Doug Patch

Division Coordinator,
Adult Ministries

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let me give you a little background on our division of Adult Ministries, of which I've been the Coordinator since its inception in April of 2003. Prior to that, I was the coordinator of our former Adult Outreach & External Relations divisions.

The Adult Ministries Division is comprised of Xenos' post-college aged home groups—more than 140 with about 16 people per group. I have the pleasure of being a contributor to their oversight, leadership training and administration.

I also teach Christian Growth & Ministry classes and parts of the Leadership classes every year for the Equipping Division.

Probably the highpoint is found in my volunteer ministry where I serve as a leader of a home group that meets at our home. This is where the rubber meets the road in our church where we serve God in relationships with Christians and non-Christians alike. I enjoy sharing my life with younger Christians as we help one another grow, and gratefully taking advantage of opportunities to share my faith with friends and family.

If you have questions or need help adapting any of our material, please let me know. Leave me a note on how I can help you.

Personal Background

You might be surprised how my road led to serving God full-time in my work as well as my personal life. I came to Columbus in late 1983 to be a partner in starting a sports medicine practice (I am a Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer). At this point I had been a Christian for 12 years, but had never chosen to grow spiritually. I was invited to this church by a dear friend who was our practice’s dietician.

Perhaps you might think: "Well, if he’s not in sports medicine now, he must not have been that good or tasted the good life with it..." Actually that's not the case. I was a national speaker in manual therapy and sports medicine. From 1984 through 1987 I served as an Athletic Trainer for the U.S. National Track & Field Team (Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner Kersee, etc.). Japan, the Bahamas, Russia and other places were part of my travels with this team. Three of the seven divers on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team were my patients. Olympic athletes traveled to Columbus for me to treat them. I owned 25% of a large sports medicine center in Columbus where at one point we were seeing over 600 patients per week. Financially, I had never been more "set." No, I had the good things this world has to offer. Bragging? Not really—I made a mess of my life while pursuing this "acclaim."

I had a very difficult time holding down relationships (too busy and selfish to really put someone else's needs ahead of my own). I had enjoyed some of the most stimulating events my profession could offer, yet the sense of fulfillment and excitement was very short-lived. They contributed to my goals, but not to anything ultimately significant (they didn’t last!). I had a sense that there must be more to life than this and that I was supposed to do more with my life. God used these experiences, plus a heart-wrenching divorce (because I was never really around enough to be a good husband), to show me even more significance in life by making His work my number one priority in life instead. What had I ever done before that impacted someone for eternity, as well as in this life!? Of course , I didn't have to work in a church to have Him the number one priority, but eventually, He led me that way.

In 1985 God brought Chris into my life and we were married soon thereafter. Since then He has granted me two energetic sons Jason (19) and John (16) who are showing that they too care about God's role in their lives. My relaxation comes through reading, hunting, fishing, running, basketball, and gardening.