Ministry Team

The Ministry Staff of First Christian Church of North Hollywood

Rev. Dr. Jonathan B. Hall

If you are like me, I tend to look at these parts of church websites to see if I am welcome.

If you are looking for a statement of beliefs to be accepted at our church, you will not find them. Instead, I will share that we are a community that seeks to follow the most radically inclusive person to ever walk on this earth - Jesus.

To be clear, we do not claim to be the ones who “have all of the answers,” “have it all figured out,” and “claim to know the will of God.” Instead, we are people who stay curious at what God is doing in the world. We seek to participate in what God is already doing in the world. Therefore, in our community, no question is off limits.

We are drawn to the story of God that we read in the Bible. The Bible shares the unfolding and enfolding story of being God’s beloved. As part of our worship each week, I always highlight how each of us is one of God’s beloved.

Our community does not try to make the world into “us vs them” or “black and white.” Rather, we see just “us” and that there is a beautiful rainbow between the “black and white” world that some people seek to create.

Jesus said some beautiful things. One of them was that we would do even greater things than he did. Some of the great things that we do include...

Host the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry - We could do ministry alone, but we are compelled to reach out to our neighbors and build community as we seek to make the world a better place for all of us.
Run the Trees for Kids Christmas Tree Lot - We could make a lot of money for the church selling Christmas trees. Instead, we give all of the proceeds to our ministry partners who focus on caring for children in our community and beyond.
Offer children and youth ministries - We nurture and form youth in the ways of Jesus so that they can be love in this lonely world while in their schools and among their friends.
Welcome all to the table - We host a monthly feeding in the park program to serve our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness. We plan a full and extraordinary meal for our neighbors. Because, when we come to the communion table each week, we experience the extraordinary love and grace of God in our ordinary world.
There are many more!

I was not seeking a church to serve when I got a call from First Christian Church of North Hollywood. However, I had to answer the call because I knew that this was a sacred community. After some initial hesitation due to my own issues of self-doubt and more, I heard God’s call to serve this exciting community!

Perhaps, you are searching for a place to be yourself. Maybe, you are curious about a different way of following Jesus that does not involve excluding others and pushing people away. Possibly, you did not grow up as spiritual, but yearn to connect with others. No matter the reason, please know that you are welcome to be part of this amazing community that seeks to be a Studio of Love in Studio City!

For those who are curious, our denomination - The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - highly values education because it helps to prevent extremism, zenophobia, homophobia, and all of the other things that seek to divide and destroy. To that end, here are some of the experiences that have and continue to form me...

Bachelor of Arts - Religion and Sociology/Anthropology - Transylvania University - Lexington, KY
Master of Divnity - Eden Theological Seminary - Saint Louis, MO
Certificate in Ecumenical Studies - Bossey Ecumenical Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
Doctorate of Ministry - Claremont School of Ministry (and The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management) - Claremont, California (Thesis - A Personal Struggle Between Privilege, Blessing, and Luck and Why It Matters to God’s Entire Creation)

Other Items to Share that Continue to Form Me

I am the second best parent in my house, yet I co-authored a book entitled Dear Son: Raising Faithful, Just and Compassionate Men. It is available through any bookstore.

My wife and I have young two boys. Our best moments occur when we are camping together.

I have served two congregations previously. One was in Ventura, California and the other was in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, so I have an affinity for fried food.

I enjoy playing pickleball and competing in triathlons.

Pastor Taulau Tupua

Associate Pastor of Youth & Mission
Tau@fccnh.org

My name is Taulau Tupua but Pastor Tau works just fine. My pronouns are he, him, his, tama (he in Samoan), and siya (he in Tagalog). I recently joined the church team in July 2023, and I am so glad I said yes.

I have been part of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ since 2010. I was a youth at Via Dolorosa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Modesto, CA under the care of my father, the late Rev. Taulau Tupua F.S.

I join this exciting new chapter with my wife, LooLoo, and our dog Chiquita. We currently reside in Long Beach (Tongva) and continue to love our home. Especially the street tacos & amazing Thai/Lao food.

