Covenant Member Update: September 2025

Park Church family,

Following even a four-minute perusal of recent headlines, we’re likely left feeling as though the world is uniquely out of whack these days. When we can honestly interact with history, we should be pulled back to a more accurate perspective. With broken hearts, we are to embrace the raw reality that violence and vitriol, dysfunction and disease, wars and rumors of wars are the default position of a world marred by sin.

However, when the chaos feels most visceral and close, it’s tempting to give fear the dominant position in our hearts and in how we respond. When we do that, we typically either feel crushed by anxiety and despair or swell ourselves into felt positions of superiority and control. The first may get expressed as something like, “Things are awful and will likely never get better.” The second is perhaps, “My team is right and it’s time to set things straight, whatever it takes.”

Let’s agree that neither of these common positions expresses the posture of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. He exemplified in his earthly ministry—and grants to us today—a joy in chaos, hope amidst distress, confidence in trial, a humility in hardship, and a more beautiful way toward victory as He defines it. His way is quite contrary to most of the responses that go viral.

A devotional written 150 years ago by Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) feels apropos for a moment like this. Kuyper was no stranger to relational conflict (he was a pastor), disagreement (he was a professor), political tension (he was the Dutch prime minister), or horrific headlines (search “grim headlines in second half of 19th century”). In the piece I share below, he directly yet artfully outlines a way forward that could serve each of us well. Fear of man and circumstance instructs our souls to either cower in defeat or selfishly rise up to conquer. The fear of God puts our heads on straight to see a big (cosmic!) God and the safety and joy provided for us when we acknowledge our own dependent creatureliness.

May this reading provide some perspective and comfort, as well as the freedom to behold the steady yet significant ways God is at work in our midst. We have some fun updates and invitations below after you finish the reading! Our hope is that each of them will act as small deposits toward the work Jesus by His Spirit is doing in and through you and our broader church family.

Elder Candidacy 2025-2026

After our season of discernment and congregational feedback, we are excited to have invited Jim Stuhr and Ben Hershelman into our Elder Candidacy process! This process runs through April 2026. Over the next nine months, Jim and Ben will study alongside the current elders of Park Church, intentionally focusing collective growth in the areas of character, theology, and philosophy/practice–investing time in reading, assessment, discussion, and the practical outworking of our theology. Lord willing, this will lead to a congregational vote at our Family Meeting in May 2026, with ordination and commissioning on a Sunday soon after.

Please be praying for these men, their families, and our current elder team as we discern and grow together! Additionally, if you would like a refresh (or a look at it for the first time) on our theology and practice of eldership, you can find our three-page document outlining all of this here.

Get to know our elder candidates:

Jim Stuhr

Jim and his wife, Chris, have been part of Park Church for more than 12 years, faithfully serving and loving our community in many ways. In recent years, they’ve helped lead as Gospel Community Coaches in the Central Region, offering care, coaching, and support to Gospel Community leaders.

Jim and Chris have been married for 41 years and are grateful parents to two adult children, Michaelanne and Tyler. They also love being grandparents to Coraline and Archer.

For work, Jim serves as an oil and gas completions consultant, primarily in Colorado but also in Wyoming, Texas, and New Mexico. Outside of work, he and Chris enjoy entertaining and traveling. Jim especially loves spending time with his grandkids—often teaching them “the art of thrift-storing.” He also enjoys camping, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, and reading theology with some jazz playing in the background.

Ben Hershelman

Ben and his wife, Alyson, have been part of Park Church for eight years, faithfully serving in many ways—including Park Kids, hospitality meals, Scripture reading, and most recently as Gospel Community Coaches in our Northwest Region.

Ben and Alyson have been married for 12 years and are parents to two kids: Hazel (10) and Hank (6).

Professionally, Ben serves as a Gifted & Talented Resource Teacher for Jeffco Schools. He’s also the Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant Track Coach at Jefferson Academy High School in Broomfield—a role that connects both his vocation and his passion. Outside of coaching and teaching, he enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with his family, and, as he puts it, “knowing too much about Arvada.”

Welcome New Staff Team Members!

We’ve eagerly welcomed three new members to our staff team over the summer and early fall. Below you’ll find some quick intros for each of them. When you see Kyle, Christina, or Julie, please (re-)introduce yourself and/or invite them to a cup of coffee!

Kyle McBee • Park College Resident

Originally from Ohio, Kyle describes himself as “a bit of a nomad,” having lived in multiple states. Before joining Park College, he served as a pastoral resident in Boston and has also worked as a barista and at a golf course. He holds a Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies from Gordon College and a Master’s in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary.

He’s the proud son of Kim and Chris McBee (who he describes as “the greatest humans on earth”) and has two older sisters, Lyndsey and Maddie. At home, he’s joined by Franklin, his energetic two-year-old Australian shepherd. Outside of work, he enjoys hot yoga, hiking, sports, reading, writing poetry, exploring the city, and spending time with the people he loves. A self-described “golf sicko,” you’ll regularly finding him talking about Scottie Scheffler’s game.

