STEPHEN BYERS
Senior Pastor – Pastor Steve
Steve Byers has been pastor of The Rising Church since 1998. Prior to coming to The Rising he was Youth and Young Adult Minister and then Teaching Pastor at First Baptist Church of Clarendon in Arlington, VA. Steve is married to Cathy. They are a foster home family and have six children. Daughter Leah is an adult and lives in North Carolina. Their five other children were adopted from foster care and range in age from three to thirteen.
Steve has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and History from Claremont McKenna College, a Master's in Business Administration from The University of Chicago, and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry Degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Steve has a passion for creating genuine Christian Community in church and also creating an atmosphere that is welcoming to people without a church home or church background.
A former avid skier, Steve enjoys reading historical fiction and western novels, travel, history, and cooking. He has given of his time to help in neighborhood schools and in the Olde Town Arvada Community. He has also served on the Administrative and Finance Teams of The Mile High Baptist Association. Steve and his family live in Arvada.
Senior Pastor – Pastor Steve
BRIAN W. LEWIS
Associate Pastor
Brian Lewis has been in ministry for 19 years, first as the founding Music Director of Pathways Church in Denver (1994-2000) and since then has been our Music Director and Associate Pastor at The Rising. He has a passion for the arts as a performer, teacher, and mentor, and seeks to equip others in fully realizing their gifts and talents in service to God.
Brian also leads Imago Dei, a small group dedicated to helping people use and develop their art in relation to their faith. His education includes University of Colorado, Loretto Heights College and a Master’s Certificate in guitar from Berklee College Of Music.
As an active performing and recording musician, he has performed on 100+ CD’s and is a 25 year veteran of touring, concerts and gigs. He continues to teach as Advanced Guitar Instructor at the Evergreen Guitar Dojo. He plays chess and enjoys hiking, literature, poetry, film, Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, good conversation, and football. Brian and his wife Christine live in Evergreen, Colorado.
TAMI YESKE
Administrative Assistant
Tami Yeske was born and raised in the west Denver area. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior when she was 4 years old and has been attending The Rising Church since 2000, where she serves in different areas. She has a love for children and is now serving as Nursery Coordinator and Children’s Director. She is known as “Aunt Tami” to many of the kids. She is also church secretary, church treasurer and helps with Mission Arvada. She has 2 beautiful children, a German Shepherd, and a younger sister who also lives in the area. She enjoys doing crafts, reading, mountain drives, music and spending time with her family. She is also a collector of anything dolphin or butterfly related.
Karen Cowling
Director of Mission Arvada
Director, Karen Cowling has been serving as a volunteer with Mission Arvada since November 2017. Karen has a background of thirty-three years in Special Education with two Master’s Degrees in Speech/Language Pathology and Learning Disabilities. Karen and her husband Keith are foster/adoptive parents and served as Denver County foster parents for ten years through 2015. They facilitated a faith based foster/adoptive parent support group for nine years through 2017. Karen volunteered in many capacities for the Severe Weather Shelter Network which shelters the homeless overnights in severe weather since 2017. She has ministered to and advocated for children and adolescents in residential placements and for those on the streets since 1992.
Karen received the 2018 Image Award from the Arvada Chamber of Commerce for her exemplary work with the homeless community in Arvada. Her roles and responsibilities at Mission Arvada of The Rising Church include but are not limited to: running and operating the day shelter on a daily basis; managing day shelter services include meals, showers, clothing closet, and severe weather closet; supervising and covering all stations with qualified volunteers; counseling clients; prayer support for clients; transporting clients to various agencies; assisting clients with paperwork and securing section 8 apartments, moving clients into their apartments, and the overall care of our clients. Karen also manages administrative aspects; provides advocacy/case management of clients; oversees volunteer recruitment and training; connects clients to agencies such as Dental at Your Door, Benefits in Action, Family Tree, City of Arvada Homeless Navigation, Jefferson County Public Health; Jefferson County Human Services; Jefferson Center for Mental Health; The Denver Rescue Mission and Nurse Valerie for our medical clinic; and implements services which benefit our clients. Karen is passionate and caring at a deep level and has on many occasions transported and advocated for clients in court or for probation; transported clients to crisis centers or the ER at Lutheran Hospital; counseled, arranged and transported clients to drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs; and made hospital and jail visits to clients.
