Melissa VanDerLinden
Worship Director
Passion in Ministry
My passion is this: “O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together” – joining together in unison and leading people to the reality of who God is through worship. In that place strongholds are broken, chains fall off, and kingdom is advanced.
Simple Pleasures
Most would say I’m an extrovert (an understatement), and for the most part they’re right. I simply love being with people. I enjoy sharing life with my extended family, whether it’s grabbing coffee and chatting, laughing over board games, wracking our brains at trivia, or singing our hearts out at karaoke. If fun is on the menu, I’m partaking in… or orchestrating… it. I also savor every moment I am home with my family. Snuggling with my three boys and husband is a medicine all its own. I also love traveling (anywhere!), theater, gardening and photography.
Favorite Places
I sincerely love being at Dayspring. It’s one of my favorite places to be probably because some of my favorite people on this earth are there. I’ve never been very outdoorsy, but put me by a fire in the backyard on an October evening, and I’m in heaven. And I love being in the Rockies – it’s as if you’ve been given this great insight into the creative genius that is God. And Yellowstone, and places with history – like Boston, London and Israel – are on my bucket list. Give me history in my travels, and I’m a happy girl.
Family
My third (and final, thank you very much) son was born January 2017. I believed myself destined to have a baby girl, but God saw it fit to give me three adoring, beautiful boys. I cannot complain – they are my pride, my hearts. My husband, Ray, and I have been married since 2006. He’s an incredible teacher, lover of the word, and an extremely hardworking man. We live with our Chihuahua-mix Lucy on 10 acres. We are beyond blessed.
Favorite Quote
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson