Who We Are
Our Staff Team
Lead Pastor
Ben Carver
Ben grew up in Shelby and is passionate about his hometown. He feels strongly about the responsibility of the local church and its role in this community.
Ben earned a BA in Youth & Sports Ministry from the Bible & Theology Department, as well as an additional degree in History, at Malone University. He has worked 7 years in full-time ministry prior to his position at Core Community Church.
He enjoys spending time with his wife, Krista, 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!
Worship & Creative Pastor
Brandon Thomas
Brandon grew up in Galion and is passionate about the North Central Ohio area.
Having forgone the traditional schooling route (aka college drop out), he spent a year at the New Life School of Worship in Colorado Springs, after serving for 3 years part-time in ministry in Ohio. He served for the past 7 years in full-time ministry in Denver, CO.
Brandon loves to spend his time with his wife Janae, and their crazy cute dogs, Camila & Bella. He enjoys woodworking and working on remodeling projects around the house.
Our Leadership Team
Our church is lead by a team of “Elders” who we refer to as our Leadership Team
Rob Green
Rob is married to Kristi and is the father of Jordanne, Lucas, & Levi. He works for Ohio Valley Manufacturing. Rob serves and leads in a multitude of areas around Core.
Ed Tharp
Ed is a believer is the one true King, Jesus Christ. He is a devoted husband to his beautiful wife Brittany, a loving father to his two girls Taytem and Tylee, and a dedicated executive in the field of affordable housing in Richland County. Ed is also committed to reaching the lost and preaching the good news of Jesus Christ.
Shawn Hendrickson
Shawn has been a partner at Core since 2015 and enjoys serving God and his community. He moved to Ohio in 1998 after meeting his wife Laura on the Internet. They have been married since 1999. They have four children, Hannah, Mason, Evan, and Grace. Shawn owns Shelby Computer & Business Center and PureNet Ohio Internet.
Mark Hess
Mark is a son of God, the husband of Pam and the father of Ashley, Ryan, and Derek. He works at Hess Industries as a toolmaker. Mark and his wife also lead a community group in their home twice a month, and he is very passionate about serving the community and helping others draw closer to God.
Our Connection
CORE Community Church is a member of the Evangelical Free Church of America. United by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God, the Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of nearly 1,500 churches and church plants in a growing ministry that currently extends to some 75 countries of the world.
Our Mission
Leading people to move one step closer to Jesus Christ every day
Our Vision
To become a church fully committed to reaching the unchurched
Our Values
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Connecting with God
God is the ultimate power source for life change. We desire to help people constantly pursue Him in multiple ways. We believe God can be a relevant part of our everyday lives.
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Loving Others
We strive to show the love of Christ to the people we encounter every day.
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Believing the Bible
The Bible is the Word of God that has ultimate authority in every area of our lives.
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Doing Life Together
Spiritual growth happens best in authentic community. We weren’t designed to do life alone.
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Impacting Our World
We are called to make a difference for Christ in our local communities and around the world.
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Empowering to Serve
Everyone has a vital role to play to ensure that the church becomes the hope for the world. We desire to help everyone reach their full potential in Jesus Christ by empowering others to serve.
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Risking Together
We strive to take Godly risks and step outside of our comfort zone together.