Leadership Team

A handful of us heard story after story of people who had avoided or walked away from faith and church for reasons that had little to do with Jesus and far more to do with “church hurt” and mistreatment. We launched New Life, now Connect Church, passionate to be an outward-facing church in Wichita where not just “Jesus followers,” but also unchurched and dechurched people could belong, even before they believe: a community they would love to attend and engage!

In my free time, my bride of 35 years and I LOVE being outdoors, whether it’s hiking the Savage River Trail in Denali, Alaska, or simply sitting outside by our firepit enjoying the tree line, acreage and sunset behind our home. A fun fact about me is that (before Jesus and my wife) I successfully crashed the NFL’s Super Bowl XXII pregame party the night before the game. Through a chain of events, I ended up being invited to sit with the owner of the Miami Dolphins for dinner. At the table alongside me, among others, were five Hall of Famers.

On a more serious note, a favorite quote of mine was spoken to me by a wizened Ghanaian patriarch when I was in Africa helping build a hospital. One workday morning, he insisted I delay going to the job site to sit and have tea with him. Over tea, he said to me, “Chad, in America, you have watches. In Ghana, we have time. There will always be more tasks. There will not always be more time.”

Xan has been singing and playing keyboard for as long as he can remember and is passionate about bringing glory to God through music. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Xan moved to the Air Capital in 2015 in pursuit of a career in aviation. During the week, he works as an engineering manager in the aerospace industry. He has been part of the church’s story since the very first leadership gathering on Pastor Chad’s back porch, and it’s been truly incredible to see everything God has done since then!

Xan and Ashley’s love story wouldn’t be the same without this church: they met after a service in spring 2018, got married in 2019 and now have two amazing kids! When not leading worship, Xan and Ashley love to travel and have visited 13 US states and 9 foreign countries together. Xan spends as much free time as he can with his wife and kids, and also enjoys working outside, reading, writing, good food (especially when cooked by Ashley!) and flying as a private pilot. Xan loves being part of a community where everyone can belong and know the love, goodness, power and hope of Jesus.

Ashley came to New Life (now Connect Church) in 2018 looking for a church that emphasized the love, joy and grace of God and focused on sharing the good news of Jesus with others. Not only did she find what she was looking for, but she found her husband Xan too! Ashley came to know Jesus at a young age and has experienced His loving kindness unmistakably throughout her life. She loves sharing God’s love with others, whether while parenting her two toddlers, caring for her patients as a critical care nurse or meeting with other mom friends.

Music has long played an important role in Ashley’s life, from singing with her dad in church as a little girl, to singing in choir and playing jazz saxophone in college, to now leading worship with her husband. It is the primary way she feels closest to God and filled with the Holy Spirit. Ashley loves making new friends, and also loves to cook, so don’t be surprised if she invites you over for dinner! She also loves watercolors, travel, gardening and of course Xan and her two kids.

Diane loves family time, including her husband Brian, their three kids and their spouses, and seven grandchildren.

She worked in public schools for more than 10 years, where she had the privilege of serving as a special education para. That experience is where her passion for working with children blossomed.

At Connect Church, Diane wants all kids to learn about God’s Word through fun and engaging activities.

One thing about me is I love meeting new people. Being the Host Team Leader was definitely where I felt God wanted me to serve. Serving alongside the Host Team volunteers is about creating a warm welcome for our church community and anyone looking for a church home. Our volunteers are the first point of contact, and I want to make sure that people walking through our doors, week after week or for the first time, find a place where they feel seen and loved.

When I’m not working or serving at church, I love spending time with my family. My two kids are the joy of my life; while they are grown, I still enjoy every minute I get to spend with them. I also enjoy lying by the pool and soaking in the beautiful sun. My favorite place to vacation is any location with a beach. It’s my happy place.

Life is stressful and all most people want is to find peace, yet peace can seem elusive. I found this church when I was searching for a community that connected me to the love and peace of Jesus, and to people to share all of the happy and hard moments in life with. In my free time, I like board game nights, cookouts, concerts and community events, basically any form of connecting with friends and family.

A fun fact about me is that when I was young, I wrote a book called “101 Ways to Eat Nacho Cheese,” and I stand by each one of those recommendations today. As someone who struggles with anxiety, one of my favorite quotes is: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something, or someone, is more important than fear.” On most Sundays, you can find me volunteering with Connect Kids, engaging with kids of all ages and empowering the next generation to love their community like Jesus does.

Katie enjoys shopping and traveling, but what she really loves is being a mom to her three young boys. She’s been married to Dylan for 13 years and thinks he’s slightly awesome, too. They jumped in soon after the church first started because they were tired of a church that exists only for believers. They wanted their boys to grow up seeing mom and dad be an active part of sharing Jesus with their community. If the church isn’t sharing Jesus with people who don’t know about Him, what’s the point? They also enjoy watching their boys thrive in Connect Kids and being connected to a vibrant church family that includes people from all walks of life and backgrounds.

My wife Angie and I have been volunteering here since about a year after the church began, and we celebrated our 40th anniversary in October 2025. We have three adult children: Katie, Tyler and Zach.

I’m a Navy brat: born in San Diego, raised in Hawaii and Rhode Island, then moved to landlocked Kansas when my dad retired. I finished high school in Wichita, then returned to San Diego in 1981 to attend Christian Heritage College, where I met Angie. We were married in 1985 after graduation, and while Angie worked at Shadow Mountain Church, I went door to door doing collections for a cable company.

We moved to Wichita to begin again. I desperately needed a career change and started as a State Farm agent, which I’ve enjoyed for over 30 years. When I’m not working, I like to golf, play pickleball, tend to my yard and cruise around on my classic Triumph Bonneville.

Angie and I had also served with Pastor Chad at a different church in Wichita, and after visiting the very first service, we felt God leading us to be part of the mission here. We enjoy the real community and the enthusiasm for helping people find and follow Jesus. Angie serves on the worship team, and I run the camera on the tech team.

I have been part of this church since the very beginning back in 2018. It has been amazing seeing this community grow from the ground up, and I absolutely love that it’s a place where you can truly belong at any stage of your faith journey. My family and I have been blessed to be a part of it.

Since the start, I’ve been part of the Connect Kids team, mostly volunteering with preschoolers. I truly love pouring into the next generation and have loved seeing the kids grow up and grow into their faith.

Outside of church, I love spending time with my family, whether that’s traveling or just having a game or movie night at home. I also enjoy sports, reading and taekwondo. “Everywhere you go, try to leave it a little better than you found it.”

Brian spends a lot of his spare time with family. He’s been married to Diane for 38 years, and they have three kids and seven grandkids.

He enjoys the outdoors and would love for his second home to be his deer stand.

His workplace brings out his compassion to make a difference in the community. He chose this church because of its commitment to serve those in need.

I am deeply passionate about our mission to help people find and follow Jesus. From the moment I got involved, I was drawn to the way our community lives out the love of Christ through radical love, authentic community and irrational generosity. Being part of a movement that exists for others and not just for ourselves inspires me every day. For me, it’s all about Jesus: His love, compassion and selflessness are what guide my heart.

Outside of church, I love cooking and sharing meals with others. It’s one of my favorite ways to show hospitality and care. I also enjoy cheering on my family, who are all bowlers. I affectionately call them “Team Barnes.”

I serve in Connect Kids, where I have the privilege of pouring into the next generation, and at the Lord’s Diner, where I put irrational generosity into action by serving meals to those in need.