ALDOUS
FAMILY
We're the
By the time I (Joel) was ten my whole life consisted of just two things: Jesus and skateboarding. In high school I began leading a skateboarding ministry, and it was this experience that eventually led me to make the decision to go to Bible College.
In 2015 I launched an evangelistic ministry during the lunch period at PLHS (OB’s local high school) called the Free Food Club (“Food for your stomach and food for your soul”) that had 200+ students weekly hearing the gospel and slamming 40 Domino’s pies. Thinking of those sweaty, pizza-faced kids still makes me tear up. (picture below).
In 2016, I clumsily convinced my professional surfer crush to go on a date with me. A year later, these two madly-in-love and disastrously-broke-21-year-old-babies found themselves now married and moving to Redding, CA to get training at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. This season radically showed us the power of the Holy Spirit; God became not just a theological figure to be studied, but an alive and active friend. After 2 years in the school, we moved back to Ocean Beach to join my mentor Dru Teves on his mission to plant Aloha Church.
OUr JOURNEY
While volunteering with Aloha, Darsha and I started seminary - both getting our master’s in biblical studies. This was a beautiful season in our roughly 15 square foot Ocean Beach bungalow. To pay our bills (and for all those crushed La Croix cans) we started a wedding photography business.
Years later, that company eventually morphed into a digital marketing agency that Darsha now operates, and simultaneously Aloha brought me on as the Associate Pastor. I’ve had the jack of all trades job at Aloha: everything from website design, to preaching, to co-founding San Diego Prayer House (Prayer and Live Worship 6:30-8:30am Mon-Friday).
In this season, we were blessed with two unbelievably cute kids- Barbara (3) and Cosmo (6m). Lots of: Legos, spilled juice, zoo trips, tears, giggles, and utter chaos - the best time of our lives.
This past year, the Lord's been speaking to us about church planting; it started as a gentle whisper that I didn't pay much attention to at first. However, now it's become unmistakably clear. I’ve jokingly explained to friends that His voice feels so clear that if we don’t plant a church, the next time I go surfing, I will get swallowed by a whale and spit out in Nineveh - I can’t run from God on this. Now after eight incredible years with this community, Aloha Church is officially sending Darsha and I out as its first church planters in 2026.
