First thing’s first… My name is Rafael Lara, but everyone calls me Macho.

With that out of the way, I grew up a Pastor's Kid and have been involved in church throughout my entire life from the day I was born.

The bulk my early church experience was related to music and worship.  I began learning music at 2, and by 5 was playing music with a family music ministry my sisters and I had.  By the age of 10 I joined the weekly worship team at the church I was at, and at 17 I began leading worship. Nevertheless, I alway felt that worship ministry was not the entirety of what God was calling me to. 

At age 23, I decided to go to Nyack College to prepare myself.  I obtained a Bachelor's of Science in Pastoral Ministry (and also met my wife, Erica with whom I’ve been married since 2007). I would later obtain an MA in Christian Studies from Crown College (St. Bonifacious, MN) and an MPS in Church Development from Alliance Theological Seminary (Nyack, NY - now located in New York, NY).

One of my greatest joys has come from seeing God bring life and healing to people.  There have been a myriad of music-related moments on this journey, but for the last 15 years, God has been stretching me beyond the comforts of the piano and guitar. Particularly:

• I’ve had the opportunity to continue cultivating my love and passion for preaching.

• I’ve had the opportunity to teach an undergraduate and a graduate worship course.

• I've had the opportunity to be on several teams in church plants as they have been in seasons of planting, redevelopment, and transition.

• I've had the privilege of walking with people in mentoring and discipleship relationships, using my own experiences to help guide and counsel others.

I currently work as a Technology Instructor at Year Up - a nonprofit organization working to close the opportunity divide by providing learning and internship opportunities for young adults. Separate to this, my wife & I are planting a church called The Table NYC. We live in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens with our two children - Eliana (2010) & Elias (2012).