Kent Houppert

A spiritually devout individual who has dedicated his life to guiding young people as they mature into productive members of society, Kent Houppert most recently served as a Youth Pastor at Grace Community Church in Palatine, Illinois. Maintaining this role from 2005 to 2012, Pastor Houppert left an indelible mark on the congregation of 380 by facilitating a host of advancements in the church's youth leadership and community service programs. In addition to forming a worship band for teens and organizing food drives for local homeless shelters and nursing homes, Kent Houppert collaborated with the Palatine Park District to stage soccer tournaments for at-risk kids. He also partnered with YouthWorks, an ecumenical Christian organization, to provide the young men and women at Grace Community Church with a unique opportunity to expand their cultural horizons through missionary work. To this end, Pastor Houppert traveled to Haiti and Jamaica with a group of senior high school students and adult chaperones on an annual basis, constructing an orphanage and sharing God's teachings, among other commendable projects.

Initially inspired to devote his attention toward ministering full-time in the early 1990s after taking part in a particularly engaging Bible study course, Kent Houppert joined the His Mansion Ministry Residential Treatment Center in Prospect Heights, Illinois, as a House Parent and Work Crew Coordinator, teaching weekly Bible classes to troubled adolescents. In 1997, Pastor Houppert transitioned into a role as a Youth Pastor at Canandaigua Baptist Church in Canandaigua, New York, directing a youth group of more than 100. He left Canandaigua Baptist Church in 2002 to lend his assistance to the Free Methodist congregation of Cross Creek Church in Palmyra, New York, growing the institution's youth group from only six to more than 100 in just three years.

Deeply versed in scripture, Kent Houppert completed a four-phase educational course for youth pastors through Sonlife Ministries in 1994. Pastor Houppert has also attended many Youth Specialties conferences to discuss new approaches to mentoring and instructing young men and women in the church.