Category: Support Pastors

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Thomas Goodfellow, the new Director of Student Ministries at Grace Community Covenant Church

What is your personal and ministry background?
I came to Christ at the age of nine, alongside an awesome older sister, following in the footsteps of an inspiring older brother. My parents both grew up in the church, but my siblings and I hadn’t. Church was new to me. My parents had been de-churched for years since the death of my oldest bother, but they came back at my sister’s insistence after she attended a VBS. Even though I was young, my faith was real, encouraging, and immediately energizing – I had been a particularly difficult kid, and Jesus actually changed that. Still, it took me a few years before I really dove into scripture, and began to realize that Jesus was serious when he said he came to give life to the fullest, life in real relationship with him. In my early teens I redevoted my life to Christ, and by the time I was seventeen it was obvious that God had me on a path to ministry.

I never expected to go into full time ministry; I always thought I’d serve bi-vocationally just like all the youth ministers I’d known growing up in England. To my surprise, in 2007 I felt a strong call from God to leave the secular college I was attending and pursue an education that would equip me for more ministry than I’d ever imagined. This lead me through a few separate degrees, and some awesome roles in ministry along the way – at one of which I met my wife, Erin, a fellow youth worker. I moved to the United States to marry her and finish my Bachelors and Masters at Moody Theological Seminary. Over the years, I’ve been a schools outreach worker in the UK, intern at the largest church in Wisconsin, served as a Youth Pastor on Whidbey Island, and as an Associate Pastor in Chicago, before God used covid to pave the path for us to join the ECC and our wonderful new community at Grace Community Covenant.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?
My biggest passion has been pretty consistent for the last decade. I love getting to know God and people, while serving both.

How can we pray for you?
I think I need the same prayer every other minister needs right now – during covid we’re facing new challenges, and we need God’s guidance and support as much as ever. Pray for wisdom as I seek to meet the needs of our students, their families, and our community.

Five Things You didn’t Know about Thomas:

What is your personal philosophy?
A belief held within a bubble of sterile philosophy isn’t a belief at all, it’s a default setting…
I want to live in a world of questions (see www.thomasgoodfellow.us/context for more context).

Where is your favorite place to be?
It’s not the best season for this, but my favorite place to be is in a coffee shop talking with friends both old and new.

What is your favorite thing to do?
Go on adventures with my amazing wife, Erin – anything from getting coffee to exploring new places.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Is there a job that involves puppies, coffee, and hanging out with my wife?

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?
I’m an immigrant, so after several years away from my homeland, traveling back to England spend time with my amazing grandparent and my sister’s family and meet my new niece was probably the best.

[Click Here] to visit Thomas’ Facebook Page

[Click Here] to visit Grace Community Covenant Church’s Webpage

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries

Enjoy this interview with Jeneeth Christopher Pathula, the new Director of Student Ministries at Kent Covenant Church

What is your personal and ministry background?

I grew up in a Christian family having daily family prayer, and reading the Word of God. When I attended a National Youth Conference at the age of 19, I realized that God called me to be His son. It was time for me to surrender my life and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. During the same time I was in the children’s ministry that my dad started called Feel A Fellow Feeling Foundation.

I moved to Chicago for Moody Theological Seminary where I lead small groups as a leader in the Discipleship cohort, and I held the position of Men’s Chaplain for a year. During my final year in seminary, and after graduation, I was involved with Park Community Church. Here I did multiple internships, served as a host for Saturday night services, and lead small groups. I met my wonderful wife and teammate in ministry, Noelle Pathula, in my final year of seminary.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

OH!!! I am passionate about learning the Word of God. Trust me! I love learning. I turn this passion for learning God’s Word to teaching His Word to the youth.

How can we pray for you?

God’s wisdom over my wife and me while I am leading the Student Ministry. Pray for the students. This pandemic has been hard on them.

Five things you didn’t know about Jeneeth:

What is your personal philosophy?

