler.  I am re-reading it because it was so refreshing to read someone that had come to the same conclusions I had!  And for everyone who disagrees with Geisler and me, save your e-mails--lets go get some coffee.

A verse that has been particularly special to me is…2 Cor. 5:17 because…As a new Christian, I was haunted by some things in my past.  One day, while I was on a field exercise (during my days in the Army), I was sitting alone in a Humvee during a rainstorm reading my Bible.  A soldier knocked on the window and asked if he could get in out of the rain.  It turned out he was Christian and we started talking about the Lord.  I shared my burden with him about my past and he asked me to to turn to 2 Cor. 5:17.  I read it and wept.

Something people don’t commonly know about me is…I enjoy playing ToonTown--with or without my kids!