Joey and Toni were married in January of 2004, and are both graduates of Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO. While they were contemplating uprooting their family and moving across the country, God spoke to them in various ways especially through the people they met along the way. Their hearts were softened and their passion grew even more for the people and the community that they now call home. Joey dreamed of being a rock star for God, but God had greater plans for him. Joey and Toni started Vertical Life Church in August of 2013 after 6 years of being in the worship ministry. As God brought together a group of friends and leaders, the vision of what Vertical Life Church could be began to take shape.

Joey and Toni rededicated their spiritual lives to serving the people that God had entrusted to them. As Joey prayerfully sought the Holy Spirit’s influence for direction, these core values exploded off the page of his Bible: wholehearted worship, unyielding truth, unceasing prayer, unrelenting witness, intentional community, and crazy generosity. Joey and Toni are passionate about passing these core values onto the next generation of Christian leaders including their four children: Jocelyn, Reese, Londyn, and Asher. Together, they are on fire to further God’s Kingdom and  continue to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit to inspire creativity in the way they reach people, and empower their ministry in whatever direction he may lead!