Learn and keep learning.

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

TWO things: I couldn’t live without My wife and spicy food.

What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far?

The greatest challenge was trusting God with His plans for my life, especially with my transition from India to Chicago. Backstory: In 2014, when I first moved from India to Chicago, I had a lot of first-time experiences. First time getting on a plane, leaving family, leaving the country, and I had less than $1000 in my pocket. I had no friends, no job, or a place to stay. All I knew was that God was leading me to study at Moody Theological Seminary, and I had to trust Him. That was hard and challenging.

What is the one thing you cannot resist?

Puppies.

Where is your favorite place to be?

Restaurants. “Food” is my love language.

Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities?

Flying Cars. Everyman’s childhood dream

[Click Here] to visit Kent Covenant Church’s web page

By Dawn Taloyo, Director of Pastoral and Congregational Health, PacNWC

“Pivot” seems to be my new favorite word. It well describes the relentless need these days to switch things up, change course, be adaptable and flexible. A quick look at synonyms for “pivot” is revealing. Turning to Merriam-Webster’s online thesaurus I read “revolve, roll, swing, swirl, swivel, twist, whirl.”  No wonder I feel dizzy and tired! How about you?

I feel immense respect and gratitude for our Covenant pastors, chaplains, leaders and churches for the persistent pivoting; the twisting and turning and adapting and learning required in this ever-changing, all-hands and hearts-on-deck, racial-reckoning and covid-pandemic season. As one Covenant pastor in Yakima said in a recent Zoom meeting, “We now know this isn’t a snowstorm but a winter.”

Yes, and maybe that’s why our conference staff team is sensing a new wave of “tired” among our clergy and leaders. You can only swing and twist and pivot so long before needing to lie down and get your sense of gravity and stability back. I suggest, the counterpoint to “pivot” is “stillness”.

Be still and know that I am God. -Ps 46:10

He leads me beside still waters. -Ps 23:2

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. -Ps 37:7

This summer I am facilitating two clergy book clubs, both discussing The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero. An early chapter is titled, ‘Slow Down for Loving Union.’  (Now slow down and go back to repeat that title a few times. Good job.) In this chapter, Scazzero reminds us that “…every action Jesus took was rooted in a place of deep rest and centeredness out of his relationship with God.” [emphasis mine] And, Scazzero offers the following checklist:

You know you’re not experiencing loving union when you…

• Can’t shake the pressure you feel from having too much to do in too little time
• Are always rushing
• Routinely fire off quick opinions and judgments
• Are often fearful about the future
• Are overly concerned with what others think
• Are defensive and easily offended
• Are routinely preoccupied and distracted
• Consistently ignore the stress, anxiety and tightness in your body
• Feel unenthusiastic or threatened by the success of others
• Routinely spend more time talking than listening

The invitation? Slow down. Slow down for loving union with our God who calms the storms, stills the waters, and makes passageways through the rivers. How can I slow the spinning down?

• Take a walk and listen for the birds.
• Read Psalm 46 a few times every day for a week.
• Place a chair in front of a window or find a beautiful card or piece of art to stop and give yourself permission to just gaze for 10 minutes a day.
• Call a friend (instead of Zoom) who helps you to laugh.

I imagine the need and ability to pivot will continue for some time. But, just as important is the pausing and resting. I’d rather move like a ballet dancer who concludes the pirouette with grace and purpose, than like a twirling child who dizzily staggers and falls to the ground.

So, I invite you to take a moment now…

Recognize the spinning.

Slow it down.

Put the other foot down.

Steady yourself.

Breathe.

Be still.

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy these interviews with Rachel Gough and Michelle Huskamp, the new Co-Lead Pastors at Monroe Covenant Church

Rachel Gough

What is your personal and ministry background?

