OUR LEAD PASTOR, Steve Couch
Pastor Steve and his wife Carol have been part of our church family since 2019. Steve and Carol grew-up in the same small town in Illinois, were high school sweethearts, and have been married since 1990. They have two amazing daughters, Erin, and Carlin.
Steve has a Master of Divinity Degree from Sangre de Cristo Seminary, and completed two years of study toward a Doctor of Ministry Degree at Denver Seminary before he and his family answered a call to the mission field of Kenya in 2012. Steve has over 20 years of experience in pastoral ministry and is passionate about following Jesus, making disciples, and equipping people to serve God’s Kingdom according to their unique gifts and passions. Steve and Carol love to ride bikes together, be outdoors, and build relationships with people inside and outside the church.
OUR ASSOCIATE PASTOR, Michael Foose
Michael and Shelby have been married since 2016. They have two wonderful children, Judah (2.5 years) and Delta (3 months). Michael and Shelby share a passion for the work of ministry and enjoy serving together. They particularly enjoy opening their home for hospitality, discipleship relationships and couple counseling. As a family, they enjoy spending time in the great outdoors hiking, birding and stargazing. Michael was raised in a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he grew up in alocal church. Through the discipleship of his pastors, Michael felt the call to full-time ministry and attended Liberty University to study God’s word. While completing his Masters of Divinity, Michael had the opportunity to serve alongside his pastors as an intern, gaining valuable ministry experience during seminary. In 2021, God called Michael to serve as the family pastor at a local church in New Hampshire. Michael is passionate about discipleship, Gospel-centered community, and studying and teaching God’s word.
OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR, Chas Wyatt
Born in southeastern South Dakota, Chas Wyatt was the oldest of 12 children. He grew up having a close relationship with his family at home as well as his church family. It was through the influence of many God fearing adults and friends that the gospel entered into his life and he came to know the Lord in late elementary school. During middle school and high school, his involvement in the community and in ministries grew. In 2009 he spent his first summer working at Hidden Acres Christian Center which kick-started his desire to serve in full-time ministry working with the younger generation. After getting married in 2014, Chas and his wife Nicole were blessed with two kiddos William and Daisy. Chas took on a variety of ministry work with 6th-12th grade youth that started on a volunteer basis, but led to his lifelong calling of full-time ministry.
Chas enjoys late nights spent watching new movies, playing board games, and hanging out with friends. If there is fun to be had, sleep can wait. But if the fish are biting, the camping weather is good, or there is a campfire with some eggs, tomatoes, or some nice crispy bacon, he won’t even wait for the sun to start the day. Whether it be doing something with his hands or sharing laughs with friends, life is about glorifying God through our joy and how we live.
But his love of fun is dwarfed in comparison to his appreciation of the grace of Christ demonstrated on the cross. A primary mission in his life is to see the upcoming generations experience the love of God and have their lives transformed by His grace and mercy.
OUR WORSHIP DIRECTOR, Ellen Beery
Ellen and her husband, Les returned to Iowa in 2021 after living in Southern California for over 40 years. Ellen’s family attended Britt Free Church and she asked Jesus to come into her heart at the age of 6 at her bedside with her mother’s help. She met Les at U of Iowa, where she got her Music Ed Degree and were married in 1980. Together they served with Campus Crusade for Christ at what was once CCC headquarters in Arrowhead Springs, San Bernardino, Ca. Les and Ellen stayed in the Inland Empire area after leaving Crusade Staff. She completed her Masters Degree in Music at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. Ellen has taught private voice and piano throughout her life and served over 12 years of teaching music in Christian Schools and over 17 years with a Worship Ministry Staff, leading choirs and praise teams of all ages.
Singing and praising our Lord and Saviour through music has been a way of life for Ellen, from playing piano for opening exercises in elementary Sunday school, playing piano and organ for church services, taking high school choirs on many summer mission trips, producing children’s choirs musicals and assisting and coordinating in the adult worship ministries weekly services and seasonal adult musicals, used as an outreach to the surrounding communities.
Psalms 108:1 is her life verse, “My heart, O God is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”
Les and Ellen love to take daily walks, enjoy house projects and playing with their cat, Ted.
Other Staff
Office Manager – Katrina Peterson
Custodian – Tom Kardoes