LEADERSHIP

Born and raised across NYC, Pastor Tom’s heart for the metropolis is second nature. Formerly the Teaching Pastor at Liquid Church (NJ) – one of America’s Top 100 Fastest-Growing Churches, he and his family then followed God’s call to California, where he served as the Men’s Pastor of Saddleback Church (CA). A dynamic communicator with a zealous heart and contagious laugh, Pastor Tom now passionately preaches God’s Word and provides visionary leadership for NewStory Church. Fun Fact: Though a self-admitted “Not-Built-for-Speed-Body-Type” … he has nevertheless completed the LA, NYC & SF marathons and may be open to running another with you, should you bring it up.

Pastor Stephen has spent most of his adult years in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife, Helen, and three adult children. He currently oversees all the Small Groups of NewStory Church and pours his heart into equipping our leaders for spiritual growth and ministerial success. Pastor Stephen enjoys the company of his wife and friends, especially when they’re engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking or traveling. In fact, his family spends every winter ripping up the slopes in Mammoth! That’s not to say that Pastor Stephen doesn’t enjoy indoor activities as well. If it’s not hiking or skiing, his family can be spotted cheering on the Lakers and Dodgers or watching The Voice.

Kyung Ho’s heart and love for Los Angeles is no different from that of our entire staff. The continual melting pot of cultures in this city has excited him for years. What is unique, however, is Kyung Ho is particularly blessed to understand the mysterious Language of Math, which he uses mightily for the kingdom of God. (Word on the street is, his favorite book in the Bible is “Numbers”.) Aside from crunching some serious data points here at NewStory Church, Kyung Ho also has an amazing collection of over 400 Chinese Kung Fu DVDs! He loves to indulge himself in all sorts of strategy games, such as Geropolis and Risk. His favorite pastime of all, however, is spending quality time with his wife and family.

Pastor David prides himself in being an Angeleno to the core. From the heights of Dodger Stadium to the depths of Skid Row, Pastor David fervently loves the City of Angels and yearns to see people from all walks of life encounter Jesus. As the Operations Pastor of NewStory Church, he oversees all operations to ensure the progress and success of each ministry. Pastor David is also an avid supporter of the Lakers, Dodgers and Raiders. In his own words, “Kobe is better than Lebron!”

Our gifted Student Ministry Director, Tricia, was born and raised in Los Angeles. She loves LA for its diverse cuisines and unbeatable fast food; namely, In-N-Out cheeseburgers and street tacos. Tricia is the creative genius behind the weekly student curriculum and events. Her goal is to partner with families to create a fun and safe environment for students to be invested in their spiritual journeys. In addition to leading Student Ministries here at NewStory Church, Tricia also loves rocking out to the Backstreet Boys, binging on old reruns of The West Wing, and eating out with her husband and two darling girls.

Pastor Dustin grew up in the ‘mean streets’ of West Hills in the San Fernando Valley. Apart from the four years of college he spent at Berkeley (Go Bears!), he has always lived in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Downtown LA where they enjoy spending their time meeting new people, hosting friends, and eating good food! Pastor Dustin provides oversight for NewStory’s College and Young Adult Ministries. He’s always open to making new friends, so feel free to shoot him an email and get to know him more! (He may or may not be the first recipient of the coveted, “Friendliest Person on Staff” Award.)

Have you had your coffee yet today? If not, Nathan, who is guaranteed to be caffeinated, can provide you with a list of the best coffee shops in your area and a virtual tutorial on the best brewing method for you. ;) His affinity for coffee runs deep, but his love for God and for people runs deeper. Nathan has devoted most of his life to volunteering and working in ministry settings, leading worship, and mentoring worship teams. His work experience at Apple and his desire for everyone to feel connected has prepared him to enter into his new role as Online Pastor and Worship Leader. In his free time, you can find Nathan hiking, camping, running (he has completed 7 marathons - one in NYC along with Pastor Tom!), or spending time with his beautiful new wife, cooking, traveling, and exploring. Nathan is SoCal born and raised, but his passion for other cultures and countries has led him to visit Kenya, Uganda, New Zealand, Australia, and Mexico. Next on his list? Germany, to see his new in-laws and family.

