Archives: Team Members

DeMara Gilbreath

DeMara Gilbreath is from Bolingbrook, IL where she attends Naperville Covenant Church. She is currently a sophomore at North Park University where she is studying biology. She’s worked with children for about 8 years and is looking forward to working in the children’s ministry at ResCov.

Mara Franzen

I grew up at Brookdale Covenant Church in Minnesota, where my mom is the co-pastor! I love Jesus, dogs, photography books, coffee, movies, and theater! I am beyond thrilled to be working with ResCov Kids and look forward to whatever God has in store!

Caroline Ost

Caroline Ost is a recent graduate from North Park University, where she studied Music in Worship with a focus in choral conducting. She served as the Worship and Creative Arts intern at ResCov during her senior year, and is thrilled to join the ResCov team in an official capacity this year. She looks forward to learning and growing alongside this unique, inclusive community! Caroline is a proud mother to her beloved betta fish, Perseus, and when she’s not at ResCov you can find her cooking, drinking coffee, reading, and listening to podcasts!

Dave Bjorlin

Dave Bjorlin first joined the Resurrection Covenant pastoral team in 2009 as Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts. After a two year hiatus in Boston, he returned in the Fall of 2014. He leads the planning and implementing of Sunday morning worship with an emphasis on music, offers pastoral care, and preaches on occasion. He is passionate about congregations indwelling the dramatic story of God in worship that they might live out that story of God in the world for God’s glory and neighbor’s good. Dave believes strongly in worship that uses both the rich traditions of the historical Church (liturgies, hymns, confessions) as well as the continuing creativity of the people of God that is emerging within current Christian communities around the world.

Dave studied at North Park University (B.A. history/secondary education), North Park Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity), and is currently working on a degree in liturgical studies at Boston University School of Theology. His academic interests include hymnody, the connection between worship and ethics, and the incorporation of children in worship. He has served at three Covenant churches (including ResCov) as worship pastor. Hailing from Hermantown (near Duluth), MN, Dave enjoys concert-going, reading fiction, running (well, enjoy might be too strong of word), and playing music. He is excited to be back at ResCov and looks forward to the ways the Holy Spirit will guide and form the community.

Kyle Mecher

Kyle joined the pastoral team in Fall 2015, and has been attending ResCov since 2011 when he returned to his hometown of Chicago. As our interim pastor of Christian Formation he is developing our growing children’s ministry as well as exploring new ways to build faith and relationships among all members of our community. While attending North Park Theological Seminary he managed the church properties as Sexton, a role he began in 2012. He enjoys the dynamic variety of caring for a place and a people. On a given Sunday you may find him changing light bulbs, teaching the children’s lesson, providing pastoral care, and preaching—but rarely all at once.

Kyle earned his Masters of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary after completing a six-year stint as Operations Director at Covenant Point Bible Camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While there he learned the formative power of offering hospitality and caring for people in need of sacred space. He is passionate about how faith can be lived out and better understood through tangible ways such as play, work, and hospitality. He is excited to see how the Holy Spirit might use his experience in this community to serve God and neighbor.

Aaron Johnson

Pastor Aaron Johnson joined the staff of Resurrection Covenant Church in September of 2006. As the pastor, he is engaged in all aspects of the life of the church, helping to foster leadership and initiative among the congregation to carry out the church’s call to mission, community, and discipleship. Aaron is very passionate about leading the church to better understand our call as Christians who do justice and love kindness.

Before returning to school at North Park Theological Seminary, Aaron worked in several non-profit organizations in Chicago. Through this work, he became interested in community development and grassroots organizing. Having completed a master of social work in 1999, he was intrigued by the call to love our neighbor as ourselves and how that could and should be lived out in an urban context like Chicago. It is Aaron’s sincere desire that we as a church, and as Christian people, become fully rooted in our communities, living out the gospel for God’s glory and neighbor’s good.