Name: Phillip Dunn
Birthplace:  Farmington, MO
Job title: Lead Pastor, NorthStar Community Church

How did you become a Christian?
I came to know the Lord through my home church as a kid and I placed my faith in Christ at 11 years of age. I had the opportunity to grow up in church mostly through the kindness of those who personally picked us up for church. For several years I attended church through the bus Life .

Get involved in Life ?
I surrendered to the Life at the age of 17. I had felt the Lord dealing with my life in specific ways to make it very clear to me that He was calling me to preach His Word. I spoke in churches as a teenager when I had the opportunity to preach God’s Word and I served on the bus Life for three years before I started college.

What is new or exciting happening at your church?
NorthStar Community is exciting to me because of the passion that our church has for our city. It is exciting to see our people live out passionate lives for Christ in their sphere of influence. We are a fairly new church plant and so as we establish ourselves we look to expand and grow in our Life partnerships and outreaches to our community.

Best part of your job?
The best part of my job is to see people’s lives changed through the gospel! The gospel is still the best news in the world!

Most difficult part of your job?
The most difficult part of my job is helping people through loss . . it could be the loss of their health, loss of a job, relationship, or even the loss of a loved one.

If you weren’t a pastor, what would you be doing?
I can’t imagine what I would want to be doing if I were not a pastor. I did plan on going into public service or Current Events before I surrendered to the call to Life .

What is your favorite Bible verse?
One verse I often think about as a pastor is found in Ezra 7:10. The Bible says, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel.”  I want to know God’s Word, live it out in my own life, and teach it to others!

The most influential person in your life?
My mother has had the single most impact on my life. She was a single parent mom who raised my four brothers, sister, and me, and there is great admiration in our hearts for the sacrifices she made to raise us the best that she could.

What is your favorite way to relax?
I like to read, run, and be around water to relax.

Where is your favorite place to go for dinner? 
My wife and l love Bone Fish Grill.

What is the last book you read ?
I just finished Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place.  I regret that I have not read it sooner, but I came across it recently as I was going through some old books. Her experiences of hardship and pain and yet trust in God are truly inspirational.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things  would you like to have with you? 
A journal (so that I could actually have a written account of my experience), a weapon for protection and the hunting of food, and items to help me cook whatever I catch. I am thinking survival mode here.

What is the most interesting place you’ve visited, and why?
The most interesting place I have visited is Israel because of its relevance to Scripture and the work of God on earth.

What encourages you the most/frustrates you the most about Christians in our society?
I think the most frustrating thing about Christians in our society (and myself) is our failure to leverage all the blessings that God has given us to impact His kingdom on earth. Many times we are too shortsighted about life and don’t live within the reality of an eternal perspective.  One of the most encouraging aspects of Christianity I see today are the movements towards living out lives on mission with Christ . . . in one’s workplace, neighbor, family, and whatever sphere of influence God has given to someone.

What is God teaching you?
We have been doing a study in Psalm 23 the last few weeks as a church and the Lord has been stretching my understanding and trust in His provision for all aspects of my life as my Shepherd.

Tell us something about your family that most people do not know:
We laugh a lot as a family, seriously, lol. I think many might be surprised to learn how real life is for a pastor and his family. It the joy of the Lord that also keeps us balanced in all things.