Senior Pastor Tom Elliott
Pastor Tom serves LIFE Church as the Senior Pastor. In this role Tom gladly works hard to further the vision of LIFE. Tom is honored to serve Christ and the people of Fort Collins.
Pastor Tom grew up in Springfield, Ohio. He is the youngest of four brothers and was blessed to watch Christ transform his entire family into true followers of God. Watching this transformation occur is the vehicle the Holy Spirit used to bring saving faith to Tom when he was 10 years old. Tom graduated from Cincinnati Christian University and also served as Youth Pastor during his four years in Cincinnati. The best part of the Cincinnati years was meeting his wife Trenna. They were married June 25, 1988. Tom then served as Pastor of Outreach for seven years at Fellowship Church in Springfield. In 1995 Tom began to minister in Brighton, Michigan. Tom spent 14 years in Brighton, the last 10 of those as the Senior Pastor. During those years Tom attained a Masters degree in leadership from the Wagner Leadership Institute. (He also served as an associate dean for WLI for the Southeast Michigan region.)
Pastor Tom and his wife Trenna are proud of their three girls: Elizabeth, Maria and Rebekah. Each one is unique, beautiful and fun to be around. For recreation Tom enjoys hanging out with his family, reading, exercise, fly fishing and golf.
Pastor Tom is excited to be in Fort Collins. He fully believes in the vision of LIFE Church and expects God to do great things through this great Church.
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Associate Pastor Jeff Crabtree
Pastor Jeff is currently the Associate Pastor for LIFE Church. Jeff planted this
"life-giving" Church in January 2004. Jeff
is launching a new ministry network called
"Life Connections Network." His passion and focus for this new network
is being a Pastor/Coach to Pastors, consulting with church leadership
and churches and networking with various ministry related individuals,
churches and ministries.
Jeff
grew up in Fort Collins and is a 1977 graduate of Rocky Mountain High
School.
Jeff had a dramatic
experience when he became a Christian soon after high school. Jeff
states that after receiving Christ as His Savior, his whole life
changed. He reveals that after becoming a Christian he had a purpose for
living, joy that inspired him and a peace that guided him for the first
time in his life. He developed an intense passion to help others find
the same "life-giving" reality that he had found in Jesus Christ.
Jeff
has been in full-time ministry for over 30 years in various capacities
from youth pastor, associate pastor, senior pastor of several churches,
president of an international ministry, church consultant, co-pastor and
as a church planter. Because of Jeff's vast experience in different
aspects of ministry and church life, he is an excellent resource for a
broad range of topics, needs and opportunities.
Jeff
and his wife Kathy have three grown children: Kyle, Kristin and
Nathanael.
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Kari Stober – Administrative Assistant
Kari grew up in a very small town in Ohio. She was baptized into the Catholic church, but when her parents chose to send her and her sibling to public school instead of the Catholic school they were kicked out of the church. Kari’s mom started taking her and her siblings to the United Methodist church in their town around the age of eight.
Kari accepted Jesus for the first time when she was 10 years old, not because she truly understood what it meant, but because “all the other kids were doing it.”
During her sophomore year in high school Kari’s grandmother passed away. This was especially hard for her because she was extremely close with her grandmother. Her death caused Kari to lash out at God and become angry with Him. She refused to believe in a God that would take such a wonderful person away from her.
Kari moved to Fort Collins in 2002 in order to attend Colorado State University.
Kari met her husband Derek during her sophomore year of college. The subject of faith came up one day over the phone while Derek was studying abroad. Derek revealed he was a Christian and she revealed she was not. The subject wasn’t discussed again until he was home.
After his return they went to Iasis, another church in Fort Collins, but due to the college lifestyle church was never a priority. Kari decided to “fake it til she made it” by going to LIFE Church when they were on South College and pretending she was a Christian so that Derek wouldn’t break up with her.
