Graduate Profile: Daniel Szczenskniak

I’ve walked with the Lord for as long as I can remember.

My parents tell me that, as a youngster, I emerged from my room after bedtime one night, visibly distressed and tearfully asking, “O, why did Adam have to sin?” They explained the gospel to me and I prayed a prayer of faith in Christ. I don’t remember any of this, but it sounds about right.

I was baptized not long after, and I do recall that event. I can still feel my great disappointment that the baptismal heater was not working. Despite the cold plunge—and my own obvious immaturity—the Lord was working in my heart and in my life.

I was raised by charismatic parents, so to this day I am not taken aback by someone running around with a flag or offering to pray “over” me. And as my wife—who grew up in similar circles—will attest, it’s not a strange thing for me to randomly belt out something like, “When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You …”

As one of five kids being homeschooled in the 1980s, my parents wanted to attend a church with a strong children’s ministry. They found a non-denominational Calvary chapel knock-off with a robust AWANA program, and there we stayed.

In my teen years, I began to read Scripture regularly, annually completing a “thru the Bible in a year” plan. As the church moved into more Reformed convictions, my parents moved on to another church. I had my drivers license and stayed at the church, as I was a leader within the youth group and actively involved in the praise band.

In my early 20s, I met my future wife Christin and she began attending church with me. Coming from a similar Pentacostal background, Calvinism, amillennialism, and Reformed(ish) worship were new to her and a bit of a shock. The Lord brought us through these growth pains, bringing us closer to him and to one another. After we were married, I completed my B.A. in Biblical Studies at Northwest Christian University, and we were blessed with our first child in 2008 as I began studies at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

However, God had a different plan. Chronic health conditions, a cholicky baby, and a second pregnancy led us back to our hometown, where I was hired by a friend to run his online business while he and his family went overseas as missionaries. Our second child was born in 2010 just as I began this new job, which was a blessing because I have been able to be at home to help with children and health issues. I have worked in ecommerce and marketing since then, still employed by the same small business but also running my own websites.

Working from home allowed us the freedom to move to Florida in 2017, where we immediately settled at a Reformed Baptist church. My wife pursued ACBC certification and I joined the worship team and led a small group. Our church formed a counseling ministry, and it was my wife who convinced me to pursue ACBC certification. Well, you must know that the one thing I dreaded in pursuing ministry was having to do any sort of counseling. “But God …” Somehow the Lord opened my heart and I dove in, and now there are few things I love more than Christ-centered biblical counseling.

After counseling for a season, the Lord stirred in me again the desire to go to seminary. Our pastor was attending RBS, and the online format looked like the perfect fit. I’ve enjoyed every minute of study, from the reading to the lectures to the papers. These classes have equipped me to better love Christ and share him with my family, my church, and my counselees in a richer and more meaningful way. I’m thankful for my time at RBS.