James Hoxworth, Pastor of Small Groups/Young Adults

(Email Pastor James)

James aka "Hox" was born in 1981 and raised on a farm in Western Nebraska. His father is still farming and his mother is a school teacher. James has one younger sister who is working in the camping ministry world. Having grown up in a Christian home, Christ was very familiar to him, but his relationship with Jesus became "real" to him his freshman year of high school at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes gathering. Sports have been a big part of James' life. He was a college athlete at Wheaton where he played football and threw the shot-put and discus in track. James majored in Christian Education and Ministry at Wheaton, and is currently working towards his Master's of Divinity at Phoenix Seminary. After graduating from Wheaton in 2004, James taught and coached for 2 years at Scottsdale Christian Academy. James and Sarah were married in June of 2006. Also in 2006, he began to work full-time at Covenant Community Church in Scottsdale where he was the youth, missions, and evangelism coordinator. Ever since James was young, he has had a desire to preach and minister God's Word to people. James is very excited to be a part of the Camelback and looks forward to helping the small groups and young adults "bring Christ to the city, and the city to Christ."

His wife, Sarah hails from the Bay Area of California. Her father is a mechanic and mother is also a schoolteacher. Sarah also grew up in a Christian home and began to follow Jesus at a very young age. God moved powerfully in Sarah's life when she went on a short-term mission trip to and orphanage in Mexico. It was then that Sarah developed a passion for orphans and this led her to take mission trips in college to work in Russian orphanages. Sarah majored in communications and played tennis at Grand Canyon University. Upon graduation, Sarah worked for the Arizona Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and later with AZ Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Sarah is excited to get to know the people of Camelback and for this new season of ministry for their family.

James and Sarah met on a blind date in April of 2005. They were married on June 3, 2006. Because of Sarah's passion for orphans and God's sovereignty, James and Sarah adopted Michael from Uganda in November of 2007. In October of 2008, Molly Grace became the newest addition to the Hoxworth home.

James favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 1:7 "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but) of power and love and self-control."