Our Team

Jon Burgess

Lead Pastor

Cyndi & I met & married while attending Life Pacific Bible College. Since that time we have been in pastoral leadership at two church plants and pastored New Hope Kapa'a.  We moved to Seattle with the understanding that church planting is the most effective form of evangelism and that Seattle was hungry for the reality of Christ in everyday life. We launched New Hope Seattle on September 26, 2004 as the first of many church plants dedicated to bringing new hope to the beautiful people of Seattle.  We have five awesome boys joining us in the journey:  Elijah, Aden, Benjamin, Justice & Jaxon!

"IN HIS ADVENTURE": "This phrase sums up the Christian experience for me. I find my greatest joy in seeing the light come on in people's eyes when they realize they too have been purposed for a life of adventure in Christ!"

My Favorite Things --

Books: Narnia Series – C.S. Lewis; "The Way of The Wild Heart"- John Eldredge; "Doing Church As A Team"-Wayne Cordiero; "Next Christians"- Gabe Lyons

Places: Lydgate State Park, Kauai; Richmond Beach Park; Martha Lake; Seattle Center

Movies: The Lord of The Rings series, Star Wars Saga, Nacho Libre, The Bourne Series, Three Amigos

Hobbies:  Sports/Activities with my boys, Movies, Acoustic Guitar

Cyndi Burgess

I am passionate about family and about having fun.  I love to make order out of chaos, which is a helpful skill when raising five adventurous boys!  I love connecting with people and hearing their story and where they are at on their faith journey.  I love to laugh.

My Favorite Things --

Books: Bible, Bossypants, Captivating, Do Home Decorating Magazines Count as Books?

Places: Anywhere in Hawaii

Movies: Elf, Pride and Prejudice, Bourne Trilogy, Seinfeld

Hobbies:  Decorating, Baking

Favorite thing about New Hope: It's a safe and fun place for family.  People are welcomed and loved on, no matter what!

Chad Rolfs

Executive Pastor

Chad and his wife Tina, along with their two boys, were called to New Hope in 2006.  Chad's passion is discipleship and seeing the image of God reflected through strong marriages and families.  Chad came from the technology sector before surrendering to his call of pursuing full time ministry.  At New Hope, he has served on the tech team, worship team, church council, and as head over Children's ministries.  In addition to his current role, he also serves on the teaching team, leads men's Pure Desire groups, and along with his wife, is one of the regular Elementary Sunday School teachers.  Outside of church, Chad serves as the head coach of Ballard Boys Swim & Dive team.

My Favorite Things –

Movie: Action/Sci-fi, TV: Lost, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica (all the ones no longer airing, doh!)

Book: other than the Bible? Hmmmm...

Place: Lake Chelan

Hobbies: Exercise, photography, motorcycles, bread making

Thing to do on my day off: Have fun with my wife/kids, go on a motorcycle ride, eat massive amounts of sushi with good friends, relax and read

Favorite thing about New Hope: The food and family – celebrations in the Blu Café are the best!

Michelle Tornetta

Connections Pastor

Michelle has been part of New Hope since the first service.  She is passionate about seeing people grow in their relationship with God and connecting to other people so they can passionately live out their individual calling.  Before coming to New Hope, Michelle served with Youth With A Mission in Guam and the Philippines and was on staff in a church in South Dakota for 6 years.  At New Hope, Michelle oversees the small group ministry and the First Impressions Team, which includes announcements, ushers, greeters, and the Brunch Team.  In addition, she serves as Pastor Jon's administrator, facilitates a ministry called Special Dreams for Special Kids, and is part of the hula team.

She and her husband Chaz enjoy cooking, gardening, riding bikes and throwing parties!  Michelle has a teenage daughter, Abbey, who was the inspiration for Special Dreams.

My Favorite Things –

Books:  Mitford Series, Narnia, Sacred Rhythms, any Henri Nouwen

Movie: Under the Tuscan Sun

Place: any lake

Hobbies: Exercising, water sports, softball, scrapbooking, cooking

Thing to do on my day off: Reading, any hobby, spending time with people

Thing about New Hope: The beautiful people and seeing them connect with others in unity

Kalene Paz

Operations Manager/Uth Leader

I found New Hope along with my husband Jonathan after googleing local churches in Shoreline, almost 5 years ago. We started at the church with no intention of serving in ministry, but after a series of events, which ended in us receiving custody of our then 12 year old nephew (now almost 17), we found ourselves leading the Uth group. This has become my passion and something that had been missing from my life, but I had never realized it before. Along with working with the teens I also serve as the operations manager, dealing with the day to day "church stuff".

