OUR
TEAM
BEN KOCH
LEAD PASTOR
BEN@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Ben and Sarah love living and serving in Austin and are passionate to see people experience the radical love of Jesus. “Our goal is to help connect people to that love through a greater experience of his presence and understanding through his Word. We invite you to join us in that adventure!” Ben and Sarah have 3 kids, Jasmine, Madeline, and Levi, and love traveling and exploring, caring for their growing plethora of pets, and having fun with friends and family.
"Here at The Vineyard, we are passionate to see our city flourish and desire to see everyone step into the adventure of following Jesus in the kingdom of God"
Pastor Ben
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RICK EVANS
EXECUTIVE PASTOR
RICK@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Rick was invited to join the Vineyard staff in January, 2018. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 43 years and have 3 grown daughters and 3 awesome grandkids. He is passionate about connecting people with and watching them grow in small groups. He enjoys “Jeeping” with those he loves. Whether it’s a date night with Lisa or piling his grandkids into the backseat, they pop the top and remove the doors and blast into a warm, sunny Austin day together without a care in the world!
ELAINE BRENDLER
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
ELAINE@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Elaine is our resident “Brit” and has been on staff for more years than she can remember. She is our Associate Pastor and currently overseas our hospitality teams, our Alpha courses, and our women's ministry. Elaine loves helping anyone new to the Vineyard to get connected so that they feel "at home" in the Vineyard and also provides pastoral support and encouragement whenever needed. She has 2 much loved adult children and 4 brilliant grandchildren and has been happily married to her husband Bill since 2007.
ANTONIO HENRIQUEZ
CAMPUS PASTOR - SPANISH SERVICE
AHCEJASMERCY@GMAIL.COM
Antonio is a Pastor with Austin Vineyard since October of 2022 and leads the growing Spanish service and congregation. He moved to the United States in 2014 to begin ministering and helping establish Christian groups with the covering of the Federation of Ministers and Churches International under Bob Long.
sARAH KOCH
WORSHIP ARTS MINISTRY DIRECTOR
SARAH@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Sarah has continuously had a heart for Jesus and for worship ever since she was called by the Holy Spirit at the age of seven in a significant, wonderful encounter with Him.
The call to God and then to ministry started in that moment and grew as she walked out her teen years participating on worship teams as a background vocalist at the Cleveland Vineyard, married Ben Koch in her twenties, Graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a BS in Nursing in 2007, and started a family.
God called them to Austin, Texas in 2014, where she served as a volunteer in the Worship Arts Ministry and learned to become a leader while raising little kids. She eventually served in a staff role at the Austin Vineyard beginning in 2020. She became Director of the Worship Arts Ministry in 2024, where she leads various teams, and worship on Sunday mornings.
Her heart’s desire is to see all people, children, teens, and adults, from every nation, and background, experience the radical love and transforming work of the Holy Spirit through worship.
Lisa Evans has been married to Rick for 45 years and has 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren. enjoys spending time with her family and is looking forward to new camping adventures.Lisa is passionate to see each and every child at The Austin Vineyard to have the opportunity to meet with Jesus and then walk daily with Him and learn about all of the many amazing treasures He has for each one of us!
LISA EVANS
KIDS' MINISTRY DIRECTOR
LISA@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
CHANTEL TRUBILLA
DIRECTOR OF YOUTH
CHANTEL@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Chantel found Austin Vineyard church in 2018 when she and her husband Nate decided to make the move from Omaha, Nebraska to Austin, Texas sight unseen with a u-hail packed full of their possessions, their 2 dogs, and their hopes and dreams. They had no idea that this new city would begin the most beautiful chapter of their lives as they just happened to have moved across the street from AVC.
Here they found loving community that became family at AVC, restored their relationship with Jesus, and started on their biggest journey of their faith, relationship, and healing they’d never even imagined!
Chantel is a Bible loving, study hungry, lovingly self-proclaimed nerd. She really appreciates the lifelong journey of knowing God’s character through the word, prayer, and community.
