Hello from your nation’s capital! I am Nina Schmidgall, wife to Joel and mama to Eloise, Ezekiel, and Lorenza. I am privileged to serve as the Pastor of Family Ministry at National Community Church (NCC) in Washington, DC. NCC is a multi-site, innovative faith community doing church in the marketplace. I oversee all family programs from birth to graduation and support parents on their journey to share faith in their home. I was born and raised in a power city on the opposite side of the country, right in the heart of the Silicon Valley. I attended a performing arts high school which is possibly where I caught my flair for overly expressing emotions. As a young adult, I made the move to the nation’s capital to work for the United States Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for just under a decade. Writing and advising on education and family policy, I realized my deep passion for strengthening the family and the home. Eventually, I transitioned to use those passions in the local church. I fell in love both with this great city and the man who would become my husband and partner in life and ministry. Joel and I are raising our three incredible kids on Capitol Hill, just steps from the United States Capitol and around the corner from at least five great coffee shops. Joel and I are lucky enough to serve in ministry together. Joel serves as the Executive Pastor of National Community Church, overseeing the pastoral staff for NCC’s seven locations and pastoring the Capitol Hill location. In addition to overseeing the pastoral staff at NCC, Joel co-founded and now serves as President of the board of the DC Dream Center, a community center committed to inspiring and equipping youth and adults to reach their God-given potential. Together, we are the authors of "Praying Circles Around Your Marriage" and are convinced that it is through prayer that you will claim God-given promises for your marriage. We care about serving locally, supporting families and marriages, and encouraging others in their faith. As pastors, we are grateful to be invited into the sacred spaces of the faith journey of others.