About

Why hello, there!

Green Jello Hotdish is the personal notepad for Daniel Ross-Jones. In this particular space, according to the receipt for his domain name registration, he’s been blogging since 2006. But the real truth is he’s a geek and has continually had some sort of Web presence since his first personal page went up on GeoCities (the original edition) in 1996.

Who?

Rev. Daniel Ross-Jones currently serves as Minister for Youth & Young Adults at the First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, United Church of Christ, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Being a pastor in Silicon Valley is uniquely suited to him as he seeks to envision an unapologetically Christian community of faith that is decidedly shaped by Generations X & Y.

Previously, Daniel served on the University Ministry staff at DePaul University in Chicago, supporting non-Roman Catholic Christian students in creating space to grow and develop their faith. (Along the way, he encouraged Catholics and a few folks of other and no faith tradition. Shh.)

Shaped by an appreciation of the past foundation and emboldened by the increasingly smaller and interconnected world, Daniel completed a ministry internship with the Community of St. Luke (PCANZ) in Auckland, New Zealand, under the supervision of the Rev. David Clark. He was a participant in the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, and undertook a religious study pilgrimage to northern India in 2005.

Daniel began his ministry career as Director of Communications for the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Prior to ministry, he worked in a variety of positions for a large, national retailer.

He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Carthage College and the Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Daniel holds his authorized ministerial standing in the Northern California Nevada Conference and is active in the wider church.