Christian and Ashley Crandall
Youth Directors
The Crandalls are not new to the Royal Poinciana Chapel. Christian grew up in Palm Beach and attended Sunday School here as a child.
Christian and Ashley graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University, both with degrees in entrepreneurial leadership. They were married here at the Chapel and have 3 children, Grant, Hudson, and Luke.
In the Fall of 2012, desiring to become involved at the Chapel with their expressive love for God and appealing heart for youth, Christian and Ashley became instrumental in their leadership and facilitation of the Chapel’s attractive and most popular “Friday Night Live” ministry to an ever expanding number of middle school students. They established the Chapel’s Great Lawn and Seagull Cottage as the place to be on Friday nights.
We are grateful to God that they are here, available, and wanting to join the Chapel staff. Together, Christian and Ashley, with a great team of teachers and youth leaders, will continue with our support and encouragement to grow an attractive, exciting and enriching ministry to children and youth here at the Royal Poinciana Chapel.
Dr. Jonathan Grenz serves as Pastor of Congregational Life and Outreach at the Royal Poinciana Chapel. With more than 30 years of ministry experience, Jonathan has a deep love for the local church and a passion for caring for people, helping them grow in faith, and encouraging them to serve others.
Before joining the Chapel, Jonathan served for 19 years at Palm Beach Atlantic University, most recently as Dean of the School of Ministry. He also directed the Master of Divinity program, where one of the great joys of his ministry was mentoring and equipping men and women as they discerned their calling and prepared to serve the church and the world.
Dr. Grenz earned his Ph.D. from Biola University and his Master of Divinity from Sioux Falls Seminary. His ministry experience includes serving as a lead pastor, associate pastor, and parachurch ministry director, as well as teaching and encouraging Christian leaders internationally.
His ministry experience includes serving as a lead pastor, associate pastor in youth ministry and Christian education, and director of a parachurch ministry. These varied experiences have deepened his conviction that ministry is ultimately about people: knowing them, caring for them, and helping them experience the grace and presence of Christ. His ministry has also included opportunities to teach and encourage pastors and Christian leaders in Colombia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Ukraine.
Throughout his ministry, Dr. Grenz has been passionate about bringing people together, mentoring and equipping Christian leaders, and helping congregations discover meaningful ways to serve their neighbors. He believes the church is at its best when the grace experienced within its walls becomes compassion and service beyond them.
Hailed as “an absolute organ prodigy” by National Public Radio and “one of the most talented organists in the world” by the Chicago Tribune, concert organist Adam J. Brakel is a preeminent artist “with the technique and virtuosity that most concert pianists could only dream of.” (NPR)
Adam’s celebrated performances span the globe—from coast to coast in the United States to across Europe and Asia. Brakel has one of the largest and most diverse performing repertoires in the world. His expansive list includes the entire spectrum of styles featuring the complete organ works of Bach, Bruhns, Buxtehude, Couperin, Liszt, de Grigny, Franck, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Duruflé.
Brakel’s performance highlights include the complete works of César Franck, and, most notably, the fiendishly difficult Six Etudes of Jeanne Demessieux, of which Adam is one of the few organists in the world to have performed and recorded in its entirety. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and Duquesne University, Adam has a rich and decorated musical pedigree, having studied with Donald Sutherland and Dame Gillian Weir. He has taken top prizes in the Albert Schweitzer Organ Competition, the Gruenstein Memorial Organ Competition, the John Rodland Memorial Scholarship Competition, the French Organ Music Seminar Competition, and the Carlene Neihart International Organ Competition. He has also earned the André Marchal Award for Excellence in Performance as well as the Oundle Award, among other honors.
Adam J. Brakel is represented by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
Administrative Staff
Mrs. Debbie Norris, Office Administrator debbie@royalpoincianachapel.org
Mrs. Catherine D’Agostino, Finance Administrator accounting@royalpoincianachapel.org
Chris W. Waite, Chapel Business Administrator chriswaite@royalpoincianachapel.org
Jennifer Cairns, Finance Administrator accounting@royalpoincianachapel.org
Buildings and Grounds Team
Jose Cintron
Silas Lynch
Jean Vigneault
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