I identify as Samoan, Filipino, and Niuean American. My heritage draws roots to Daly City (Ohlone), Modesto (Yokuts), & Carson (Tongva) in California, Fagasa & Vaitogi in American Samoa, the Visayan Islands in the Philippines, and Alofi in Niue. I love all my cultures and will continue to embrace them by what I wear, in the language I use, and the opportunities to teach the culture.

I am a second-generation student as both my parents graduated from college. I graduated in 2016 with my Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Religious Studies. Immediately after graduating, I moved to the central valley to help my mom care for my younger sisters. In 2018, I took a leap of faith and applied to Claremont School of Theology (CST). I was successfully admitted and moved to Southern California soon after. I graduated from seminary in 2021 with my Master of Divinity with a emphasis on Ministerial Leadership.

My education journey was an interesting one. Not only did I take an additional semester to complete both my degrees, but I muscled through some tough obstacles. My dad passed away in 2014 but I still succeeded in graduating 2016. The pandemic hit in 2020 but I still finished in 2021. Moral of the story is to keep pushing no matter how hard life gets. God’s goodness & love will continue to hold you along the way.

Prior to my calling as associate pastor at FCCNH, I was serving as the Director of Family Ministries at the First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach in Redondo Beach, CA. I had also volunteered to help with events like PSWR’s ReKindle: a tri-regional youth conference, UMC’s Elevate: A Youth Worker’s Retreat, UMC’s Annual Conference, Lotofale: an online Bible Study for youth & young adults throughout the country, and keynoting at Chapman University’s Disciples on Campus Online Spring Retreat. These experiences were exciting and new as they introduced me to more ways of exploring faith & spirituality.

I currently serve as our Associate Pastor of Youth & Mission. This role entails many different things including but not limited to:

Overseeing our Youth Programming on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday afternoons.
Coordinating Youth Acolytes & Diaconates for Sunday morning worship
Collaborating with local non-profits and organizations for intergenerational experiences
Collaborating with other Disciples of Christ churches in the Pacific Southwest Region for some fun youth & young adult friendly experiences
Preaching & presiding over Sunday morning worship throughout the year
Collaborating with Pastor Jonathan to assist with Pastor Class, Heritage Class, and important Christian Calendar dates like Advent, Lent, Christmas, Easter, and Holy Week to name a few.
Offering pastoral care & prayer to those in need

No matter where you are on your faith journey, this church welcomes & accepts you just as you are. We may make mistakes, but they do not define our existence. Whether you join us online for worship, stop by for an occasional Sunday visit, or attend our Christian Nursery School, we rejoice in your life and the opportunity to connect.

I am a huge fan of the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Lakers, and USC Football #fighton. I can throw down in the kitchen and in the summers over a BBQ grill. I love to travel and make new memories. I’m not a coffee drinker but I will take a cup of some delicious Dutch Bros. I love the beach, watching live performances, bingeing good movies & shows, and spending quality time with beloved friends and family.

Jennifer Le’au

Director of Children's Ministries
Jennifer@fccnh.org

Jennifer has served the children of FCCNH since 2016. She has a degree in Theater and Dance from the University of Iowa. In additional to serving our children, Jennifer is also involved in leading musical theater camps in the Burbank schools.
Jennifer is married to Ne’e and they are parents of Cole and Bird.

David Rigsby

Music Director & Organist
brewstty@gmail.com

David Rigsby served as organist of FCCNH since 2006 and as organist/director since 2018. Born and raised in Michigan, David earned his degree in church Music from Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College and has a Masters degree from Cal State Long Beach. He has served churches in Georgia and Colorado.

He is currently the choir director at Dale Junior High School, Anaheim.

Tyana Parr

Director of Children’s/Youth Choirs
ty@fccnh.org

Ty has served as director since 2013. A professional singer, songwriter and actress, she not only provides music direction for our students, but also focuses on nurturing their God-given talent. She has a degree in Music and Musical Theater from Manatee college in Florida. Ty is also the Human Resource Director of Stevland Morris Productions (Stevie Wonder).