Pastor Geoff.com is the online home of Geoff Cocanower, the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries at Hope Missionary Church in Bluffton, IN. Geoff has been a pastor of students since 2008, working in various ministry contexts and leadership capacities. In addition to his roles at Hope, Geoff has served in a variety of additional roles:

• Serving on the Missionary Church USA’s NextGen Task Force

• Leading MCUSA NextGen Ministry Leader Cohorts

• Serving on the Central Region Summer Camps Team since 2016, including as interim Camps Director for 2022

• Co-hosting a podcast with his friend Brad Merchant called the Backseat Leadership Podcast.

• Formerly overseeing the Missionary Church Central Region’s Student Ministry Network.

• Contributing to Download Youth Ministry in various capacities and seeks to serve other youth workers and churches through those connections.

Over the course of his career, his ministry and leadership have been honed into one specific purpose, founded on his God-given passion:

Authentically leading and empowering others to flourishing life in Christ.

While this statement embodies everything that Geoff does, it manifests itself in many ways in life.

Pastoring Students

Whether it is communicating to students and families, working with students to develop healthy choices, or counseling students out of tough situations, Geoff believes his first responsibility is to his local church—specifically the next generation of Christ-followers, which is why he spends the bulk of his time with them.

Speaking to the Church

Geoff is regularly asked to teach other student groups for retreats, youth ministry gatherings, leadership development settings, cultural understanding seminars, and a variety of other environments. He has also led discussions with parents and adults to engage them in cultural issues facing generations, strategies and tactics for reaching and retaining millennials and Gen Z, and personality understanding and generational mending. You can invite Geoff to come and speak to your group by visiting the contact page here.

Leadership Development

Finding what makes you flourish in life is critical to living out your purpose. Geoff has spent a considerable amount of time exploring tools like the Enneagram and counseling leaders of all ages to discover and hone their gifts in life. Using a holistic approach, Geoff seeks to evaluate the past and identify motivations and patterns in order to develop an understanding of the trajectory God has designed for you.