Pastor Jim and Linda Johnson and their family came to Camarillo from Minneapolis in 2006. The Johnsons have served in ministry for the past 20 years -- training in a vibrant church in Lake Stevens, Washington, then serving four years in a small town in northern Minnesota, later serving 10 years as director of a college-level Bible School in Minneapolis, and now here in Southern California. They are raising their family of 11 in a home on Canopy Drive in Village at the Park. Jim and Linda were married in 1987 and love working together in ministry to strengthen marriages, build families, and encourage believers to grow. They began full-time at Good Shepherd on July 1, 2006.
Jon Nungester is interim director of student ministries at Good Shepherd. A graduate of Talbot Theological Seminary, he serves full-time with Agoura Bible Fellowship. A gifted teacher who loves kids and works hard at communicating the truths of the Scripture, he's with us on Sunday nights. He also meets with youth leaders and interns to provide training and curriculum planning. Jon and his wife, a volleyball coach at Oaks Christian School, have two young children.
Nola Godfrey serves Good Shepherd in church administration. A gifted leader and administrator, she and Rick live in Thousand Oaks. She helps manage finances, facilities and the Good Shepherd Front Porch.
Paul Powers serves as assistant youth leader at Good Shepherd. He and wife Valerie, the daughter of noted missionary author Don Richardson, are long-time Southern Californians and effective teachers and leaders.
Vivianne Twigg is receptionist and front desk leader. She and husband Dave have two children, Lindsey and Jasper. They in Camarillo. Born in Manila, she trained in business and completed college studies at UC Irvine.
Amy Drews also works on the Good Shepherd Front Porch Team. She specializes in planning and volunteer coordination. She and husband Mike live in Camarillo. They have two children, Amanda and Derek.
Parish Builders and Ministry Assistants
Stephen Quanbeck, 20, is a Parish Builder, working with youth and worship at Good Shepherd. He serves us through the ministry arm of AFLC Home Missions. He comes from Cavalier, North Dakota.
Ben Dahl, 20, serves in technology, website ministry and ministry assistant, as a part of the AFLC Parish Builders Team. He comes from Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
Hannah Johnson, 21, serves in children's ministry, college ministry and music ministry as an AFLC Parish Builder, under the direction of AFLC Home Missions. She is the second daughter of Pastor Jim and Linda Johnson.
Steven Stoyko, 25, is a ministry intern at Good Shepherd. A full-time student at the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI) in Camrose, Alberta. With excellent administrative and speaking gifts, Steve works with youth and college ministry.
Annaliese Neiman, 20, is a intern at Good Shepherd, serving primarily in worship and youth ministry support. A full-time student at the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI) in Camrose, Alberta, she comes from Devin, Alberta, near Edmonton.
Jerry and Terri Nelson recently stepped down from the ministry team at Good Shepherd. After much prayer, and with the desire to help the church reduce expenses in 2012, Jerry resigned his position as ministry assistant as of Dec. 31. They remain on the staff payroll through March, but are looking for God's directions in taking their next position. We will miss them. Pray for the Nelsons as they seek the Lord's will for their next chapter in ministry. "They are an effective team and they served the Good Shepherd well," says Pastor Jim. "I wish we could have kept them."
Church Officers and Spiritual Leaders
Brad Schaub is the current congregational president at Good Shepherd. A custom home builder and designer, Brad grew up in Newbury Park and Westlake Village. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he completed his masters degree at USC. A devoted soccer player and coach, Brad is also the assistant soccer coach for the Oaks Christian boys soccer team. He and wife Suzanne have been a part of Good Shepherd since it was a brand new church. Suzanne and Brad have two high school aged boys, Carter and Collin, and they live in the Village at the Park neighborhood of Camarillo.
Mike Harrison is the church treasurer. The former starting quarterback for the St. Boniventure football team still loves sports -- starting with the beloved USC Trojan football team. A graduate of USC, Mike now serves as president at Diamond West construction. He and wife Heather, an outstanding children's ministry teacher, have two boys, Travis and Colin. They live in Camarillo.
Michael Drews serves as the financial secretary of the council. He hails from British Columbia and has worked and served as a certified public accountant in Southern California for 20 years. He and wife Amy are raising two children, Derek and Amy.
Ron Spooner is the secretary of the church council. A founding elder at Good Shepherd, Ron has gifts in both leadership and music -- he plays the upright bass for the Good Shepherd string ensemble at the 8:30 service. An engineer, sales rep and business owner, he loves to see things move forward. He and wife Monica have seven children -- the last two adopted from Uganda.
Elders include the following:
Mark Hiepler is an attorney based in Camarillo and Oxnard. A long-time youth basketball coach coach and an avid sports fan, the former Lakers ballboy has served on the Good Shepherd Board of Elders for more than 10 years and teaches Middle School Bible classes. He and Michelle are raising three children and have a heart for the ministry of Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village.
Kenn Graham is a retired engineer and a member of the Gideons, a ministry that distributes Bibles. He is also a long-time member of the AFLC home mission committee. He and wife Geri love to travel to visit missionaries around the world. They are also involved in a small group Bible study called "Joy of Discovery."
Greg Seeba is a former deputy with the Ventura Sheriff's Department. He and wife Mary are raising three children in Camarillo. He is also involved with pastoral visitation and outreach to seniors in health care facilities. Greg also teaches Bible classes for Middle School students. Both Greg and Mary love to serve in the church as volunteers and leaders -- pointing people to Jesus Christ. They have three children, Nathaniel, Emily and Lauren.
Women's Ministry
Linda Johnson (below, between Nola Godfrey, at left, and Michelle Hiepler, at right) leads several women's ministries and small groups at Good Shepherd. The mother of nine and a long-time pastor's wife, Linda loves morning aerobics, the Old Testament human stories, healthy cooking, hearing people tell stories that make her laugh, and leading Beth Moore studies. She prefers to work behind the scenes and not in front, but will do so if no one else will -- hoping that God will send help soon! She studied at Minnesota State University and loves children's literature.
Deacons include the following:
Bill Chase, a training coach and mentor with New York Life, leads the Hospitality Ministry at Good Shepherd. He and wife Burma have lived in Camarillo for more than five years. He loves small group ministry, barbershop choral music and pointing people to Jesus Christ.
Rick Godfrey, Thousand Oaks, has lived in Ventura County since moving from his hometown of Manhatten Beach. A specialist in traffic control, he loves cool classic cars and working with his hands. He and wife Nola serve as liaisons for the Preschool Ministry of Good Shepherd, guiding the Early Childhood Center into numerous improvements over the past year.
Jared Langness, 29, is the Deacon for Student Ministries at Good Shepherd. A long-time youth and children's worker, he is a teacher of math and Bible at Oaks Christian School. A native of northern Michigan, Jerod loves the Minnesota Twins, frisbee golf and watching student sporting events.He also coaches Middle School touch football at Oaks Christian and helps coordinate youth ministry at Good Shepherd.
Worship Leaders
David and Vivianne Twigg are valuable ministry leaders at Good Shepherd. After joining the church in its early stages, the Twiggs soon moved into a position of service in music and worship and team leading. Dave, the son of faithful Christians and a veteran pastor, works as a sales rep in the pharmaceutical industry. He enjoys great music, a side business called Sir Round Sound, and many hours mentoring younger men and facilitating a small group. Vivianne is also a gifted leader with a heart for the Word of God and women's ministry. They are raising two high school age children, Lindsey and Jasper.
Above left: Dave Twigg, worship leader, and son Jasper. Above right: Dave's wife, Vivianne Twigg, worship leader, and Linda Johnson.
