BY YOUR SIDE MINISTRIES, INC.
WINTER GARDEN, FLORIDA

By Your Side Ministries, Inc. He maintains a full studio students, ages 6 to adult, in musical theater, piano and voice.  As a performer and minister, Dave has been seen in many different venues as a minister, teacher, worship leader, tenor soloist, professional French Hornist, pianist, conductor, Producer/Director, and guest conductor and clinician in over 35 states.  Dave uses his vast music theater experience, having directed and sung in over 135 musical theater productions, to produce fully-staged musicals including dinner which are free to the public.  Families are invited for a wonderful night of entertainment and are also presented the gospel of Jesus Christ!  Dave is the author of "Building the Family of God."  This book is a practical guide and workbook for building your own family of God wherever you live.  Along with his partner Rebecca, he has co-written and produced the audio CD "The Family of God" which includes 11 original Praise Songs to encourage vocal praise to God in worship.  This CD also supports the book for a complete package for any church to assist in building the Family of God.  Dave has studied piano since the age of 4 and has two of the greatest teachers anyone could ever hope for; his mother and father who continue to serve God together in music at a church in Ft. Myers, FL, even though they are both in their 80’s!  He holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education and performance, 200 college hours in Business and Finance, and is an ordained minister of the Gospel.  Dave has four children and three grandchildren. Dave and Rebecca continue to compose and lead worship together wherever there is a need and rejoice that God continues to lead and direct them through By Your Side Ministries, Inc. . By Your Side Ministries .  Music and ministry has always been a connected part of Rebecca’s life.  As Rebecca began her study of the violin at the age of nine, she also grew up in the Presbyterian church with her father serving as an Elder and her mother as a Deacon.  When not taking their daughter to violin lessons, rehearsals or performances, her parents were out evangelizing as part of the Ambassadors visitor ministry.  Rebecca’s grandmother was also a church organist in the Episcopal church.  Rebecca was very involved in her church youth group.  Growing up during the peak of the Billy Graham crusades, Rebecca proclaimed Jesus as her personal savior at a Billy Graham crusade in Indianapolis and was since fascinated with Ruth Bell Graham.  Rebecca held the role of a worship partner near and dear to her heart and always dreamed of what it would be like to be in a supportive ministry role.  As Rebecca grew in her relationship with Jesus, she continued to sharpen her music skills and by the age of 13, she was regularly playing violin for church services, events, and weddings.  During high school, Rebecca was a member of the freshman Star Steppers dance troupe, a member of the Emerald Guard color guard her sophomore year, concertmistress two years for the Greater Indianapolis Youth Symphony, and played violin for other high schools assisting their theater orchestras.  Rebecca also performed in her own high school’s musicals including a singing and dancing role in Hello Dolly and was actively playing for the Indianapolis Civic Theater during high school and college.  This vast experience in performing Broadway musicals has made her current work for God with her music and ministry partner Dave so appropriate.  After receiving her Bachelor of Music performance degree in violin from Butler University in 1987, Rebecca embarked on a full-time music career until 1996 performing with quartets and trios, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, recording with artists such as Sandi Patty, and performing with legendary greats such as Pavarotti, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Doc Severinsen, and the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).  Rebecca then received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana University in 2000, graduating top of her class and co-authoring two nursing journal articles.  Since then she has worked in the clinical research field as a research nurse, a contract Data Management Coordinator for Eli Lilly and Co., a clinical research monitor, and is currently employed by Compass Research as a Quality Control Specialist.  After relocating to Florida, Rebecca joined a local New Testament church, regularly plays violin and/or sings four services each Sunday, and has become extensively involved in its performing arts ministry led by her current music and ministry partner, Dave.  This partnership spawned a joint vision which became By Your Side Ministries.  This vision was a leap of faith for both her and Dave, since during this time Rebecca was battling a life-threatening illness.  She then had a miraculous healing experience and Rebecca has written out the full story as her amazing testimony (“Rebecca’s Story” is posted on this website under Testimonies).  