About Russ
I am one of two church planting pastors of Church at the Grove in Walton County, Georgia. Church At The Grove launched with weekly services on September 10, 2006 and has grown significantly in just over a year.
I have been married to Jill for 12 years and we have a nine year old son, a six year old girl and a two 1/2 year old son.
I love hanging out with my family at home or on special outings. I enjoy wrestling with my kids, going out to eat and catching a date or trip away with my wife ALONE.
I spent most of my twenties as a sales representative and youth ministry volunteer before joining the staff of Concord Baptist Church in Clermont, GA. While at Concord I finished my undergraduate degree in History with a minor in Business at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia. I fell in love with ministry to Students and it hasn’t left me. I still love to hang out with students and see them reach their potential in Christ. I served for a time at FBC Smyrna in Tennessee, and then went to NorthStar Church in Kennesaw, Georgia. This is where I “caught” the church planting bug. I finished my MDIV from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and was a part of the first post-Katrina graduation on campus in New Orleans.
While serving at an Associate Pastor at The Summit, God gave clear direction to plant in Walton County and the vision for Church at the Grove was born. With my friend Craig Story, I launched out and began to prepare for a new church to be launched in the fall of ’06. We have an incredible church, an incredible staff and we love seeing lives transformed. Only time will reveal completely what God has in store for CATGrove.
I love chips and Salsa with ranch dressing from Chilis restaurant and a Caramel Macchiato grande in a venti cup with extra whip cream from Starbucks. I choose them iced in the summer and hot in the winter.
I enjoy Georgia DAWG football, golf, reading lots of books and keeping up with my favorite blogs.
I feel called to reach out to those “least likely to go to church” beginning with my village of 105 huts.
