leadership

elders/pastors:
marc sikma
role: main teacher/visionary.
family: married heidi in 2002; avery (2006), dawson (2009), maddox (2010).
favorite st. charles restaurant: rt weilers, ham’s deli, & talayna’s.
favorite thing about the city: walking down historic main street.
things you do when you have time: (outside of fun with the fam) travel, ski, attempts at maintaining athleticism, and general adventure.
how did you get connected with matthias: one of the founding pastors who planted the church in 2005.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: in short, the church i always dreamed of, but never thought possible.  authentic, messy, anti-gossip and fighting the right battle in the right war (love).

jeff burzynski
role: administration/finances/shepherding.
family: married elizabeth in 2002; lukas (2003), grace (2006), aaron (2008).
favorite st. charles restaurant: lewis & clark.
favorite thing about the city: the people, the culture and the riverfront.
things you do when you have time: i love to sit down and play any game with my kids, we especially love to play the wii. i also like to go play any kind of sports. finally, i love to watch good tv shows, like 24, with my beautiful wife!
how did you get connected with matthias: my wife, my oldest son, and i were part of the original three families that planted matthias.  i have been serving as an elder pastor ever since.  marc and i have been great friends for over ten years when we met in a men’s bible study.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: matthias is a group of believers with a common purpose to know Christ more and to glorify him in all we do.  as individuals within that body we love to meet new people within our community and build relationships with them by spending time together. we love to laugh together, cry together and really live life together.  it is a great place to just be yourself.

matt mcneil
role: children’s ministry/media/shepherding.
family: married danita in 1997; austin (2000), ayden (2003).
favorite st. charles restaurant: locos.
favorite thing about the city: the diversity of the community.
things you do when you have time: other than family time; coaching, fixing things, photography, and the occasional knitting.
how did you get connected with matthias: found the church through the acts 29 web-site and got instantly connected in 2005.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: a church that is learning how to love and honor God and loving and serving the community.

lonnie taylor
role: care & counseling/shepherding.
family: married cindy in 1981; michael (1983), amanda (1987).
favorite st. charles restaurant: talayna’s.
favorite thing about the city: beauty of main street.
things you do when you have time:  spend time with my wife and family. i love to fish and hunt and just be outdoors. i love hanging out with old friends and building relationships with new friends.
how did you get connected with matthias: cindy and i were invited by our friends who had been attending for some time. we decided to come and check it out, (thinking wednesday night corporate was kind of weird), and have been attending ever since that night. we immediately felt connected and called to this place for this time.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: matthias is a place where God is doing amazing things in the lives of families and individuals.  it is a place that no matter where you are at in your spiritual walk or if you are searching for truth, you can come and be encouraged, challenged, fed, stretched, comforted, and loved on.

staff:
brandon castle
role: worship leader/assimilation.
family: married danielle in 2011.
favorite st. charles restaurant: trailhead (get the nachos).
favorite thing about the city: christmas time.
things you do when you have time: cardinal’s baseball, wiffleball, pyrotechnics, and watching ‘the office’.
how did you get connected with matthias: after some of our family came to the matthias launch night and had many good things to say, we decided to visit and see for ourselves. the rumors were true, praise God. we stayed.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: matthias is a place where a bunch of broken people (like me) can gather to worship, serve and learn about Jesus Christ, who redeems and restores broken people.

jarad corzine
role: discipleship.
family: married sarah in 2009.
favorite st. charles restaurant: picasso’s (who needs food, when you have amazing coffee).
favorite thing about the city: i love the blend of the city’s strong tradition and an exciting urban atmosphere!
things you do when you have time: read books for seminary and for simple enjoyment, watch recorded tv shows with sarah, play with our 3 crazy dogs!
how did you get connected with matthias: i got to know marc while i worked for the fellowship of christian athletes.  i started going to matthias in august of 2007.
how do you describe the church when someone asks:  matthias’ lot is a church where people can come hear and participate in the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ based upon the real truth of scripture.  we seek to grow in genuine relationships with one another and live out the call to love God, love those inside and outside of the church.  he loves, so we love.

danita mcneil
role: children’s ministry director.
family: married matt in 1997; austin (2000), ayden (2003).
favorite st. charles restaurant:
favorite thing about the city: the people (& the fact that there’s a walgreens on every corner)
things you do when you have time: i never have time to do the things i truly enjoy but if i did i would go hiking, bicycling, dancing & hang w/my family & friends more. (i do spend the summers at the pool w/ my boys.)
how did you get connected with matthias: in october 2005 my husband found matthias through the acts 29 network.  we got connected w/a lot family. after a few short months we felt this was where God wanted us to be.
how do you describe the church when someone asks: we are just a bunch of sinful people trying to live & love like Jesus & how we are called to do & be. teachings are straight from the bible nothing added or deleted.  we love Jesus &
love His people.