Our Program Staff
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Pastor Aaron Nagel is senior pastor of Little Falls. He is passionate about Christian spiritual growth and making God part of one’s daily living. Pastor Aaron teaches that God is faithful and loving, and because of God’s love and the saving grace that come through Jesus Christ, people can change the world. He received his Doctorate in Christian Spirituality and Spiritual Formation from Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA.
Pastor Aaron says, “I have discovered that the church is the primary place for spiritual growth. We must welcome the stranger, the seeking, people of conviction and those of doubt. We are called to find God in the everyday, ordinary life so we can accomplish the extraordinary; to do so requires us to trust that God is in charge. “God wants us to come as we are (I remember once when my son gave the Pledge of Allegiance during a prayer)! At Little Falls you can question, discover, grow, make a difference for God and change the world.’” Pastor Aaron and his wife Barbara have been married for 24 years and have two sons, Sage and Clay. |
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I am a native of Montrose, PA. I grew up in a loving family that owned a grocery business where I spent thousands of hours as a bag-boy, cashier, stock-boy, broom and mop expert, deli counter meat slicer and sandwich maker extraordinaire, butcher of fine meat cuts and produce manager. As a grandson of dairy farmers I also spent many mornings and evenings in the barn doing chores before and after school when not at the store or involved in playing baseball, football, ice hockey or music lessons. My hometown church, First Presbyterian Church of Montrose, was full of life, love, music and Christ. That nurturing church is when and where Christ came into my heart. From an early age I knew that I had a gift for music and in the church is where I got my start. God had me right where He wanted me and continues to mold me into who I am.
I have a BA in Music Education from Mansfield University (PA) and a Master of Music in Opera Performance degree from Binghamton University (NY). I was an elementary school music teacher for 3½ years before training to be an opera singer from 1996 – 2000. While in grad school and beyond I was the Director of Music at two churches, which is when God married music and Christ's Spirit in my heart. I then graduated from the Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Training Program (Binghamton, NY) and pursued a career on the stage. I sang all over the U.S. and in Japan for 13 years. I have also conducted dozens of musical theater works and operas as well as stage directed several operas. I had a great career in opera and the classical world but have always felt God leading me back to music ministry. I continue to write sacred choral music as well as contemporary Christian music with my band 'Mighty Mighty Truth.' I strive daily to grow in Christ and want to share the awesomeness of Christ through music. |
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Daniel Simpkins was born in Falls Church, Virginia. He graduated from Norfolk State University and received a Graduate Certificate in Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently matriculating through the Master of Divinity program at the John Leland Center for Theological Studies. Daniel also works in the Fairfax County school system and is a talented musician who has mastered the saxophone.
He served faithfully for 18 years at Macedonia Baptist Church, Flint Hill, Virginia, under the spiritual guidance of his father, Rev. Dr. Donald Simpkins. One of his favorite Bible verses is Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Daniel loves the Lord, people, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He enjoys reading, texting, playing app games, pepperoni pizza, journaling, drawing, and spending time with family and friends. |