About us and Our Staff

About Us

The purpose of Living Hope Christian Fellowship is to glorify God by exalting Jesus as the head of His Church. We will honor Him by lively and passionate worship, regularly practicing corporate and private prayer, obediently studying and following His Word, living in community by participating in small groups of Christian fellowship, seeking to do the works of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, and seeking to make disciples of Jesus in Oakdale and in the world.

1. Jesus is the head of the Church. (Col. 1:18) We will seek to follow Jesus and honor Him as head of the church. Church leadership will pray about all decisions and seek unity, listening for the voice of Christ. The leadership team will be made up of Christians who:<br>

 A. Exhibit Christian character and maturity.

 B. Use their spiritual gifts in ministry to the building up of the body.

 C. Participate regularly in one small group for discipleship and accountability.

 D. Honor the Sabbath by regular worship attendance.

 E. Tithe to the local church. (10%)

2. Jesus will be worshipped. (John 20:28) We will worship Jesus Christ as our risen Lord and Savior. Knowing that worship of Jesus is led and visited by the Spirit and brings honor and glory to God the Father,we will worship Him with sincerity and passion.

3. Prayer will be central. (Phil. 4:6-7) We will be a praying church, living in relationship with God and seeking to hear His voice. We will praise and thank God, we will confess to God and we will seek God's provision for all our needs. We will stress both private devotional prayer and corporate prayer. We want to be known as a praying church.

4. The Bible will be believed and obeyed. (2 Tin. 3:16) We will be a church that studies, preaches and seeks to obey the Bible. We will honor the Bible as God's word and trust it as the final infallible authority on all matters of faith and practice.

5. Loving fellowship will be fostered by small groups. (Acts 2:46) Small groups of Christians meeting regularly will be the life of the church. These groups will meet for prayer, Bible study, accountability and support. These groups will be the basic care net work of the church. Being a part of the church will mean being a part of a small group.

6. We will obediently do the works of Jesus. (John 14:12) Jesus said His church would do His works in the power of the Spirit. Jesus preached and demonstrated the Kingdom of God. In His name we will pray for the sick, preach the gospel of the Kingdom, deliver the oppressed from demons and bring comfort to the downtrodden. We will do these things trusting God, relying on the power of the Spirit and in the name and authority of Jesus.

7. We will be committed to evangelism and missions. (Matt. 28:16-20) Disciple-making is the mission of the church. We will be witnesses to Christ, practicing any loving means of evangelism. We will also commit to reaching those beyond our immediate sphere of influence by contributing 10% of our income to mission and by participating in one short-term missions project a year.

Team Bio:

	Barry Tuggle  btuggle@livinghopeoakdale.com Senior Pastor Barry Tuggle pastors Living Hope Christian Fellowship. His passion is to see men and their families develop a meaningful relationship with Jesus. Barry is also a licensed marriage & family therapist with 25 years of professional practice working with individuals, couples and families. He is also a faculty instructor at Northern California Bible College. His blend of relationship experience along with sound Biblical instruction make his teaching immensely practical and relevant. Barry with his wife and best friend, Colleen, have 3 grown children who are all actively involved in the ministry. His favorite things to do include laughing with his family, friends and staff, fishing and traveling to any place tropical!
	Colleen Tuggle  ctuggle@livinghopeoakdale.com Pastor and Director of Worship Colleen has been involved in church ministry for nearly 30 years. She has served as a Youth Pastor, Children's Ministry Director, Worship Leader and Speaker for Women's and Family Life Ministries. Her hearts desire is to see people walk in the victory and freedom Christ has for them. Colleen and Barry have been married 25 years and have three children; Matt 24, Amanda 22, and Dustin 20.
	Betsy Stowe bstowe@livinghopeoakdale.com Associate Pastor Betsy loves to watch God at work. She directs Women's Ministries and also Freedom Ministries. Connecting people with God and with one other is her primary role. She enjoys reading, hiking, playing guitar, and listening. She finds her greatest delight in her husband, children and grand-children.
	Lance Stowe lstowe@livinghopeoakdale.com Associate Pastor Lance serves as the Mission's Pastor and loves to see the work of God around the world. He encourages believers and promotes their involvement in reaching the world for Christ through short-term, vision-casting trips. He has seen God change lives as His people believe, pray, witness, heal, and "do the stuff" of Jesus! In his free time, he enjoys golfing, cooking, traveling, hiking, and most of all his family.
	Josh Benziger  bstowe@livinghopeoakdale.com Youth Pastor Need Bio and picture
	Jan Swing bstowe@livinghopeoakdale.com Director of Children's Ministry Need Bio and picture