Staff Bio Dan Samms

Dan Samms, Pastor of Group Life

Job Description:

My passion is to glorify God by helping people become more like Christ. I have the privilege of making this happen by organizing Life Groups that help people become like Christ they seek to live like Him in everything from relationships to God to volunteering in the community.

Describe your family:

Five years ago, I married the most beautiful woman in the world, and we began our family. Since then, we have taken in two cats: Nala (yes, from the Lion King) and Layla, who is named after the classic Eric Clapton song. Recently, we welcomed our first child, Micah into the world! He's a bright eyed happy baby who really likes to hear his daddy tell stories.

How do you spend your time when not at the church?

Call me a sap, but my favorite thing to do is sit at home and drink coffee with my wife. Honestly, everything else I do is really just an effort to impress her. So, I really love to write poetry. I’ve had the opportunity to perform my poetry over the past few years and really enjoyed that too. On occasion the poetry comes out with a melody, and that requires a little bit of strumming on the guitar or mandolin. This doesn’t impress Christy half as much as my real instrument: the drums. I love to play loud, fast, and hard! She thinks I’m a really good drummer! (Pastoral advice: Learn an instrument and marry a beautiful woman! It worked for me kids!) Recently, I’ve also taken to creative work in the form of carpentry and wood carving. When all my creativity is drained, I really love sitting down with a cup of coffee and an old book or a classic movie.

Background information:

I was born and lived most of my life in Charleston, WV where my dad was and is a pastor. Most of my family lived close by, and I had the blessing of spending a lot of my summers on my grandparents’ farm where I rode horses, fished, and basically lived the life of a country boy (For more of my story, see John Denver’s “Country Roads Take me Home” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”). After High School, I went to Liberty University to study Bible and Theology. There, I met my wife Christy (see “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright) and developed a passion to teach God’s Word. I learned that theology doesn’t have to merely be the stuff of old, musty books, it can be lived! Since then, I have worked to help people understand the truth of God’s Word and how they can live it in their daily life. This passion has led me on a great adventure (“Indiana Jones Theme”). Before Christy and I were married, I spent 5 years leading and organizing small groups on campus at Liberty. Once we got married, while still in school, I served as a part time youth pastor, part time Graduate Assistant, and part time ditch-digger (For more on my time as a ditch digger see “Take this Job…” by Johnny Paycheck). In 2005, Christy and I moved to Elyria, and I took a job leading small groups with Youth for Christ. It didn’t take long for God to call us to Open Door where we immediately began volunteering with the young adult ministry. When funding at Youth for Christ dried up, I took a job moving furniture and then another answering customer service calls for T-Mobile (“Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders). Then, in 2008, God opened the door for me to be join the pastoral staff! I have a great passion for this church and this community. I am blessed to be here and excited about what God has done and will do! (“A-Team Theme”)


	*Dan Samms, Pastor of* Group Life Job Description: My passion is to glorify God by helping people become more like Christ. I have the privilege of making this happen by organizing Life Groups that help people become like Christ they seek to live like Him in everything from relationships to God to volunteering in the community. Describe your family: Five years ago, I married the most beautiful woman in the world, and we began our family. Since then, we have taken in two cats: Nala (yes, from the Lion King) and Layla, who is named after the classic Eric Clapton song. Recently, we welcomed our first child, Micah into the world! He's a bright eyed happy baby who really likes to hear his daddy tell stories. How do you spend your time when not at the church? Call me a sap, but my favorite thing to do is sit at home and drink coffee with my wife. Honestly, everything else I do is really just an effort to impress her. So, I really love to write poetry. I’ve had the opportunity to perform my poetry over the past few years and really enjoyed that too. On occasion the poetry comes out with a melody, and that requires a little bit of strumming on the guitar or mandolin. This doesn’t impress Christy half as much as my real instrument: the drums. I love to play loud, fast, and hard! She thinks I’m a really good drummer! (Pastoral advice: Learn an instrument and marry a beautiful woman! It worked for me kids!) Recently, I’ve also taken to creative work in the form of carpentry and wood carving. When all my creativity is drained, I really love sitting down with a cup of coffee and an old book or a classic movie. Background information: I was born and lived most of my life in Charleston, WV where my dad was and is a pastor. Most of my family lived close by, and I had the blessing of spending a lot of my summers on my grandparents’ farm where I rode horses, fished, and basically lived the life of a country boy (For more of my story, see John Denver’s “Country Roads Take me Home” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”). After High School, I went to Liberty University to study Bible and Theology. There, I met my wife Christy (see “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright) and developed a passion to teach God’s Word. I learned that theology doesn’t have to merely be the stuff of old, musty books, it can be lived! Since then, I have worked to help people understand the truth of God’s Word and how they can live it in their daily life. This passion has led me on a great adventure (“Indiana Jones Theme”). Before Christy and I were married, I spent 5 years leading and organizing small groups on campus at Liberty. Once we got married, while still in school, I served as a part time youth pastor, part time Graduate Assistant, and part time ditch-digger (For more on my time as a ditch digger see “Take this Job…” by Johnny Paycheck). In 2005, Christy and I moved to Elyria, and I took a job leading small groups with Youth for Christ. It didn’t take long for God to call us to Open Door where we immediately began volunteering with the young adult ministry. When funding at Youth for Christ dried up, I took a job moving furniture and then another answering customer service calls for T-Mobile (“Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders). Then, in 2008, God opened the door for me to be join the pastoral staff! I have a great passion for this church and this community. I am blessed to be here and excited about what God has done and will do! (“A-Team Theme”)