A native of Ohio, Shawn was raised in Millerstown, PA. He received a BS in Mathematics from Penn State and an MA in Christian Leadership from A.W. Tozer Seminary. Shawn was part of the Daybreak elders that helped plant Daybreak and joined the staff in 2005 after a number of years working in the Information Technology field. He is grateful for amazing wife Susie who regularly teaches him how to laugh at himself, and is proud of his twin adult sons, Jacob and Caleb. In his spare time, he loves to nourish his soul by riding motorcycle and hiking with friends. As Lead Equipping Pastor, Pastor Shawn invests his time into leadership development, Daybreak's weekend sermon series and teaching team, and strategic development. As Campus Pastor, he serves as one of the lead shepherds of the Orrs Bridge Road Campus. 

Jason is a Messiah College graduate and lifelong "Mechanicsburg-er." Jason has been a full time staff member since 2005 and currently serves as our Executive Pastor, providing leadership to both Daybreak's operations and ministry systems. He also serves as Assistant Campus Pastor for our Gettysburg Pike Campus where he preaches, leads, and engages newcomers. He was Mechanicsburg's original "Jubilee Day Idol," is an avid Philadelphia sports fan, and has a love for Chick-fil-A & Mission BBQ. Jason and his incredible wife Brooke have 2 sons: Weston and Everett. 

Ned grew up just outside of Baltimore in Bel Air, MD. He has an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has 23 years of ministry experience from serving at various churches in Central PA. He and his wife Kim have 2 adult children, Gareth who is an officer in the US Navy, and Aidan, who is a professional dancer with a Christian dance company in Ft. Worth, TX. For fun, Ned enjoys watching the Orioles and Ravens, making his own hot sauce and spicy ketchup, and losing at fantasy football. As Pastor of Connecting Ministries, Ned champions group life here at Daybreak, and as Campus Pastor, Ned partners with Pastor Shawn in providing shepherding of the Orrs Bridge Road Campus. 

Ron worked at IBM in the security and investigations field before joining Daybreak in 2005. Since then, he earned a BS in Bible from Lancaster Bible College and became ordained through the Alliance. Ron and his wife Leslie have been married since 1982 and have two beautiful grown daughters, Brooke and Lauren, and 5 grandsons, Weston, Everett, Grayson, Isaiah & Jonah. Ron’s ministry passion is to champion the message that all people matter to God and are welcome into His family. As Pastor of Care, Ron leads the Care Ministry to provide God's loving care and support to our church family and beyond. 

Robin was born and raised near Erie, PA, and graduated from Messiah College with a degree in Family Studies. She worked for 12 years for Dauphin County Children & Youth, during which time she obtained a Master’s degree in social work. Robin's passion is in developing a network of ministries, teams and people in order to help others experience true emotional, physical and spiritual healing. Robin also loves being a mom to her two girls: Alexia and Megan. Robin loves reaching and serving our community and our world - helping to minister to their needs and reach them with the good news of the Gospel.

Born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA, Matt is a Penn State graduate with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. Together, Matt and his wife Kate have three daughters, Ava, Claire, and Jane. Matt found Daybreak in 2016 and was immediately drawn in by the welcoming atmosphere and engaging worship. Shortly thereafter Kate joined the worship team and Matt began serving weekly in Kid Min. Matt's passion for shepherding kids ultimately led to following God's call to enter full-time ministry in 2021. He is excited to lead our dedicated volunteers in teaching kids how to have a strong and lasting relationship with Jesus. When not engaged with kids, Matt loves to spend his time kayaking down the Yellow Breeches.

Kyle was born and raised in York, Pennsylvania and graduated from Messiah University with a degree in Christian Ministries. He currently resides in Camp Hill with his wife, Emily, and his daughter, Lucy. Kyle has a passion for loving and discipling those who feel like they don't belong. In his personal time, he enjoys playing and watching sports, playing the drums, listening to music, and being outdoors. He also loves sci-fi/fantasy media and literature. As Pastor of Student Ministries, Kyle loves creating environments where students can discover and deepen a life-changing relationship with Jesus.  

