Jim and Kelly Sellevaag
Why are you a youth pastor?
K: Basically I want to see kids come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and help those that do know Him to grow in their relationship with him. I also absolutely love teenagers. They are the future of our country and I believe God wants to change the nation through teens.
J: I have a heart for youth and I want to see them know Christ in an intimate way. God has great things planned for them and I want them to realize their full potential.

Are you married? Do you have kids?
We have been married to each other since September 1, 2001. We don’t have any kids yet.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
K: I would not be so spastic. I am such a spaz and sometimes I annoy myself with my exuberance. But hey, that’s how God made me so I’m learning to accept it and use it to my advantage.
J: I would not be as paranoid as I am. Sometimes I feel like something bad is always around the corner. I need to chill out and take life as it comes.

Where did you grow up and go to school?
K: I grew up outside of Philadelphia in historic Valley Forge, PA. I went to an all-girls private Catholic school for 12 years. I went to college in Boston at Northeastern University and studied psychology and American Sign Language. After we moved to Maryland, I went to University of Maryland and earned a Master’s of Education in Special Ed. Now I’m in seminary working towards my Master of Divinity through Liberty University’s online Distance Learning Program.
J: I grew up in Linwood, NJ which is right near Ocean City, NJ. I went to Mainland Regional High School. I graduated high school and went to Northeastern University in Boston, MA and studied Criminal Justice and Political Science.

Were you a dork in high school, did you just fit in, or were you Mr. Popularity?
K: I guess you could say I just fit in. I wasn’t in any specific group. In fact, I hated all the cliques so my best friend actually went to a different school. My school was very small and I graduated with only 73 people. I hung out with different people, but not really one specific group.
J: I was definitely a dork. Although I played soccer and was very athletic, I was not considered cool. To this day, I have absolutely no idea why!

If you were given a pocket-knife and four matches, could you survive the weekend in the wilderness? Why?
K: NO WAY!!! I’m not really a wilderness kind of person. The only time I actually like camping is at Creation. Although I love going on camp retreats, I like it when we stay in cabins with beds and heat or AC and running water. Running water is key.
J: Yes. I’d figure out a way. I might be a little hungry at the end. What's the best movie you've seen in the last year, and why?
K: I don’t know if I can say what the best is, but I can definitely say the worst. It would have to be Syriana. It was way too late when we went to see it and I was lost through pretty much the whole movie. Political movies are definitely not something I enjoy!
J: That’s a really tough question. What movies have I seen? I don’t know about the last year, but my favorite movie is probably Office Space. It’s extremely funny.

What CD never leaves your player?
K: Probably Caedmon’s Call. Although I listen to a variety of music that one is always one I fall back on. I own every CD they’ve made. I’ll listen to almost any kind of music except country and heavy metal. I switch CDs a lot. My recent favorite is Hawk Nelson.
J: Hmm…..I would need a 30 CD changer to hold all the CD I wouldn’t want to leave my player. As long as its not country, I’ll listen to it.

What do you do in addition to being a youth pastor?
K: I’m also a teacher. I split my time between Wootton High School and Rock Terrace School. I’m what’s called a transition support teacher. I don’t have a classroom. I help kids in special ed get ready for college or post-high school life.
J: I am a Director of Security at a Marriott hotel.

Why do you believe so much in this Jesus guy?
K: I’ve seen the work He has done in my life. He died for me. He is the only one that is always there and that loves me unconditionally. He has changed my life in ways I could never even imagine.
J: He is the Savior of my soul. He is the only one who has died and risen as He promised.

Kelly’s Testimony:
I was raised in a Catholic home where God was always talked about. I also went to 12 years of Catholic school. So I knew a lot about God. However, I didn’t really know God until the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. I had gone to a Christian camp every summer. It was at that camp that I saw the counselors lead lives that were different than what I saw in all the people at home. I could see that they had a real relationship with God. I accepted Christ when I was about 12, but it wasn’t until I was 16 that it really made sense to me. I knew I was saved, but didn’t understand how important it was to be growing in my relationship with Christ. I was involved in a counselor in training program and started realizing what it really meant to be a Christian. My senior year in high school was hard because I didn’t have any Christian friends at home. When I went to college I immediately got involved with a Christian organization on campus and made a lot of Christian friends. That was when I really started to grow as a Christian and I realized that God had given me a passion for youth ministry.

Jim’s Testimony:
I accepted Christ at a young age, about 4 years old. I was raised in a Christian home and went to church for my entire life. I was a very active member of my youth group starting in 6th grade. My youth group friends were my family, and I was so grateful for that. Even though we had a lot of kids in the group, we didn’t really go out of our way to witness to our friends, or even try to bring them to church. In my senior year of high school, my church went through a very difficult time, and as a result, the youth group dwindled to zero. I was pretty upset about it. It was not until I got to college that I realized what it meant to be a fully-devoted follower of Christ. From that point on, I started to grow in my relationship with Christ. As I developed in my walk, I began to feel a strong desire to help youth grow in their relationship with Christ.