WHO
BRENTON & RACHEL FESSLER are leading the RefugeOC movement. They were married in 2002, and have three cool kids: Aubrey (b. 2006), Micah (b. 2008), and Hannah (b. 2010).
Brenton earned a bachelor's degree in Pastoral Leadership from Vanguard University (Costa Mesa) in 2002, a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena) in 2010, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Theological Ministry from Northern Seminary (Chicago, IL).
Rachel also went to Vanguard University, graduated with a Liberal Studies degree and a teaching credential, and has been teaching elementary school since 2002. She currently teaches Kindergarten.
After spending nearly 12 years on staff at a great church in north Orange County, they learned the value of a local church and how to love and pastor a community. In 2014, Brenton & Rachel began to dream and wonder about one day starting a new church... because there is still good news to share!
NICKY & JASON STADE joined the RefugeOC pastoral team in 2018! Nicky is an Ordained minister with many years of church experience, and is passionate about helping people of all ages realize their value, understand their purpose and feel empowered to step out of their comfort zones so they can walk down the path that God has prepared for them. She knows that if God can transform her life through His grace, He can do it for anyone!
Nicky’s husband, Jason, has enjoyed a long career as a cardiac sonographer (ya, Google that!), and has always been involved in church life alongside her. They were married in 1999, and have two adult sons & an adult daughter.
KAI & YULI KIZLER have been a part of Refuge since December 2018, just before getting married in January of 2019. Kai serves as our Community Engagement Pastor, as well as oversees Media & Tech. Yuli leads Refuge Young Adults, is a part of the worship team, and serves creatively in various ministries. Kai is finishing his undergraduate degree from Vanguard University, studying Religion & Theology. Yuli is entering a DMin program at Southeastern University. Since beginning the journey of marriage, Kai and Yuli have been a part of Refuge and have enjoyed getting to know the congregation through ministry and fellowship. They have a heart for the neighborhood, and after living in the city of Orange for a year and a half now, they have grown to love the people and hope to see Refuge as a beacon of light for the city.
BRILEY NEYENHUIS is leading Refuge OC’s worship ministry. Born and raised on Maui, Hawai’i, Briley moved to California in 2016 to attend Vanguard University where he graduated in 2020 with a BA in Religion/Christian Studies. Shortly after graduating in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic, Briley joined the Refuge OC team.
Fun fact: Briley wears a plain black shirt every single day (except for this pic).
JON THOMPSON & CORENA LENTZ-THOMPSON have been part of the Refuge Community since 2019, and are passionate about Student Ministries. Both were raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, but then moved to Southern California to attend Vanguard University in 2016. After graduating (Jon with a BA in Theology, and Corena with a BA in English), they were married in August 2020.
Fun fact: Jon and Corena are hardcore Disney fans! They love Disneyland and all things Star Wars and Marvel.
The heart of RefugeOC is to
introduce and re-Introduce people
to a clearer vision of God.
what's in a name
Why the name RefugeOC? More than just a name for our new church plant, Refuge speaks of who we are and what we hope to become for the community of Orange, CA. Refuge is often described as a characteristic of God (think Psalm 62:8), and there is great importance given to places of Refuge throughout scripture. RefugeOC seeks to reach people who are not likely to be found in traditional churches, letting them experience a big and powerful God, then sending them back with good news of the Kingdom to their places of work, school, families & friends.
why plant a church
You may be thinking: “Do we really need more churches?”
Actually, yes we do. More people are finding a relationship with Jesus Christ and a clearer understanding of God as a result of a new church plant than any other way.
Think of it like a radio. RefugeOC will be a new frequency on the dial. We will certainly appeal to some, but not to everyone. And that’s OK. Because church is not a competition. There are other great churches in the city of Orange, and throughout Orange County.
Our hope is to provide the kind of frequency on the dial that will introduce and re-introduce people to a clearer vision of God. This changes everything!
RefugeOC was a church start-up in 2015 with the backing of the Assemblies of God Church Multiplication Network (CMN), an organization committed to helping churches get started with good traction! Churches planted with the assistance of the AG Church Multiplication Network have a success rate of 98%. RefugeOC is also affiliated with and has the full support of the Southern California Network of the Assemblies of God. This relationship provides accountability and support where needed in the church plant process (and beyond).
Refuge continues to be passionate about helping new churches get started. We were an integral part of seeing The Heart LA Church, pastored by Randall & David Araujo, get off the ground in 2022. But also, we actively train and coach other new church start-ups around the country.
