Email: adam@praiseyork.com
IG: @adam.bower
Resources:
ADAM BOWER
LEAD PASTOR
Adam has been on staff at Praise Community Church since 2005. He is charged with both maintaining a healthy spiritual temperature and creating a path of maturity for those who attend the church. Adam wants to see the believer understand their identity and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. He has created a new form of discipleship called KAIO and looks forward to creating new blueprints for discipleship in the future.
Education/Training:
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2002 Millersville University, B.A. in Art
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2008 Evangelical Theological Seminary, M. Div.
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2010 Global School of Supernatural Ministry - Summer Intensive
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2011 Harvest Chapel School of Kingdom Living
Adam enjoys devising and developing new ideas and systems in his free time, along with exercising. His greatest passion is playing with his kids outside and spending time with his wife, Erica. Adam is drawn toward the gift of healing and loves watching people experience freedom in this area.
Email: melissa@praiseyork.com
MELISSA GEISELMAN
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Melissa and her family have been attending Praise since 2019 and joined the staff as Administrative Director in October 2022. She has enjoyed serving in the Children's Shine Ministry, Awakened Youth and praising with the Worship Team. Melissa has been a nurse since 2001 and has a servant's heart. Her desire is to live out Philippians 2:3, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Melissa is proudly married to her husband, Mark, since 1998 and has an amazing daughter, Grace. Her joy is watching Grace journey through her musical high school career. You can also find her at the barn with her horses in her free time.
Email: raquel@praiseyork.com
RAQUEL CRUZ
OFFICE MANAGER
Raquel Cruz-Covington has attended Praise Community Church since December 2016. Her educational and professional experience has been mainly within the nonprofit and education sector. She has served within various ministries at Praise including the children's ministry, women's ministry and food ministry.
She is married to a wonderful man, Anthony (Tony), and has three amazing children, Ayana, Adam and Abel. Raquel enjoys worshipping, writing, planning/organizing programs and events, and spending quality time with her family.
Education/Training:
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Temple University: BA History/Cert. Latin American Studies
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Eastern University: MS in Nonprofit Management
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The Unveiling Prophetic School - GAMMA Class graduate (2018)
DIANE BARTKOWSKI
CONNECTIONS DIRECTOR
Diane has been serving in various roles since she started attending Praise in late 2009. She started leading the Pastoral Care Team in 2018, a group of pastoral people who endeavor to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our community. Most recently, Diane has taken on the task of connecting guests and veterans of Praise to small groups, ministries, and community here at Praise.
Until recently, Diane was an RN, having graduated from Lancaster General Hospital School of Nursing in 1979. Diane and her husband, Gary, have been married since 1980 and have two kids and seven grandchildren. In their spare time, they enjoy spending time with family and outdoor activities like hiking and biking.
Email: diane@praiseyork.com
Email: corban@praiseyork.com
IG: @nabrochitz
CORBAN HITZ
TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
Long time member at Praise, Corban has served in various ministries including the worship and tech teams. Corban’s heart is to present and communicate the Gospel using technology to reach people in new and relevant ways. Corban strives to cultivate a culture of excellence in the team through encouragement and example, and believes, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17)
Education/Training:
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Full Sail Real World Education: AS in Recording Arts
Corban is married to the fairest in all the land, Molly, and is the world's best dad to his two children, Brighton and Remy. When not saving the day Corban enjoys playing drums, home brewing, and fixing just about anything that’s broken.
Music:
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Willing Vessel
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From the Rising
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Give You Glory
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Here in This Moment
HEATHER HILKER
WORSHIP DIRECTOR
Heather has served as a worship leader at Praise since 2012. She has had many opportunities to minister through worship at places such as the Global School of Supernatural Ministry, Voice of the Prophets, and other local conferences. She is currently working on developing a series of worship workshops to help people with their individual playing and singing talents.
Education/ Training:
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Yorktowne Business Institute - Culinary Arts
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Global Awakening School of Worship
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The Unveiling Prophetic School - ALPHA Class graduate (2016)
Heather has always been a lover of all music and especially worship music. She believes that worship is more than just a song to sing on Sunday morning; she believes worship is a way of life and desires to see people learn to live to glorify God through their lives. It's her dream to effectively promote in others, through worship, a wonderful relationship with God and a posture of praise, counting He and His Kingdom above all.
Email: nilda@praiseyork.com
IG: @mrs.nildazapata
NILDA ZAPATA
OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Nilda attended Praise from 2006-2014, and, after leaving with her family to plant two churches in York City, has been back at Praise since August of 2019. Nilda is passionate about leading women into a place of faith and freedom and is honored to field opportunities to preach and teach with various ministries, retreats, and conferences throughout the year, ministering chiefly to women. Nilda founded 'Woman Arise Conferences' and recently started 'Passion Academy,' an intensive leadership school. As Outreach Coordinator, Nilda's heart for affecting the community with the Gospel is evident as she leads the Friday Night Love Does Food Ministry and will look to plan and lead community outreach events throughout the year.
