My name is Jared Yaple, and I‘m the pastor of Watershed Church. I am married to Jennifer, and we have three adult children: a son who attends Northwestern Michigan College (Jackson), a daughter who is a sophomore at Calvin University (Kaitlyn), and a son living in Brooklyn, NY (Matthew).

My family began attending Watershed in June of 2014, and we’ve loved being a part of the church family ever since. My installation as pastor took place in October 2015.

I grew up a military kid in northern Michigan, graduating from Suttons Bay High School in 1994. I completed a B.A. in Youth Ministry at Moody Bible Institute ('99) and an M.A. in Communication and Culture at Trinity Graduate School ('03), with additional study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School. I am a Commissioned Pastor in the Christian Reformed Church and a second-year student in the Master of Divinity program at Calvin Theological Seminary. I also have a certificate in narrative-focused trauma care from The Allender Center (‘21).

On a typical day, you'll find me in my home office or at a coffee shop, reading a book or working on a sermon, and listening to hip-hop. You might also find me at Spanglish, sharing a meal of tostadas or tacos with Jennifer, or out on one of northern Michigan’s hiking trails (Kettles Trail is our favorite).