The Journey - St. Louis

Steve Mizel

Education
I attended Bible College right out of high school at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA in 1986-88 where I became a Christ-follower and met the woman who is now my incredible wife. I transferred to San Diego Christian College and graduated with my degree in English in 1990. We moved to St. Louis and I earned my secondary certification from Harris Stowe State College in 1994 and then got my Masters from National Lewis University in 1997.
Family
Lauren and I were married in August, 1989. Four years later we had our first of three children, Victoria, in 1993. Esther followed in 1995 and we rounded out the bunch with Isaac in 1998.

What is your favorite bible verse?
2 Corinthians 5:21: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Everything is here - our problem and his solution; my brokenness and his love for me in spite of it; my degraded past and my glorious future.
What is following Jesus like these days?
Well, it's never boring! He continues to show me how I can't do anything without him and how I can do anything he has called me to with him.
How long have you been at The Journey?
My family and I started attending at the end of 2004 and I came on staff in June, 2006.
What ministry are you involved in?
I lead the Metro East campus.
What is hard and/or good about serving at The Journey?
The Journey is an exciting place to lead because God is doing so many incredible things in the lives of our members. It is also very hard because the rapid growth has pushed the leadership team to limits of its skill and well beyond the limits of its previous experience. It has been a place that has forced me to grow in the gospel in order to be able to keep up with what God is doing.

Books: Anything by C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity had a huge impact on me as I was coming to faith. The Chronicles of Narnia had been working on my heart from my middle school years and I didn't realize why until I understood the gospel. His retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, Till We Have Faces, is my favorite. I reread the short stories of Flannery O'Connor every couple years and find myself haunted by the freaks of faith that populate her world. There are many many more. Too many to try to list.
Coffee Shops: I spend most of my time in South City and the Metro East. In South City, I really enjoy hanging out at Hartford's Coffee. Great coffee - art from local artists - eclectic vibe. And, of course, free wi-fi. In the Metro East it would have to be Sacred Grounds. Very similar to Hartford's in that it is high in local culture and much lower on stainless steel and trendy light fixtures.
Sports to play: I like to go fast and ride boards. I have not forsaken skateboarding, the sport of my youth, though my knees hate me for it. I absolutely love to snow ski as well. Most other sports are fun, but mainly because I get to hang out with friends.

Where did I grow up? All over California. I was born in Alameda, in the San Fransisco Bay Area. I lived for quite a while in Fort Bragg, California, a small town in Northern California right on the ocean. I still miss the sound of waves on the shore. We later moved to San Diego, where my brother and mom still live.
What was your first job? Making pizza's in Fort Bragg, California. I was only 13 and faked a work permit in order to get the job. I burned pizza's regularly, and would occasionally send them home burnt in the take home box, well taped up and sealed. This was also the first job I was fired from.
How did I meet my spouse? Lauren and I met at Emmaus Bible College. We didn't like each other when we met. She was mature, a good student, and from a conservative Christian home in Kentucky. I was a loud skate punk from California. Needless to say, I got the better end of the bargain.