As children, Shawn and Cheryl were blessed with God-honoring parents. Each grew up attending church with their families and learned the value of relational disciple-making at an early age. Shawn and Cheryl met at Sterling College. Cheryl played volleyball and Shawn played tennis. They grew in their friendship while serving in campus ministry together. Shawn and Cheryl both graduated from Sterling with bachelor’s degrees—Shawn in Elementary Education and Cheryl in Christian Education.

 

Shawn & Cheryl were married the summer of their junior year in 1989. At that time, Shawn served as a part-time youth pastor in Sterling. Before graduation, Shawn accepted an offer to serve Emmanuel Church as youth pastor. Over the next twenty-two years, Shawn and Cheryl were blessed with nine children. Their oldest three children are married and they have three precious granddaughters.

 

Shawn acquired a Masters in Ministry from Moody Bible Institute. Shawn and Cheryl were blessed with twenty years of local church ministry that opened opportunities to train, coach, and mentor other ministries and ministers in the Heartland.

 

Shawn and Cheryl serve Extreme Encounters locally as they leverage the outdoors to make disciples who make disciples. Shawn serves as Sonlife's Heartland Regional Director. Extreme Encounters and Sonlife have partnered to make a greater impact together.