About Dean-o

"Dean-o" is currently the Children's Pastor and creator of GameDay Children's Ministries at Crossline Community Church in Mission Viejo, CA where kids are challenged weekly to TAKE THE FIELD, KNOW THE BOOK, and PLAY TO WIN as followers of Christ! This ministry to local families is the centerpiece of Dean-o's international ministry to children and families. Upon the crystal-clear calling he received from the Lord at 15, Dean-o has run both youth and children's ministries since 1987, serving in both church and para-church organizations along the way. Dean-o graduated from Biola University in 1986 with a Bachelor's degree in Christian Education and a minor in Biblical Theology.

Dean-o's doctrinal statement is summarized as follows: The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, and is without error of any kind. There is one God, eternally existing in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Men are justified by the shed blood of Christ and upon their faith in Him are born again by the renewing, cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. All those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and who confess Him as such before men, become children of God and receive eternal life. The Lord Jesus is coming again to his earth, personally, bodily, and visibly, and His return is the blessed hope of every believer. Dean-o ministers inter-denominationally on a worldwide basis from the Word of God!

Dean-o is a musician and artist at heart, and thrives on using his creative juices in reaching children with the gospel. He is known to have energy that never quits, especially when he is with kids. Never forgetting that he was a teen before hearing the good news of Jesus, Dean-o is driven with a vision to communicate the power of God's Word through creative mediums. Married to his wife Karen, his greatest accomplishments are their three beautiful daughters, Jordan, Madison and Mackenzie. His influences include his dad as a boyhood coach, his mother as a teacher of music and art, those who taught him the good news of Christ, and the pop hits of the '60's, which eventually led to the cool sound of Dean-o and the Dynamos!

Dean-o excelled in live music and Bible teaching with kids during his days as a Pastor to children, and began to work tirelessly on writing hit songs that communicated key verses from God's Word. His energy on stage became an obvious gift from the Lord in getting children and adults fired up about Jesus, and soon the creation of Dean-o and the Dynamos became God's clear direction in creating a unique kid's evangelistic tool!

Dean-o's vision took shape with the production of two live sound recordings, introducing "the Bible with a Beat" in the fall of '95 and '96. Next, Dean-o took to the studio for the first Dean-o and the Dynamos album, You Got It All, recorded in the summer of '97. Dean-o penned all 12 of the original songs on this album, hailed as the beginning of the most innovative music for preteens to date. Selling 5,000 copies through direct marketing and concerts, You Got It All was ultimately released nationally in January 2000.

Next came the wave of hits on Soul Surfin', released into the CBA Market in 1999, and a recipient of Dean-o's first Dove Award nomination for kids album of the year in 2000! The music of Soul Surfin' is like no other in the kids' market. With a barrage of new tunes, this innovative pop-rocker caught adults wanting to own the music as much as their kids. Dean-o now tours the U.S. year-round with his band and also makes solo appearances at camps, VBS weeks and chapels.

And then came the blast off to new heights as GOD CITY, a project two years in the making, was released on-line and nationally in early 2001. Anointed from start to end, GOD CITY is a journey to heaven through the eyes of children that has literally fascinated kids with tunes that touch on every aspect of heaven. The 2001-02-tour theme, GOD CITY continues to bless all who have ears to hear the truth about heaven!

And look out as the latest and greatest project to date has hit the children's and family market with GAME FACE! Two years in the making, it's the new release from Dean-o, and it's available to ROCK YOUR WALK! Inspired by discussions with children and families following the events of 9/11, Dean-o pulled together a concept album based on the resources God gives us to live a victorious Christian life in the midst of an immoral and spiritually bankrupt world. Positively powerful from start to finish, GAME FACE is a Christian-living showcase that will motivate kids with tunes that touch on every aspect of victorious Christianity, from the armor of God to faith, prayer, love, power and more! It's a spiritual call for kids and families to "Get Your Game Face On!"

Then came "the tube" as Dean-o's music videos begin to air saturday mornings on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) to bring an upbeat message of Christ to a hungry world. Beginning in October 2004, you'll be able to not only hear but SEE the "bible with a beat" as Dean-o's all-new "powervision" music videos hit the airwaves on a TV near you!

Dean-o's achievements include a Dove Award nomination for children's album of the year in 2000. His music is played on radio stations around the nation on syndicated kids' shows TOONZ! and HIS KIDS RADIO. Ten years as a children's Pastor and national speaker have given him a clear perspective on children's music, and Dean-o has published with FKO Music, BibleBeat Music, Group Publishing, CEF and Standard. Dean-o has also performed in stadium venues in the Luis Palau and Harvest Crusades, and in his most recent musical outreach performed live to the children and families affected by the WTC tragedy in December of 2001. In Dean-o's most ambitious campaign to date, he and his team hand-delivered 10,310 GOD CITY CDs to the affected families and schools in the Salvation Army WTC Toy Shoppe in New York City. The store was set up specifically to reach these families and Dean-o went with the promise of heaven!