As the Director of Youth for AVC, Chantel and her husband Nate are passionate about showing young people how powerful, loved, and important they are in the kingdom and that they can do important things today and not when they are “all grown up.” Her and her husband lead from a grace filled relational approach that gives the space and intentionally for each teen and pre-teen to flourish in their own authentic and unique way. They also lead youth with a culture focused on to feeling safe, seen, and known in their community while also having fun and enjoying being a kid!
lisa springer
FOOD PANTRY OVERSEER
LISASPRINGER@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Lisa became an Austinite in ‘93 after moving from Irvine, California. She worked in the tech industry as a Purchasing Manager prior to moving to Texas. She's been working as a Practice Manager / Technician since ‘95 for a Pediatric Ophthalmologist. Lisa started volunteering at the Vineyard Food Pantry in 2012 and became an official staff member in March 2024.
Lisa is married with two grown daughters, one granddaughter and many fur grandbabies. She is passionate about dogs and dog training, the Austin music scene, and traveling to beaches and lakes; basically anywhere to float around.
Since becoming the Food Pantry Leaders, Lisa and Mercy have partnered with other food pantries to help stamp out food insecurity in our area. They have teamed up with several small farm to market businesses giving them compostable vegetables and fruit for their soil. Nothing goes to waste!
Mercy King
FOOD PANTRY OVERSEER
MERCY@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Mercy moved from California to Austin Texas in 2019 for work. She was attending Austin Ridge-Bee Cave and was invited by one of our members. She knew she wanted to
be part of this church after she saw everyone genuinely treating each other like family.
She has been part of the Austin Vineyard since 2021. In February 2023, she began to volunteer in the Spanish Children's Ministry and The Food Pantry. She is honored to Co-Lead The food Pantry Ministry with Lisa Springer. Her gifts are exhortation and serving others and her favorite pastime is volunteering. Mercy is also a Shepherd with Austin Disaster Relief Network, ministering to Austin families after they go through natural disasters or traumatic events.
BERNIE Flores LEWIs
MISSIONS MOBILIZATION &
SPANISH SPEAKING MINISTRIES
BERNIE@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Bernie moved to Austin from El Paso as a young adult in the late 80s and has been amazed at the growth of her adopted town. Austin Vineyard has been her only church family since surrendering her life to Jesus in December of 1996. She is so thankful for the love, acceptance and healing she has received here.
Bernie's passion for missions was birthed early in her walk here as she and her future husband, Jeff, began leading teams to Nuevo Laredo back in 2000. Over the years, she has also traveled and assisted with trips to Mexico and other countries. She joined our staff in October 2022 to assist lead Pastor Ben with mobilizing our body towards more involvement in God's missional purposes here, near and far. She is super grateful for the here. Being Mexican-American, she has also been blessed to help lead the
growing Spanish speaking ministries at Austin Vineyard and is so grateful for this added richness to her life and this Body-her familia!
Jeff and Bernie have been married for almost 23 years and are blessed with their 20 year old son, Isaiah, and 3 year old german shepherd, Clara. They mourn the recent loss of Bernie's Mom, Maria, but cheerfully welcome the return home of dear family friend, Cathe. Favorite verses: Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:8
emily HUNG
ACCOUNTING & FINANCES
EMILY@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Emily joined the Austin Vineyard Staff in 2016 as our financial administrator and bookkeeper after moving from Ohio where she was the office manager for Vineyard Cleveland for several years. Emily has a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University and began her Masters in Social Work in 2017. Emily has a heart for the vulnerable in our communities, and specifically for foster children. While bookkeeping utilizes Emily's more administrative skills, she cares for the church and the finances with a heart to support the staff and ministry of the church! In Emily's free time she can be found at a local coffee shop or at her sister's house hanging with her nieces and nephew!
LEXI RINEHART
EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR
LEXI@AUSTINVINEYARD.ORG
Lexi is passionate about the details and joined our staff in 2016 to support the pastors. She and her husband Paul and their two daughters joined the Austin Vineyard in 2011 when the Northeast Austin Vineyard merged with the Austin Vineyard.
Lexi began following Jesus as a teenager growing up in Austin in the Epsicopal church. She loves learning about global missions, enjoying Saturday morning breakfast with her family and watching Texas Aggie Football!
