New Life Christian Fellowship (Update 1)

Kevin & Maria Finkbiner
have two sons, Mattie & Landon

In February, 2014, New Life Christian Fellowship appointed a new Lead Pastor, Kevin Finkbiner.  Kevin (35 years old) has now served in that role for just over two years.  In a unique transition, Ron Hunt remains as the Teaching and Mentoring Pastor.  This transition gives room for Ron, as the older pastor, to allow Kevin, as the younger pastor to take the lead while benefiting from Ron's experience.

Kevin comes from Pasadena in Southern California.  He moved up to Sonoma County for his undergraduate studies at Sonoma State University.  InterVarsity Fellowship (a college campus ministry) soon
offered him an internship at their Sonoma State ministry.  He served six years on staff there in leadership.

At some point Kevin began attending New Life and Ron invited him to a position on staff.  Kevin has attended New Life for 14 years now.  Sometime in 2010, Ron announced a plan to transition Kevin into becoming Lead Pastor.

Though Kevin still describes New Life as a seeker-friendly church, he emphasizes the important role of making disciples.  He describes how New Life puts feet to this both every Sunday as well as through life groups (small group meetings), and especially through their core classes, leadership classes, and developing relationships.  Kevin likes to say, "You can belong before you believe."

For some time, Kevin has taken online classes from the Menlo Park campus of Fuller Theological Seminary.  He says by now he roughly has the equivalent of a Bible college degree.

When I visited New Life in 2011, Ron Hunt estimated they had around 500 members.  Kevin now estimates they have an average weekly attendance of around 550.

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