After relocating to Orlando from California, Matt and his wife, Theresa, found a church home at Vista. Matt now finds himself serving as Vista’s executive pastor. Though that can mean different things to different churches, at Vista that means that Matt helps fill the gaps. Whether that’s helping figure out budgets, occasionally preaching, or catching things that others might have missed, Matt’s long history as a youth pastor, executive pastor, and church planter help serve Vista well. Matt enjoys the diverse cultures represented by the Vista congregation, loving nothing more than hearing worship in the different languages represented. Matt also loves reaching the least and the lost in Orlando and seeing people do life together. He sees the church as an important part of our culture. Matt and Theresa consider themselves homebodies, just hanging out with their greyhound, Nellie, or taking her to a nearby dog beach. Matt loves to serve, so look for him doing the many and varied tasks that help make a church run well.
Within just a few minutes of talking to Pastor Dennis, you’ll learn one of the most important things about him: he’s an authentic guy. Whether he’s talking about one of his great loves—food—or connecting new people who walk in the door of Vista Church for the first time, Dennis doesn’t put on a façade. As a pastor for 28 years, Dennis’s rich history in ministry has shown that he loves helping people move forward in their faith journey. Currently at Vista that means helping them figure out what their next step is. He and his wife, Dana, and their two kids, Emily Ann and Kayden, love to travel internationally. He sees these times as great learning experiences for his kids as they encounter different cultures. Born in the Philippines himself, Dennis loves leading mission trips back to his home country. Dennis’ vision for Vista is that people would know that it’s a safe place for wherever they are on their path of faith. He wants people to know that Vista is a community of imperfect people serving a perfect God reaching out to a hurting world.
Steven loves to see things grow—both in soil and in the church. With a degree in landscaping, Steven can often be found making the landscape around Vista Church more beautiful. But his greatest love is leading people into a richer experience with God through worship. When God called Steven into ministry, he went on to earn his masters in Christian education with a focus on worship. Even though he has served as a youth and children’s pastor, worship has always been his passion. Steven brings an authentic, energetic atmosphere to Sunday worship. He also loves teaching and leading groups because he wants everyone to know of the transformation a relationship with Christ can bring. He would love to see a thriving, multicultural atmosphere at Vista where people are connected in small groups and growing in their faith. Steven and his wife, Allison, and their 3 boys, Isaac, Joseph, and Benjamin, love traveling and being outdoors. Just as Steven would love to see the world, he would also love to see the world … come to Vista.
For someone who is super introverted, coordinating hospitality teams and directing the youth ministry might seem counter-intuitive, but Zack brings his great relational skills to two jobs he can’t believe he gets to do. Zack was introduced to Vista Church through the former worship pastor who asked him to play drums for youth events and Sunday services. What kept him here is the people. For Zack, Vista is his family. He can’t walk through the halls on a Sunday morning without being greeted by people who all think Zack is just a great guy. From coordinating teams of volunteers to pouring into the youth, Zack brings to both his roles his great sense of humor. He likes to say that he does serious stuff but can’t take himself too seriously. Zack loves hanging out with friends, going out to eat—one of his favorite places is Wawa—and playing music. Zack sees Vista’s greatest strength as the peoples’ care for one another.
Leigh Ann and her husband, Ricky, came to Vista Church in the summer of 2022 after Ricky’s job brought them to Orlando. After just one Sunday, they knew they had found their church home. Their kids, Norah and Hendrix, loved the kids’ program and Leigh Ann, having volunteered in kids’ ministry for 10 years at their previous church, knew that was huge. Now, as the Children’s Ministry Director, Leigh Ann wants to make the kids’ ministry a place where every child can belong, feel loved, be seen, and be safe. As the mom of a special needs child, and a graduate of UCF with a degree in event management, Leigh Ann knows how to create environments for kids where their needs will be met, they will learn about Jesus, and their parents will feel comfortable leaving them. Music and food are both big parts of their lives. They love to host at their home and go out to eat and to see musicals. As a leader at Vista, Leigh Ann would love to see the church become even more multi-cultural, multi-generational, and multi-abled, so that all people would feel welcome. And that’s music to our ears.
Tinkering and technology make Ben happy, so his role as technical director fits him perfectly. He loves taking something and making it better, taking things apart and seeing how he can improve them. With a degree in electrical engineering, Ben loves to take the church’s technology to the next level, without making it flashy. Growing up in Togo, Africa, until he was 12 years old, Ben saw his parents make every meal from scratch and figure out how to do life when they didn’t have all the modern conveniences. That spirit carried over into Ben’s love of cooking—namely Indian food—love of ministry, and desire for church to be all about the relationships. He nurtures those relationships with his friends by playing strategy board games and watching scary movies. Having been involved in Vista’s youth group as a student, Ben knows the benefits of long-term church involvement as he’s seen relationships grow and his community really become a family to him.
Stephanie and her husband, David, have been members of Vista Church since the old days—1998—and now live right across the street from the church facility. In their 25 years as members of Vista, Stephanie and David have been involved with worship, as shepherding elders, and as Vista group leaders, and Stephanie has been a mentor to young women. Stephanie’s gift of writing allows her to help people grow in their relationship with God, which is her passion. She has had the privilege of publishing 2 devotional books through her job with the Abide Christian meditation app: Peace With the Psalms and Cast Your Cares: A 40-day Journey to Find Rest for Your Soul. (Check out her blog at http://stephreeves.wordpress.com). She is originally from Northern California and is an avid Oakland A’s baseball fan. Stephanie and David have 3 adult children—Justin, Nathan, and Morgan—and an adorable grandson, Zayne. She’s excited to continue helping women understand their belovedness as the director of women’s ministries at Vista.