My name is Eric Patten.  I have been serving on staff at Faith for 8 years and have served in various roles.  I have served as the Children and Youth Director, and Discipleship and Evangelism Director.  For the past 3 years I have served as the Director of Visitation and Stephen Ministry for Faith, and as Pastor to Zion Lutheran Church in Ruthven, Ia.  I also help with LifeKids Afterschool Program at Faith as the Bus Driver for field trips.  I have been blessed to serve the Lord at Faith, as well as Zion.  One of the most enjoyable parts of the ministry is seeing how God transforms lives and uses people as his disciples.

Before serving at Faith, I served as the Youth Director at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Royal and Hope Lutheran Church in Everly for two years.  I have also worked a handful of other jobs, including farming, industrial sandblasting, and viticulture at a local winery.  I received bachelor’s degree from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa in 2010 for Religious Studies, and I am currently beginning Seminary classes through Luther House of Study in Sioux Falls.

I grew up on a hog and sheep farm southwest of Webb, Iowa.  When I was in middle school Christ grabbed ahold of my heart, and I began down a new journey of life with a newfound faith in Christ.  My favorite verse is Philippians 1:21, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Activities I enjoy include spending time with my wife Syndee and our three children, Gavin (13), Isabelle (3), and Evelyn (6 months).  I enjoy backyard and park fun with the family, going for walks and playing games together.  I also enjoy watching my son compete in football and Taekwondo.  In my spare time I enjoy reading or going for a run.  A fun fact about me that most people don’t know about me is that if you live in my house, you will hear me say as a wake up call, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it,” or, “Rise and shine, and give God the glory glory,” or “wakey wakey eggs and bacey.”