Joel is the Co-Director of the Anchorage Urban Training Collaborative and a Street Psalms Senior Fellow.

 

For 17 years he served Parachutes Teen Club and Resource Center (Anchorage, AK), which he helped found in 2003, as Executive Director and Founding Director. Parachutes serves teens ages thirteen to eighteen years old. Many of the active members of the drop-in center were high-risk and street involved. 

 

Joel has served as a pastor and youth pastor in both Michigan and Alaska.  He is an adjunct professor at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.

 

Joel holds a PhD in Practical Theology from the University of Pretoria (South Africa), a Master of Arts in Global Urban Ministry degree from Bakke Graduate University, a Bachelor of Religious Education degree from Reformed Bible College (now Kuyper College), and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from The Foraker Group/ University of Alaska Fairbanks. He was ordained as a Commissioned Pastor by the Christian Reformed Church in 2008.

 

Joel lives, works, and plays in Anchorage, AK, with his wife Stacey and has three daughters Naomi, Emma (and wife Kelsy), and Sydney. Joel lives in intentional community in the Dimond Estates trailer park.

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Jessica is the Co-Director of the Anchorage Urban Training Collaborative, the Anchorage Hub Director for Street Psalms, and a Mission Network Developer with Resonate Global Mission.

 

She served at Parachutes Teen Club and Resource Center (Anchorage, AK) for a decade (2007-2017), providing direct service to at-risk and street-involved teens as well as program and organizational development/ management in various roles. While opening a teen center for at-risk youth had been a retirement dream, serving at Parachutes early in her career became the classroom, incubator, crucible, and authenticator for her life philosophy and work toward sustainability of those who serve in Anchorage.

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Jessica has completed the Academy of Spiritual Formation through SoulFormation and holds a Master of Arts in Global Urban Leadership degree from Bakke Graduate University with an undergrad in Psychology and Theology.

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Jessica and her husband, Josh, fell in love with Alaska prior to making it their home in 2007 and have nurtured a deep love for the city of Anchorage, Denaʼina Ełnena homeland. They and their two children enjoy exploring the Alaskan outdoors and cooking meals for friends and family in their home.

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