I grew up in the church in a Christian family, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I truly met God for the first time. My parents were going through a divorce, and I, too, was leaving an abusive marriage. It was a tumultuous time to say the least. Because my parents had always said they would never get divorced, and because I thought I had done everything “right” and had still ended up a failure, my faith in God was completely shaken. I took a deliberate break from all things religious. When I turned around and came back home—literally and metaphorically—I found, not an angry deity ready to strike me with lightning for my apostasy, but an open-armed Father throwing a party for his prodigal daughter. My practical needs were met immediately by friends and family—a place to live, a car, a job. For the first time I experienced God as intimate, as one pursuing me and showing me, without a doubt, that I was beloved. It changed my life, and I hope to walk alongside others who are learning that they are part of God’s story. 

My path to church ministry took a circuitous route. As a woman, becoming a pastor was not something I had ever considered. I didn’t grow up seeing women pastors. It was subtly but firmly forbidden in the non-denominational church I attended as a youth. A few years ago, my mom started attending seminary to take classes for her continuing education certification, and she started telling me all the things she was learning about the Bible, the church, and God’s heart for women. My family and I had recently moved to the small town of Monroe from Seattle having been challenged by our former pastor to be counter cultural in how we stayed put in one place and built community. However, it took more than three years to find a church in the area that affirmed women in ministry, which had become a nonnegotiable criterion for all of us. We visited many churches, and we even tried hosting a house church with some similarly churchless friends. Finally, through three different points of connection, we found Monroe Covenant Church, and we’ve been astounded by this small church with a big heart that feels like family. 

At the time, I, too, was enrolled in seminary with the intention of becoming a chaplain, but when Pastor Mac Taylor invited me to speak to the women from the gospel mission after a Tuesday night dinner, and then to preach on a Sunday morning, God began shifting my heart toward the idea of pastoring. Not just pastoring anywhere, but pastoring these people in this place. Saying yes to the call of my beloved church family has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I look forward to many meaningful years of ministry to and with them. I am also thrilled that I get to share the responsibility and vision of ministry with my co-pastor Michelle Huskamp. In God’s upside-down kingdom, of course two women can pastor a church!

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

The thing I am most passionate about in ministry is our call to witness to the world of God’s goodness and love by the way we care for each other internally and the way we turn outward to work for the flourishing of all people in our communities. This includes a radical commitment to fellowship with brothers and sisters with whom we may disagree. It includes leveraging our money, time, and resources to make sure everyone has enough. And it involves caring more about people and the dignity of their stories than about having the right answers. I also love digging deeply into scripture, wrestling with it, and coming to it with eyes ready to see something fresh that’s truly good news for my people.

How can we pray for you?

I would love prayer for Michelle and myself as we have begun our calls here in the midst of COVID-19 and the reckoning of racial injustice. I would love prayer for unity and action in our church as we navigate these issues. I would love prayer for my family as my husband and kids adjust to Mom/Rachel working for the first time. And I would love prayer for equitable housing options in our increasingly expensive town.

Five Things You Didn’t Know about Rachel:

What is your favorite thing to do?

I read whenever I can. I love reading almost anything, but when it’s just for fun I devour early 20th century British mystery novels.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

I got to spend a week in Italy last year, Venice and Rome. It was the best—incredible buildings and history, friendly people, and amazing food. I would go back every year if I could.

Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities?

Definitely moon cities. I’ve daydreamed about being the first chaplain to a space colony, or at least writing about it. 

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

If I weren’t a pastor (and I may still do this alongside pastoring) I would write mystery stories, perhaps with a feisty clergywoman as the heroine.

Tell us something that might surprise us about you.  

I spent some time working as an extra in Hollywood in my mid-20s. You might catch a glimpse of me on an episode of ‘Chuck’ or ‘Criminal Minds.’

Michelle Huskamp

What is your personal and ministry background?

