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 junior at Davenport University (Kaitlyn), and a son who lives with his fianceé and dog in Los Angeles, CA (Matthew, Kate, & Spicy).

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 have a B.A. in Youth Ministry (Moody Bible Institute), and an M.A. in Communication and Culture (Trinity Graduate School), with additional study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School. I am a Commissioned Pastor in the Christian Reformed Church and am finishing a 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 at my office or a coffee shop, reading a book, working on a sermon, or listening to hip-hop. You might also find me with Jennifer on one of northern Michigan’s hiking trails (Kettles Trail is our favorite).