Nilda has or is homeschooling each of her children, Carlos Jr., Sheila, Christopher, & Laylarose. Nilda has been married to her husband Carlos for 20 years.
Education/Training:
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York Co. School of Technology - Fashion Design
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She Matters University (Leadership Coaching)
Email: mark@praiseyork.com
MARK HEIDEL
GROWING UP CHILDREN'S DIRECTOR
As the Growing UP Children’s Ministry Leader for NB-12, Mark desires to create a Culture of Honor among our children, raising them up with a clear understanding of who they are in Christ, teaching them to hear His voice, and encouraging them to be fearless in doing what He says. To do this, it's his goal to establish a structured environment where children feel safe, the groundwork is set with high expectations, and specific training in the principles of God is ongoing. Proverbs 22:6 clearly states that we must, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Education/Training:
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Penn State University – B.A in Elementary Education
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Millersville University – M.A in Special Education
Mark is extremely blessed to be married to his beautiful wife, Dana, and honored to be the father of his beautiful daughter, Mykela. Both Dana and Mykela serve on the Praise Worship Team.
AMY GOTWALT
YOUTH DIRECTOR
Amy has been attending Praise for about three years. She has had the privilege of working with our youth group for the past two years, as well as leading in youth ministry for two years prior at her previous church. She enjoys volunteering with the younger kids here at Praise during Creative Worship & has had the honor of helping to birth & facilitate the art ministry: Create/Space.
Over the course of the last few years, God has made it very clear to Amy that her role in the church is to minister & teach the youth of the next generation; to build them up & encourage them to revel in the intimacy & revelation that is birthed from their secret time & space where they meet with the Father.
She believes, without a doubt, that God is calling the youth into a time of action; into a movement where they love & walk in the truth & power of who He has made them to be. She is beyond blessed to walk alongside them, & is so very excited to watch the Spirit move through them in miraculous & life-changing ways.
Outside of youth ministry, Amy is blessed to share her life with her husband, Tony, & her four children, Dominic, Gavyn, Alexandra & Reed. She loves creating, cooking, gardening & sitting in the presence of God. She facilitates a women’s Bible study group & has a heart for missions that has led her to loving & serving in a handful of nations, including Africa & India.
Education/Training
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York College of Pennsylvania: B.A. in Fine Art / A.B.A. in Entrepreneurial Studies
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The Unveiling Prophetic School - BETA Class graduate (2017)
MATT GRAHAM
SUNDAY MORNING CORDINATOR
Matt has attended Praise since 2001 and has served as the Sunday Morning Coordinator since 2005. He has a professional background in environmental and safety compliance. Matt also works as a junior high wrestling coach and is very passionate about using that platform to impact the next generation.
Education/Training:
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Millersville University - B.S. in Chemistry and Physics
Matt has been married to his wife, Marla, since 2010 and they have three children, Lyra, Harper & Channing.
STAN YOST
TREASURER
Stan has handled the treasury duties at Praise since 2004, and has been attending the church since 1999. He teaches Math at Red Lion Area High School and has done so for more than 18 years. Stan lends his expertise to the Praise team in the area of financial stewardship, managing deposits, bills, budgets, and reports.
Education/Training:
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Messiah College - B.A. in Mathematics
Stan has been married to his wife, Gretchen, since 1999 and they have four children: Sarah, Leah, John David, and Matthew. In his free-time Stan enjoys quality time with his family, especially camping.
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First Dance: Venturing Deeper into a Relationship with God
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Awakened: Coming Awake and Coming Alive Through the Beauty of the Gospel
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The Baptism in The Holy Spirit: Why it's for Today and Why it Matters
BRIAN CONNOLLY
FOUNDER OF FAITH LIKE BIRDS MINISTRIES & ITINERANT MINISTER
Brian has been involved in full-time ministry since 2005. He formerly served as the Teaching Pastor/Associate Pastor for Praise Community Church, a position he held for almost nine years. He currently travels as an itinerant minister since founding Faith Like Birds Ministries. He is the author of three books: ‘First Dance,’ ‘Awakened,’ and 'The Baptism in the Holy Spirit.' Brian ministers both prophetically and through impartation (the act of the laying on of hands for the transference of the anointing from one person’s life to another). He’s also an itinerant minister and conference speaker.
He’s married to his beautiful wife, Nicole, and is the father of four equally beautiful girls: Emma, Lily, Hannah, and Shiloh. He enjoys exercising, reading, riding his motorcycle, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Education/Training:
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Millersville University - B.A. In English
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Asbury Theological Seminary - M.A. in Counseling
CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS
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Adam Bower (Lead Pastor)
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Paul Lauer
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Stan Yost (Treasurer)
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Aaron Flay
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Megan Burns
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Diane Bartkowski
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Mark Heidel