Lead Pastor

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Trey Herweck is the founder and Lead Pastor of Refuge Church in Saint Charles, Missouri. He attended Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri where he graduated with a degree in Communications. From there he moved on to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his MA in Christian Education.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up right here in the Chuck. Actually, I used to go to daycamp at Blanchette Park.

Why did you plant a new church in Saint Charles?
After college, we worked with teenagers for a little while. I could never put my finger on what it was about the church that didn't quite sit right with me. I spent 6 years at SBC churches, splitting it up between wonderful churches in Texas and here in St. Charles. I loved the people, but through a series of events I just felt a tremendous burden for a church where you could NOT be fine...and it was ok. The entire premise of the Gospel is the confession that we are, not just imperfect, but massively screwed up people, and yet people were terrified to admit that in church. Four years ago Allison and I did an internship at the Journey in St. Louis and almost 2 years ago, the reality of Refuge took shape. I can't imagine doing anything else.

How did you meet your wife?
Allison and I met at a small Christian school (SBU) where most people meet spouses. She was as pure as the new fallen snow and I was...not. We met in piano class our freshman year...very long story in the between time...got engaged in October of our senior year. I proposed on a night that she was ready to slow things down...timing is everything! We have to work extra hard at our relationship, but after 11 years, I've almost got her convinced that she made the right choice :)

Tell us about the fam:
We have 2 crazy, but amazingly funny, cute and charming little kids. Claira is 6, she's going to be beautiful though I have prayed otherwise. I've never shot a shotgun, but I can learn. Cooper's 4 and is absolutely hysterical. He is a charmer who I'm sure will inspire lots of other dads to learn how to use shotguns. No pets, except a little salamander that hangs out by the front porch.

What's your idea of a perfect day?
Aside from golfing (which I haven't done in 3 years) and/or a Cards game, I would say I lived a pretty close to perfect day when Allison and I drove down to Augusta and walked around for awhile and then spent the sunset eating dinner on an outdoor patio at a little restaurant right on the river. ...and it was good!

Favorite Team:
Cardinals (of course) and then Denver Broncos in football. LOVE college basketball MIZZOU!

Favorite Movie:
Anything from the 80's with John Cusack - Say Anything, The Sure Thing. Other 80's greats Spies Like Us, Major League. Modern would be Band of Brothers and The Simpsons, everyone needs to see the Simpsons.

Must Reads:
Too many. At least one John Piper book, and if you're going to read one, it should be Desiring God. The Tale of Three Kings, anything CS Lewis, 3 Nights in August, and I'm about half way through The Brothers Karamazov, two things about that though, half way is a very subjective term and I've been there for a long time now!

Childhood hero (non-related):
My neighbor and I used to line up across the street from each other and throw the baseball just far enough so we would have to dive like Ozzie. I don't know a guy in St. Louis my age who didn't grow up idolizing the Wizard. That's almost as easy as just putting my dad on here.

Pancake or Waffle?
Waffles (pancakes with little syrup traps).

What's on your iPod?
Sermons, sermons and a few sermons. Other than that, Chili Peppers, Fall Out Boy, Matt Kearney, Marshill (Seattle) worship stuff, the Fray, and the everlasting Simon and Garfunkel.

Quote:
So many quotes. The serious one would be this: "If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose. And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a close room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven." Samuel Rutherford while being tortured (by the church/state) in prison for his belief in a sovereign God.

What's your vision for Refuge?
I would love to see God create a place where people could come in and NOT have it all together...but be loved. It would be such an amazing honor to stand and watch the God do a work here that brought together the poor and the rich, the sick and the healthy, the religious and the rebellious, red and yellow black and white and see lives seriously changed because of God's work. I want to see a church decentralized, radically trusting in the Gospel and actually loving people because we were loved.