LEADERS
GET TO KNOW OUR LEADERS
Rev. Jeremy Bellsmith
Lead Pastor
I was born into the church, the son of a church leader. I learned the language and rituals early on. But I also discovered that the church wasn’t perfect. Hurt people, hurt people. Questions can raise defences. Churches fight and break up. Add to that lots of questions about how the Bible is true, whether science and religion are compatible, and how best to love my friends & family from the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and I had a recipe for a lifelong wrestling match with God.
I reluctantly stumbled into the ministry twenty eight years ago, and it became the arena for this wrestling match. Wrestling has meant deconstructing the faith I grew up in. I found that asking God good questions brings me closer to Jesus. And the more I do it, the more God proves trustworthy.
When Austin and I started UpperLVL, I wanted it to be a place where questions were OK to ask. We're creating a space where folks who’ve left the church are safe to ask their questions, and where those who’ve never tried the church don’t have to worry about knowing the right words or rituals. I don't have all the answers, but I can point you to One who does.
Lay Pastor | DJ
Austin Penner
I didn’t grow up in the Christian faith. After over a decade of multiple addictions and personal struggles, I bottomed out completely at 27 years old. It truly sucked. At rock bottom, I reached out for the Hand that saw me at my worst: the hand of Jesus. I surrendering my life to Him in faith late 2021.
Words truly can't describe the ways God made Himself known in that season of life, and the forgiveness and new purpose I've come to know in God alone! After this, I started going to church for the first time ever, where I met Pastor Jeremy and we quickly became close friends.
Having DJ'd at LevelTwo since 2017, when the club reopened in 2022 after the pandemic, my life looked a lot different than it did when it closed due to COVID in 2020. I wrestled with where my job as a newly-sober DJ following Jesus in a fresh, post-pandemic nightclub scene fits into the puzzle... Is this compatible? Can I still pursue music or do I pack it up? How can I share this new life with my friends that don't know of the real love that God has for them?
Jeremy and I were reflecting on how Jesus came and hung out with us sinners (aka. everyone) to show us His way. And after weeks of praying together, we had the same idea: let's start a church in the club.
We modeled our decision how we understood the heart of Jesus - one who comes to us first, to share His love and truth with people where they are at, with a heart full of love, grace, patience, understanding and compassion. He calls us by name, invites us to walk with Him, and He changes us through relationship with Him to walk in faith and love.
The doors began to fly open from there. We partnered with LevelTwo Nightclub, and after a spring and summer of planning, our first UpperLVL Worship service in the club landed exactly 1 year after I got sober. It truly felt like divine timing. In September of 2022 I stepped into the same DJ booth I used to get hammered in - now sober and sharing the love of God found in Jesus Christ.
The love rooted in this message: through His life, death, and resurrection we find true healing and forgiveness in Him, and in faith we are raised to new, free and Spirit empowered life to follow God and to share His love with a hurting world. That's good news...PREACH!
So, as our new faith community grows, I serve as our worship DJ and lay-pastor as I pursue this ministry calling while working toward an MDiv degree. I work alongside a faithful growing team, collaborating within our vision to expand this new expression of church community - while doing our best to follow Jesus, as He leads us the way.
