Welcome to Duneland Community Church. I am Pastor Michael Castello, and I am the worship pastor at Duneland Community Church. I recently arrived at DCC with my wife (Claudia) and daughter (Harper Grace). We are very excited to be apart of this church, and we look forward to being apart of the ministry at DCC for quite some time.

How did I get here?

Until my arrival at DCC, I was serving as a worship intern at Christ Church a United Methodist Congregation in Racine, WI. I am originally from the southwest suburbs of Chicago and my wife is from Milwaukee, WI. I am currently attending Nazarene Bible College online to earn a degree in Worship Ministry.

What and who has influenced my ministry?

My ministry was greatly influenced by Rev. Adam Lewis and Rev. Tim Britton of Chicago First Church of the Nazarene. Adam brought me to Christ, was the first person I told about being called into the ministry, and Adam also officiated my wedding. He has been a close confidant and mentor over the last 10-11 years of my life. Tim has taught me a lot about youth ministry and being a servant leader.

Do I have a life outside the church?

Some would say no. However, I love playing sports like softball, football, basketball, and ultimate Frisbee, just to name a few. I root for the Bears, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, and my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. I also love to play the Wii and card or boardgames.

What makes me tick?

I love worship music, hence I am worship pastor. My life’s goal is to see people worship God freely and openly. There is no greater rush for me than when the congregation is singing louder than the worship team. I also am extremely passionate about the Haiti Water Project and other clean water projects around the globe. In America, we spend approximately 400 billion dollars on Christmas. It is estimated that it would take 10-15 billion dollars to end the world’s water crisis. That is a travesty to me. So, I hope that I can see that horror end in my life time.