LOVE GOD
Make God our first priority through an intentional, sustained commitment to Him.
LOVE PEOPLE
Following Jesus’ example of accepting people for who they are and where they are at in their life with a welcoming and joyful attitude, while maintaining a willingness to serve and extend grace to others.
MAKE DISCIPLES
Bringing Christians and non-Christians to an engaged, intimate, and committed relationship with God.
Our team
Northwood Staff – Dedicated to Loving God & Loving People
Barry Lind
Senior Pastor
Hired in 1995, Barry provides preaching and leadership while casting vision for the Northwood church. He is a Seattle native and a Husky fan, he has also ran two marathons in one day, though it was his first and last.
Aaron Dilla
Associate Pastor
Hired in 2021, Aaron loves camping with family and friends, reading a good book, connecting with people on a deep level, and eating pizza from track town — and if you throw in a coffee you have his perfect day!
John Bowling
Youth Pastor
Hired in 2011, John is a veteran in youth ministry and has been encouraging and sharing Jesus with kids for nearly 20 years. He was formally ordained as a pastor in 2020. He is a devoted Dodgers fan and a lover of Cuban food.
Julie Lipp
Dir. children's ministry
Hired in 2011, Julie shares Jesus’ love with children and teaches the message that they have great value in the kingdom of God. She has a passion for music & worship and loves being a mom & grandma.
Adam Rasmussen
Dir. Worship Ministry
Hired in 2018, Adam is the musical heart of the church, singing songs all day and the designer of our worship services. He also enjoys obscure and artsy movies and indulges in WWE wrestling.
Jill Noble
Administrative Assistant
Hired in 2006, Jill is basically the secretary and team mom. She has attended Northwood since 1980 and has crushed over 3700 levels in Candy Crush!
Joe Dyer
Dir. middle school ministry
Hired in 2020, Joe has spent several years already serving in church ministry as well as Young Life.
SEARCH TBA
Youth Associate
Barbara Utt
Administrator
Hired in 2012, Barb oversees day-to-day business and facility operations. She is well-traveled, having gone to South Africa for her honeymoon and also lived in New Jersey for three years!
Jared Keeth
Dir. Technology
Hired in 2016, Jared knows all the buttons and all the screens, supervising and operating Audio Visual and IT for the church. He and his wife Katelyn still love nerd-ing out to video games in their off-hours.
Rachel Wininger
Dir. Preschool
Previously a Northwood Preschool Teacher, now director as of 2021.
Melissa Myers
Asst. Children's Ministry
Hired in 2017, Melissa helps with the kids and sharing God’s love for them in practical ways. Her family has four generations that call Northwood home, she also someday wishes to have a goat farm!
Jessie Duncan
Asst. Children's Ministry
Jessie is a long-time servant of the Children’s Ministry.
Marcia Doughan
Volunteer Coordinator
Hired in 2016, Marcia is capable of fixing any case of boredom by setting folks up with several volunteer and service opportunities. She also is one who loves to go camping and geocaching.
NOW HIRING
Connections Min. Lead
Wendy Raz
Finance & HR Manager
Hired in 2020, Wendy has been a long-time servant and leader in the Northwood community.
Paul Bastinelli
Custodian
Hired in 2019, Paul helps keep the Northwood campus looking great so everyone feels welcome and a place that they could call home. Paul found himself trying to retire but got bored, so here he is!
John Carlile
Custodian
Hired in 2019, John helps keep the Northwood campus looking great so everyone feels welcome and a place that they could call home. John is the resident jokester, always looking to inspire joy in those he is around.
Our Elders
Northwood Elders – Spiritual leaders of our community
Jocelyn Stram
Elder CHAIR
Jocelyn is a retired schoolteacher, married with two grown children, and has been a member of Northwood since 2013. She enjoys reading and lazy days at the Oregon coast. Her favorite book in the Bible is the Gospel of John.
Loren Corner
Elder CHAIR
Loren joined Northwood in 2013. His interest in serving God and music often overlap in the church. He also enjoys leading the Northwood Nomads RV group with his wife Diana.
Sue Smith
Elder
Sue has been a member of Northwood since 1997, has served as a diaconate, and is currently serving as an Elder. Sue’s spare time is often filled with traveling alongside her husband Russ of nearly 50 years, especially to see the 4 grandkids in Southern California, baking and cooking for others while tending to our large yard.
