Hello Mount Carmel family! My name is David Rimarski, and I am the new Student Minister on staff. My family and I are so excited to be here all the way from the little town of Pinetown, North Carolina, where I was the student minister serving at Athens Chapel Church of Christ in Bath. I have served at Athens Chapel Church for the past four years, and during that time, my wife, Jordan, and I had both of our daughters, Kennedy and Emery.

I am originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and I have attended church since I was young. At Avalon Church of Christ, I met my youth minister, Spenser Haskett, who inspired me to want to pursue student ministry. That wasn’t what I wanted to do at first. I wanted to go to school for physical training, but when I witnessed Spenser’s impact on me and the other students, I felt a pull towards ministry. After that, I started to pursue my education in ministry at Mid-Atlantic Christian University.

As my ministry started, I realized that you never know where God will place you to do His work. I never thought I would end up in a place called Bath. I really never thought I’d end up in Cincinnati! Over the years of my ministry, I have learned that I need to trust God, which ironically was the topic of the first sermon I ever preached. How true it has been in my life. Proverbs 3:5 is on my mind as I think about my life: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

I do not understand why God has moved me around like He has, but I will trust Him nonetheless and lean on Him as I continue my ministry. My family and I have been leaning into God quite a bit during this time, and we are excited for what He has in store for us next here at Mount Carmel.

My ministry strategy focuses on the relationships I have between the students and the student ministry leaders. I believe that building relationships is the first step towards changing people’s lives for Jesus. Think about it, are you more willing to open up and listen to a random stranger or someone with whom you have built a relationship over time? I am a people person. I love to be around people and get to know them. Therefore, I make it a personal mission to build relationships with students and try to make all of them feel welcomed and loved. I am already starting to get to know the students and parents that are a part of this ministry, and I look forward to the growth and relationships that will come from being a part of Mount Carmel!