Noah was born and raised in Madison, South Dakota and has grown up in West Center Baptist Church his whole life, an important part of his story. He grew up helping on the century old family farm south of Wessington Springs, SD and attended Madison Christian School from Kindergarten through fifth grade.
Throughout his early years many people were influential in his life including his grandparents and parents. As he transitioned to middle school, and later on to high school, he had several mentors who poured into his life. Throughout his time in Awana, his leader, Brett, and memory verse listener, Joyce, invested in him greatly. In middle school his youth leaders Kyle, Ryan, and (in high school) Pastor Trevor and Jimmy, were very influential.
In high school Pastor Trevor Schubert began a four year discipleship program with Noah that was, in his words, “one of the most influential and beneficial times in my life. Walking weekly in discipleship with Pastor Trevor helped me to grow in my faith exponentially. I don’t know where I’d be today without him and others who invested so much in me at a young age.”
As Noah committed to DSU for a four year bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, his love for serving kids at West Center grew through many semesters of teaching Sunday School, five plus years of directing VBS, eight plus years of serving in Awana, and co-leading a summer study for 3rd - 5th graders. As he began student teaching, his cooperating teacher Mrs. Materese quickly became one of the most influential and dearest friends. “I had always been close friends with the Materese family because of Jimmy’s investment in me, but after teaching for a year with Casey we quickly became close. I was most inspired by her real and genuine faith and openness in all things including weaknesses and struggles. I still cherish all the great conversations we had and she helped me to grow not only in my teaching, but also in my faith.”
Today, those bonds have only been deepened as Noah now is a frequent visitor and aid to Joyce, makes many memories with the Materese family, and labors side-by-side with Pastor Trevor in kingdom work through youth group, Sunday School, and other ministries. “The work of West Center Baptist, as a whole, has been the single greatest tool God has used in my life to bring about justification, sanctification, and ultimately, someday, glorification. All praise be to Christ for how he has used his people faithfully in my life. My life’s refrain comes from the great John Newton, author of the hymn Amazing Grace. Towards the end of his life he said, ‘Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly. That I am a great sinner but Christ is a great savior.’
A few of my favorite Gospel saturated passages that bring this truth to life and that I like to meditate on are:
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8
“And you were dead in the sins in which you once walked... and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” - Ephesians 2:1-9
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy…and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. - 1 Timothy 1:12-17
In February of 2022, Noah and his pal Chase launched The Pontification Pals Podcast with the hope of bringing deep Gospel truths to Madison and the surrounding area.