05/15/2026
On Sunday, May 17th, following the morning service, we invite you to stay and celebrate with us!
Rev. Dr. Daniel Arachikavitz and Dr. Tiffany Arachikavitz have both earned their Doctor of Ministry in Emerging Generations from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary — and it's finally time to celebrate in person. Tiffany completed her degree in 2020, but like so many that year, her commencement was silenced by the pandemic. Now, with Daniel crossing the finish line as well, we get to honor them both together.
Their journey to get here is one worth knowing. You can read the full story below...
It started as a joke.
As we finished our Master's degrees and celebrated being done with school forever, we had friends heading off to their doctorates. So we looked up doctoral programs — mostly to appreciate all the work we would not be doing.
Then we saw it. A program that met just two weeks out of the year for three years. The reading list was full of books we actually wanted to read. The professors included two of the most respected voices in youth ministry and one of the premier theologians in the country.
We groaned, knowing exactly what it meant. We were going back to school.
The books were fantastic. The conversations were even better. For three years we made the trip up to South Hamilton, just north of Boston, learning how to study culture and disciple younger generations.
When it came time for dissertations, our paths diverged.
Tiffany focused on reaching young mothers outside the church. She designed a devotional written by faithful moms of all ages — crafted specifically to speak to women both inside and outside the church. The impact was profound. Mothers outside the church who initially assumed they had nothing in common with churched moms reported a new appreciation for their stories and their faith. Tiffany worked hard and finished right on time — in the middle of the Covid pandemic.
Daniel's project began with a conversation with a parent struggling to disciple their child in the area of sexuality. The parent confessed they didn't know where the church stood on so many of these questions, because so few leaders addressed them thoroughly or with biblical grounding. Daniel's project took considerably longer — slowed by administrative missteps, procrastination, and a few failed attempts — but what he discovered at the end was worth it. When it comes to discipling children, the formula for parents is simple: Faith + Knowledge + Comfort = Action. A deep faith, combined with an understanding of the topic and comfort in how to have the conversation, equips parents to disciple their kids in any area — including the hard ones.
As we celebrate graduation and look back at the road that brought us here, we're struck by how many people made it possible. Churches that believed in us. Friends and family who cared for our kids while we studied. Professors and classmates who sharpened our faith alongside our thinking. We finish with a deep conviction about what the church is for: growing people in faith, equipping them to become who God designed them to be, and helping them live full, flourishing lives.