MARK POSPISIL
Lead Teaching Pastor, Elder
Ever since the Lord called me to Himself as a late teenager, I have had a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone. My deep desire is for people to know that Christianity is not what we do for God but what God did for us in Jesus. I am also zealous for the local church and seeing it built up and cared for with people being unleashed for God’s glory.
I am married to my wonderful and just plain amazing wife Kelsey. We have 4 beautiful children (2 boys and 2 girls) and are incredibly grateful to be their parents although the kids keep us busy (We planned for 3 but the Lord gave us 4!). I have pursued my education and completed degrees at Moody Bible Institute and Bethel College and I am always learning and growing in the grace of God.
I have served in different pastoral and leadership roles in the local church for over a decade. To make a long story short, after much time in prayer seeking God on where to go next we moved from Indiana to Michigan to serve Jesus at The Lakes. I currently serve as the Lead Teaching Pastor and am also an Elder. I am passionate about The Lakes and so grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be here.
JOHN SORGEN
Executive Pastor, Elder
I have always believed and loved God but couldn’t stomach organized religion until God got a hold of me in the early 90s when I gave my life to Christ and began a growing relationship with Him instead of following a religion. For the next 15 years, I continued to grow in my knowledge and relationship with Him. Throughout that time, He blessed my family and career when until I was promoted from the Manufacturing Manager in Pennsylvania to the Plant Manager of our Detroit facility.
In 2006, I had a strong calling to leave the corporate world and go into ministry full time. For the past 12 years, I have been truly blessed by the opportunity’s God has given me to serve Him and His people. A step of obedience has proven again and again that God is faithful. I truly love the local church and am passionate about seeing people distant from God to come to a growing relationship with Him and becoming fully devoted followers. I am the Executive Pastor and Elder at The Lakes and have been here since the launch in January of 2011.
I have an Amazing wife of over 34 years, a 28-year old son that has a growing relationship with Jesus and a daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren that attend The Lakes and continuing to grow in their faith.
MIKE SNYDER
Elder
I was raised in a military family, and we moved often during my childhood. While I was raised Catholic, we never really had a “home” church. For much of my life, my family was on again/off again in terms of church attendance. I don’t think I fully grasped the magnitude of Jesus’ work on the cross until I was 16, and while I understood and accepted that Jesus died for the forgiveness of my sin, I did not fully embrace a Christian lifestyle for many years after that.
I met my wife Julie while attending Oakland University, and we have been married for more than 27 years. It wasn’t until our family started attending a non-denominational church that I began to realize what it truly meant to follow Christ and abide in His word and promises. I truly believe that Julie is a blessing from God, and the primary person God used to help me grow spiritually over the past 27 years. Together, we have been blessed with two sons, Ryan and Trevor, who are continuing their own faith journeys, and we are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for them.
Professionally, I have been a contract management professional for more than 30 years. As importantly, I have been a volunteer at The Lakes since its inception and have led the Kid’s Creek Setup/Tear Down ministry for many years. Julie and I also lead a Small Group, and we both attend regular Bible studies with members of our church family. I am both honored and humbled by my position as Elder at The Lakes and am looking forward to what God has in store for our church in the months and years ahead.
MARK PFAU
Elder
I was born in Ilwaco, Washington but was raised in Pennsylvania and Ohio. I was raised a Lutheran but committed my life to Christ at age 13 at a church camp. Like many others, I slowly drifted away from God, especially in college and my early adult years. However, I always knew He had a hold on my heart. Thankfully, God put someone in my life who I worked with who became my mentor when we moved to Michigan. He asked me to attend a men’s Bible study and other Christian ministries. Because of this person, prayer, Christ’s mercy, and a loving wife, I recommitted myself to the Lord. My passion is seeing people commit themselves to the Lord Jesus and then growing in that relationship.
I met my wife, Sara, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. We have been married for 38 years and have four adult daughters. Fortunately for us, they all live in the area. We now have five grandkids with more on the way! Sara and I have been small group leaders since the church began. Sara has led the hospitality ministry and I have led the small group ministry and have been an elder since the church started in 2011.
Professionally, after fourteen years in sales and management at IBM, Sara and I became restaurant franchisees.
MIKE GALLOWAY
Elder
I was born in San Francisco CA. My family moved to suburban Detroit during my early childhood. I was blessed with a Christ centered family while growing up in the Episcopal Church. I attended church on a regular basis during my youth and participated in many church activities. A graduate of Central Michigan University, I began my professional career as a Certified Public Accountant working with small and medium sized businesses. As it turns out, God had other plans that led me to a 30+ year career of servant leadership with numerous companies as a Chief Financial officer and Chief Operating Officer.
I am truly blessed with a wife that shares the same passion for God’s Word. Jeanne Marie is very active at The Lakes and volunteers her time with faith based organizations serving those in recovery. Together we have five adult children, Sarah, Scott, Mary, Mckenna, and Jake who are each continuing their individual journey of faith. God has a plan, and we are excited to see what He has in store for each.
I have served in numerous capacities at the Lakes since inception, including the children’s security team, Haiti mission trips, homeless food programs, and I currently lead the Guest Services Ministry. My relationship with Jesus is first and foremost, followed by my wife and family. I have a heart for those seeking Jesus, and to this day tear-up every time I witness a new soul baptized. My relationship with Jesus grows every day. I was humbled when approached to serve as an Elder at the Lakes. I fully trust in God’s plan and am excited to see what He has in store for The Lakes and our community.
JOE BARNETT
Elder
I was raised in a Christian home in Indiana as a pastor’s kid, and trusted in Jesus from an early age. However I did not fully commit my life to following Christ until I was in college. Around that time, I married Rachel, whom I had known from growing up in church together. After serving a few years as an associate youth pastor in Indianapolis, we moved to Michigan in 2005 to follow my career in business.
Rachel and I have been blessed with two awesome kids, Alexa and Austin. We love being active and traveling together, enjoying God’s creation and experiencing adventures as a family. The Lakes has been our church home from its beginning, and we are grateful to have made several lifelong friendships here.
We have been small group leaders for most of our time at The Lakes, and Rachel also serves in Childrens ministry. I love being part of the worship team, and it’s such a joy to see our church draw closer to God through music. I am so excited about what God is doing in our community, and am humbled to be part of an incredible leadership team to pursue all that God has for The Lakes.