Occupation: I am the children and youth pastor for Grace Christian Fellowship, here in Newtown, on Mt Pleasant Road.

Family: I’m single. My parents, Barry and Sheila Fredericks, live in Bethel and are the senior pastors at the church. They pioneered the church back in 1984. I have two younger brothers, Blaine and Seth. Blaine lives in Brookfield, like myself, and Seth is in Bethel.

Pets: I have three cats, Noah, Canaan, who was rescued from Canaan House at Fairfield Hills, and Ruthie, Canaan’s “girlfriend.” I was only adopting Noah and Canaan from DAWS, but Ruthie was crying…. I have a soft spot for animals.

How long have you worked in Newtown? I’ve been at Grace Christian for 14 years. It’s wild seeing how the kids have grown up that I’ve taught. They’ve gone through college, gotten married, and have kids of their own, some of whom I now teach. It’s pretty cool.

What do you like to do in your free time? I occasionally volunteer at DAWS (Danbury Animal Welfare Society), and I work out at the gym a few times a week. I love to cook, and have friends over, and I’m addicted to reality television. Survivor, Top Chef, and Amazing Race are among my favorites. I also work part-time at Williams Sonoma at the Danbury Fair Mall.

Do you have a favorite cookbook author? I enjoy Tyler Florence, and Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. For other reading, I enjoy Frank Peretti and C.S. Lewis.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It’s definitely the friendly feeling you get around town. Just going anywhere and running into people you know is great. Even if you don’t know someone, you recognize him or her, it seems. I love seeing people catching up with each other and it’s never in a gossipy way. I love driving down Main Street and seeing the flags. It makes you proud to be part of a town like this.

Do you have someone you really admire? Ron Luce. He’s the founder of Teen Mania Ministries in Garden Valley, Texas. He’s given his life to reaching teens with the Gospel message. His whole purpose is to see young people do something bigger than living the American dream — giving a part of their lives to go to impoverished countries or even impoverished parts of our own country. I lead mission trips for him in the summer. This summer we went to Los Angeles, to Skid Row, and our middle school kids went to Washington, D.C., and ran a Bible school in a low-income neighborhood.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? I love Costa Rica. I’ve been there three times. I love the beaches and the rain forests there. Ireland would be a close second.

Do you have a personal philosophy? WWJD — What Would Jesus Do. I really do try to pattern my life after Him, not in a cheesy way, but in a real way of treating people the way I would want to be treated.

 What is the best gift you have ever received? The gift of friendship means everything to me. I love to have friends over and do things with them.