I grew up in the church as the daughter of a pastor, so I have been around ministry and involved in ministry for my whole life. I was basically the youth group mascot as a little girl, attending summer camps and going on mission trips with the teenagers from toddlerhood. As a teenager I taught Sunday school and was a junior counselor at summer camps for elementary schoolers. While I loved the church and loved serving, I hadn’t considered ministry as a vocation until college. I was home during Christmas break one year and the senior pastor at our church pulled me aside at a Christmas party to talk about how college was going and such. During our conversation, he suggested that I consider seminary after college and that God might be calling me to vocational ministry. From that point on, I approached serving in the church more intentionally and really began praying about seminary and full-time ministry.

Immediately after college, my husband (Andrew) and I moved to Bellevue, WA so Andrew could work with Youth for Christ. We ran a City Life club, started an afterschool drop-in center at our church, and most surprisingly, within a year after moving there, ended up as the volunteer youth pastors at our church. We pastored the youth group for the next six years while I attended Fuller Seminary Northwest in pursuit of my MDiv.

When we found out we were pregnant with twins a year and a half after our first son was born, we knew that we weren’t going to be able to continue doing it all – we both had full-time jobs while also pastoring the youth group. We stepped down from our volunteer roles, through a miraculous set of circumstances ended up being able to buy a house in Monroe, and spent the next year and half learning how to be served and cared for by the church after our many years of serving the church ourselves.

Through all of those years, I continued taking classes at Fuller and finally finished my coursework for the MDiv in 2019. During this past year, I did my apprenticeship at a Covenant church plant and then at Monroe Covenant Church to finish out the last requirement for graduation. I was called by Monroe Covenant Church as Co-Pastor when the then-current pastors retired in May.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

I am passionate about seeing the church be a family, with room for everyone to serve, love, and grow together – from the littlest babies to the grandest of grandparents. I want to see authentic relationships between the generations, for children and teenagers to truly be adopted into the full life of the church, and for all of us to learn from each other and support each other as we journey through life with God together.

How can we pray for you?

I would love prayer for my family as we continue to navigate life in this era of COVID – balancing working from home with the needs of our three children (Malachi – 5, Lydia and Dara – 3), making decisions about schooling for our kids (Malachi would be starting kindergarten this fall, but that is up in the air now), continuing to figure out how the rest of the family fits into my role as pastor at the church. I would also love prayer for me specifically as I take on this new role as co-pastor and lead Monroe Covenant Church with Rachel – pray for our partnership as we work together, that our friendship would grow deep; pray for the relationships I am building with the congregation; pray for creativity for Rachel and I as we continue to figure out how to lead our church in ‘being the church’ when everything looks so different in this era of COVID; pray for us as we lead our church in learning more about the history of racism in our country and the anti-racist work that we our pursuing

Five Things You Didn’t Know about Michelle:

What is the one thing you cannot resist?

          I cannot resist books. Brick and mortar bookstores are dangerous (and wonderful) places for me. I always find more books than I can read and have such a hard time picking and choosing which ones to actually buy. Andrew feels similarly about books, so our library is quite extensive and we are always adding to it.

Where is your favorite place to be?

          I don’t have a specific favorite physical location to be, but my favorite place to be is anywhere I can be with my family and/or close friends and enjoy time of connection with one another. This may be in my living room or backyard, eating a meal or playing games together. This may be in a campground or on a hike, enjoying nature and conversation in the beauty of the outdoors. This may be in a coffee shop (in a pre- or post-COVID world) sharing life or discussing theology/politics/parenting/books/etc.

What is your favorite thing to do?

I love to read, bake, play intense board games, and have deep conversations / discussions with people.

What does true leadership mean to you?

          True leadership is about bringing people together. It is about walking with people on their journeys with God and creating spaces for authentic connection and relationships within the church. It is about supporting people as they do new things with God and helping all of us to reimagine creative ways to be the church and bring the kingdom of God ever more fully present in the world.

What is the best book you have ever read?

