Pastor Rod Galindo is the Senior Pastor at Living Hope Community Church. Pastor Rod is a relationship-driven, and team oriented CRCNA Ordained Minister of the Word with a strong youth and college ministry background.

His partner in life and in ministry is his wife, Joanne. Together, they are bringing new ideas and fresh vision to the Living Hope Church Community. They are currently focused on helping build opportunities for people to connect with other members and grow spiritually.

When they are not busy with ministry activities, they are thoroughly enjoying time with their two young girls, Ana (Annie) and Arianne (Aria) and getting to know the Fox Lake, WI and surrounding areas.

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My Spiritual Journey

I came to faith as the result of a faithful believer. I did not grow up a believer and I have seen first hand what a life without God is like. When I was near the age of twenty I was an atheist majoring in biology and philosophy. A young college student named Micah spoke to me about Jesus and Micah pursued me in relationship. At the time I thought that God was nothing more than a fairy tale. Micah challenged me to put 3 things down on a piece of paper to see whether God would reveal himself. I put 3 things down on a napkin that seemed impossible and they had to happen at a particular time and place and only I knew what was on that napkin. Long story short God came and revealed himself in a miraculous way, showing himself to be a gracious and loving God in my life. I have had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and now I live for Him.  I live to inspire a message of hope, connecting people to God.

Our individual stories find their fullest expression, meaning and understanding when seen within the narrative of the Word of God, the Bible. The biblical journey begins with a God who created everything good. But the enemy tempted the first humans and through the Fall evil and sin entered history. This devastating event resulted in the brokenness of our relationships with God, others, ourselves, and our relationship with creation.

Thankfully that is not the end of God’s story in the Bible and it is not the end of our journey. God did not abandon his creation to destruction and decay; rather he promised to restore this broken world. God became flesh in Jesus Christ and he willingly took upon Himself the sins of His people at the cross, He died and rose again bodily, and is at the right hand of the Father as our mediator. Christ is savior because he takes away the sins of this world, Christ is Lord because His kingdom has no bounds. The redemption we receive is a gift of grace from God and it is something that touches our hearts, shapes our lives and through us by the Spirit re-shapes the world bringing all spheres of life under the reign of Christ. God has spoken in His Word and God still speaks to us today.

God’s Spirit has renewed me and God’s people have shaped me to be a listener, a listener of God’s word and a listener of God’s Spirit. I am committed to teaching people about the God of the scriptures, the confessions and the God that I have come to know and love. I am dedicated to living a life that reflects God’s grace and a life that walks alongside God’s people. God has bought me with a price and I do not belong to myself. I belong body and soul to my Lord Jesus Christ. God’s grace and His Spirit have formed me to lead and care for God’s people as a Shepherd cares for his flock.

Professional Bio:

Pastor Rod has an extensive history in ministry. He has worked as a youth pastor for 4 years, and as a College pastor for  7 years. Pastor Rod was the Senior Pastor of Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Lowell, Mi for 5 years before coming to Living Hope Community Church.

Pastor Rod Graduated from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Theology and Christian Leadership . He also majored in Biology, Chemistry and Philosophy with a minor in world religions.  Pastor Rod received his Masters in Divinity degree from Calvin Theological Seminary in May 2011.