Mark Andrew Snyder

About Me.....

 Well, I guess you could say it all started way back in the womb, those were the good old days… but for real—it did.  I was born 6wks early on December 30^th 1989…I was supposed be a Valentine’s Day baby, but an unexplained infection had set in and I had pneumonia and meningitis which caused my premature arrival and I spent several weeks in the NICU fighting for each breath.   I was so small you could put a wash cloth over my whole body!  So the Lord had a plan for my life from the very beginning and made sure that the enemy did not have his is way by killing me.   I grew up the youngest of 4 in a Christian home school family and even though I was picked on, I was spoiled as well.  We were a hockey family too…I started playing when I was 3yrs old and still head to the rink regularly to this day.  Knowing the Lord started when a friend of mine and I asked Jesus into our hearts when we were 5yrs old, but choosing to follow Him with all my heart didn’t begin until later down the road.   Although I had praying parents and attended church every Sunday, at age 13 during the heart of my hockey years, I was introduced to some bad stuff  and my eyes were opened to things of this world that would have a  hold on me until I was 18, but thankfully the Lord redeems!  Jesus is bigger than anything the enemy had in mind; in 2005, I was 15yrs old and I was at IHOP attending the Summer Teen Intensive (STI). I honestly did not want to be there.  God had even used an argument between my mom and me to get me to go and to this day I have no clue what it was all about…I wanted to get out of the house and 10hrs later I was in KC.  The next morning Cory Russell spoke to all the teens and called out every one of my sins and seem to know what my sad life was about; it was crazy.  Again, the Lord planted a seed that I needed a little later down the road.  I didn’t have the support to help me stay out of the sin I was getting caught up in, but I made it to the next two STI camps in ’06 and ’07 which continued to stir my heart toward Jesus. From there it was the 2007 One Thing Conference where the Lord told me to do the One Thing Internship (OTI).  While attending OTI the Lord took my world and flipped it upside down, right side up, and upside down again and again. My life changed.  I went from hopelessness to following the Lord and giving Him all that I am.  I ended up staying in KC and finding out that He was calling me to whole hearted abandonment to Jesus.  I have been rooted in the Word of God and He keeps me growing more every day.  I know who He says I am; I am His beloved one, and the one He died for.  The Lord has planted me in KC for 3-1/2yrs now as an Intercessory Missionary, an IHOPU student, and a sound technician for Justin Rizzo’s worship team. 

I hope you are blessed by what the Lord has done in my life, I know I am!

What I do as a Intercessory Missionary at IHOP-KC

I give of myself to approximately 50 hours per week in the prayer room as a full-time staff Intercessory Missionary at IHOP-KC.   I raise all my own support so I can reach out to others from a lifestyle of prayer and worship.  I am also committed to the forerunner message of preparing myself and others to “prepare the way of the Lord” just like John the Baptist, in living a lifestyle of discipline and devotion to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This is done within a community on what we call the Missions Base…I am here with 2,000+ believers who do the same or similar things as myself (staff, Students, and interns) who have dedicated their time, jobs, and money to serving in this houses of prayer, which is only one of the many around the world.  My goal in serving in the house of prayer is to grow in love for Jesus and to demonstrate my love for others in works of service, justice, outreach, prayer, worship, and compassion; all while proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ as He returns to this earth.

Part of my service on the Missions Base is running sound on a worship team in the prayer room for six, two hour sets every week.  Justin Rizzo and Anna Blanc are the leaders of our worship team, which I would consider my spiritual family.  The relationships we share are rich and consistent…we see each other almost every day throughout the week, not only in the music and prayer and worship setting, but also eating together, Bible study and being in fellowship with each other.  I’m so happy to be a part of this worship team at  IHOP-KC.

2012 Update.....

It was 3-1/2 years ago that the Lord moved me to Kansas City, MO. I attended the One Thing Internship and then moved to full time staff with IHOP-KC Missions Base. After 2yrs of growing as the full time sound engineer on Justin Rizzo’s worship team, I’ve also taken leadership over sound in the Prayer Room from 6am-Noon. As the SSP (Senior Sound Producer) over the morning section I give leadership to six other sound engineers, by making sure all sound in the Prayer Room is providing an enjoyable atmosphere for prayer & worship. Because we are a 24/7 house of prayer it is very important that the sound is working and at the right level that is safe for those who are in the Prayer Room. It’s one of the best ways I’ve served in the Prayer Room; it truly is a lot of fun.  In addition to that, I’ve been in music school and I’m one semester away from receiving my diploma in my Music Production program, which is the study of sound engineering techniques and methods in both live and studio environments.  My dream would be to have my own recording studio someday, but in the mean time I will be interning with other recording studios to keep the up with the industry.  If you would like to learn more about my vision for having my own personal in home studio and doing studio work you can go to my website: www.messagethroughtsongrecords.com

Photos done by Dane Christine Photography

www.danachristinephotography.com