In this season, Kyle is especially excited to invest in students and help them discover that Jesus’ love for them is deeper and truer than anything the world offers. In his own words, “It feels like a hopeful and energizing time, and I’m praying to have a holy imagination for how to show cosmic hospitality to the people of Denver.”

Christina Russo • Park Kids Team Administrator

Christina and her husband, Isaac, have been part of Park Church for about eight years and are excited for her new role as Park Kids Team Administrator. Both originally from Louisville, CO, they met at and graduated from Colorado Christian University. They’re now enjoying life and putting down roots in Denver. Before joining the Park staff team, Christina taught 5th grade at Denver Christian School for five years.

Christina and Isaac have a sweet 5-month-old daughter, Eden Pearl, and a lively dog who keeps them on their toes. She loves cooking, baking, going on walks, and spending time with her family—especially when they can all be together at the Cherry Creek dog park.

In this new role, Christina is eager to encourage and support our amazing Park Kids volunteer team and to continue investing in the lives of children in our church.

Julie Faulkner • Director of Care & Counseling

Originally from Michigan, Julie has been married to her husband, Ken, for 32 years. Together, they have four adult children. Her background includes work on a crisis hotline, serving as an admissions coordinator and assessor at a psychiatric hospital, and earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She and Ken also spent several years as missionaries in West Africa and remain actively involved in ministry there. Prior to that, she had experience working in operations and marketing at the University of Denver.

She and Ken live near Cherry Creek Reservoir, where they can often be found walking together. Her latest hobbies include fundraising for West African Christians engaged in ministry, learning to ride a motorcycle, and spending time with family.

In this season, Julie is grateful to be getting to know the Park Church staff and the Lay Counseling teams. She’s excited about creating spaces where people can listen well, share comfort and hope, and grow in care for one another and the community. She’s guided in this work by passages like John 16:33, Philippians, and James, which shape her prayers for care and counseling at Park.

Two-Year Vision

A couple Sundays ago, we shared a progress update on our Two-Year Vision—what’s already in the works and what’s on the near horizon. It stirs so much gratitude and anticipation for us to see how you all as a church family have leaned in, structured your finances toward greater generosity, and overall engaged in where God is leading Park Church. Thank you! We’re eager for what’s ahead.

If you missed that Sunday, you can watch the 12-minute snippet below. For deeper exploration, here is our landing page to revisit the specifics of the vision. (If you haven’t seen the mini-documentary yet, it’s worth your time!) If you’re looking for ways to get more involved or contribute financially, you can find next steps there as well.

Invitation to Leader Equip 2026

As a part of our Strategic Priority #3: Cultivating Leaders Churchwide, we’re launching Leader Equip, a training pathway to help Covenant Members grow as disciples and leaders at Park Church. This context is designed to equip you theologically, relationally, and practically for ministry in our church, in the city, and in everyday life. We would love for you to join us!

Over seven sessions, we’ll gather for meals, teaching, stories, and discussions in both whole-group and cohort settings. Our content and conversation will explore and put into practice the six dimensions of our approach to gospel ministry here in Denver, that we are:

• Rooted in love: We call people to trust and experience the covenant love of the triune God—to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit.
• Saturated with the Word: We root ourselves in a theologically and contextually rich teaching of the Word of God and proclamation of the Gospel.
• Embedded in community: We cultivate avenues for deep relationships where we can love others and be loved as we learn to follow Jesus together.
• Formed through practice: We invite people to engage specific practices, learning to be with Jesus and to follow His way of life.
• Embracing the journey: We embrace God’s gradual work of transformation through our various life seasons, stages, and experiences.
• Sacrificing on mission: We deliberately move toward others in self-denying ways for the life of the world, imitating Jesus, our Suffering Servant.

Our gatherings will be on the following Tuesday evenings from 6-9pm with dinner included: January 13, 27; February 10, 24; March 10; April 14, 28. We will provide the curriculum and resources for the course. Childcare stipends may be requested. More details and a registration form will be available soon!

For now, consider this the save-the-date and an invitation to prayerfully discern if joining Leader Equip aligns with your season. Please email neil@parkchurch.org with any questions.

Integrate Your Faith and Your Work

The 5280 Fellowship—through the Denver Institute for Faith and Work—is a 5-month learning community of spiritual formation, theology for work, and professional development, equipping early- to mid-career Christian professionals to engage their work more faithfully.

Check out the program overview one-pager, and if you have a little more time, you can watch this 13-minute Informational Webinar to get an even better view of it.

Through the 5280 Fellowship, you can expect to cultivate a network of peers, meet dynamic city leaders, work to solve tough problems within your organization and the broader community, and tackle big questions about God, culture, and calling.

Before You Go

You can now RSVP for our next Family Meeting! If nothing else, please mark your calendars for Sunday, November 2, from 4:30–7pm. Among other things, the meeting will provide updates and next steps on our two-year vision and building project. Please prioritize being there if you are able to.

We are grateful for you all!

Neil Long
Executive Pastor

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Past Covenant Member Resources

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