My Favorite Things:

Books: I don't read

Places: Kauai (I will live there one day), California, and my bed when my room is clean

Movies: Ace Ventura, Save the last Dance (story of my life), Only the Strong (also the story of my life)

Hobbies: Softball, Soccer (I am extremely competitive), making art with my hands

Favorite thing about New Hope: I love the "come as you are" atmosphere

Jonathan Paz

Super Awesome/Uth Leader

A bio is a hard thing for me to write because I already know the story. I guess you could say that I never thought that I would be in ministry but the adoption of my nephew when he was 12 years old changed everything. Once I had a teenager, I realized how the world has given up on future generations and my heart broke. I now have been put in a place that I can and will continue to fight for the next generations. This is really where my heart is because I never felt like anyone would ever fight for me as a youth. I love the teens and they give me energy everytime I see their faces.

My Favorite Things --

Books: The hobbit/There and Back Again

Places: Los Angeles, CA; The Beach (not the lame Washington kind); Hawaii (any island)

Movies: The Lord of The Rings series, Star Wars Saga, Nacho Libre, The Bourne Series

Hobbies:  Technology; Sports; Chillin' w/ My Friends and Family; Writing My Blog; Leading YoungLife

April Thompson

Children's Ark Director

April's passion is to encourage and challenge people to grow in the Lord and to help them find and move in their calling.  She married Dave in 2003 and they have 3 beautiful young children, Michaela, Kellen and Isaac.  April began attending New Hope in 2007 and has served in the worship team, the youth group, college age and women's ministries.  Her introduction to serving in Children's Ark at New Hope was volunteering in the nursery because she loves babies!

My Favorite Things –

Movie:  The Devil Wears Prada and Sleepless in Seattle

Books:  Jane Eyre, The Hunger Games and anything Francine Rivers

Place:  Coffee shops, bookstores, pumpkin patches and farms.

Hobbies:  I love love love to read, going on fun adventures with the kids, working out, singing, and, learning and teaching nutrition.

Thing to do on my day off:  cooking an elaborate breakfast, walking around Greenlake with Dave and the kids, mini-road trips with the family and taking naps

Dave Thompson

Children's Ministries and Teaching Team

Born and raised in Seattle, Dave is as jaded and sarcastic as socially acceptable without being depressing.  Dave has served in ministry since first becoming a Christian and a licensed Foursquare pastor since 2005.  If you can think of it, he's done it - college groups, men's ministries, bible studies/classes, announcements, usher, prayer team, etc.  Dave successfully out-kicked his coverage and has been married to April since 2003, and they have 3 wonderful children, Michaela, Kellen and Isaac. He doesn't like acronyms or 3-point sermons that alliterate the answers, it just bothers him.  Dave can't fix his car or hang a towel rack because his extra brain space is filled with sports knowledge and pro-wresting story lines.

My Favorite Things-

Movie: Good Will Hunting

Book: Born to Run, Christopher McDougall

Place: San Francisco with April

Hobbies: Disc Golf, Thinking about exercising and playing with the kids

Thing to do on my off day: Be woken up by the kids, not the alarm

Thing about New Hope: Its a safe place to seek Jesus while wading through your stuff

August Laguio

Worship Leader

August believes that faith and community are essential to a life lived with integrity. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve with such a great team of people at New Hope Seattle. August met Pastors Jon and Cyndi Burgess in early 2004 and after hearing their vision he jumped right on board, eventually taking the role as lead worship pastor. Previously he served at  New Hope's sister church, Living Way Foursquare Church in Northgate for five years. A passionate musician and life-long learner, August continually looks for opportunities to collaborate with other artists and cultivate new expressions of worship. He brings deep commitment as well as a sense of humor to his approach to leadership and credits his team for challenging him to go deeper in pursuit of the Lord.

"Being a part of worship, I am continually learning and searching to find what worship means not just on a Sunday morning, but in everyday life, too."

My Favorite Things –

Movie: Long Way Round and just about anything that Christopher Nolan does.

Place: San Francisco

Hobbies: Working on vintage motorcycles

Thing to do on my day off: Working in the garage, a long motorcycle ride or practicing the guitar

Thing about New Hope: The community.

Courtney Laguio

Connections/Announcements

Courtney has been serving at New Hope Seattle since the spring of 2004. She is a committed volunteer on the New Hope ministry team and enjoys serving with such a gifted and diverse group of people. Courtney is a Seattle native, who loves living in the Northwest and currently works in the non-profit sector as a fundraising and development professional. What drew her to New Hope was the emphasis on relationships, lasting, loving relationships with people and a lasting, loving relationship with God.

"I remember our first meeting in Pastor Jon and Cyndi's living room; it amazes me how much we've grown since then. What I am the most grateful for is the relationships that I have made here. I learn so much about God's love through a caring community.  I've made friends here that I'll have for a life time."

