Leadership

Scott was raised in Arizona, and spent the first 27 years of his life as an atheist; he even debated with Christians who rejected modern scientific views on the origins of the universe and life on earth. When Scott gave his life to the Lord through the influence of Christian friends, he discovered a passion for studying God’s perfect Word, memorizing Scriptures, and teaching others. He is committed to honoring God and His Word in all matters of faith and doctrine, including biblical inerrancy, creation, sound doctrine, and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
 
For a time, Scott pursued the goal of becoming a Navy Chaplain, which led him to Fuller Theological Seminary and Phoenix Seminary. He completed three-quarters of the coursework required for a Master’s of Divinity degree, including Hebrew, Old Testament, New Testament, and Theology, and many other required master program courses. While at seminary, he met his wife, Kimberly, and they married and had their two children. Having spent time in the Navy Chaplain Corp, Scott realized this was not the call God had for him, and he focused his energy on his young family, until God called them to move to Washington state.
 
In addition to working as an associate pastor for LCC, he currently works full-time as the Managing Director of Finance & Administration for a patent law firm in Spokane, WA. Prior to accepting his current position, Scott was the Director of Corporate Purchasing for US Airways (now merged with American Airlines) in Tempe, AZ.

Dennis Gross has a heart for families and for young people. That's why he was made the family pastor here at lakes. He has a rich passion for the Word of God and for adhering to the Truth.

He has worked in various industries and owned his own businesses including Gross Doughnuts in Postfalls. He knew God called him to be in the ministry as a pastor when he was very young, but he didn't answer that call until 2023. 

Chase married his high school sweetheart Katlynn Bolster in 2016. He knows that God has blessed him immensely with and through her.
 
Hobbies that he has include snowboarding, water skiing, and Frisbee golf.
 
Chase has a bachelor's degree in political science which has given him useful insight into the arguments against Christianity. He hopes to use this to reach a generation that is walking away from God. In leading the Youth group he has learned much about sharing the Word of God in an impactful way. His hope is to inspire deep contemplation of the scriptures each time they meet.

Kimberly is a wife and mom who has homeschooled her two kids for ten years. She moved with her family from Chandler, Arizona, to Liberty Lake, Washington in 2009. She loves the beauty of the Inland Northwest, but misses the desert sometimes too, usually in February.
 
Kimberly earned her Bachelor's degree in Christian Education from Grand Canyon University, and served as Children's Ministry Director in a volunteer capacity at Lakeside Church for six years, where she also created some Sunday School curriculum of her own. She loves kids and is passionate to see them grow in their knowledge of God's Word and their love of Jesus!
 
Her other passion is drama, so you may see her onstage performing in church dramas from time to time. In her free time she loves to read, dance, and when she can find the time, make something crafty.

Emily has been attending Lakes Community Church (formerly Word of Life) for 20+ years. She has served in many capacities from Youth Pastor (8 years) to Children’s Ministry and everything in between; and now as the Church Administrator. Emily and her husband Josh are also the Life Group Ministry Leaders at Lakes.

Emily has earned a BA in Business and a BA in Education from Eastern Washington University and is also a Small Business Owner. Her greatest passion, however, is being a Wife (to her amazing husband of 16 years) and Mom (to two totally awesome kiddos).

When not at church, you will most likely find Emily in her craft studio handcrafting all things fabulous, volunteering at her kiddos school, drinking coffee (her 3rd greatest passion) and cheering on the Gonzaga Bulldogs! She also enjoys hunting for all things vintage and unique as well as selling her handcrafted wares at Farm Salvation in Medical Lake.

Leah has been a member of Lakes for many years. She started attending Lakeside Church  when she first moved to Spokane, in 2017,  before the two churches merged. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education, but has always pursued artistic hobbies. She has been a photographer for 15 years, and has enjoyed other creative tasks from cake decorating to embroidery, to graphic design. Her biggest passion and ministry is being a mom to her wonderful son, Sam; and a wife to her amazing husband, Tim. She now wants to use her skills as a graphic designer to glorify God, so she stepped into the role of Graphic Designer/Media Specialist  at LCC.

Emma Todhunter has been a dedicated member of our church community her entire life. Growing up immersed in the teachings and fellowship of the church, she developed a deep-rooted passion for sharing the Word of God. Over the past three years, Emma has served actively in youth ministry, where she has worked tirelessly to connect with and inspire the youth in our community. Her commitment to fostering a welcoming and engaging environment is evident in her efforts to guide young people in their faith journeys.

In addition to her ministry work, Emma manages all of our church's social media platforms, creatively using digital outreach to spread the message of Christ.

Outside of her ministry and digital outreach, Emma is a former collegiate athlete, having played softball at North Idaho College from 2021 to 2023. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, lifting weights, and running long distances, all of which reflect her energetic and active lifestyle. Her enthusiasm and passion for youth engagement shine through in everything she does, making her a vital part of our team.

Jeremy's  journey with worship began at an early age.  He always loved singing and listening to music.  In 1998 his Dad (pastor Carl) brought Jeremy and his brother Sam to Jesus Northwest, a large christian music festival in Portland OR where they saw DC Talk perform live for the first time.  Jeremy promptly purchased their Jesus Freak cassette and listened to Jesus Freak over and over until he wore out that portion of the cassette.
 
A year or two later, his Dad brought him to a Promise Keepers rally at the Tacoma Dome.  It was there that he witnessed 10,000+ men raising their hand in worship.  He saw an army of men ready for battle much like he had imagined Gideon’s army the day they prepared for battle against the Midianites.  It was the first time Jeremy raised his hands in worship and the day that he knew music was his love expression to God.
 
In 2003, Jeremy married his beautiful bride Jessica. In 2006 Jamie was born and in 2008 Abigail and Lily were born.  Finally, in 2013, Joel was born.   His wife and children mean the world to him.  Jeremy can already see God doing a work in their lives through music.
 
In 2004 Jeremy became the worship leader at Lakes Community Church  where he remains today.
 
"I continue to learn more about the true meaning and definition of worship everyday and am eager to continue pursuing a life dedicated to following and serving Jesus Christ."

Josh began his ministry with LCC as a youth leader with his now wife Emily. They led the youth group together and shortly thereafter, fell in love. Josh took up a spot with Jeremy as a worship leader for the church. He stepped out of his role as youth minister so that he could fully step into his role as a worship leader. He believes that creating an atmosphere of powerful worship is one of the best ways to connect with God.