Amanda, a Chicago-area native, is a graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Elementary Education and holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Concordia University. She’s married to Rick, mom to Abby, and wrangler of Fred, the family’s lovable English bulldog. When she’s not serving as the Central Staff Kid Min Director, Amanda is camping, cooking, or planning the family’s next Disney adventure. She’s passionate about helping kids build a solid Biblical foundation while empowering parents, staff and volunteers to guide them. She’s blessed by the opportunity to blend her love for Jesus with her passion for education into daily ministry.

Eric Blas, grew up in Fort Worth, TX. He did his worship residency at Central Wesleyan Church in  Holland, MI and has 10 years of experience in discipleship ministries, leadership development and corporate worship experiences. Eric and his wife Marisa have been married for 7 years and have a beautiful daughter named Emersyn. Eric and his family recently moved from Grand Rapids, MI to follow God’s calling to Daybreak and felt immediately connected to the heart and mission of the church. Eric’s passion is to teach a lifestyle of worship that then forms a culture that allows more awareness to the intimacy of God.  

Laura grew up in Dillsburg and graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a degree in English and Writing. She began attending Daybreak in 2011 after she had just moved home from Indianapolis. Laura and her husband, Joe, were drawn in by the joy and love they felt right off the bat. Since starting to attend, Laura and Joe have grown their family by 3: Jason, Leo, and Katie. Despite her own kids keeping her busy, Laura has served in Kid Min and with Global Ministries, and also currently serves on our sermon writing and preaching teams. Laura brings a wealth of international experience to her staff role as Assistant Director of Global Ministries and is excited to be able to help our Daybreak family know and share God's heart for people all over the world! Laura’s favorite way to relax is with the puzzles section of the newspaper - Cryptoquips and KenKen are her

favorites!

Deb grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from nursing school as a Registered Nurse. She also has degrees in Missions & Intercultural Studies. In 2017, she earned her certificate in Spiritual Direction. Deb’s favorite thing about Daybreak is the vision to intentionally reach and engage with people to help them take the next step in their relationship with God. Deb is married to John and together they have 3 grown daughters, Sarah, Caitlyn & Rebekah. Deb enjoys a great cup of coffee, browsing the library, the sky at sunset, British humor because it's dry and understated and she loves spending time with her family. She has been on staff since 2015 leading our spiritual formation efforts.

Eric grew up attending Daybreak throughout his childhood and has many great memories here. He was raised in Dillsburg, PA where he met his wife, Jess. Eric attended Cairn University in Langhorne, PA where he played Division III basketball, developed a love for Chipotle, and graduated with his B.S. in Bible with a focus on Pastoral Ministry. Eric enjoys competing in athletics, fishing, Star Wars, and hiking with Jess and their dog, Winston. Eric has joined Daybreak’s staff as our Planting Pastor who is preparing to launch Daybreak’s future 3rd campus in the Fall of 2025. Currently he serves at both of our Daybreak Campuses and is looking forward to advancing God’s Kingdom here on the west shore of Harrisburg.

Born & raised in Mechanicsburg, PA, Kelly’s childhood home is just a few miles down the road from Daybreak. She attended Toccoa Falls College for 3 semesters and then graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with a degree in Human Services. Kelly is married to Dean and together they have 3 kids, Alysha, Aaron & Alanna. Kelly and Dean attended Immanuel Alliance church and were called to be a part of the founding group to start Daybreak in 1999. Kelly was drawn to Daybreak because of our focus on the unchurched and our desire to reach those who have not yet experienced a life changing relationship with Jesus. Kelly was on staff as part of the Children’s Ministry team from 2001-2005. She returned to staff as our Global Ministries Coordinator in 2014 where she oversees our Short-Term trips and all of our global partnerships. Kelly feels blessed to be a part of what God is doing around the world.  She enjoys reading and building relationships with people.

