Leadership

First things first: Since Mike was born and raised in Wisconsin he will forever remain a Green Bay Packers fan. Some of Mike’s hobbies include improving his disc golf game, running, drinking tea,  and as a total extrovert – being present with people as much as possible. Mike is married to Kaylyn and they have four beautiful daughters.

Mike thrives when he is teaching and preaching God’s Word, discipling God’s people, and equipping God's church to work together to fulfill its unique calling. He was a triple-major in college (English, Philosophy and Political Science) and completed seminary (M.Div.) and post-grad research (Th.M.) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard. 

Nicole grew up in the church as a child but didn't hear the gospel until she was an adult. She met her husband, Kyle, who is also a Chicago-land native, while away at school where Nicole got her degrees in the biological sciences. Nicole was married, baptized and has raised a family here at Gracepointe Church. She and her husband have a daughter and a son and feel blessed by the solid Christian teaching their entire family is receiving.

If you can't find Nicole in the office, be sure to check downstairs where she may be teaching or hanging out with our youth! In her free time,  Nicole loves exploring nature, participating in athletic contests, getting dirty working outside or using power tools to construct her latest home improvement project.

Stephen and Grace grew up and married in Kenya in 2000. They live at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) with three of their kids: two daughters and a son. He enjoys connecting with new friends, watching marathon runners and is passionate in caring for others.

Stephen is taking his Divinity studies and MAT/S at TEDS. Stephen was a teacher by profession before pastoral ministry in 2017. Stephen is privileged to serve as an intern student at Gracepointe church where he is a member, leads prayer and offers online mid-week preaching. He like praying and living a life of faith in Christ. His prayer is for God to guide and direct him in the next stage of life of further studies and ministry.

Thall Wah began his divine calling by enrolling in the Master of Divinity program at the Myanmar Institute of Christian Theology (M.I.C.T) in 2007. This decision was driven by his aspiration to deepen his theological knowledge and prepare himself for a future role as an instructor. He was offered a faculty position at the seminary in 2017. He has continued his theological training with a Masters from Western Theological Seminary and now as a PhD student in Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). Ordained in 2023, Thall Wah's humble prayer is to be a faithful servant, using his education and experience to support local churches, promote the authentic Gospel, and foster spiritual growth among believers. 

Emmanuel is from Rwanda and resigned from working as an economist in 2007 to pursue full-time ministry with a focus on hospital ministry. After earning a bachelor's degree from the East Africa School of Theology in Nairobi/Kenya, Emmanuel served for three and a half years as Academic Registrar and Assistant Teacher at Rabagirana Bible College in Rwanda before moving to the U.S. to further his studies. He holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a Master of Sacred Theology in New Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary. Currently, he is a first-year PhD student in Educational Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Emmanuel aims to faithfully steward the Gospel, learning from sound biblical teachers and mentors to enhance his own teaching and mentoring. He is inspired by Paul's directive in 2 Timothy 2:2: "And what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well."

Sharon is the first in his family to work in ministry and comes to the US  committed to pursue a Master's degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  He was raised by a Christian, God-fearing family in India and felt God's calling on his life from an early age.  After serving as a teacher and ministry associate, Sharon's vision is to combine scholarship and ministry to strengthen the church, train future leaders, and proclaim the gospel with conviction, with a heart for missions and a passion for teaching. In addition to his studies and serving God's church, Sharon enjoys traveling, fellowship, cooking, playing sports, and listening to music or podcasts.

Kyle has been attending Gracepointe Church for nearly 25 years. He lives in Vernon Hills with his wife Nicole and their two children. By day, he's an IT manager. By night, he is his kids' number one fan and, more importantly, source of transportation to various events. At Gracepointe, Kyle has been a member of the worship band for close to 15 years and have served on and off in other capacities, including providing IT support, serving a previous term as Elder and, most recently as a part of the pastoral search committee.

Andy has been attending and serving at Gracepointe and living in Mundelein since 1992. He is a graduate of Wheaton College where he met his wife, Jennifer. They have three adult children and one grandchild. Andy has taught Sunday school, led small groups,  and served as an Elder and Church Chairman.

Jennifer and Andy love to travel and see new places. They especially love national parks and hope to visit many more in the future. Andy is a big sports fan and loves to cheer on the Bears, the Cubs, and, as a San Francisco Bay area native, he enjoys following the Golden State Warriors. Andy enjoys walking, biking, and being outside.

José and his wife, Heitza, grew up and married in Puerto Rico. In 2008, they moved to the Mundelein area and quickly decided to make Gracepointe their church home. Shortly thereafter, both began serving as lead worshippers: José on drums and Heitza as a vocalist. Together, they are raising 2 sons. José works at an engineering consultant firm in downtown Chicago. He enjoys reading on the train, playing basketball, and cheering for all the local professional teams, except for the White Sox. Never the White Sox.

José is honored to be serving as an Elder for the first time, and prays for direction from God through this new stage of his life.

Ken and Celia  have been married since 1979 and have two adult children. Ken has served at Gracepointe Church over the years as an Elder, worship leader, and as co-leader of Gracepointe Wildfolk.

He is the senior vice president of Custom Roofing Contracting. Ken enjoys golfing, bicycling, hiking, target shooting, and rock climbing.