Name: Bryan Sederwall (In Denver…Pastor B)
Graduation Year: 1997
Major: Biblical Studies and Youth Ministries
Current Position: Founder and CEO of the Denver Dream Center
City and State: Denver, CO
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
I don’t think I could have imagined the journey that God would take me on to get to do what I do now! After a Youth Pastor job in West Palm Beach, FL I moved to Los Angeles to Youth Pastor and then started a non profit working with gang members in LA County. In 2006 my wife and I with our 2 year old and 2 month old packed up everything and chased a calling to Denver! Over the last 18 years we launched and now run the Denver Dream Center (www.denverdreamcenter.org). Our radical passion is to bring HOPE through Jesus to every person in the city of Denver! What started with my family is now a team of over 40 staff running programs and offering services that reach over 60,000 individuals a year through re entry, recovery, at risk kids and youth, sports, homelessness, migrants and so much more. My passion is to create such an impact in the city of Denver and the State of Colorado that it gives us influence to those and with those that are making the most critical decisions on foundational issues and concerns in our city and state! Now I have the incredible honor or working along side the Mayor of Denver, our Police Chief and his team, City Council, Dept of Corrections and Parole as well as the Rockies, Broncos and Nuggets and their players. Hope is real!
What is your favorite memory from CBC?
There’s a lot of amazing memories from the CBC days! So much fun and camaraderie with the guys I got to play basketball with and travel across the country. So many chapels with missionaries, pastors, professors bringing challenging messages with extended times around the altar.
How did CBC help you identify/develop your calling?
The lived and learned experience that was accessible from the staff and faculty was amazing. Not only the class time learning but the off hour conversations, and prayers, and connections meant the world. Being challenged to pursue with patience but with passion what I felt God was stirring within me was cultivated through chapels, classes, and conversations. There was something special about the legacy of so many that had paved the way for someone like me to get poured into.
How did your experience at CBC prepare you for life after graduation?
The relationships that were created at CBC established a foundation to move into life after graduation. Spiritual as well as the practical preparation to graduate and move into life in full time ministry.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
Learn from those that have walked the path ahead of you…that are in the same journey…with more experience. Don’t wait until you graduate to gain lived experience! Find a place while at school, in the summer, during breaks…to volunteer, serve, and expand what you know and who you know.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire a new graduate?
At the Denver Dream Center we focus on chemistry, character, competency, and consistency. I want to know that you have a radical passion of serving, generosity, and love for the most overlooked and underserved. If you have a decent jump shot…that helps too!