

about
Inspiring People To Live The Way of Jesus
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If you're new to Spark, or just checking things out, we invite you to visit Spark's "Starter Pack," a brief introduction to our community.
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"Hear O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."
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Deuteronomy 6:4-5
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service information
Sundays @ 4:45 p.m.
4161 Alma St., Palo Alto
(Congregation Etz Chayim)
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~8 min. walk from Caltrain's San Antonio Station
~5 min. drive to San Antonio Center (eateries)
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What to expect?
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core values

These five words encapsulate the very life-blood of who we are, how we live, and the work that we are striving to accomplish in the world. Distinct from a "statement of faith" or a "doctrinal creed," we not only believe in our core values, but they also shape our very lives. They are, for us, the essence of what it means to be a follower (a disciple) of Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20).

charter document
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Our Charter Document articulates a brief history, our mission, values, commitments, and the meaning behind our name.
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our leadership
(listed in first name alphabetical order)
DANIELLE PARISH
Pastor
Danielle is a co-founding lead pastor of Spark. She has been a vocational pastor in small and large churches in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1999. She holds a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, is a certified Spiritual Director, and has completed graduate work at Jerusalem University College. She is the founder and tour leader of Come and Learn To Walk Israel-In-Depth Study Tours, and is published in the online journal, Jerusalem Perspective.
JASON PRIMUTH
Board
Jason studied International Communication at the George Washington University and has been an entrepreneur primarily in the legal technology space for the past twenty years. He also teaches ethics classes to attorneys across the country. He enjoys traveling, eating adventurous food and buying books he'll likely never read. He is married to Jennifer they have two kids.
JASON VANN
Board
Jason is a Certified Public Accountant currently working as the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services of a school district in San Jose. He studied accounting at Binghamton University, and has been an auditor and accountant for various firms throughout his career. Since 2006, Jason has served in children's ministry, missions, production, and finance, and is an inaugural board member of Spark. Jason is married to Sara Grace and they have two children.
JUNIOR TAGATA
Worship Arts Director
Junior has been a music director for several churches over the last 25 years in addition to being a writer, producer, vocal coach and band director. He has released 3 CD projects, No Ordinary Man in 2001, la Vi'ia Oe in 2007 in his native language, Samoan, and Tree of Mercy in 2016. Junior was born in the South Pacific islands of American Samoa, and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Junior is married to his beautiful and lovely wife Sharon Ameperosa and together they have 3 boys Ishmael, Anthony, and Tau.
KEVIN NEUNER
Pastor
Kevin is a co-founding lead pastor of Spark Church. He holds a double B.A. in Bible and Theology & Youth Ministry from San Jose Christian College (now William Jessup University), an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary , and an M.B.A. in Leadership & Organizational Health from the University of St. Mary . Kevin serves as the Board Chair of the Biblical Language Center in Jerusalem, and consults with leaders and organizations. Kevin is married to Danielle, and they have two daughters.
MARCUS RANDOLPH
Pastor
Marcus has served as a youth pastor and camp speaker for churches and ministries. He holds an A.A. from Chabot College, a B.A. from Menlo College, and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Notre Dame De Namur University. He now works as a wrestling coach for Menlo College. Marcus and Kendra have been married since 2006.
MARK AREVALO
Pastor
Mark has worked in vocational ministry with children and families since 2006. He holds a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from UC Davis and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark works as a content editor at a Silicon Valley tech firm and rarely misses an episode of "60 Minutes." He and his wife Stacy live in East Palo Alto.
OMAIR AKHTAR
Pastor
Omair holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and Psychology from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and is currently working as a consumer psychologist. He holds additional degrees in Speech Communication and Political Science and has taught various courses in public speaking. Omair has served in various teaching and leadership roles in his church communities. He and his wife Christine have four children and rarely miss Warriors games.
PAMALA SIMPSON
Board
Pamala is an Engineering Technical Program Manager for an Identity and Access Management company in the Bay Area. She holds a B.A. in Mathematics/Computer Science and a Master's Certificate in Program Management and PMP. Pamala has served in prayer ministries, children's ministries, and hospitality with various community organizations. Pamala and Gary have been married since 1980, have 3 adult children, and 2 adorable grandchildren.
SARA GRACE VANN
Board
Sara Grace has been working in public education since 2004 and is currently a school counselor at a local high school. She has experience working with AmeriCorps, holds a B.A. from Stanford in Psychology with Honors in Education, and an Ed.M from Harvard University in Risk and Prevention. Sara Grace is a fifth-generation Californian, a fourth-generation Giants fan, and an inaugural board member of Spark. Sara Grace is married to Jason and they have two children.
STACY AREVALO
Board
Stacy has been teaching high school in East Palo Alto since 2006. She holds a B.A. in English from UCLA and an M.A. in Education from Stanford, and she finds joy in helping students discover the power of reading the word and the world. In 2016 Stacy spent five weeks in Greece working on the front lines of the refugee crisis. Stacy is an inaugural board member of Spark. She and her husband Mark live in East Palo Alto.
TOM ARRINGTON
Pastor
Tom works as a Chartered Financial Analyst for a national bank. He holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, an M.B.A. from San Francisco State, and an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. Tom is a San Francisco Peninsula native, and has been actively involved in various ministries and churches here for over two decades. Tom and Tami have been married since 1983, and they have two adult children.