Mike Brinson | Lifepoint Baptist Church | Centerton, Arkansas
The first official meeting of Lifepoint Baptist Church was in the Sienna Estates Clubhouse in Centerton, AR on July 19. God blessed with 24 in attendance. Since that date God has been equipping the new church with a dynamic core group. The church celebrated its Grand Opening on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.
At Lifepoint we have a simple purpose that has become our process. What is our purpose? To Love God, Live in Community and Lead from Strengths.
Joey Candillo | Grace Church | Independence, Missouri
Joey grew up in Independence and graduated from William Chrisman in 1992. He got into a lot of trouble as a teenager and young adult. In 1997, he went to prison for a short time for selling drugs. While in there he became a Christian. After getting out he surrendered to full time ministry and enrolled at Baptist Bible College in 1998. He graduated in May of 2002. In September of the same year, he planted The Milestone Church in inner-city Kansas City. In 2004, the Milestone Church merged with Bales Baptist Church and Joey became the pastor of Bales. He resigned from Bales in the fall of 2013 and began to make plans to launch Grace Church. He was married to his wife, Megan, in May of 2005. Joey is blessed with five children (Caitlyn, Josiah, Grace, Madison, and Jaxon). In his spare time he loves to hunt and fish. He is passionate about connecting people with God.
Blake Fortner | Three Trails Community | Kansas City, MO
Blake is a 2005 graduate of Baptist Bible College. He and his wife Meagan were married in 2005 and have four boys (Ben, Owen, Liam, and Calvin).
Blake and his family had the privilege of serving as BBFI missionaries to Ethiopia for four years (2007-2011) until God brought them back home to deal with some developmental challenges their oldest son was facing. During this time, Blake and his family returned to their sending church (Abundant Life Church, Lee’s Summit MO) where Blake served on staff as a pastor for six years. Over those six years Blake began to feel that God was calling him and his family to plant a church in South Kansas City. Having been a former missionary, Blake has a burden to see disciples made of all nations. South Kansas city is a melting pot of people from all over the world. Many of them, from countries where Christianity is illegal. Blake, along with his and several other families from their sending church, are excited to begin serving the community of South Kansas City and see many disciples made.
With Blake having had the privilege of growing up and experiencing life in this incredibly diverse community, it is his desire is to fully embrace this aspect of our city and promote it within the church as well. With all the racial tension in our country there is not better place to bring healing and unity than from within the church. At Three Trails Community, our passion is to see disciples made of every nation represented in South KC and to see those disciples continue to reproduce themselves in the exact place God has put them. We are excited to have the opportunity to reach the world from South KC!
Eric Goodman | CenterPoint Church | Andover, Kansas
Eric and his wife Lori started CenterPoint Church in 2013. For 9 months they met in their home and started with one lady, besides their family. God has since blessed with a healthy group that loves the Lord and the church plant is growing weekly. Eric has pastored in Colorado, Arkansas and Kansas prior to this church plant. Eric is a 2nd Generation planter, as his parents were missionaries in Australia for 25 years. Eric is a graduate of Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri with a BS. in Pastoral studies and is currently enrolled at Louisiana Baptist Graduate School for his Masters in Leadership. Eric is an avid Denver Broncos fan, loves a good action packed movie and is a coffee connoisseur. Exercising at the Y has become a new passion recently. Lori handles everything from Co-leading the children's ministry to book keeping for the church and just about everything in between. Together they have 5 children from college age to 3rd grade.
Chris Highfill | Grace River Church | O'Fallon, Missouri
Chris Highfill is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a degree in church ministries. Prior to church planting, Chris worked in youth ministry for 14 years; 13 of those at the same church. Chris is also the founder of The Link Camp, a two week summer camp for middle and high school students. Under Chris's leadership, the camp grew from 80 to 800 students in four years. Chris is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce in O'Fallon and the Saint Charles County Vision Leadership program. Chris met his wife Sarah while in college and they have been married since 2003. They have three children; Ella, Jack and Alle.
