Todd Eckstein - Director of Youth Ministries
Todd’s desk is overlooked by a sign which reads, “I exist to joyfully and radically live each season of life to seek, discern and obey God’s Call.” He lives out that vision from day to day in relationship to his wife (Joy), in fatherhood to his son (Seth) and his daughter (Zoie), in his leadership of students from Central’s youth ministry and in his involvement with the pure and classical style that make Central unique.
Todd was raised on a 10-acre farm in western Pennsylvania, in a family that raised everything else from tomatoes to cows. He was always known for making friends quickly as a child, and still considers relationships to be his first and greatest love. He is the son of a retired contractor (with whom he worked many weekends and summers during his teeange years!), and the executive director of two Christian camps (on whose staffs he served far more weekends and summers!).
When Todd finished high school, his intention was to become a pilot, but God had other plans. Two weeks into his first semester at Geneva College, he changed his major to youth ministry. By graduation day, Todd had spent five summers working at Westminster Highlands, one of the camps of which his mother had been the executive director. He felt a call to outdoor ministry, and ended up being hired - by the grace of God alone - as the Resident Director at Westminster Highlands.
About a year later, Todd also began serving as the part-time youth director of an area youth ministry. Over the next four years, the call to FULL-time youth ministry (and away from camping ministry) became clearer every day.
God led Todd to a job posting on a youth ministry website just in time for him to rewrite his resume and submit it before the deadline. It was a job description which sounded like a description of himself…a description of who and what God had equipped him to be. That job description was from Central Reformed Church, in Joy’s home town. The rest…is being written!