Ben Carver
Lead Pastor
Ben grew up in Shelby and is passionate about his hometown. He believes that the local church is the hope of the world & the local church was meant to be for its city & its world.
Ben earned a BA from the Bible & Theology Department at Malone University. He has worked in full-time ministry for the past 15 years and started as Lead Pastor at Core in 2015. He is blown away every day that he has the opportunity to be a part of the only-God story that is being written at this place. He believes with all his heart that the best is yet to come!
He enjoys spending time with his wife, Krista, his two sons, Beckham & Brantley, and their Chocolate Lab, Sulli. In his spare time, he enjoys playing, or watching any sport and is a loyalist to all the hometown sports teams (even the Browns).
He strongly believes there is nothing better than a Shelby High School basketball game on a Friday night in the winter or a cup of Paul’s homemade vanilla in the summer!
Annette Musick
Kids Ministries Director
Annette has resided in or around Richland County almost her entire life. She strongly believes that you don’t have to travel far to serve those in need, that there is plenty to do right where you are.
She has been involved in Kids and Student Ministry for almost 30 years. Annette believes in the adage that it takes a village to raise a child and desires to equip and support parents to become the spiritual leaders that they are called to be.
Spending time with her family & friends is the thing that fills her up the most and between her husband Rob, four daughters, son-in-laws, and four grandchildren there is never a shortage.
For Annette, sitting on the beach with a cup of coffee and watching the sunrise would be the perfect way to start the day.
Josh Braun
Adult Ministries Pastor
Josh grew up in Van Wert, Ohio and is the son of church planters. He has seen the impact a church can have on a small town and believes in the difference it can make in Shelby. Relationships are everything and he desires to unite the community around Jesus.
Josh received his BA in marketing and management from the University of Toledo. It was in the middle of the four-year degree when He realized that Ministry was his passion. The following two years consisted of 2 student ministry internships in New Jersey and 1 in Toledo. In 2020, Josh and Des moved to Georgia, where Josh earned a Masters in the Art of Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary in hope to prepare him for a career in Ministry.
Josh and Des like to play games and go out to have intentional conversations. He enjoys playing basketball and watching movies in his spare time. He’s down to try any food once but always loves eating a nice Steak!
Des Braun
Student Ministries Director
Des was born and raised in Van Buren, Ohio. She is passionate about investing in the next generation, the future church.
Des graduated from The University of Toledo with a Bachelors in Communication. She discovered her passion for and calling to ministry during a student ministry internship where she proceeded to take a staff position as a Student Director. At the end of the day, she believes the greatest responsibility she has held has been as a small group leader. Nothing has been more exhilarating for her than watching students take steps towards Jesus.
Des highly values quality time with her husband, Josh, friends and family. She loves being active, a great deal at TJ Maxx, and believes an iced coffee makes any day better.
Krista Carver
Worship Director
Krista was born and raised in Shelby, Ohio. She has always had a passion for music. She is extremely humbled and excited to have the opportunity to help usher others into the presence of Jesus through song. In addition to music, she also grew a desire early on in life to reach the lost and hurting around the world. Africa will always hold a special place in her heart.
Krista graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She worked as a teacher for ten years and loved the opportunity she was given to pour into the lives of so many children. Krista has a strong desire to come alongside people wherever they may be in their journey and point them to a God who gives them their value and worth.
Spending time with her friends and family is one way that Krista feels most filled. She also enjoys taking long bike rides, hiking, and being outdoors whenever possible.