          I don’t know how I could ever narrow it down to one book. I love anything Madeleine L’Engle or C.S. Lewis wrote, both fiction and non-fiction. Rachel Held Evans always makes me think and Jen Hatmaker makes me laugh (and cry). I have thoroughly enjoyed Justo Gonzalez’s two part “The Story of Christianity” and learning more fully the scope of church history and how much the current church has been shaped by the events and thinkers of the past centuries. I love the Harry Potter series and I am of the luckiest generation that got to grow up with the books as they came out, reading each one at right around the same age that Harry was in each book. I could go on… but I won’t.

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Amanda Moffat, the new Director of Youth Ministry at Newport Covenant Church

What is your personal and ministry background?

I am originally from Orange County, California and have grown up in the Christian faith my whole life. I developed my own personal faith in the Friends church tradition through the acceptance of Jesus Christ and baptism as a young teenager.  My relationship and actions with God have always been extremely intentional and in pursuit of who He is and who I am in Him. Through my time growing up, I have had a passion for learning about Jesus, art, and history which has truly formed my career as well as focus in ministry.

While I grew up in Southern California, I now call myself a true Washingtonian after living in the Seattle area for the past 10 years. I came up to Washington to attend Seattle Pacific University in pursuit of my bachelor of arts in art history while learning in a Christian community. Through my time at Seattle Pacific, God not only guided me to a career in teaching but also introduced me to my husband, Ethan, in which we will be celebrating our 6-year wedding anniversary this September. After 3 years of teaching history at a private school, it was clear that God was calling me away from teaching and to ministry in the church. After months of discernment, God made it clear that I was called to Newport Covenant to serve as the Youth Director as well as go back to Seattle Pacific to receive a Master of Arts in Christian Studies this Fall.

My husband and I live in Lynnwood, Washington with three cats, a tortoise, and 11-year-old goldfish. While we have been attending Newport Covenant for 5 years, my husband has grown up in our church and I am appreciative to serve where he developed his own faith.  We are extremely blessed by a supportive church and family through the pivot of careers for myself. God has made it clear through this past year that ministry is what He has made me for and we are very thankful for the clarity that has been provided to us through this time. I am looking forward to devoting my time to serving our youth and in the church after years as a volunteer in my congregation.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

While I am extremely passionate about sharing the name and good word of Jesus Christ, I have been recently focused and passionate about helping facilitate lasting faiths in our youth with solid roots of action and understanding of our beliefs. While I have been surrounded by Christians my whole life, I have seen many in my same age group leave the church or stop attending church for many different reasons. I can see the benefits and call to be a part of the church, but why do not others? As I have moved into full time ministry, I have began focusing on how to create a sustainable youth ministry while also help cultivate healthy and vibrant relationships between the youth and their Savior reminding them the importance of the church and their faith. Through solid foundations created in youth ministry, I hope to see young Christians continue engaging in their faith as they move on into adulthood.

How can we pray for you?

As I move into my first full time position in ministry, I ask for prayer to lead with wisdom from God and a smooth transition from congregant to youth director. Prayer for spiritual growth for our students would be very much appreciated since time a part has caused us to struggle on helping build their faith. Our church could also use prayer through the time of separation as it has been difficult to engage individually, especially for the youth and young adults.

Five things you didn’t know about Amanda:

What three traits define you?  

Outgoing, Determined, and Creative

Where is your favorite place to be?

I have a couple of favorite places to be or go, especially in the Pacific Northwest. If I need a solid day of relaxing, self-care, and time with Jesus, I love to either go to Whidbey Island or Leavenworth. I, also, LOVE going to Cascades Camp and wish I could go there more often. If it is a rainy day, you could find me at the Seattle Art Museum enjoying one of the exhibits there.

What is your favorite thing to do?

I love to cook and bake, watch television with my husband, and cuddle with our three kitties. If I am feeling creative, I also enjoy coloring and working on different art projects around the house.

Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

I have been blessed enough to travel to many places around the world but Rome is still the best place I have ever been. Due to my background in art history, I love being able to walk around every corner and find a piece of history. Plus, the pizza, pasta, and gelato is AMAZING there. I would happily live there for a summer again.

What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?

Be bold and trust God in EVERYTHING. Looking back as an adult, I wish I was less apprehensive to God’s calls for me but I also know that His timing was perfect for when I did follow through.

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Mike Matousek, the new Associate Pastor at Countryside Community Church in Sherwood, OR

What is your personal and ministry background?

My relationship with God has always been a centerpiece of my life.  I grew up in a Christian family and spent my formative years in a strong church, placing my faith in Jesus in the Children’s ministry program at age 8.  My faith needed to grow both in intellectual understanding and in experiential deepening, and my involvement in church and especially in camping provided the setting where my faith flourished over my late high school and college years.  God also used significant life events to deepen my faith. 

Twice I have felt like God placed a calling on my life.  One was the night I was elected as the mayor of our city in Wisconsin and the other was at a missions conference at our church a few years ago.  Both times He confirmed a unique calling to ministry on my life and both times I felt Him work in supernatural ways.  I’m not sure exactly how the second one will play out but the first one has already had enough time elapse to clearly see God’s hand.  The night I was elected I looked at my wife and said, “This doesn’t make any sense, and it seems like God is preparing us for something beyond even this.”  She agreed even though neither of us had any idea what that meant.  At the time I probably would have guessed that He was preparing me for some sort of higher political office which was a real possibility.  However, upon the calling to pastoral ministry, and our attempt to turn it down twice before finally accepting, it became clear shortly thereafter that God had specifically prepared me with the exact skills and abilities needed to step into the gap at His church.  I’m certain that I’m in a similar place now based on the second affirmation of calling and I’m excited to discover whatever God has in store for my future.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

I find that my faith deepens significantly when I interact with a vibrant faith community and when I spend time intellectually learning about it.  Therefore, I have always put a very high value on my involvement in the life of a local body of believers, and upon journeying through life intimately with a group of Christians that practice mutual accountability.  In addition, I carve out time to engage my intellectual side by frequent study of God’s word, books on theology and Christian leadership, and by my decision to attend seminary.  I try to pray continuously and bring biblical thinking to every situation.  I want my faith to be integrated into my life, not just something that takes center stage on Sunday or even during a quiet time.

How can we pray for you?

I’ve been married for 20 years to my wife Christina and we have four children: Abby (17), Tyler (15), Brady (8), and Kinsley (5).  During that big break in the middle we moved from the midwest to Portland 🙂  Like most parents, we are concerned about doing the best thing for our kids’ education in this time of COVID and social unrest.  Do we move them from public schools to private?  Do we put them in a private online schooling situation (the end of the last school year did not work well for any of them)? What part do finances play? What part do our beliefs and values play? These are things we would appreciate prayers for us and for so many parents that are facing the same issues.

What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your life thus far?

The greatest challenge that I have overcome in my life has been my congenital heart defect (bicuspid aortic valve). It has led directly to two heart surgeries (2007 and 2020) and will likely result in at least one more.  The first one was when I was only 36 years old with two children under five years old.  It was very difficult and definitely pushed my faith in God’s sovereignty and goodness.  I have learned much through these experiences and they have created a very deep compassion for those suffering from health issues.

What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?

The most important innovation in my lifetime is undoubtedly the internet.  I’m old enough to remember when it wasn’t a thing.  The way we live in a wide variety of ways has been completely upended since those days for both good and bad.  I’m not saying I would want to go back…I can’t imagine living in this time of quarantine without the internet!  It has also profoundly changed the way we do ministry and the way people expect us to engage with them as pastors.  Again I think this has had both good and bad aspects, but regardless it has caused us all to think differently and forced us to confront change.

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?

