Let me introduce myself — who I am, what I do, and where we are located.
if you want to ssee an exerpt from my upcoming book click here!
Ministry Biography:
I was raised a Pastors Kid by my parents Pastor Sam and Linda Hays in the Midwest, predominantly Central Illinois. Dad was an Assemblies of God Pastor for many decades who started as an Assistant Pastor in Minnesota.
I gave my heart to Jesus, was baptized and even accepted the Holy Spirit’s calling into ministry at a very young age. However it would be a lifetime of struggles, rebellion, recommitment, revival and Biblical studies before I would see much of what others might deem “a legitimate ministry position.”
As a youth, I watched dad wrangle with small to medium sized congregations with their various issues. I saw his highs and lows firsthand. Mom was a Sunday school teacher and Children’s Church director, Principal of a Christian school for a season, and occasional worship accompaniment. I saw them deal with such hardships and difficult churches that the last thing on earth I wanted to do was become a small church pastor. Frankly, I didn’t want to be a Pastor at all. Eventually, God healed that part of my hard heart and I learned to love hurting, lost people and to love His church and feed his sheep.
Jesus is the Great Shepherd and He cares for us. Pastors are referred to as shepherds too. A shepherd isn’t a position in title alone, it is a sacrificial role that lives depend on. It can require the shepherd to trade his own safety for the safety of the flock. Pastoring requires a heart that puts others first and sacrificially says yes to God’s heart. God leads His sheep to green pastures and still waters and is with them in the valley of shadows. I have sat a the feet of our Great Shepherd for several decades listening to His teachings, inquiring of His Wisdom and learning to adore Him more and more each day.
It has been a long journey for me, but a pastors heart… a shepherds heart has been forged through that experience and a continuing growth and hunger for more of God and His Word is alive and well in my home and heart. I have spent countless hours in prayer for the person in ministry reading this page that you would have rest and assistance in your own journey. I have been asking God to send me where I’m needed most. So you are here for a reason indeed. Dont fear. Trust in God.
Read on if you have time and want to hear more of my journey.
Otherwise, click here to skip forward. (*link to contact)
After a season of harsh rebellion to God and occult involvement, the prayers of my parents and many generations of ministers in our family drew me back to God in a very real and powerful way. I began to tell others about God’s saving grace while still in High School.
I moved and became part of a very large youth group in Naperville, IL where I was selected to be on a team of youth leaders for the next few years after graduating High School.
I met and courted my wonderful wife in this season.
My work at night was as a floor cleaner then supervisor for a couple Chicago Area Companies that put me in direct contact with homelessness, gangs and gun violence, sex-workers and other inner-city blue collar workers whom I took the opportunity to share Jesus in any way I could.
I went on International Missions trips to gain experience in leadership, discipleship and to gain a servants heart.
I travelled extensively as a friend, advisor and assistant to a leading Youth Evangelist for 10 years while gaining and sharing knowledge of how to engage larger audiences, how to navigate schools and conference Keynote speaking and what pitfalls to avoid.
For some time I launched out as a motivational speaker and youth evangelist myself, while assisting a motivational speaker getting into Business Conference speaking. I continued to step into more and more roles that stretched me beyond anything I had imagined myself doing like learning how to talk my way into the presence of fortune 500 C.E.O.’s. I learned how to be both “blessed and to be abased” as the Apostle Paul once wrote.
At one point my wife and I uprooted and moved out of state to lead a youth group where we saw the numbers triple in a short amount of time while still doing the occasional Christian Camp or Youth Conference.
I returned to the Chicago area and continued speaking professionally, guest speaking in churches and launched into 3D Chalk where for many years I was known as the Chicago Chalk Champ. I also continued travelling overseas for speaking, artistry and missions.
When that season was done, I picked up the mantle of Christian Artistry which I had been using to bless Christian groups and teaching to a few mentees and began to teach in a private Christian Art Academy as well as working a full time secular job. That is when the fullness of time and my childhood calling finally met. The principal of that academy kept telling my wife “Shaun is a Pastor and I know a church that needs him.”
Staff Teaching Pastor Community Christian Church, Aurora!
CONTACT US
My name is Pastor Shaun Hays. I am 53 years old and happily married for 29 years to my wonderful better half, Faith who is a native of Aurora IL where we pastored a small but growing community of sincere followers of Jesus Christ our Lord. We have an 13 year old son who until recently, was enrolled from k-6th grade at the Private Christian School located at our campus. He will attend another Christian School for 2 years before hopefully going full time to High School Online and joining me in ministry while doing so.
Encouraging messages:
I have a shepherd’s heart. I want to seek and save the lost. There is so much bad information and the voices of devils deceiving our friends and families. I love the lost and want to see them returned to God’s loving arms because if they dont return, there will be a judgment. I dont want to be the one they blame for not lighting the way.
I am also looking for people who know how to worship Jesus Christ in Spirit and in Truth and to guide them into all truth thru the renewing of our minds. I love to teach and preach the Word of God and believe in its divine ability to change us miraculously. It is my passion to study and present the Word of God simply with engaging energy anyone can understand. This doesn’t mean that I only teach Sunday school level lessons- we really go deep into the Word of God and learn how amazing Gods ways are in relevant terms. I’m not playing church. I am serious about the deep things of God. “Deep roots grow tall trees.” – Join in and grow with me!
Beauty From Ashes
I have always had a heart for lost souls. I was indeed, myself, lost in darkness and far from God – in fact, for a season, I was an enemy of God. I understand people who are far from perfect and those who feel unloved and worthless to God. I understand the guilt, the shame, the anger and depression this world often instills in us all. I love people and I love to introduce them to Jesus the one who saves us from judgement and hell. It is my privilege to tell of His wondrous love and let Him give you His Spirit which then guides us all to the Father who loves us.
No matter the organization, when I am asked to minister or teach, I do the following:
I pray for the church or group extensively while being led by the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance for the perfect message your group needs. I do not pray that I am great or that I’m accepted as popular, but that God’s voice is heard and accepted in the lives of all who hear it through me. I pray for life-long and eternal change for the attendees and leadership. I pray for great relationships to be born between the group and myself for furthering the Kingdom of God here on earth. I pray for God to bring to mind His scriptures with clarity and with understanding that the message is not based in Human understanding but on the solid rock of the Word of God.
I pray that during my preparations, God will speak clearly to my heart and mind so that distractions will not deter me from properly delivering the Word He has for your group on that day or night. I research the scriptures, commentaries and other sources and have a lifetime under excellent pastoral mentorships including my own father who was himself a Pastor of several churches in the Midwest. As I seek to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice to lead me, I run everything thru the filter of the Written Word Of God as well as that of my various Mentors’ Advisement. Some of those mentors have passed on to be with Jesus, but I think of what their advice consistently was to me. Oftentimes, I remember a similar situation or group and how they spoke in that moment. Again, and again, I return to prayer and ask for God to use me powerfully and be gracious to us all.
After the event, I pray with those who want prayer (this can be led by me, or, I can join alongside your team to pray for people).
When I have left, I continue to pray for your group as the Lord brings them to my mind. I encourage you to appoint someone from your group to send me updates and prayer requests.
Shaun Hays - Author, Speaker, Artist 