Ministry Team
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Eric Eichinger
Senior Pastor 626-447-7690 pastoreich@oslcarcadia.org Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Pastor Eichinger was raised in a loving family which was actively involved with Zion Lutheran Church. As a kid, he developed a love of comics, and discovered that he had a talent for running. He became a highly successful student athlete, winning competitions throughout junior and senior high school and college. He also developed a love of acting, and after majoring in theater at Michigan State University, he had his sights set on a possible career as a stand-up comedian. But after serving as a missionary in China, where he taught English for two years, he pledged his life to ministry and attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. While in China, Pastor Eichinger met his future wife and visited the gravesite of his life-long running and missionary inspiration, Eric Liddell. The trek to Liddell’s gravesite would become the impetus for Pastor Eichinger’s first major writing project, which would open the door to his writing career. Today, in his 15th year behind the pulpit, Pastor and his wife Kara rejoice in the blessings God has poured into their lives, not the least of which are their three children—Elsie, Lukas, and Isaak, a jackpot trifecta of youthful delight. |
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Peter Jin
Chinese Ministry Evangelist 626-262-1099 pjin@oslcarcadia.org I am Peter Jin Yanghai from China. I believed in the Lord in August 1990. After believing in the Lord, I experienced the renewal and change of the Gospel of God’s grace in my life. I became passionate about preaching the Gospel when I participated in a short-term volunteer training course held by the church at Christmas in 1991. I was called by God during a morning prayer meeting. From 1993 through 1999, I attended Beijing Yenching Theological Seminary studying theology. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in theology, in July 1999, I became a full-time pastor for eight years. In 2007 I was guided by God to complete a Masters of Divinity at the Los Angeles International Theological Academy. Currently I serve as pastor of the Chinese Ministry of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Arcadia. My wife and I serve the church of God together. My son is in college and my daughter is in middle school. We are a family blessed by God. 我是Peter靳阳海来自中国，1990年8月份信主。信主之后经历了神恩惠的福音在自身生命当中的更新改变，热诚传福音，于是参加了教会1991年圣诞节举办的短期义工培训班，在晨更祈祷会中蒙神的呼召奉献，1993年9月到北京燕京神学院读神学，至1999年7月份神学本科毕业之后全职牧会八年。2007年8月蒙神引导在洛杉矶国际神学研究院完成MDV道学硕士学位。目前在亚凯迪亚路德会救主教会中文部牧会。家庭成员4位，妻子与我一同侍奉神的教会，儿子在读大学，女儿读中学，是一个蒙神祝福的家庭。 |
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Kathy Jin
Chinese Outreach Director 626-262-1099 kjin@oslcarcadia.org Hello! I am Kathy Jin . I was born in a Christian family in China. When I was eighteen years old I went to Yanjing theological Seminary and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. And after 17 years I came to USA and studied in International Theological Seminary earning a Masters of Divinity degree. I am glad to serve God now in Arcadia at Our Savior Lutheran Church. I have a happy family with my husband and a son in college and a daughter in middle school. |
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Greg Kniep
Deacon 626-447-7690 |
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Marija Hallman
Director of Music 626-447-7690 Since 2014, Dr. Marija Loncar Hallman has been serving as the Music Director and Organist of Our Savior Lutheran Church and has loved every moment of it, even during the year of online services during the pandemic. A native of Croatia and Serbia, Marija emigrated to the United States after receiving a full ride merit scholarship. She obtained her Master of Music at the University of Southern California and then embarked on the long journey towards a performance career. These efforts led to concerts at some of the nation’s most esteemed organ venues including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Thomas 5th Avenue in New York City, the Crystal Cathedral of Orange County, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, many performances for the American Guild of Organists, and numerous engagements and master classes abroad. In 2010, she was offered another scholarship to complete her Doctorate of Music Arts at USC. She finished her DMA in 2015, majoring in Organ Performance with specialization in Choral Music, Sacred Music, and Music Education. Besides her work as organist and choir director, Marija is also a teacher. In 2015, she was given an opportunity to start a music ministry for children at church, the Our Savior Lutheran Church Music Academy. This program provides free of charge instrumental music lessons to the children in the community. One of the highlights of Marija’s week is Thursday evening, the choir and hand bells rehearsal where she gets to not only make awesome music to praise God, but also do that with amazing groups of people. |
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Esther Liu
Director of Music, Chinese Assembly 626-447-7690 Esther was born and raised in Tainan, Taiwan. She was admitted and then received 4 years of professional music education by the special music program. She learned piano, violin, music theory, musicianship…etc and built a strong foundation of her musical ability which God has used greatly later on in her life. At 12 years old, she lost her earthly father and moved to Taipei. She started going to a Baptist church because her mother was a Christian. She then received Jesus as her personal Savior at age of 13 and started serving God in church by playing piano in the worship services. She immigrated to U.S.A. with her mother when she was 18. She received her B.S. degree in Business Administration option in Accounting at California State University, Los Angeles and got her CPA License later on. While being at school and working, she never stopped serving God in church with her musical gift. She had served in Mandarin Baptist Church of Pasadena, and Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles. After quitting as an accountant from the City of Los Angeles, God miraculously led her to Lutheran Church of the Cross to work as the music director for almost four years. She always feels grateful and blessed to be used by the Lord. Her favorite Bible verse is from the Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 劉劍詩在臺灣臺南出生長大。她考進永福國小音樂班並在裡面學習了四年專業的音樂課程，主修鋼琴，副修小提琴。她在當中建立了相當良好的音樂基礎，以致之後能夠大大地被神在音樂上使用，服事祂。 她十二歲時，失去了地上的父親，繼而搬到台北。因為她的母親是個基督徒，她開始參加劍潭浸信會的聚會。她在十三歲時接受耶穌成為她個人的救主，並開始在教會崇拜中，用鋼琴來事奉神。 她十八歲時跟母親移民到美國，她畢業於加州州立大學洛杉磯分校，商業管理系，主修會計，並有拿到會計師執照。即使在求學或工作階段，她從未停止禮拜日在教會用神賜她的音樂恩賜來事奉祂。她先後在培城國語浸信會跟洛杉磯國語浸信會事奉，崇拜司琴，詩班鋼琴伴奏，兒童合唱團助教/伴奏，手鐘隊隊員， 和管弦樂團小提琴手。在辭去了洛杉磯市政府會計正職後，神奇妙地帶領她到亞凱迪亞市的信義會十架堂擔任音樂總監達三年十個月。她總覺得很不配，但能被主使用，實在是非常地蒙福和感恩。 她最愛的聖經經文是羅馬書八章二十八節：「我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處，就是按祂旨意被召的人。」 |
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Lee Kofahl
Creative Arts Director 626-898-2667 lkofahl@oslcarcadia.org Lee is the Director of Creative Arts at Our Savior providing creative elements for worship services. She works with Pastor Eichinger and talented volunteers to produce drama sketches that bring the message to life. Lee also teaches drama classes for children using fun activities to encourage them to speak and present themselves well in front of others and develop their own unique creativity to glorify God. She is the author of Jesus, Son of God, a book that includes drama sketches for Advent and Lent with staging notes and stories drawing on 20 years of experience. |
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Anastasia Barkow
Director of Youth Ministries abarkow@oslcarcadia.org Anastasia has been a member of OSLC since she was a little kid. She grew up in Arcadia, CA and this church community. She went through confirmation at Our Savior before graduating high school and moving out of state for college. While studying Drama and Irish Studies at New York University, along with her academics, she led weekly arts-based Bible studies for her peers. After graduation, she has been blessed to be able to pursue both acting and ministry opportunities. A fun fact about Anastasia: she loves rock climbing even though she’s not very good at it :) |
