Craig graduated from Biola University in 1988 and went right into ministry, choosing it over a career in professional baseball. While in ministry for 30 years, he served on staff at three churches. The Grove Community Church in Riverside, CA for seven years, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA for 13 years and Venture Church in Los Gatos, CA. In his ministry, Craig served as a Family Pastor and a Children’s Pastor while also being a Teaching Pastor at both Saddleback and Venture. He had a passion for communicating in a relevant fun way and audiences all around the world enjoyed his live teaching, best selling books and curriculum, leadership blog and online classes. Craig was voted by Group Magazine as one of the Pioneers of the Decade for his work in Children’s Ministry as well as one of the top 20 influencers of the last 20 years in ministry. He also appeared on several radio and television programs discussing the topics of authentic leadership, life balance, family and parenting. In 1996, Craig and his wife, Mary started Empowered Living where our mission is to “Empower Leaders and Families for Life.” In 2004, they started a non-profit ministry to help families adopt internationally. Later this ministry changed names from Orphan Impact to Empowered Living Foundation, in order to widen its ministry and scope.

     One of his books is Hectic to Healthy: The Journey to a Balanced Life in which he and Mary openly share of his struggles to balance ministry life and family life. While in counseling, Craig left church ministry and went through a very difficult time in which he struggled with depression and brokenness but came out a much better person; more humble, patient, genuine and caring. Some of his most important learnings involved avoiding isolation from others, staying connected with God & close friends and putting your family first, above ministry.

     Craig and Mary began sharing about their marriage and ministry struggles in conferences all around the country. What they learned was that their struggle was not unique. Many pastors feel isolated from others, have no one to turn to in a crisis, when often their own church cuts them off either because of their own failure or just because the “church is going in a different direction.”

     Soon others saw Craig as a person they could turn to in their brokenness. Countless connections at conferences and through emails, placed a strong desire on Craig’s heart to start a place where hurting pastors could come for healing and get connected in long term relationships with others who could relate and encourage them.

     Over the last 10 years, Craig prayed and journaled and dreamed of a place on Whidbey Island, Washington for this connection and healing to begin. He wanted a beautiful place where others could get away from the rush of life and experience the magnitude and serenity of God’s power in nature while rekindling hope and rebuilding healthy habits. He dreamed of bringing in counselors to help start the healing, Christian leaders to help teach new habits and group facilitators to help connect hurting pastors to each other. His dream was not for it to be a ‘retreat’ where they would come for a period of time and then leave, but rather as a place for healing to start. Connections would continue long term, with follow up and most importantly ongoing authentic relationships between the attendees, so that the pastors would experience community in a safe healthy way.

     When Craig passed away suddenly of a heart attack in December 2018, Mary and the Empowered Living Foundation Board started the Craig Jutila Memorial Fund, with the goal of making Craig’s vision come to life.