Rachelle Ferguson
Rachelle has been an integral part of The Village since its beginning in 2004. She enjoys serving on the Teaching Team and with Pulse Students. She is passionate about the purpose of the local church and is willing to serve anywhere that the Lord leads to show others that they belong to the Kingdom of God. Rachelle grew up in southern Illinois and attended First Christian Church of Oblong. She attended Lincoln Christian University and Illinois State University gaining a bachelor’s degree in both Bible and Elementary Education. Rachelle lives in Channahon with her husband, Nate, and they have two adult sons and a daughter-in-law.
Patrick Erzinger
Patrick is excited about the online community, chatting with them on Sundays during The Village Live services as well as connecting with them during the week. His goal as the Online Campus Director is to welcome online guests well, build relationships and a vibrant online community. Patrick is an adult convert to Christianity from atheism. He loves the Bible and Christian apologetics, is active in Lifegroups, and has a heart to lead people to Jesus as they grow spiritually. Patrick and his wife Mandi reside in Joliet with their four kids and have been attending The Village since 2010.
Sarah Windham
Hearing you give praise through song is one of Sarah’s greatest joys. She believes God moves through those moments, when we let our guard down allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. It’s her prayer that we can continue to cultivate these moments. She leads the Worship and Tech Teams and manages the service flow across all campuses. Sarah grew up in Carthage, Illinois and attended Burnside Christian Church where her dad was the Pastor. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and has been involved in worship since high school. Sarah lives in Joliet with her husband Luke, son and daughter.
April Nykaza
Growing up as a pastor’s kid with her mom as the worship leader provided April with the opportunity to experience the joy of worship through music week in and week out. “Without fail, every time I sing as part of our Worship Team, I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and I cannot help but smile and lift my hands to the Lord. Luke 1:37 says, “Faith doesn’t make things easy, it makes them possible.” I know without a doubt that God has good plans for each and every one of us. It is my hope and prayer that people will lean into their faith each week and allow God to work in and through them through the scriptures brought to life through song.” April and her husband Michael reside in Lockport with their three boys and have been attending The Village since opening day in October 2004. April has served in many roles including Kid Village, First Impressions Coffee Center as well as the Worship Team.
Kelsie Hall
Kelsie served on the worship team at the Minooka and Seneca campuses for four years before coming on staff as the Seneca Worship Leader in January 2024. Her passion for Jesus paired with her gift of singing brings a great combination to the Seneca Campus. Her excitement overflows to see what God will continue to do in and through the church within the Seneca community, and she is ready and willing to be used by Him for His purpose. “Worship is such a beautiful and intimate act of love and praise, and I am blessed to be able to help lead the people of our church into a closer, more meaningful relationship with Him through worship.” – Kelsie Kelsie lives in Seneca with her husband, Neil, and their four children.
Allison Appel
Allison’s passion for ministry started as child when her parents set a strong example of helping others and using spiritual gifts to bless others at church. She has a passion for using her gifts on stage to inspire others to experience the power of the Holy Spirit through music. Allison oversees the worship ministry at the Shorewood Location. Allison was born in Naperville, and raised in Oswego, IL. She attended Community Christian Church, where she and her family attended multiple locations and helped launch their Montgomery location. After high school she attended Lincoln Christian University where she graduated with a Bachelors in Intercultural Studies and a Masters in the Art of Preaching. While attending university she interned her final year with a missionary family in Nottingham, UK. Allison worked at Starbucks for 11 years where she held multiple positions including manager of the Starbucks in Lockport, IL, before stepping away to start a family. Allison and her husband, Klint, live in Shorewood with their 2 sons.
Lilye Sease
Lilye has a passion for prayer and serves as our Prayer Pastor making sure prayer is at the forefront of all we do at The Village. She leads the prayer team as they pray for the world, nation, city, community, leadership, church prayer requests, every space in the church and every chair. Lilye grew up in Mississippi. She attended Charles H. Mason Theological Seminary and has extensive experience as a prayer leader and evangelist. Lilye and her husband, John (Sonny), live in Shorewood.