If I wasn’t a pastor I’d go back into politics.  I loved it.  Maybe it would be harder now and I wouldn’t like the mean tone of it all.  When I served in local politics and dipped my toe into the possibility of statewide politics in Wisconsin (2004-2008), the climate was very different than today.  However, it provided a platform for creating real and meaningful change, for fighting for justice for all citizens, and for profound relational and leadership development.  I count those years as the most interesting and transformative of my life in all aspects and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Click Here] to visit Mike’s Facebook Page

[Click Here] to visit Countryside Community Church’s Web Page

By, Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Peter Gothold, the Director of Worship and Arts at Kent Covenant Church in Kent, WA.

What is your personal and ministry background?

I grew up in church, the product of several generations of pastors and musicians on both sides. I swore I would never be a church musician. God wasn’t impressed. Through years of playing guitar or drums for youth group, InterVaristy large groups, and always playing at church, God began to develop in me a love of leading his people in song, and a deep love for the bride of Christ, the local Church. I did a few youth internships after college, but quickly learned I was meant for something else. In 2010 I got my first call to full time vocational ministry at a small Covenant church plant in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was there for 9 years, and learned and grew so much as a disciple and a leader. In the fall of 2019 I got the call to come to the PNW to start at Kent Covenant Church, and have LOVED being here so far; great people, great heart for the community, and a great city to call home! I’ve been married to Paola for 13 years, and have 2 boys: Peter Junior (PJ, age 7), and Tobias (Toby, age 4). Kent’s a great town for young boys, and we feel so lucky that God has led us this far. We also have 2 diametrically opposed cats: Ella (age 11 and the embodiment of evil), and Tim (age 8 and outrageously nice and affectionate).

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

At the moment where I feel most passionate in ministry is helping the church become a legitimate source of hope online as we have seen the power of online church in this season of Stay Home, Stay Healthy. We are all learning so much so fast, and what I have seen is that online services are not going away, which gives us a new exciting way to bring the Gospel to where people are! How we do that, how we construct and present our services to an online community is an exciting new challenge, and sparks my imagination and heart as I think how we can be the Church in a new way!

How can we pray for you?

I know I’m not alone in asking for prayer for energy and endurance. This has been a really hard season for pastors, and I’m not immune. Producing online services, doing countless hours of video editing while caring for people and trying to plan for an unknown future that changes daily and hourly based on local, state, and national leaders has been exhausting. I long for stability (ha!) and to know what things will look like in 6 months (double ha!), but since that is an unrealistic hope, I pray for peace and strength to move forward in faith.

Five things you didn’t know about Peter:

My 3 most overused words:

Dude. Awesome. Coffee.

Three traits that define me:

Loyal. Musical. Nerd.

The one thing I cannot resist:

Guitars (current number: lucky 13)

Best place I’ve traveled:

Prague. It is SO beautiful and rich with history and amazing food!

What would I most like to tell 13 year old Peter:

You. Don’t. Know. Everything. Enjoy learning, practice more, read more, listen more. 

[Click Here] to see Peter’s profile on Facebook

[Click Here] to visit Kent Covenant Church’s web page

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with John and Karen Olson, the new Associate Co-Pastors for Youth at McMinnville Covenant.

What is your personal and ministry background?

John’s hometown is Burlington, Iowa, and Karen’s is Hartford, New York. We’re both pastors’ kids, and we moved around quite a bit growing up. When we met, we had in common that we both moved to a new state for our senior year of high school. We also both majored in Bible and communications in college, but neither of us intended to join “the family business.”

As newlyweds, God began to draw us to church ministry through our neighborhood church in Chicago. We then spent 10 years in pastoral ministry at a church on the Oregon coast, before being called to Mac Cov this spring. We’re thrilled to be serving as a co-associate pastor team—we’re at our best when we’re working together.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

This is such a unique time to join a new church family! Without the usual ways of connecting in person, we’re passionate about finding creative ways to get to know the Mac Cov family and care for their spiritual and emotional needs in this challenging season. We’re learning how to do Zoom youth group and livestream church, and praying that God can use our imperfect efforts to help our community know God’s love and compassion.

