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About Our Staff
Chuck: Founder and Executive Director
As the founder and Executive Director of Café 1040, Chuck combines his passion for evangelism with more than 15 years experience in management and servant leadership. He began his career with the United States Army, working for six years in military intelligence. He became well accustomed to the start-up environment, serving in three diverse new ventures including banking, construction and telecommunications.
Chuck began working at North Point Community Church supporting the "7:22" Singles Ministry and Passion Conferences in 2000. His experience with these dynamic ministries planted the seeds for further exploration of God's call on his life. Following the completion of a 2-year Bible training program and service as a short-term missionary in several countries and urban settings, Chuck began to sense that the Lord was leading him to help mobilize tens of thousands of college students to the 10/40 Window. Since this time, he has been seeking to satisfy this vision through Café 1040.
Chuck married his ministry partner Miki in 2003 and they have been blessed with four children. Miki continues to serve along side Chuck in leading Café 1040.
Kurt: Pre-Go Mentor and Graduate Mentor
Kurt's life was destined for a life of missions when he became a follower of Christ while on his first short term missions trip in Mexico. After college he spent 4 months in Argentina before heading back to the states to work in a secular field, followed by 12 years as a pastor. In 1993, Kurt and his wife Nancy, and their 3 young children were called to Russia and later to Central Asia to help facilitate the planting of numerous churches over the next 13 years.
Kurt's passion is to help mobilize sharp young people to minister in regions of the 1040 window where few or no churches exist. He will serve as a pre-go mentor and later help develop a member care ministry and use his experience to assist in the building up of the overall ministry of Café 1040.
Courtney: Recruitment Lead
Courtney is a "tuxedo" of passions---part missionary mobilizer; part health and distance running enthusiast. She was born and raised in Texas, graduating from high school near Dallas and then attending Texas Tech University after that. She earned a degree in History but followed her formal education with a short-but-successful career in the Health and Fitness Industry, first as a personal trainer and then in departmental management.
Courtney's career in mobilization ministry began in college when The Traveling Team spoke to her sorority about the biblical foundation of missions. After nurturing her missional interest for several years, she left her health club in 2007 and began traveling the U.S. on staff with The Traveling Team. Three years and about 68,000 driving miles later, she transitioned to Café 1040's home office in Atlanta. Here, Courtney will be afforded the joy and challenge of heading up the recruiting department, whose staff members carry the responsibility of finding all the students who are ripe for Café 1040's mentorship program, and then introducing them to the first phase of the application process.
Mike: Team Leader, USA and Applicant Mentor
Mike's first love is God and second to God only is his wife, Michelle. In 2009, their daughter Elisha Grace was born. "His highest aim, foremost desire and greatest intention, is to pay heed to the holy gospel in all things and through all things, to follow the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and to retrace his footsteps completely with all vigilance and all zeal, all the desire of his soul and all the fervor of his heart," to borrow a statement from a biography of St. Francis of Assissi. He really enjoys the outdoors, listening to music (especially live music being played by a really talented guitarist) and deep meaningful conversations that leave you encouraged, or contemplative.
For the safety and security of our overseas staff, we have decided not to include their names, biographies and photos. But you can be sure they are really cool people who love the Lord.