Carder Ferguson
Carder Ferguson is passionate about guiding teens toward a meaningful relationship with Christ. As a young man, he brings energy and relatability to his role as Pulse Student’s Pastor at The Village Christian Church. Carder holds a Bachelor’s in Christian Ministry from Lincoln Christian University. When not planning youth events or mentoring teens, Carder enjoys golf, cooking, and doing stand up comedy. Carder’s mission is to invite students to know and follow Jesus.
Amy Pehlke
Amy leads Kid Village for infants – grade 3 and Pulse 45 for students in grades 4-5 at the Minooka Campus. Her goal is to create a fun, safe, and secure environment where kids can learn about Jesus! She loves Jesus and is an expert at living out our core value of no boring here, as she interjects fun into all that she does. Amy ensures that Kid Village at all campuses is aligned with the church mission – to help people experience life change, life growth, and life purpose. Amy was raised in Minooka, Illinois and attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She studied Early Childhood Development in college and has a passion for working with kids. She managed a home daycare before being called into ministry. Amy and her husband, Chris, live in Essex with their son and daughter. They have been attending The Village since 2008.
Sara Hurt
Sara leads Kid Village for infants – grade 3 and Pulse 45 at the Coal City Campus. Her experience, joy and passion for kids fit perfectly with her goal to build a fun, loving environment. Sara is excited to share her love of Jesus with the kids, build a strong faith foundation and further the mission of the church – to help people experience life change, life growth, and life purpose. Sara was born and raised in Morris, Illinois. In 2005, Sara and her husband Kevin began attending The Village, and she has been serving in kids ministry ever since. Kevin and Sara reside in Dwight where they are raising their three kids.
Abbey Akre
Abbey grew up in Lisbon, Illinois, attending West Lisbon Church, where she developed a deep love for Jesus. After graduating from Lincoln Christian University with a degree in spiritual formation, she decided not to pursue vocational ministry. She nannied and coached in Lincoln for a while before earning a degree in physical therapy as an assistant. She worked as a PTA for a bit before transitioning her current position as an administrative assistant at Newark High School. She also coaches freshman volleyball at the high school and enjoys spending time with her many nieces and nephews! God called her into ministry, and after some initial hesitation, she has embraced this calling wholeheartedly, ready to be a vessel for what the Lord has in store for Seneca.
McKenzie Pilch
McKenzie leads Kid Village for infants – grade 5 at the Shorewood Campus. After serving in Kid Village throughout her time in high school and college, she began to develop a deep-rooted joy for teaching children about God’s love. McKenzie is passionate about coming alongside parents to help raise tiny disciples of Jesus at The Village. Her goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment where children can learn who Jesus is, how much He loves us, and what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. McKenzie was born and raised in Morris, Illinois. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2018, McKenzie began attending The Village with her family, and has served in Kid Village ever since.
JoAnne Kelly
JoAnne was born, raised, and lives in Joliet. She desires to grow in her faith and to become a faithful servant of God. She grew up going to church, but as she grew older, she lost that connection as everything seemed rote and lacked meaning for her. In 2009, a friend who attended The Village invited JoAnne to join her and she accepted. It was in those first years JoAnne made the decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She has a heart for service and started serving early on in the Coffee Center that continues to this day. JoAnne serves as Financial Assistant. She has an AA Degree with a focus on Accounting and has a long history in banking. She has a daughter, a son, daughter-in-law, and a grandson.
Bev Pierce
Bev serves as the connections coordinator at our Shorewood campus, where she works closely with the first impressions team to ensure every guest has a great experience. She’s passionate about helping people take their next steps in faith, whether that’s joining a life group or finding meaningful ways to serve in the church. Her genuine love for connecting with people and walking alongside them in their journey with Jesus shines through in everything she does. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Bev and her husband Charlie made the move to Illinois in 2018 and have been part of the Village family ever since. They live in Shorewood with their dog Gracie, while their three daughters, son-in-law, and two granddaughters keep them connected to their roots back in the Cincinnati area. Bev brings warmth, intentionality, and a heart for community to her role, making sure no one walks through the doors without feeling seen and valued.
