Pastor Dave Bruskas recently published his first book, Dear Son, a collection of wisdom from a sonless father to fatherless sons. Pastor Carlos Griego, of Redemption Church in New Mexico, is one of the men God shaped using Pastor Dave’s influence. While Pastor Carlos was never a fatherless son, he still benefitted from Pastor Dave’s fatherly approach to developing the guys around him into godly men, husbands, fathers, and pastors. Pastor Carlos recently agreed to sit down and answer some questions about his relationship with Pastor Dave.
Pastor Carlos baptizes his mom at the grand opening of his church in 2012.
Mars Hill: How long have you known Pastor Dave Bruskas? How did you meet?
Pastor Carlos Griego: I have known Pastor Dave for seven years. I met him at the church he was pastoring, City on a Hill (Now Mars Hill Church Albuquerque). He was hosting a local church-planting meeting. It was my first year on staff in a church and I wanted to meet new pastors in the city and learn from them so, even though I knew nothing of church planting, I went to this luncheon and that is how I met Dave. On a side note, my wife used to babysit his girls when she was in high school.
MH: How would you describe your relationship with Pastor Dave?
CG: I look to Pastor Dave as a mentor and an older brother. He is always checking up on how my church plant is going, and I am always going to him with questions and prayer requests. Dave helped guide me through church planting and connected me with other planters through the Acts 29 network which I am now part of.
MH: What is your favorite thing about him?
CG: He is passionate about seeing people meet Jesus. He also loves New Mexico and wants to see churches planted and revival break out in the state I grew up in and love dearly.
MH: What is your funniest moment with Pastor Dave?
CG: I am a New York Giants fan. He is a Cowboys fan. In 2010–11, after the Giants beat the Cowboys to win the NFC East, I texted him to rub it in a bit, in love of course. He texted back that Romo would get a ring before Eli would get a second one. I bet him that Eli would have two before Romo would have one, loser would have to wear the winner’s team jersey at the next event. Well, one month later Eli led the NY Giants to another Super Bowl victory. Pastor Dave still needs to pay up on the bet.
MH: What is your most treasured moment with Pastor Dave?
CG: We put on a men’s conference together. It was the biggest thing I had done in full-time ministry and Dave was an incredible encouragement and even agreed to be the main speaker. It was a great success and something I remember, as do many men in the Albuquerque area.
MH: How has Jesus used him to impact you?
CG: I would not have planted a church had it not been for Dave’s influence in my life. His guidance and leadership are the reasons I am the pastor I am today. Outside my own dad, Dave has had the biggest influence in my life and ministry.
MH: In what way(s) has Pastor Dave served as a “spiritual father” to you?
CG: He has helped me think through what it means to plant a church and what type of church I want to plant. Dave helped me think through how to reach men and train up leaders. He really helped me learn from his mistakes in church planting and has helped the church I planted two years ago (Redemption Church) in ways that are felt in great ways today.
MH: Which chapter of Pastor Dave’s new book is your favorite?
CG: His chapter titled Husband is my favorite because every time that Dave and I would meet he would first ask me how my marriage was, how my wife was doing, and how I was doing as a husband to her. The chapter felt like many of those conversations we had. It was fatherly wisdom, not a lecture, which is how meeting with Dave always was.
