PCS ALUMNUS DIRK JASPERSE, ‘12

I had the privilege of attending PCS from kindergarten through senior year. Looking back, I’m filled with gratitude to God. During some of the most formative years of my life, I experienced a loving Christian community where Jesus Christ was central, and God’s Word was taken seriously. Love for Christ shaped the work of the teachers and staff, many of whom made personal sacrifices to invest spiritually in their students. Fellow students, especially in my close-knit class, pointed me to Christ and spurred me on spiritually. PCS also provided a top-notch education, rooted in and committed to God’s word. None of that would have been possible without the generosity of churches and individuals who graciously gave of their time and resources to support PCS’s mission.

Since graduating, God has led me to serve him and his church as a pastor. I completed my Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical DivinitySchool in 2020, and currently serve as an Associate Pastor at First Evangelical Free Church of Wichita, KS. My lovely wife Katie and I met at seminary and have been married since June of 2019.

God used PCS to lay a foundation that helped prepare me for pastoral ministry. Vocationally, PCS encouraged every student to serve God with their gifts for his glory and the good of others. I saw that attitude of service on display through formative teachers and other students. Their examples encouraged me to serve God with my life, wherever he might lead me.

Academically, PCS equipped me well for undergraduate studies at a non-Christian university and for rigorous master’s level seminary studies. The training I received in public speaking also prepared me for preaching, teaching, and other public pastoral responsibilities.

Theologically, PCS’s emphasis on the authority, reliability and beauty of God’s Word was incredibly important. Through Park, God cultivated a confidence in and love for God’s Word in me and other students. And that time in His Word shaped what I believe and how I approach the work of pastoring.

I am so thankful to God for PCS, and for the teachers, staff and generous donors who make Park possible. My prayer is that PCS will continue to faithfully love and serve Christ first and foremost, trusting in his Word, for the glory of God.

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