Mary J.
Occupation: Stay at home Mom; Freelance Writer/Editor
Profile: Mary was a news and features reporter for the The Lansing State Journal in Lansing, Michigan. Her experience also included being an editorial assistant for World Magazine, and an internship at the news desk of the Washington Times in Washington, D.C. She is an alumni of the World Journalism Institute and the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Journalism Institute in Washington, D.C. She graduated Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, with a degree in history and political science. Mary currently lives in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband and four children, and does freelance editing and writing from her home.
Testimony: “I began the School of Strategic Living in college when the world was opening up to me in many new ways. I don’t think I even realized how pivotal of a time it was, but I knew my faith was being tested. Though I had a desire to follow God, I realized I did not have a “backbone” to make it in the real world. GoLife gave me the invaluable gift of a biblical worldview, which drastically altered the remainder of my college years and my work as a journalist. This foundation is one I continue to build upon as a wife, mother and writer.I am deeply indebted to this program as it also exposed me to a new level of relationship with others. Not only did I meet my husband through GoLife, but I made lifelong friendships and some life altering decisions as a result that have set me on a course of learning and growing in Christ with others.
Adam P.
Occupation: Non Profit Director & Teacher
Profile: Adam served as a Pastor for over 15 years before founding his ministry FeatherVine. He is part of the leadership of Together in Christ Santa Rosa. His community involvement includes serving on the Mayor’s Gang Policy Task Force as well as numerous community service projects.
Testimony: “The School of Strategic Living was incredibly instrumental in shaping both my understanding of what it means to live the life I was saved for and to give me a context for understanding how to integrate my life into the Kingdom work that God is doing in my community, world, and generation. The teachings were truly life shaping. The relationships that I made during my involvement with GoLife continue 25 years later to serve and edify me. When I went through GoLife, it was still a 3 year program. I continued my involvement after completing the course as part of the GoStrategic staff. I had the privilege of being the International Director for The School of Strategic Living for the next 8 years. My wife is a graduate of the course in New Zealand and already we are teaching the principles we have learned to our four young children. To put it succinctly GoLife has had a deep and truly strategic impact on the life that I am living for Christ’s glory and I am very grateful.”
Jon P.
Occupation: Businessman
Profile: Jon Pinkston is employed as a management consultant for one of the major consulting firms. His past experience is in investment management in research, and has an MBA from UCLA.
Testimony: “GoLife has impacted mine and my wife’s lives in ways that continue to bear fruit daily. While the curriculum is full of great teaching by some of the most articulate pastors and teachers, it is not the teaching that makes it great. GoLife is built upon the foundation that truth and relationship go hand in hand. It was through this interaction with our mentors and those around us that we were able to process and apply what we learned. With this application, GoLife produced a tool that we carry with us in our family today—a tool to examine our own hearts against the measure of God’s word and then seek application in our family, our careers and everywhere we have influence.”
Karis H.
Occupation: Teacher & Speaker
Profile: Karis graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Early Childhood Education. She has taught and done private tutoring for many years, as well as served as a representative for an educational product company. As her father, Dudley Hall, and brother David are trying to reach parents and the present generation, Karis writes and speaks about how we can impact the next generation in education.
Testimony: “It is hard to explain all that I have learned through the GoLife course because it is so much more than just information learned. For me, it is a perspective broadened, a lifestyle embraced, and a relationship encountered. It has deepened the way I think, act, and relate to others.”As a first year intern, I was orientated with the presentation of a whole new way of looking at Christianity, myself, and my life. I was introduced to something bigger than me, something worth being a part of, something worth dedicating my life to. Although I was reared in the church and educated in a Christian school, I had never really seen my specific role in the Kingdom of God.”
Michelle C.
Occupation: Marketing
Profile: Michelle is a marketing manager and senior editor at MHN, the behavioral health subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. She also serves on a local school board, has mentored several students through GoLife and helps lead worship at her church. She resides in Novato, California with her husband and 2 sons.
Testimony: “Although GoLife was more than 12 years ago for me, the teachings and foundational truths I learned have helped shape where I am today. GoLife has definitely challenged me on new levels to be more intentional in the way that I live. God is always working around me if I have the eyes to see it. I’m more aware and interested in what He’s doing each day and discovering the role that He wants me to play. GoLife has helped me recognize that my view of Him affects everything that I do – it shapes how I live, how I make decisions, how I work, how I relate to others and how I see everything. Having a solid framework of who God is and our mission on earth is essential – and GoLie is a great tool in helping you get there!”
Emily H.
Occupation: Stay at home Mom
Profile: Before becoming a stay at home Mom, Emily worked as a medical assitant and message therapist and also as a content manager for the AT&T website.
Testimony: “Through the School of Strategic Living, my daily relationship with the Lord has reached a new level of trust and dependency on Him. I am able to analyze and pick apart issues and situations and get to the root level in a way that I could never dream of before. It was the difference of just getting through life brainlessly washed about by every wave of thought, versus engaging in life by challenging false ideas and questioning faulty character in both myself and others.”