My Favorite Things –

Movie: Away We Go

Book: Let Your Life Speak

Place: Three way tie between Seattle, Paris and Venice

Hobbies: Riding my motorcycle, writing, working in the yard

Thing to do on my day off: I love to eat out at a restaurant I never tried before

Thing about New Hope: The great relationships with friends old and new

Bill Fox

Bill and his wife Dana moved to the Seattle area in 1972 as newlyweds after Bill's military service was completed, which included a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot followed by a tour in Germany where the couple met and married. They have lived in the Edmonds, WA area for the past twenty years where their twin daughters Stephanie and Courtney have grown up and become women of faith.

Bill is best known to his friends as a kind, gentle spirit with a great sense of humor. He is quick to laugh and always has a fun story to share. New Hope Seattle is definitely a family event that has changed the Fox family's perspective on what it means to be a part of a church family. Bill joined the Levite team shortly after joining the church and was asked to be an elder soon after.

"I really enjoy the camaraderie of the church teams while we set up and tear down for the church services on Sunday. It's a great experience to be a part of something so special."

Sean Schryba

I was born and raised in the Midwest and have been to church ever since. I started going to New Hope when it was just getting started at the Shoreline Community College. On a particular Sunday service the Holy Spirit "encouraged" me to be a part of the solution to problems that I had complained about in many of the churches I had attended over the years. I originally joined up with the Levite ministry that was a set-up and tear-down team every Sunday. I met my wife Ruth while the church was still at the college and I am currently a part of the staff as the Service Pastor. I also lead a few meetings on Crown Financial Ministry which focus on how to handle your finances from God's perspective.

Favorite things to do:

I like to take long walks on the beach and cuddle.

I enjoy paintball (when I am in shape).

I also like to tinker with computers and play video games.

I don't read many books since I am taking college classes.

Experiencing life together with my wife.

Frank Lacey

I began serving at New Hope 4yrs ago as an usher and working in the Blue Cafe. We now serve in the J12 department and usher team ; and it has all been an amazing journey. I’m also serving on the Church Council and the Teaching Team. My wife Loree of 17 yrs has been by my side the whole way. We have two adorable kids, Ezekiel 13 and Ansley 10.

My Favorite Things

Books: "King Me" Steve Farrar, "Azusa Revival", Steve Brown

Places: Anywhere warm with beaches

Movies: Comedy, action, thriller

Hobbies: Biking, hiking, kayaking, motorbiking

Favorite thing about New Hope: Soul Winning, I love seeing lives changed for the kingdom

Austin Grove

I found New Hope 4 1/2 years ago while going for a run. The church I had grown up in was great, it was just very small and there were no other couples our age. My wife and I had done some church hopping looking for a replacement, but after the first time at New Hope we knew this would be home. I've been heading up the ushering team for the last 2 years. One of my favorite pastimes is working on old motorcycles and going for rides with the other guys in Fox Moto. I've been married to my Jr. High sweet heart for the last 6 years and a year ago we welcomed our beautiful daughter Camden.

Steve Moll

Manager, Blu Café Outreach

Steve is a retired RN who became caught up in the New Hope vision of a coffee shop outreach as a means of connecting with the surrounding community.  He believes that every beverage or pastry served touches a soul for the Lord.  In 2009, Steve took on the role of café manager and became a member of the pastoral team.  He establishes café policies and procedures, trains volunteer staff, maintains the cafe inventory and environment, and networks with the local community.  In addition to his role with the Blu Café, Steve serves the homeless on the "Search and Rescue" team and thoroughly enjoys any opportunity to help out with our youth program.

Steve is a Vietnam Era veteran, having served four years ('60 –'64) as an Air Force medic.  In addition to a Diploma in Nursing ('68) from Highland School of Nursing, Oakland, CA, Steve holds Bachelor and Master of Nursing Degrees ('71 & '73) from the University of Washington.  He retired as a Major ('88) from the USAF Nurse Corp and served a year on faculty at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

In 1989, Steve, his wife Ann, and their son Jason moved to Shoreline and settled in as members of Richmond Highlands Baptist Church (RHBC).  He began a 15-year career as nurse consultant with Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), inspecting nursing homes in the five counties north of King Co.  He retired from DSHS in 2005.  Steve shared with other RHBC members in the joining of hands with New Hope Seattle in 2006.

He delights in spending time with his son Jason and daughter-in-law (Sabrina) who reside in Marysville, and his sister and brother-in-law who live in Oregon wine country southwest of Portland.    Steve and Ann are world travelers, with friends throughout the U.S. and abroad that he made during his years in the military.  He is an avid snow skier, boater, and fisherman.  He is a "gentleman farmer," raising fruit and veggies in the yard of the South Everett home where he and Ann now live.  He's not a half-bad cook and barista.  Steve bleeds purple as a hardcore fan of University of Washington Husky athletics.  When not reading God's Word, he enjoys a good adventure novel (Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, etc.)