Steve Valero
Steve has been involved with leading ministries over the past twelve years. He has lead ministries such as young adults, youth, small groups, adult ministries and more. Prior to church planting, Steve was a Young Adults Pastor at LifeQuest church where he served for four year.
In 2005, Steve enrolled at Phoenix Seminary to learn more about Greek and Hebrew. While that’s what he thought he was there for, God had a different plan. While in seminary, God laid on his heart to get the church out of the building and pay more attention to the relationships in people?s lives. In 2006, God called Steve to step down from LifeQuest to pursue church planting and build the Kingdom.
Steve is married to a wonderful woman name Christine since 1994. She was 17 when they got married. People always asked why they married so young. Just ask them, it’s a great story of how God works in our lives. Christine works at a salon where she is constantly talking about her heart and serving others. They have two wonderful children, Paris and Valen.
Duties:
Leading, Teaching, and Preaching
Marital Status:
Married to Christine (1994)
Children:
Paris (2002) and Valentino (2004)
Life Verse:
2 Cor. 12:9
Education:
M.Divinity in Leadership Development: Phoenix Seminary
B.S. in Computer Science: Arizona State University
Michael Garner
Mike grew up in Sacramento, CA and moved to Arizona to finish up his schooling at Northern Arizona University in 2003. Growing up, Mike was involved in leading youth ministry in his church. In 2003, Mike joined Steve in leading the Young Adult Ministry at LifeQuest church. And in 2006, assisted in dreaming up the vision for Ekklesia.
In 2007, Mike married the love is his life. Together, they came together and planted one of the first Incarnational Gatherings for Ekklesia. They took a group that was just meeting to get to know one another to becoming a regular Bible study. While Mike is gifted in teaching and wisdom, Grace comes along and compliments him with her gifts in mercy and hospitality. They continue to show God’s love in their community through the tough situations of marriage to situations that are hard to speak about.
Today, Mike works for the airlines as an IT professional and Grace is a teacher at a High School and leads a FCA group and a cross-country team.
Duties:
Wisdom, Teaching, and Mentorship
Marital Status:
Married to Grace (2007)
Paul Johnson
I was saved somewhere before my senior year of high school in the summer of 1994. I joined the worship team for Northridge Community Church that summer playing trumpet in the orchestra.
I began to grow in my spiritual walk in the summer of 1995 where I began to attend Scottsdale Baptist Church and becoming involved in the college/ career ministry “the Outpost.” Here I became involved in the drama ministry and eventually doing special music on occasion. I also joined the core leadership team “Mayhem” later on that year in 1996. I was also a part of the Sunday morning worship orchestra.
January 6th 1998, after a couple months of raising support, I embarked on a six month mission’s internship with Partners in Christ International that took me all over Mexico. Attended language school, helped lead American teams down to various cities in Mexico, lead Bible studies in Spanish and English, helped lead and facilitate construction projects and evangelism excursions. I lead two teams on my own and learned to play the guitar.
After returning home that July, I became an intern for the college ministry at SBC under Scott Morgan. I lead Bible studies, facilitated and organized events and retreat planning, taught several sermons, and helped with the praise band on occasion eventually leading the music for Sunday nights.
In 2000, I left Scottsdale Baptist to follow Scott Morgan, joining the core leadership team responsible for strategizing, organizing, and launching the church-plant LifeQuest Church in May of 2001.
Here I became an integral part of the worship team, helping with the facilitating and creation of the young adults ministry Fusion (where I became the worship leader for), was on the core leadership team for Fusion later helping with the transition into theFuse.
Duties:
Music, Teaching
Marital Status:
Married to Kim Johnson (2001)
Children:
Katie (2004) and Gavin (2008)
Life Verse:
Col. 3:16-17
Education:
B.A. in Christian Ministries: Evangel Christian University