Amanda Benoit is married to her best friend, Brian, and together they have four amazing children. In her free time you will likely find her doing something active outside, gardening, or creating some type of art. Amanda and her family have been attending Daybreak since 2018. In 2019, she received a strong call from God to step into serving as a DSM leader. During her time as a leader, she developed a strong passion for building a sense of belonging and community for the students. She desires for each student to have a supportive environment to discover what it means to have their identity be in Christ and how to deepen their personal relationships with Jesus so that they can step into the world with confidence and a faith that is their own. Amanda is excited for the opportunity to continue this work in her new role as Assistant Director!

Born and raised in Central PA, Charity graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Theatre Arts. Charity is married to Adam and together they have 2 kids, Amelia and Jude. After working in theater and event planning for higher education in Philadelphia for 10 years, she and her family moved back to the area to be closer to family. Charity's favorite thing about Daybreak is that all are welcome and the true sense of care and love for the community. When she isn't at a field hockey game for her daughter, a band concert or wrestling match for her son, she enjoys reading, baking, hiking and sharing a meal with family and friends.

Todd Hakes was born and raised New Cumberland, PA but now resides in East Berlin. He graduated from Red Land High School and went on to earn a degree in Computer Science from Lock Haven University where he met his wife, Diane. They’ve been married for 38 years, have two children, Noah and Kylie and now two grandchildren, Britton and Kendall. Todd has been attending Daybreak since November 2021. Some of Todd’s hobbies include working on his 1986 Ford truck and 1965 Chevy Nova as well as boating, hunting and playing with his grandchildren. As the Facilities Coordinator, Todd oversees maintaining both campuses and providing support to volunteer maintenance/cleaning teams.

Jenn grew up in Montoursville, Pennsylvania and graduated from Shippensburg University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Jenn’s favorite thing about Daybreak is the people! She loves worshipping together on Sunday mornings, connecting with those in our community, and she loves the way Daybreak serves others. Jenn is married to Rob and together they have 3 girls, Drew, Caly & Bryn. Jenn enjoys watching her girls play in their respective sports. As a family, they enjoy kayaking, hiking, camping, and watching Football (Mechanicsburg Wildcats and Penn State). Jenn joined staff in February 2020 and serves as the OBR Campus Kid Min Director where she leads a team of great volunteers to love and disciple the kids of OBR. 

Born and raised in East Berlin, PA, Kiefer graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Communications Media. He enjoys fishing, hunting, going on adventures with Taylor, watching sports and coffee. Kiefer has been attending Daybreak since October 2021. He loves the communal aspect as well as the caring nature of Daybreak. As the Communications Coordinator, Kiefer creates resources used on social media and on Sunday’s. 

Jacy grew up in New Cumberland, PA and now lives with her family in Enola, PA. Jacy loves all things Marvel, The Office and spending time with her husband, Paul and three kiddos - Taryn, Kiran and Aiden. Jacy and her family have been attending Daybreak since 2021 and were drawn to the Kid Min program for their young children and Daybreak's mission to bring Jesus into the mental health space. As a Social Worker and a follower of Jesus, she has a passion for helping people feel loved and connected in life's difficult seasons. The Lord called her to join Daybreak's team in 2024 to continue to help provide a space for people with mental health struggles to feel seen and known.

Alysha grew up in Mt. Union, PA, and moved to Mechanicsburg in 2011. She has a background in dance and management, having spent 25 years as a dancer and teaching classes, as well as managing local businesses. Alysha began attending Daybreak in 2012, drawn to its welcoming atmosphere and impactful messages. As Daybreak’s Administrative Specialist, Alysha provides vital support to various departments. In her free time, she enjoys spending time attending sporting events, hiking, paddle boarding and spending time with friends and family. 

Laura currently resides in Dover with her husband of 34 years, Clark, and has 2 daughters. She began attending Daybreak in the spring of 2021 and loves feeling the spirit of worship every Sunday. Laura also enjoys serving on Sundays with the 2–3-year-old class. She is looking forward to learning and growing in her role at Daybreak as the Administrative Assistant for Kid Min. Some of Laura’s hobbies include hiking, yoga, traveling and home renovation projects.