• Your name: David Weiss
  
  My Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
  
  What do you do?: Director of Communications for a major Non-profit organization (whose name has been omitted as they may not agree with my observations on the weird world we all live in.) Pastor of New Creation Fellowship, Reading PA. I also do arts ministry seminars and workshops and create resources for arts ministry which are found on my website http://www.radicallyreal.com/amok My ministry is called A.M.O.K. Arts Ministry Outreach for the Kingdom. I also am working on a youth speaking ministry called HistoryMakerz which is based on the stories of young people from the Bible who were used mightily by God and I write lessons for the youth ministry resource Interlinc.
  
  My interests: Christian music and concerts, finding new and exciting ways of communicating the gospel through the visual arts and empowering people to use whatever gifts they have received to serve others and the Kingdom of God (1 Peter 4:10) I also enjoy building plastic models and working on my backyard pond and most importantly spending time with family. Drawing cartoons is what I do to vent and hopefully it brings glory to God.
  
  My dislikes: I try not to have too many but here are a few 1. Onions (anything that smells that bad can't be good for you!) 2. Critics (those who can, do, those who can't, become critics.) 3. Satan and anyone who hurts kids. My least favorite phrase in the universe is "Our youth are the church of the future." they are NOT. They are the future of the church. It may sound like semantics but there is a world of difference. If we don't make them the church of the right now and help them to develop their God given gifts, we will not have them in the future and if we don't have them in the future, we don't have a future. If you feel like your church's youth program is insufficient, there is a good chance that God is telling you to do something about it. And that does NOT mean griping and complaining, that means getting off your backside and helping.
  
  My favorite band: Depends on my mood. dcTalk was probably it, but they are gone. I pretty much love any band that devotes whatever talents they have to God. If their style doesn't reach me, that's okay it's not about me, as long as someone is being reached and the message is true, I'm a fan!
  
  My favorite writer: Well if he'd clean up his act, I'd say Michael Crichton, truly a great writer, but too much sex and profanity lately. Frank Peretti is really good. CS Lewis and Tolkien are awesome.
  
  My secret origin: Is not a secret. I spent the years of my life between 19 and 22 drunk out of my mind, depressed and suicidal. My sister set me up on a blind date with a coworker and neglected to mention that 1. she didn't drink (a problem because I felt that I needed a few drinks to overcome my profound shyness) and 2. she was a pastor's daughter ( a problem because I thought the church was full of nothing but hypocrites.) We went out, I liked her, she accepted me and showed me how to be better. She started to invite me to church and at first I balked but I started to go and found the answers I was looking for.
  
  One night in a revival meeting, I gave my heart to Jesus and married the girl about 2 years later. I wish I could say that it has been smooth sailing ever since but the truth of that matter is for a while I made an idol out of this art thing and it consumed me until I quit art and told the Lord that I would never pick it up again unless I used it for Him. I finished the things I had already promised and then didn't do any art for about six months. During that period of time I got the call to ministry and God started to show me how to use my gift for him.
  
  My future plans in comics: I have a lot of characters and ideas floating around in my head, but I am determined to never again allow this thing to become an idol so who knows if they will ever see the light of day. I like doing the weird world because it is quick and easy and allows me to vent without spending an inordinate amount of time on it, that time belongs to God and family.
  
  Favorite Bible Verse: I have 2. "Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 because it is a constant reminder of my mission and Romans 8:28 because I have lived it and found it to be true. It's a constant reminder that God is still in control no matter what happens.
  
  Contact Information: I can be reached at angelprty1@aol.com (If you think that's a weird screen name for a guy look up Luke 15:10) and remember, It's a Weird World after all!