Thankfully Kari made it! She accepted Christ in the spring of 2005 and after completing LIFE Church’s “Discipling Another to Love Jesus” program she was baptized on Halloween of that same year. Being a Christian in the college scene was hard for Kari so she struggled with her faith and with her identity until after she and Derek were married in 2006. Kari and her husband began regularly coming to LIFE Church when they moved into their new location and she has been growing strongly in her faith ever since.
Kari became the Administrative Assistant for LIFE Church in December of 2008. She was tired of feeling like her work didn’t benefit God’s Kingdom. Kari is excited for the opportunity to work for LIFE Church and for her spiritual gifts to finally be put to use for the kingdom of God!
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Katie Maguire, Children’s Ministry Director
Katie is a first generation American. Her parents are from Wales and moved to the United States in 1966. Katie was born in New Jersey and has lived in Massachusetts and California. She recently moved to Fort Collins in 2004 with her husband Chris and their children, Shane and Allison. Katie is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Administration.
Katie has owned and operated many businesses, but her greatest “job” is being a wife and mom to such an awesome family. Ever since she can remember, all she ever dreamed about was being Mom. After college, knowing that the Hospitality Industry was not where she wanted to be, Katie moved back to California and took a “temporary” job at a workshop for Developmentally Disabled Adults. This temporary job lasted 6 years. Katie met Chris in California through a mutual friend from her work.
Katie grew up Roman Catholic. Even though she went to Catholic school and church every week, she felt as though there was something missing. When she was 25 years old, her co-worker bought her a Bible and took her to a service at Saddleback Church, which was just down the street from her house. It was like everything clicked for the first time in her life. After Katie and Chris were married and started their family, they attended an Evangelical Friends Church where they had experienced an unbelievable miracle in their lives after being prayed for. It was then that they both gave their lives to Christ.
Leaving their church family to move to Colorado was especially difficult for Katie, but she knew that she needed to trust God. Katie and Chris have been to many different churches in Fort Collins and feel passionately about LIFE Church being the right place for them and their children to grow in their walk with the Lord.
Katie’s love for children goes beyond just being the Children’s Ministry Director. Her greatest desire for the children at LIFE Church is for them to form lifelong friendships with each other. She is excited to support children in receiving the LIFE of Jesus and freely sharing it with others. She sees God’s love growing inside her own children’s hearts and wants to be involved in serving families so their children can experience that special gift too.
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Jessica Owsley, Grade School Coordinator
Jessica is a native Coloradoan born in Greeley. She has moved around from Loveland, Craig and then to Fort Collins. Jessica was raised Catholic but didn't regularly attend church with her family. God definitely was part of her life but more out of convenience.
Jessica graduated from Rocky Mountain High School and met her husband Jacob when was was 17. They dated for two years before becoming engaged and were married in 2001.
Jessica didn't fully give her life to the Lord until she was pregnant with her first daughter Cassidy. She returned to S.E.A.S. Catholic Church and became a member. Jacob and Jessica then found it necessary to find a church of together and started going to Iasis. They then became members of Iasis and were baptized together.
Jessica and Jacob followed Pastor Jeff when he started LIFE Church. It has been very exciting to see the church grow as well as the Owsley family. They now have two more daughters, Ketura and Jada. Jessica has worked off and on part-time throughout the years, but is now providing daycare for a wonderful family. Jessica says that she is so blessed to work alongside Katie Maguire as the Grade School Coordinator. She loves serving and helping others and has a heart for children. So Jessica thanks God for this opportunity to serve the families of LIFE Church.
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Terry Hoiness, Elder
Terry is one of LIFE Church's original leaders and currently an Elder at LIFE Church of Fort Collins. Terry was born in a small town in Northern Illinois and moved with his family at the age of 11 to Phoenix, Arizona, where he eventually completed high school, Devry Technical Institute and attended Sweetwater Bible College.
Terry met his wife, Donna, shortly after moving to Arizona and they became best of friends at the age of 16, when they were both converted/rededicated to Christianity during the ‘Jesus Freak’ era of the 1970’s, baptized in the local Verde river and shortly afterwards baptized in the Holy Spirit. This long term Christian foundation and friendship has proven itself with over 30 years of marriage, 7 children and 4 grandchildren.
