Staff & Elders
Our Staff
Dedicated to Loving God & Loving People
Pastoral Staff
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!
Worship Ministry and Media Staff
Adam Rasmussen
Director of 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.
Joel Brock
MEDIA supervisor
Hired in 2022, Joel oversees all our technology and media for the church. He manages video and audio for sermons, podcasts, and creative projects.
Connections Staff
Riley Bell
Connections Min. Lead
Hired in 2021, Riley is an outdoor enthusiast, with a passion for experiencing nature at its best- backpacking for days in the wilderness and challenging herself to summit the tallest mountain are some of her greatest joys. Walking her dogs, sipping coffee and playing board games make the casual weekend complete.
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.
Youth Ministry Staff
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.
Joe Dyer
Dir. middle school ministry
Hired in 2020, Joe has spent several years already serving in church ministry as well as Young Life.
Children's Ministry Staff
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.
Jessie Duncan
Children's Ministry Assistant
Jessie is a long-time servant of the Children’s Ministry.
Titus Fox
Children's Ministry Assistant
Titus joined the Northwood team in 2022 and assists with our Kids church.
Deliene Miller
Children's Ministry Assistant
Deliene officially joined the Northwood team in 2022 and assists with our Kids church, but she has been teaching Sunday school for years!
Rachel Wininger
Dir. Preschool
Previously a Northwood Preschool Teacher, now director as of 2021.
Administrative and Support Staff
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!
Jill Noble
Administrative Assistant
Hired in 2006, Jill is basically the secretary and team mom. She has attended Northwood since 1980. Her kids and now grandkids continue in the line of five generations of Noble’s to attend Northwood.
Wendy Raz
Finance & HR Manager
Hired in 2020, Wendy has been a long-time servant and leader in the Northwood community.
Katie Lind
Web Content Specialist
Katie was hired in 2022 to maintain Northwood’s website and online presence and assist in church communications.
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
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.
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.
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 his shop building, sharing the journey of the build, and during the summer months, gardening and tending the harvest.
Karen LaFluer
Elder
Karen has been married to her husband, Dave, for 49 years. Mother to two grown daughters: Nicole, married with a son, Gavin; and Megan, married with a daughter, Kendall. Retirement finds Karen happily spending time enjoying growing/working with flowers and starting mornings early, drinking coffee while watching the sunrise during her quiet time. Karen also enjoys volunteering at church, delivering food for “Meals on Wheels” weekly, and especially spending time being Grandma to her two grandchildren.
Chip Lindsey
Elder
Chip and his wife, Heidi, joined Northwood in 2018 after moving to the Cedar Flat area. After beginning his walk with Christ at age 17, he soon discovered his favorite Bible verse to be Matthew 28:18-20. Chip enjoys building engines, water/snow skiing, hunting/fishing, camping, and spending time with family!
John Matthews
Elder
John was born and raised in Springfield. He has two grown children from a previous marriage. John met his wife Vicki at church in 2000, got married in 2007, and legally adopted Kassidy as their daughter in 2013. John has believed in God his whole life, but never thought God believed in him until he experienced God’s full power, love, and care when John began his recovery from drug and alcohol abuse 25 years ago. John believes his experiences (both good and bad) have afforded him a practical perspective about Christianity: he wants to follow Jesus’s example each day.
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.
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.
John Sargeant
Elder
John began regularly attending Northwood in 1988. He met his wife Stephanie at Northwood and they raised their four children here. John has served as an Elder at Northwood for 15 years. John and Stephanie are big Oregon Duck fans and love going to Duck games together.
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.
Richard Smith
Elder
Richard began serving as an Elder in July 2022. Richard and his wife of 37 years, Wanda, have been a member of the Northwood family since 1997. Richard began service at Northwood by running the PowerPoint for services many years ago. Previously, Richard has been Stewardship Chair and Vice Chair of our Board. He introduced Financial Peace University to Northwood in 2009. Richard’s interests include walking every day, doing Duolingo Spanish and traveling with Wanda as much as they can!
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.
Charlene Snow
Elder
Charlene has been attending Northwood since 2017. Charlene and Ed have been married 54 years and are blessed with two daughters, a son and 7 grandchildren. They moved to Springfield from Issaquah, Washington after retiring. They love living near their youngest grandchildren and closer to their oldest in Albany. Charlene and Ed visited Northwood many times before moving, and each time felt so welcomed, knowing it would someday be their new church home! Charlene loves to volunteer and looks forward to serving this amazing church family!
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.