Randy Siever (Director of Doable Evangelism)
Randy Siever is an experienced leader and gifted evangelist. He served twenty years on the Young Life staff and nine years as Pastor of Outreach at Sparks Christian Fellowship near Reno, Nevada. Randy has B.A. in philosophy from San Jose State and an M.A. from Fuller Seminary. He joined Off The Map as Director of Doable Evangelism in 2007.
Birth year: 1954
Family information: Married to Sandy, my high school sweetheart, since 1976; three adult kids (Jake, Bethany, and Ian.)
Education/experience: B.A.in Philosophy, San Jose State University; M.A. in Christian Leadership, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Theology. I spent 20 years on the Young Life staff and nine years as a pastor of outreach at Sparks Christian Fellowship in Spark, Nevada. I’ve also spent some short time selling used cars, health insurance and as an auto mechanic.
Most influential book(s) you’ve read besides the Bible: Principles of Spiritual Growth, Miles J. Stanford; My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers; Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis. And “AKA: Lost” (Evangelism Without Additives), of course.
Most influential mentor you’ve had: I’ve had a few, but the two most influential would be Evan Wright and Bob Lonac. Evan discipled me and really sort of “fathered” me in my formative years with Christ (the ’70s, mostly). Bob brought me on the YL staff and has always pressed me toward excellence and leadership.
Favorite movie: “Field of Dreams”. I don’t even like baseball, but it was a very moving father/son story. I cry every time at the end when Costner’s character asks his dad if he wants to “have a catch”. “Braveheart” totally rocks my world, connecting with my Scottish heritage (and my sense of justice).
Favorite t.v. show: Sienfeld, followed closely by “The Unit” and “Two and a Half Men”. I know, I’m a sick puppy.
Food you hate (or food that hates you): Peanut butter, and anything that lives in the water.
What outside interests or hobbies do you have?: I love the outdoors in general, but in particular I love riding my Harley on twisty roads. There’s something very therapeutic about riding that I seem to need. Camping (in a trailer these days) and reading come in a close second.
What is your ministry passion?: To join God in helping people connect with Jesus, and get as many as I can to join the effort. This has driven me in recent years to Off The Map.
Most helpful criticism you’ve ever gotten: “Your opinion doesn’t always need to be expressed.”
Top three spiritual gifts: Evangelism, Leadership, Wisdom
Favorite dessert item: Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. They’re like heroin to me, but they taste a lot better. I also like apple pie ala mode quite a bit.
Favorite time of day: I’m not a morning guy, so I suppose it would be somewhere between nine and eleven p.m. The day is winding down about then and, well, it’s the time when I have my best shot at “romance” with my wife.
What kind of music do you listen to?: I like it all, except rap and dark metal. I am one of those people who listens to the lyrics obsessively, so I have to listen to jazz or classical stuff when I’m reading. Mostly I listen to classic rock or the blues (sure hope Stevie Ray Vaughn made it to heaven!). I happen to love country music, too (modern folk music, really).
What is your most treasured possession?: Everything I have is for sale for the right price, including my Harley, which I like the best.
Biggest fear?: I fear what I would be without Christ.
Biggest vice?: Skoal, long cut wintergreen. And good cigars.
Coke or Pepsi?: Diet Coke, but I’m not a snob about it. My favorite right now is low-carb Monster energy drink.
Least liked word (or phrase): “Christian.” Nobody knows what it means anymore, but everyone has an opinion.
How did you come to follow Christ?: Young Life found me and enabled me to hear the story about Christ. I was totally clueless and headed for a dark and violent future when a little blonde haired girl invited me to her house for the last YL club of the year. It took two more years, but I finally surrendered to Christ on January first, 1971. I’ve never looked back.
Do you have a motto?: “Let God be responsible for the consequences of your obedience to Him.” I made it up, but you can quote me if you like. I probably stole the main idea from Oswald Chambers.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you?: I cry a lot, and easily. What’s up with that?