Is it a beard? Is it a mullet? Is it Pastor Trent’s new, trendy haircut? This joyful man has the reputation of drastically changing his looks without warning, all while being married with four beautiful children! Pastor Trent takes God very seriously, but himself, not so much. Such is the reason he excels at cultivating a relaxed church environment where people can feel welcomed and at home. You might also spot Pastor Trent playing percussion on Sundays—he’s been playing drums professionally for years and is even giving lessons on his days off!

Victoria was born and raised in SoCal, but she has spent most of her life on Disney property. One thing she loves more than Disney is her redemptive savior Jesus. Victoria was brought into the church during high school when she joined her best friend (now husband) Jonathan on a youth retreat camp. Since then, she has had a heart for ministry. Serving with children has always reminded her about how our heavenly father views us with such love and grace. She is our junior’s coordinator and believes that every child and parent need a support system to cultivate a relationship with Christ. Her hope and goal is to provide that to our church through the junior’s ministry. Victoria and Jonathan love a good night in to play video games or read a book. Please feel free to catch up with them and geek out about the latest game and your current read. 

Minjie has always had a love for art and design growing up, which led her to pursue a career in it. She finds joy in the fact that she not only gets to do what she loves daily, but also gets to let others experience God through creative designs. During her free time, you can catch her hanging out with friends and family, playing board games, and watching animated movies.

Rim is an unpaid marketeer for all things sunny, southern California, especially Disneyland, In-N-Out, street tacos, and LA sports teams (GO Dodgers, Kings, Lakers)! She is often referred to as the “super glue” in the administrative offices. She supports our Lead Pastor and Lead Team with much of the behind-the-scenes support. While her unofficial title as “Boss Lady” may not come with a crown and sash, she happily bears it knowing that a well organized ministry blesses all. She’s also affectionately known as NewStory’s resident candy dealer and loves being around kids. During her down time, she rejuvenates herself by playing the piano and spending time with friends and family over food. Fun Fact: The quickest way to Rim’s heart ... a date to Disneyland!

Peter was born in Korea and spent his early childhood in Hong Kong… but has lived most of his life in Southern California. During his college years at UCLA, Peter’s faith in God grew deeper through his active involvement in campus ministry and church. (It was here that he also met his beautiful wife, Junia!) Peter felt God’s invitation to seminary and had a life-changing experience at Talbot School of Theology, particularly through the spiritual formation program. Peter is a proud father of two daughters and a son and enjoys mountain biking and hanging out with friends in his free time. As the Discipleship Coordinator, Peter hopes to help those at NewStory to connect with others through small groups. On Sundays, you can find Peter downstairs in the welcome area!

Dan lives, laughs, and loves in LA as he has all his life.  His favorite teams are whichever ones his kids are playing on, but he and his wife will root for the Lakers and Dodgers, too.  He loves discovering cheap eats with Twins Smokehouse BBQ being a recent favorite find. But when he’s feeling really cheap, he’ll smoke his own meats at home. Dan is blessed to lead the dedicated NextGen Kids Team in reaching children with the love of Jesus. He’s honored to be a part of each child’s early faith journey and hopes that their experience at NewStory will be foundational to a lifetime of following Jesus.

Although Hidemi is Japanese, she was born in China and is now married to a Korean man. She encountered Jesus in her twenties and has never looked back. She now serves as an invaluable Administrative Assistant to our active NewStory Staff. During her free time, Hidemi loves to crush it at a local Zumba® class and go fishing with her husband … talk about an abundant life!

Min Gyu is behind all of the fascinating videos we share here at NewStory Church. His incredible video editing skills are matched only by his love for all things tech, which he generously uses to bless the congregation at NewStory. Fun Fact: Min Gyu originally wanted to change his name to David—until his brother legally changed his name to David first. Nonetheless, Min Gyu is proud of his Korean name. Curious to meet Min Gyu behind the scenes? You’ll likely catch him in action snapping photos at church or perhaps even bump into him at the next Marvel film release with his wife and two daughters! (He’s a big fan!)

Erwin embodies the quote,  “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” As the NewStory Production Team Lead, Erwin enjoys dabbling in different skills and hobbies, such as video games, carpentry, tech, and movies. If there was one skill he'd like to master, it'd be fishing. Erwin is a fun father of two and a husband of one (as required by law - ha!). All jokes aside, he loves his family and strives to be the best husband and father possible. It's clear that our Production Team Lead doesn't take himself too seriously, so don't be afraid to say hi when you see him at NewStory on Sundays!