Steve Devine
Elder
Steve joined Northwood in 1999. He is active with High School youth and semi-retired from a manufacturing background.
Ron Davis
Elder
Ron has been at Northwood since roughly 2015 and is an active weekly volunteer at the Eugene Mission. He finds relaxation in my shop building, sharing the journey of the build, and during the summer months, gardening and tending the harvest.
Judy Hockett
Elder
Judy’s family walked into the doors of Northwood in the summer of 1972 and instantly knew that they were home. One of Judy’s biggest blessings has been sharing God’s Word and the love of Jesus as a Sunday School teacher from 1973 until 2020.
Richard Russell
Elder
Richard loves God and loves people. He loves to hear the life journeys of others and share how Jesus has helped in his own life. Wherever you are on your journey, Richard suggests participating in the ALPHA experience.
Kitty Bates
Elder
Kitty attended Northwood Palm Sunday 2003. She was baptized in November 2003. Kitty has served in many ministries throughout the years at Northwood as well as the community. Angel Tree is one of her favorites.
Ralph Matteson
Elder
Ralph graduated from Northwest Christian College (now Bushnell University), married with two grown children, four grandsons. Ralph feels privileged to serve in churches in Newport, Roseburg, Medford, and now the Eugene-Springfield area.
Deena Swartout
Elder
Deena has been a member of Northwood since 2006. Deena has spent nearly 40 years enjoying working in Children, Youth, Young Adult, and Small Group Ministries. Deena has a passion for loving God’s people and encouraging them in their daily walk with Jesus.
Mike Mercer
Elder
Elder since 2020, Mike has spent 35 years in the financial industry and has led Financial Peace University classes for 20 years. He enjoys helping people overcome financial challenges, loves to use his gift of hospitality, and travels with his two daughters.
John Schmidt
Elder
John and Katherine have been married for over 50 years with two daughters. They have been at Northwood since 2016, after retiring from pastoral ministry. John is particularly interested in walking with younger men in the development of their faith and service.
Jeff Emmett
Elder
Jeff is a native Oregonian and is proud to call Springfield his home. He and his wife Leah have two children, Allison & Andy. In his free time, Jeff enjoys fishing, woodworking projects, traveling, and rooting for the Beavers!
Bruce Cummings
Elder
Bruce and his wife Pat and I have been married 49 yrs and have been attending Northwood Christian since roughly 2015. He enjoys volunteering for and with the church in a variety of different ways and is excited to join the elders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear?
On any given Sunday morning, you will find a wide variety in what people wear. You will often see men wearing polo shirts and trousers and women wearing dress pants or skirts, jeans are acceptable. We hope you come to worship with us in what feels most comfortable to you!
Do you have services for Kids?
Nursery care is available for kids two and under. Kids Church, with age appropriate activities and teaching, are available for kids three and older. These are offered during our 9:30 & 11:00 AM Worship Services on Sundays as well as the 6:30 PM Worship Service on Wednesday Nights. Learn more about Kids Church and other opportunities for children here.
What about Youth services?
Our Youth Ministry is hosting Youth Groups & Youth Worship Services during the week. Learn more about our Middle School & High School ministries are up to here.
Where do I park?
There is parking located in our main parking lot, as well as across Hayden Bridge Road at Page Elementary School. If you need handicapped parking, there are several spaces near the front doors of the church.
Is childcare secure?
Experienced caregivers, assisted by loving volunteers, care for the children. We use a security tag check in system to ensure only those approved may drop of and pick up kids from their classrooms. The facilities are clean, safe, and comfortable. Separate rooms are provided for infants and toddlers and there is continuous care during all worship services.
Are there any refreshments?
During Sunday’s Worship Services, there is often open fellowship time in the Fellowship Hall. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and sweet treats are available.
Our story
What We Believe
- One God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- The deity of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, who was born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, who died for our sins, who rose bodily from the grave and ascended to heaven, and who will one day return in glory and power.
- The ministry of the Holy Spirit within every believer, empowering for witness and service, and providing spiritual gifts to every Christian.
- The inspiration of the entire Bible as God’s infallible revelation to mankind.
- The one true universal church, the body of Christ, consisting of all believers throughout the world, whose head is Jesus Christ.
- Salvation by faith in Christ alone, without works of merit, solely by the grace of God.
