J a s on Va l en d y

Disciple of Jesus, Son, Husband, Father, Teacher,

Culture Maker, Dreamer, Pursuer of Wisdom,

Crusader, Revivalist, Blogger, Hopeful,

Cultivator of Past and Seeker of the Holy Spirit

817.726.9608 JasonValendy@gmail.com www.JasonValendy.net

A b r i dge d B io gr a ph y

Like many couples, my parents had different

denominational backgrounds and found a

compromise in the United Methodist Church.

Additionally, no one could have anticipated

that when they joined FUMC of Keller, both

of their sons would find their future spouses

in the youth group and begin dating in High

School.

Upon graduating from Keller High School, I attended St. Mary’s University

where I was the only protestant, to that point, hired to work in the campus

ministry department. I was trained to be a communion server and a sacristan

(keeper of the two chapels on campus). As much as I loved my Roman

Catholic experience, I really loved Estee more and decided that marriage to her

trumped a call into the priesthood.

The first two years out of college, I served as youth minister at Meadowbrook

UMC in Fort Worth. It was at Meadowbrook that I discovered a passion for

teaching the things I was learning in Seminary. My time at Meadowbrook ended

when I was offered to serve as youth minister at Arlington Heights UMC,

which I accepted and have been serving there ever since.

While my role at AHUMC has changed over the years, it has been the past

three years of working as an associate minister with a focus on evangelism,

hospitality to guests, preaching/teaching and becoming a culture maker that has

brought me the most joy in my call.

The following pages are just an insight into how I understand my call as well as

ways in which I have lived that understanding out.

You can see and download additional copies of this portfolio at:

www.Jasonvalendy.net

By t h e

N um be rs

29 Age; Born April 30, 1982

2004 Year achieved B.A. in Political

Science from Saint Mary’s University; San Antonio

2008 Year achieved Masters of

Divinity at Brite at TCU (also when Judah Valendy was

born)

7 Years married to Estee

6

Years as an appointed minister in the Central Texas

Conference

1 Times elected at class clown

My C a l l

My understanding of my call is perhaps best expressed as “culture maker”. The

Biblical witness is clear that God creates. This is what God does and everyone is

made in the image of God. As such, I feel deeply called to be a co-creator with

God (Eph. 2:10) and work to create a specific culture. Jesus used the phrase

“Kingdom of God” to a people who knew what it was like to live under an actual

king as a way to describe the pervasiveness of God in this world. The best way I

know to talk about this same idea to those of us who do not live under an actual

king, is to use the phrase the “Culture of God”. Children of God are called to be

cultivators and creators of the Culture of God (Gen 1:26) and my call is rooted in

equipping people do just that.

I am influenced by the Marshal McLuhan idea that “the medium is the message”.

What this means is the actual medium you use to convey a message is louder than

the actual content of the message. The character of Martin Luther King Jr. was

louder than the content of any of his speeches. This is why I could not preach the

“I Have a Dream” speech and have it carry the same weight, even though I am

using the same words. The medium of Dr. King is the message of his dream.

You might be able to see why, as one who is called to be a culture maker, it does

not make sense to submit a traditional resume. The document you are reading is a

medium that expresses the message of a culture maker louder than any words I

would express.

The final page of this portfolio will highlight some examples of how I have lived

out my call.

Con f e r e n c e

S e rv ic e

District Youth coordinator

CTCYM Board member

Worship assistant at 2004

General Conference

Young Adult Fall Summit

Leadership Team

Global AIDS Task Force

District Committee on

Ministry

Frontier Church Conference

speaker

Five Day Academy for

Spiritual Formation

Leadership Team member

TCU Wesley Board Member

A quarterly publication created for

the purpose of quickly sharing

ideas in books.

http://bit.ly/xq1Q23

A meal-based micro-granting initiative for

philanthropic organizations and projects.

www.FortWorthDishOut.org

The “Idea Store” is an art instillation for Annual Conference in which people

are invited to share an idea which the “Idea Store” purchases for a penny.

Ideas are for sale to anyone who would like to put their “two cents” in. This

instillation is designed to encourage ideas sharing and theological reflection.

My nametag. Created to

engage people in the

community in conversation.

Different words can be

written into the space to

invite conversation.

Culture Making Examples