Six kids, nineteen years of marriage, and seven years at Eastside! Whoops, we almost forgot the two dogs, one hamster, one leopard gecko, and one guinea pig. And possibly a bearded dragon in the future, we’ll see.

 

We both share a heart to engage people who feel far from God. With our culture rapidly changing, so many feel alone, disengaged from a community, and have an abundance of questions about God and the church. That’s why we are here!

 

While Ana grew up following Jesus, I had different kind of journey to faith. Although I was raised in a Christian home, I walked away from God for close to a decade. Finding faith again at the age of 24, my response was to start serving people. This took on several forms but culminated in formal ministry in the church in 1995.

 

We have been leading Eastside Church for the last seven years. Prior to our church in Bothell, we led a congregation in Oak Harbor, WA for seven years, and prior to that we served a congregation in Cambridge, MA for nine years. In Cambridge, I planted the church in 1999 while I was single, Ana later joining me as my wife in 2005, and became a Pastor upon her licensing in 2007.

Over the years we have had many meaningful opportunities to serve our Foursquare community of churches: serving on the Board of Directors, as Area Pastors, on the District Advisory Council, and the National Church Committee. I also served as a Chaplain to Harvard University for six years.

 

I graduated from Boston College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, while Ana Maria graduated from Harvard College and The Harvard University School of Education. Ana is currently finishing up her first year of law school at Seattle University.

 

Finally, we have the great joy of being parents to six children, Julia is a senior in High School, Joey is a Sophomore, Clara is in 8th grade, Rosie in 6th, Annie in 4th, and Evie attends a collaborative school for children with special needs and is 7 years old.

 

We look forward to getting to know you. And let us be the first to say, “Welcome to Eastside!”

 

Pastors Russ and Ana Maria