The Bible speaks of two offices in every local church: elders and deacons. Elders (also referred to as pastors, shepherds or overseers -- see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Ephesians 4:11ff) are responsible for the overall leadership of the ministry of the word and prayer. They oversee the doctrine and direction of the church. Deacons (see Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13) are the servant leaders actively leading various ministries.
Erik was born and raised in Massachusetts and moved to Omaha while in the Air Force in 1995. It was through a faithful co-worker that God brought the gospel to him in 1996. Pastoral ministry became the clear priority for Erik after graduating from Grace University. He led the church planting efforts of Emmaus and has been the preaching pastor since its inception.
Erik enjoys spending time with his best friend and wife Christie, as well as their 6 children; Bryce, Luke, Alaynah, Alexis, Zoe, and Bo. In addition, Erik enjoys reading, writing, and training for marathons.
The bottom line for Erik in life in ministry is to be calibrated by the gospel and so therefore make much of Jesus.
You can keep up with Erik's writing at his blog: Ordinary Pastor or on Twitter.
Josh is a Nebraska native and came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through the faithful teaching of his parents. He is a graduate of Excelsior College and The Master's Seminary. From 2007-2009 Josh served as a pastoral assistant at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, CA while finishing his M.Div and Th.M. He met his wife, Ashley, at Omaha Bible Church in 2009.
Josh leads Adult Bible School as well as Resolved, a ministry for young adults at Emmaus. He loves evangelism and seeing how the gospel comes alive in the context of the local church.As he looks forward to a lifetime of ministry, he is reminded of Paul's words to Timothy, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Tim 4:1-2).
You can keep up with Josh's writing at the Cripplegate where he contributes or on Twitter.
Dave came to faith in Jesus Christ while attending Texas A&M University. While there, he met his wife, Stacey. They've been married for 14 years and have three children, Joshua, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Dave and Stacey enjoy reading, exercising, and spending time together as a family.
Dave came to Nebraska after being transferred by the Air Force to Offutt Air Force Base. He has been working in leadership with the church plant since its inception.
Dave leads the Children's Ministry and a Care Group that meets in his home.
Bob and Karen moved to Omaha in 1997. They were married in 1974 and came to know the Lord in 1978. They have 3 children, Kimiko, Rob and Chris, as well as 3 granddaughters, Kalena, Annie and Zoey. After retiring from the Air Force in 1999, Bob went to work as a Defense Contractor and is now working for Northrop Grumman.
Two verses which spoke mightly to Bob at different times in his life are found in Isaiah and Colossians. Isaiah 40:31 helped Bob see that he needed to learn a lot about patience and it continues to remind him of this need today. Colossians 3:23-24 helps Bob to keep his daily activities in perspective, no matter what he is called to do.
Allyn Noradki came to Omaha in 1997 while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Allyn lives in Bellevue and works at Cable Services Group. During 5th grade Allyn understood that he was a sinner, that he needed to repent of his sin and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who died in his place for his sins. Allyn began attending Omaha Bible Church a few years after arriving in Omaha when he visited the Christ on Campus group and was impressed by how they sought to glorify God and knew the Scriptures.
Allyn currently serves by leading the audio ministry at South Campus. He also assist with snow removal, and by using his truck in service to the church and individuals. Allyn can be found helping in every way possible with things like repairs to vehicles or appliances, construction projects, helping people move and other tasks like yard work and shoveling snow.
