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AVUCC Pastor
Kevin Smith
Pastor Kevin would
like to welcome you to our church website and he encourages you to visit us for
worship sometime! Kevin believes
that through our actions and relationships with our neighbors we can witness to
the reign of God that is here and now and being active in church is one of the
great ways to live out your faith and witness.
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Before serving our church Pastor Kevin served as Interim Pastor for the
North Street
Union Congregational Church UCC in
Medford,
MA. He served his student minister for the
North-Prospect Congregational UCC in Cambridge, MA. As a
member of the First
Church in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, Kevin served as part of the
pastoral care team. He has experience in the areas of social action/just peace,
adult Christian education, church visioning/leadership, and church
administration. He was active in ecumenical activities including the founding of
an Outdoor Church at Porter
Square, a ministry to homeless persons in
Cambridge.
Kevin grew up in a small wheat farming community in
Washington State
and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Portland State University
in 1979. In 1994 he completed the Senior Executive in State and Local Government
certificate program at Harvard?s
Kennedy School
of Government. Kevin has a Master of Divinity from
Harvard Divinity
School. His primary focus during his studies
was scripture, eco-theology, and church administration.
Prior to his church ministerial experience, Kevin spent 24 years in
politics and government, working on environmental, human rights, and economic
recovery issues in the administration of two different Governors and a U.S.
congressman from Oregon. From April 1997 to June 2001 Kevin served as the
Director of the Oregon Governor?s Office in
Washington, D.C.
He helped to create and pass programs for an intergovernmental endangered-salmon
recovery program, and he helped write and pass legislation to create wilderness
and conservation areas.
From January 1991 to January 1995 Kevin served as the Director of
Intergovernmental Relations and also as Chief of Staff for the Oregon Governor?s
Office. His service to the Governor and the Governor?s Cabinet and Staff
provided policy, administration, budget, and legislative leadership. During this
time Kevin coauthored the book Setting the
Stage for Sustainability: A Citizen's Handbook.
Kevin enjoys hiking, going to the theatre, running, playing golf, reading,
and is a baseball fan.
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JV Music Director
Asa Stern
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As of October 1st, Joint Venture Churches has a new Music Director. Asa Stern is a native Californian who has lived in both Southern and Northern parts of the state. Born in Paramount, he went to high school in Richmond before attending UC-Davis where he earned his BA in Music and was recognized with a Faculty Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Music and as Outstanding Graduating Senior. While at Davis, he was Musical Director of the Davis Musical Theater Company. He then worked in the Davis Senior High School Choral and Band Programs for 2 years before attending the University of the Pacific where he earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. While working on that degree, he was Director/Accompanist at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church and Band/Choral Director at the Hercules Middle/High School.
Asa then moved to Silicon Valley and became the Director of Choral Activities at both Hoover Middle School and Pioneer High School, the Choir Director at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale, and a member of the Choral Project. The Choral Project is a 48-voice ensemble has performed throughout Northern California in concert performances, interfaith services, as well as choral festivals and invitationals. This was only the beginning. After 2 years teaching in local high schools, Asa looked around the country for a program to fit his development goals which he found at the University of South Florida. This led to a Master of Music in Composition and a soon-to-be-completed Philosophical Doctorate in Music Education. While in Florida, Asa spent 2 years as Music Director of St Catherine’s Episcopal Church.
Having missed the weather, lifestyle, and friends in California, Asa has returned to San Jose. He is working part-time at a Charter School in Livermore with a band program which is anticipated to grow into an opportunity to lead a music program for the school as it moves to build a full K-12 curriculum. He has accepted the position of Joint Venture Music Director. He has also rejoined the Choral Project since returning the West Coast.
Asa then moved to Silicon Valley and became the Director of Choral Activities at both Hoover Middle School and Pioneer High School, the Choir Director at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Sunnyvale, and a member of the Choral Project. The Choral Project is a 48-voice ensemble has performed throughout Northern California in concert performances, interfaith services, as well as choral festivals and invitationals. This was only the beginning. After 2 years teaching in local high schools, Asa looked around the country for a program to fit his development goals which he found at the University of South Florida. This led to a Master of Music in Composition and a soon-to-be-completed Philosophical Doctorate in Music Education. While in Florida, Asa spent 2 years as Music Director of St Catherine’s Episcopal Church.
Having missed the weather, lifestyle, and friends in California, Asa has returned to San Jose. He is working part-time at a Charter School in Livermore with a band program which is anticipated to grow into an opportunity to lead a music program for the school as it moves to build a full K-12 curriculum. He has accepted the position of Joint Venture Music Director. He has also rejoined the Choral Project since returning the West Coast.
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