Matt Helms, mostly known as Pastor Matt, was born and raised in Clarendon Hills, a suburb of Chicago, and has been a part of Fourth's pastoral staff for nine years, first for a two-year term as a Lilly Pastoral Resident, and then the last seven years as the Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministry.  Church always felt like a second home for him growing up and he hopes that every family who comes through Fourth Church’s doors feels that way as well.
 
Matt went to college at UW-Madison and spent his first few years studying to be a sports statistician.  He ended up deviating from that mean, though, and majored in religious studies, graduating in 2007. He returned to sweet home Chicago to pursue his M.Div at McCormick Theological Seminary, graduating in 2010 shortly before he began his residency at Fourth Church.
 
He is married to Alison, an English teacher, and they live in Downers Grove with their energetic toddler, Elliot, and their rescue pit bull, Zoe.  He listens to a lot of podcasts on his daily commute to church and cares a bit too much about both Chicago and Badger sports.  On his day(s) off, you can find him watching movies, making homemade pizzas, or playing nerdy board games.
 
To contact Matt, you can either e-mail him at [email protected] or call at (312.573.3362)