worship.com :: Dan Kimball | Emergent Village

Dan was born and raised in New Jersey, and got his BS in Landscape Architecture from Colorado State University. Dan was a drummer in a rockabilly/punk band for many years and lived in London, England for a year playing in the band. After the band ended, Dan went to Israel and lived there for several months studying the Bible on his own to see whether Christianity was a valid faith, or simply the religion of American suburbia. Mainly all of his closest friends were not Christians, so he desired to be able to intelligently explain and know why Christianity was a faith which made sense. After Israel, he moved to Santa Cruz where he began attending Santa Cruz Bible Church and got very involved in various ministries at the church. Because he felt he wanted to dedicate all his time to serving in the church, he went to Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon and graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Bible. (He eventually got his Masters degree from Western Seminary as well.)

Upon returning to Santa Cruz in 1989 after graduating from Multnomah Seminary, he became high school pastor at Santa Cruz Bible Church working with teenagers in what became a large youth ministry along with Josh Fox. After serving in high school ministry for 8 years as high school pastor, Dan (and Josh) felt the need for a worship gathering that reflected more of the values of the emerging culture and heart of emerging generations. So, they started the Sunday night "Graceland" worship services and ministry at Santa Cruz Bible Church in the Fall of 1996. Graceland initially started as a college ministry, but because it connected with a broader age range became worship services for all ages a year later in the Fall of 1997. Graceland eventually folded into Santa Cruz Bible Church, as the dream for launching a new church in Santa Cruz was formed which became the birth of Vintage Faith Church in February 2004.

Dan has been married to Becky since 1990 and have two daughters, Katie and Claire and one day hope to have a poodle. Dan loves rockabilly music, comic art and drives a 1966 Mustang that is slowly rusting.

Dan is the author of the books:

"The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations" (Zondervan) which features commentary by Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, Howard Hendricks, Sally Morgenthaler, Chip Ingram and Mark Oestreicher.

"Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations" (Zondervan) which takes a look at several churches who are rethinking how churches go about their worshiping on weekends in community. Forewords by David Crowder and Sally Morgenthaler.

Dan is now working on his third and fourth books also on Zondervan, "I like Jesus, but Not the Church" (for the average person) and "They Like Jesus but not the Church" (for church leaders) which are books which will address the misconceptions people have about Christianity and the disconnect many people have from the established church. Dan is also involved in some national ministries which are rethinking church for the emerging culture (see Emergent and the Emergent Convention ).

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