Collection of Crumbs

This blog is dedicated to thinking critically about youth ministry. It is our desire to help transition students through the pivotal years of Junior High, High School and College, and to help transform their lives into disciples of Christ.

Contributors:

Rhett Smith:

Rhett has been the college director of The Quest in Los Angeles, CA since July of 2002. Rhett began working at Bel Air as a college intern the previous year in order to fulfill his Master of Divinity internship requirements for Fuller Theological Seminary and because college students are who he enjoyed working with as he spent the previous three years as a college admission counselor and recruiter in Phoenix, AZ.

In June of 2003 Rhett graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree and had been looking for outlets and avenues to discuss college ministry and other church related issues from a theological point of view. So in the Summer of 2004 Rhett began blogging out of his newly revamped college ministry webpage, and then in May of 2005 he began blogging out of his new site rhettsmith.com

Rhett has been greatly encouraged and influenced by many bloggers, but it was Hugh Hewitt who gave him his biggest jumpstart by posting him on his site as one of the Godbloggers and linking Rhett’s post on occasion. In 2005 and 2007 Rhett presented a workshop GodBlogCon and just this last Spring spoke as a guest lecturer at Fuller in the class “Using Media Technology in Ministry.”

It’s been a busy last couple of years as Rhett just completed his Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy at Fuller Theological Seminary this June. Rhett lives in Los Angeles with his wife and baby daughter.

Drew Sams:

Drew is currrently the pastor of student ministries at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California. As a missionally-minded leader, he is passionate about inspiring and equipping others to “Be the Church” beyond the walls of the church building by following Jesus into the messy reality of people’s lives both locally and globally. In addition to leading the high school ministry, he also shares responsibility as a teaching pastor at Calvary and speaks into the senior leadership as they navigate the waters of an increasing post-Christian culture.

Drew will be graduating with his Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary this summer and plans on beginning his Doctorate of Ministry in Missional Leadership this Fall. Yes, he has been diagnosed with an addiction to learning.

Drew and his wife Erika live in Westlake Village with their only child, a 13 pound ball of feline fur named Sophie. In his freetime, he enjoys surfing, reading, listening to music, and watching his alma mater, USC, win football games.

Mindy Coates Smith:

Mindy was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from the University of Arizona where she lettered in the sport of Track and Field (Let’s Go Cats!). After college, Mindy spent three and a half years as a Program Director at Spring Hill Camps where she met her totally awesome husband, RO.

They were married in April 2002 and shortly thereafter moved to California to attend Fuller Theological Seminary. Mindy attained a Masters of Arts in Theology with an emphasis in Youth, Family & Culture and is still pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in the same field.

Mindy currently serves as Co-Director of Middle School Discipleship at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles where she and RO work alongside one another, personifying ministry as a lifestyle as she shares an office, a bathroom and even a bed with her co-worker/husband/BFF.

In her free time, Mindy enjoys art & design, watching movies and reading magazines. This is her first interaction with blogging and is excited to learn from the blogging community.

RO Smith:

RO serves alongside of his wife, Mindy, as the co-director of The Element at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. RO moved to Los Angeles in September 2002 to pursue his MAT in Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has been at Bel Air for four years, and loves working with middle school students.

Before moving to LA, RO worked as a program director for Spring Hill Camps in Evart, MI. There he planned, organized, and implemented programmed retreats for 12,000 high school and middle school students every year. He occasionally visits good ol’ Evart once a year to speak. While in Michigan, he met and married his favorite person in the world!

RO has a heart for all teenagers, but has specifically found a love for middle school students. He loves their energy, playfulness, and “did-that-just-come-out-of their-mouth” moments. Fortunately for him, God has blessed him with an incredible amount of energy to be able to keep up with them. Most importantly, RO desires for middle schoolers to be taken seriously as part of the church, rather than the future of the church.