Cassi Norman
Cassi’s goal as Connections Leader is to help people experience Life Growth through a range of discipleship opportunities in our church community. She will be working with new guests as well as people that have been around for a while, but haven’t yet connected in a group. Cassie had this to say, “As people grow, may their life reflect God’s love, compassion, and mercy to our community.” Cassi was born and raised in Channahon. She received her teaching degree at the University of Illinois, and came back home to marry her high school sweetheart and begin a family. She lives in Channahon with her husband Tim and three children. They started attending the Village in 2016, and in 2018, they decided to lead a Lifegroup and became very passionate about discipling others through group life.
Tracy Read
Tracy manages everything administrative for the Seneca Campus and coordinates lifegroups, events, and service projects. She serves as a Lifegroup leader, prayer team leader, Kid Village volunteer and loves to serve with community outreach initiatives. Tracy grew up in the Seneca/Marseilles area and has a deep love for the Seneca community and all the people in it. Her family consists of her husband Dan, 3 children and 7 grandchildren, all in the area. Tracy is most passionate about her relationship with Jesus and helping other people to grow in their relationship with Jesus. He changed her life at 23 years of age, and she knows He can do the same for everyone else.
Amy Trucano
Amy is so grateful for the immediate community and connection her family found attending The Village Christian Church. She values the friendships developed through serving in Worship, Events, Rooted, and attending Life Groups. This fuels her desire for everyone to be connected and experience belonging, love, purpose, and fun! Amy moved to Illinois in 2005 with her husband Joe, saw the church signs on the roadside a week later, and have been attending since then! They currently live in Braidwood with their two sons.
Shannon Wujek
Shannon has a heart for Jesus and carries that passion through in all she does on the Communications Team. She oversees Enews, our weekly email newsletter, manages our databases, updates the website and so much more. Her gift for organization ensures we are communicating in a clear, consistent and timely manner. Shannon spent her childhood traveling with her father from coast to coast and then settled in Wilmington, Illinois. She has a big heart to serve the Lord. You may see her onstage when she volunteers on the Worship Team or serving on the Tech Team. Shannon and her husband, Tony, live in Minooka with their two boys.
Nichole Nyalka
Nichole has a heart for Jesus and carries that passion through in all she does on the Communications Team. She combines her creativity and love of art to lead the Photography Team, design graphics, signage, invitations, Village Gear, and other visual tools to bring more people to know Jesus. Nichole grew up in Wilmington, Illinois. She earned a Fine Arts degree, majoring in graphic design and minoring in photography at University Of St. Francis. She lives in Channahon with her husband, Dan, and four kids.
Sarah Becerra
Sarah loves Jesus and sharing the good news with others. Sarah joined the staff after volunteering with the Communications Team and finding she loves utilizing social media to spread awareness about Jesus and The Village Christian Church. She understands that social media is a ministry that has unique opportunities to equip and encourage all people. Sarah enjoys being able to help further God’s Kingdom while using creativity to encourage believers and reach those who are not. Sarah grew up in Morris, Illinois. She earned a Bachelor’s of Special Education from University of St. Francis and a Master’s of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lewis University. Her expertise in mental health pairs perfectly with our social media ministry. Sarah and her husband live in Morris with their two canine children, Chase and Rocky.
Tim Juskiewicz
Tim led the Building Team when the church was built in 2004 and now volunteers as our Facility Manager. He uses his construction knowledge and experience as he maintains the Minooka Campus keeping it safe and looking good. Tim grew up in southern Indiana, and was raised in Baptist and non-denominational churches. He studied civil engineering at Purdue University and is employed as an engineer. Tim lives in Morris with his wife, Susan, and two daughters.