This healing experience was a beautiful beginning of their ministry together.  When not planning, working on, or rehearsing productions, she and Dave co-compose worship songs, completed their first CD in July, and Rebecca is editing Dave’s first book entitled “Building the Family of God.”  Rebecca is thankful to God for allowing her to share all her talents for the Lord through the performing arts and her desire is that by exploring this website or seeing us in person at one of our events you will see Jesus’ love in all that we do, and that by doing so, you may come to know Him as your personal savior. Pardon me for stating the obvious, but "the obvious" is really true as I sit down to write to all of you this morning.  The more time I spend in the Scripture, the more I realize the power and wisdom of our God, with regards to every subject that crosses our path in this earthly life.  I have always been a "reader" of God's word.  More importantly, I have become an avid "studier" of God's word.  There are so many wise prophets and teachers that have penned the Scripture through Divine inspiration.  I think about all of them every time I sit down to write something.  I pray that God will make me "wise" every time I share any thought with all of you.  Solomon was one of those wise prophets.  Having David as a father, was both a blessing and a challenge, but Solomon seemed to take the best qualities away from both his earthly and heavenly dads!  Solomon seemed to learn much from David's mistakes.  While the author of Ecclesiastes is never identified, Christians and Jews alike, believe Solomon wrote the entire book.  Ecclesiastes is certainly about Solomon's life, and the vivid detail in the writings tells us that Solomon is the most likely writer.  Solomon seems to share very practical teachings in Ecclesiastes, making us aware that it is difficult for man to "put it all together" without Godly help and gentle, persistent reminders.  Our Scripture today is a shining example of great wisdom.  The Bible is full of references to money and its use.  As a matter of fact, it is the second most talked about subject in the Bible next to praise and worship to God and His Son Jesus Christ!  Two-thirds of Jesus' parables are about money.  It seems, that from the beginning, Satan has used money as his "tool" for dividing God's people and separating them from their Heavenly Father.  Always remember that money is not the root of all evil.  It is the LOVE of money that causes us great pain and tribulation. Today, Solomon tells us to beware of "unused" wealth.  Simply put, Solomon says that if you have accumulated wealth that is not being used for God's Kingdom, you are displaying nothing but vanity, which is an evil affliction.  When I was in full-time sales years ago, I made an observation that is true today.  There is a "worldly-imposed" limit on tithing!  What do I mean by that?  It has been my experience in both ministry and business, that the proportional amount that people give to God goes DOWN with the amount of money people make.  Many tithe on $30,000 per year.  Few tithe on $100,000 per year.  How can that be?  Isn't tithing the same Biblical principal, regardless of how much you make?  Yes it is, but our Scripture today explains that vanity takes over.  We all know that a well-maintained $10,000 car will get us around just as well as a $50,000 one!  But when God gives us wealth so that we want for nothing, we seem to forget these obvious facts and let vanity take over.  So is this really such a bad thing?  After all, no one is dying, right?  Wrong!  Giving to God is a spiritual principle that is required and necessary for our spiritual growth.  Giving requires us to sacrifice.  It requires us to proclaim that God must be greater and we must be less!  God does not need our money, but Satan does.  Everything Satan does is fueled by our greed and vanity.  Here comes the tough question.  Is your spiritual growth being hampered because you literally wake up every morning and go to work to pay for all the "wealth" you have accumulated?  How many of us get up with the joy of Lord, knowing that a lot of what we make at our "Caesar" job today will go to help build God's Kingdom?  Many Godly people are faced with destruction of their soul, family, and "Family of God" relationships strictly because of vanity.  Many of you know I am speaking from personal experience.  Several years ago, I became "vain."  God called me away from that vanity and I left a $450,000 per year salary to take a full-time ministry position of $42,000!  I wondered if I would ever be able to live.  Guess what?  I am and it is wonderful!  I work everyday for the Kingdom and God provides my daily bread, just like He promised.  So, go listen to Carly Simon's song, and ponder the opening line.  When she sings, "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you," ask yourself a life-changing, Godly question.  Is the song about you?