How can we pray for you?

Our relocation to McMinnville was delayed several times, so we’re just now getting to move into our new home. We would love prayer for our family’s transition—we have four elementary school-aged kids who are experiencing their new church and school almost entirely online. We all long to be able to develop community and feel at home.

Five things you didn’t know about John and Karen

1.  Where is your favorite place to be?

We love to be outdoors together as a family. Hiking, family bike rides, camping—we’re all about exploring the Pacific Northwest together.

2. What is your favorite thing to do?

John enjoys woodworking and playing guitar, and Karen likes hiking and writing. Together, we love exploring new places on foot—our first dates were walking miles around Chicago in the winter, and we’ve never stopped going on long walks together.

3.  What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?

John was a DJ at a roller-skating rink, so he has excellent Hokey Pokey skills. Karen worked at a nursery, so she can spend hours alone with a greenhouse full of geraniums.

4.  What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

When she’s not pastoring, Karen also works as a spiritual director and a communications consultant. She’s been having fun researching public art on the Oregon Coast for a client this spring. John worked in radio broadcasting before becoming a pastor, and would probably still be hosting concerts and giving the weather report if not for God’s redirection.

5.  Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

Karen’s ancestors came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail and settled in the Willamette Valley, where they eventually had a U-pick orchard and fruit stand north of Salem. Moving back to the valley feels a bit like coming full circle. John, meanwhile, was Midwest born and raised, and had never been to Oregon before meeting Karen—but it’s home now.

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Jeff Keyser, the new Associate Pastor at Faith Covenant Church in Sumner, WA.

What is your personal and ministry background?

I was born and raised in Northern Colorado. My parents still live in the house I grew up in and my sister lives in the town next to them with her family. After highschool I went to North Park University for my degree in Youth Ministry. Shortly after graduating I took a youth ministry internship at Community Covenant in Eagle River, Alaska. I served at Community Covenant for 10 years starting as an intern and eventually becoming the Youth Pastor. I met my wife, Becca, while serving in Alaska. We started dating the day before I left the state to attend Moody Theological Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. While I was attending seminary I helped a friend, Brian Nanninga, with his church plant in Livonia, Michigan. During my first year in Michigan I got engaged to Becca and we got married in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado that following summer. I end up serving LifeChurch Livonia for 5 years as their Director of Adult Discipleship and Student Ministry. During my last year in Michigan Becca and I were blessed with a baby girl, Annika. She is a big joy in our lives and is now 15 months old. My wife and I moved to Washington in October and I serve as the Associate Pastor at Faith Covenant in Sumner. 

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

I am passionate about getting people connected into deeper relationships with each other and with God. We are getting ready to launch our Life Group ministry which will help accomplish this.

How can we pray for you?

• Pray for my family and I as we continue to get plugged into our new community. 
• Pray for my family’s health. My wife and daughter have been sick quite a bit since we have moved. 
• Pray for wisdom as I help lead the church 

Five things you didn’t know about Jeff:

1. What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

Music. I am most likely listening to music if I am awake.

2. What is the one thing you cannot resist?

I cannot resist a good steak. Steak is my favorite food and I love cooking it for myself and others. 

3.  What is your favorite thing to do?

Besides hanging out with my family it would have to be Disc Golf. The sport gets me out in nature and helps me meet people outside of the church. 

4.  Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why?

Traveling to Israel has been my favorite so far. It was amazing to tour around the country and see so much of what we read about in the bible. To walk where Jesus walked was amazing and it gave me such a better understanding of the context of scripture.  

5.  What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?

In high school I used to work for semi-truck company and every Saturday I would wash the entire fleet of trucks and trailers and then grease all the trailers. It was a messy job but paid well.

[Click Here] to visit Jeff’s Facebook profile

[Click Here] to visit Faith Covenant Church’s website