2024 Leadership Slate

Sunday, February 25, after the morning service, we will select four biblically qualified men to serve as deacons.

Jay Curatti – Deacon

School: My education is a bit unusual as I began a professional career when I was 16, during the summer before my junior year in high school. After graduating, I enrolled at a local community college in Fort Myers, Florida, while still growing professionally. Toward the end of my freshman year, I was offered an opportunity for significant advancement in my work world and, like the board game Life, I had to make a decision between college or career; I chose the career option, never finishing my degree.

When did you join Northwest? Pam and I began feeling called to Northwest in early 2022. After about nine months of prayer and consideration, we began attending in January 2023 and joined in April 2023.

What is your ministry here? I currently serve as a team lead with Guest Services, lead a weekly Small Group, as an outreach with Local Missions, serve as liaison between Northwest and two senior living centers, Norwich Springs Health Center and Verena at Hilliard, leading weekly Bible studies at each location, represent Northwest on Norwich Springs Community Advisory Board.

What is your favorite scripture?

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Jeremiah 32:27

What do you like about Northwest? Northwest’s commitment to unashamedly share the truth of Scripture; a passion for seeing people grow to new understanding in their relationship with Jesus and others; activities for people of all ages; a re-centered focus on local community outreach; leadership’s humility in realizing not all the answers to all the questions are known, thereby diligently working on themselves while leading others to be better next week than last week; the willingness to consider new ways to impact lives for both now and eternity; a community of real people sojourning through life; and much more!

When did you accept Christ? I placed my faith in Jesus at age 18 in March 1982 while attending a youth group meeting at McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Florida. Even though I had a wonderment about the Bible and heard the Gospel on many occasions, I didn’t understand what it meant to truly know Jesus until that time. Within a matter of weeks, the above-mentioned job opportunity was presented, and I moved from Florida to North Carolina. As an 18-year-old with a new faith and desire to live differently, spent most of my downtime reading Scripture and trying to learn as much as possible. That passion for studying, learning, trying to make a difference, and discipling others as I was discipled is even stronger today than it was nearly 42 years ago.

Family: Pam and I were married 41 years ago on October 8, 1982, when we were both 19 years old. We have two adult children, our daughter Tiffany (Jeremy) Burggraf and our son Jordan, and two grandchildren, Asher and Calla.

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Shane Griggs – Deacon

What college did you attend? Ohio Northern University

When did you join Northwest? We became members in April of 2009.

What is your ministry here? I’m currently involved in several ministries, including…

• Leading a couples Small Group with my wife, Denae
• Co-leading a men’s Bible study Small Group
• Local Missions Team
• Security Team
• Snow Removal Team

What is your favorite scripture? Not understanding eternal security kept me from growing in my faith for a long time. Romans 8:38–39 always provides great comfort when my flesh wants me to doubt my salvation wrongly.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38–39

What do you like about Northwest? There are so many things to mention…

• The Biblical preaching and discipleship that my family and I have experienced.
• The authentic love we’ve received from so many people in this church body throughout the years.
• Our children are taught through books of the Bible in Kid City. Their understanding of the Bible and Biblical worldview rival that of most adults.
• We have many opportunities to do the good works we were saved for through local and international missions.
• Pastor Anthony is kinda funny sometimes.

When did you accept Christ? I accepted Christ as an early teen during an all-night teen church event. However, I remained a babe in Christ (1 Peter 2:2) for many years and did not grow in my relationship with Christ due to a lack of discipleship and understanding of the Bible. In my mid-thirties, the preaching and discipleship I received at Northwest allowed me to stop doubting my salvation and grow in my knowledge of the Bible to the point of giving it authority in my life (1 John 2:14).

Family: My wife, Denae, and I married in December 2000. Our 17-year-old twin girls, Kennedy and Kerrigan, are a blessing to us and many others who know them!

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