Terry’s Engineering career has taken him to nearly all of the states and many countries over the years and allowed him to settle in Colorado in 1992. After 15 years of extensive travel with his work, he is now content to remain home in Colorado to complete the raising of his youngest daughters and serve the Lord and His Church, together with his wife and family.
Terry currently oversees the LIFE Home Group ministry and has occasions of teaching and mentoring on various levels within the church community. Terry’s wife, Donna, leads the LIFE Church Women’s group.
Terry enjoys skiing, golfing, riding bicycles and recreational fishing, along with his wife and children.
Although having been in the faith for over 35 years, Terry believes that the best is yet to come as we approach the last of the last days and intensify our relationship to our Eternal Father, the living Word made flesh-His Son Jesus, and His Church, the body of Christ.
Terry was, from the beginning of his conversion at age 16 to now, given a heart to study and love the Word of God and he truly enjoys sharing that love with those who are of the same heart.
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Chris Semmens, Elder
Chris is one of the Elders at LIFE Church of Fort Collins and also the Treasurer. Chris grew up in Illinois, Connecticut, California, Colorado Springs, CO and then moved to Fort Collins, CO in 1992. He is a 1996 graduate of Colorado State University.
Chris and his wife Kristin have four boys: Brennen, Ethan, Nathan and Jaden. They are also in the process of adopting two girls from China. Chris came to know the Lord after his first year of college and had quite the conversion. He most closely related himself to John Belushi in Animal House and of course is eternally grateful to God for showing him the Light of Christ.
After substitute teaching for two years Chris started in the financial services business. He opened his own insurance brokerage, Centennial Benefits Group, in 1999 and continues to work in the area of individual and employee benefits to this day.
Chris has a huge heart for travel especially with a missions focus. He has been to over 20 countries and looks forward to seeing much more of the world and working with other churches worldwide! He also currently oversees the First Steps Discipleship ministry at LIFE Church. First Steps helps people learn the basics of the Christian faith as well as train ALL people to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations!
Chris and Kristin look forward to seeing God move on His people and bring them to the point of living with an eternal impact every day!
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Scott Thomas, Elder
Scott grew up in Dallas, N.C. After High School graduation he moved to Maxwell, Nebraska, to live and work with family. While living in Nebraska, he attended Kearney State College majoring in special education. During his time in college he met the love of his life, Jeanette, at a Bible Study. They married in June of 1979 while living in Nebraska. Scott & Jeanette moved to Fort Collins in December of 1979.
In 1980, Scott started a floor covering business. He has continued his flooring business and today specializes in Natural Stone. One of Scott’s most enjoyable roles has been hiring and training men in the flooring business, and assisting them in starting their own businesses.
Scott accepted Christ as a child in North Carolina. After moving to Nebraska he discovered a more personal relationship with Christ. While living with his older cousin, he saw the daily living out of a true Christian walk in his cousin and family. The daily influence of this family led to a more intense desire to know and to serve God.
After moving to Fort Collins, Scott and Jeanette served the Lord for many years at Faith E Free Church. Scott has served as a Sunday School teacher, Christian Education Director, and for 12 years as the Commander of the Awana Clubs at E Free. Scott and Jeanette helped start Awana there and enjoyed serving God in a vibrant growing Awana Club for many years. During this time Scott also assisted at many of the Promise Keepers conventions. His awareness of the physically challenged led him to serve those in wheel chairs at various stadium events in Boulder and Denver.
Helping to start LIFE Church and serve as an Elder is a continuation of ministry for Scott and Jeanette. Both enjoy serving in the Sunday School area. They also look forward to meeting with their LIFE Group on Thursdays. It is especially rewarding to serve the Lord with those that call LIFE Church home. We look forward with anticipation to what God is going to continue to accomplish through His servants at Life Church.
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