Tony Myles
Lead Pastor of Connection Church
(Like the picture? It's Tony and his family... and it looks like the perfect photo. Just so you know, though, Photoshop was involved to combine two pictures into one so all the kids are looking the same direction. Didn't mean to shatter the illusion, but maybe sharing this helps you to know he's a real guy and they're real people. If you want to see an outake, click on the photo and enjoy the fun)
Snapshot: I am committed to putting God first in all things - as a man, husband, father, and pastor... as a friend, neighbor and community member... online, offline or in print... when I'm in the spotlight, and when no one else is looking.
That pretty much sums it up, and yet is only scratching the surface of the hills I'll die on for Jesus.
Keep in mind, I didn't grow up a Christian. In late high school I encountered God in a way that I never had before - it wasn't about religion but about a relationship, and since then I've been trying to catch up on what that means. Each day I give my best swing at this so that I might bless God, love people, make a real difference right where I live, and help the Church have the healthiest future possible.
Somehow God blessed me with a family who is way out of my league: a wife who is crazy about God, kids who are already world changers, and a home that fills me up simply by being in it. They are my favorite people in the whole world, and we love doing life together in and through Connection Church. Care to join us?
Birth Certificate Name: Anthony Joseph Myles
Aliases: “Tony,” "T," "Tone-Loc," “P.T.,” “Daddy,” “Superman”
Where were you born?: Melrose Park, Illinois
Where did you primarily grow up: Schaumburg, Illinois
Outstanding verse/story of the Bible: 1 Corinthians 4:1 and Genesis 3:21
Favorite beverage: Smoothies, iced tea and Propel water.
Favorite restaurant food: Gino’s East pizza with the deep dish cornbread crust and the layer of sausage on top.
Favorite home cooked meal: Katie’s lasagna.
Favorite music: David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, U2, Switchfoot, Foo Fighters, John Mellencamp, Huey Lewis, Jesus Culture, Rich Mullins, Bon Jovi, 80's pop hits, Disney music, and whatever my current ringtone happens to be.
Favorite musical instrument: Acoustic guitar.
Favorite car: The DeLorean from Back To The Future, even if I’ll never own one.
Favorite movies: Princess Bride, Field of Dreams, The (original) Star Wars Trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Back To The Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Matrix, Office Space (the edited version), The Truman Show, Dead Poet’s Society, Batman Begins, Spiderman 2, Napoleon Dynamite
Favorite TV shows: Awake, The Voice, Lost, Once Upon A Time, Smallville, The Amazing Race, Seinfeld, Justice League, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Mad About You, Freaks & Geeks, The Daily Show, Nowhere Man
Favorite authors: Scot McKnight, Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Donald Miller, Bill Hybels, Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Henri Nouwen, Dan Webster, Ray Vander Laan, Leonard Sweet, C S Lewis, Soren Kierkegaard, William Barclay, John Grisham, Bill Watterson, Gary Larson
Favorite hobbies: Anything creative – from gourmet cooking and smoothie blending to mixing music and making videos. I also enjoy writing, from updating my personal blog to writing books and a weekly newspaper column. While I’m average at standard sports, I am a killer laser tag player and Ultimate Frisbee competitor... which I know sends chills up your spine.
Favorite sport's team: Any team from Chicago.
I laugh out loud at: The things my kids do, inside jokes my wife and I share, Napoleon Dynamite, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, and Jerry Seinfeld.
If a fake "urban legend" were written about me, it would include this exaggerated detail: How I prowl the town at night and stand in front of houses to pray for people, all while noisily eating oranges like a crazed madman.
If I wasn't doing what I'm doing: I’d be teaching high school... either that, or I'd be a multi-millionaire - I can't decide.
One question I'd like to ask God: If Jesus went go-karting, would He bump you if the sign getting on the ride said not to? (Honestly, you can find out a lot about Jesus from this)
I am not cool enough to: Sign autographs, even though (strangely) I have been asked.
I am cool enough to: Wear my baseball hat backward.
Last infomercial product I bought: Chuck Norris’ “Total Gym”
Things I just don't get: The Atkins Diet, buying a $45 shirt, the money that athletes and celebrities make, why an exterminator can’t get rid of ladybugs, how my dog can eat a piece of bologna and spit out the medicine hidden in it, why cheaper hotels give you a free breakfast and more expensive ones don't, why Nowhere Man lasted only one season, and the success of the Olsen twins.
