Staff at Trinity Church of Sunnyvale

Dave Sawkins: Interim Senior Pastor

Interim Senior Pastor comes to Trinity Church after serving as Interim Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church of Los Altos, but is probably best known in the Bay Area for helping plant South Valley Christian Church in 1986, leading as Senior Pastor until its merger with Los Gatos Christian in 2007. He continued as Co-Senior Pastor of the merged Venture Church for the next two years

Dave pastored a church in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 15 years before moving to the Bay Area and serving as Assistant to the President at San Jose Christian College. Dave then served as an associate at Los Gatos Christian Church before launching South Valley.

Dave is a graduate of Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, and has a Master of Arts in Religion from Pepperdine University. Dave has been married to his wife, Sheila, for 43 years; they have three grown children: William, Phillip and Susan.

Jim Asselin: Pastor of Spiritual Development

Jim Asselin

Jim came to faith as a young adult through the testimony of an infirm patient at a senior care home. Not long after, trade school and his pursuit of construction management brought him to the South Bay in 1985. He began attending Trinity Church of Sunnyvale in 1989 where he began using his musical gifts leading worship.

His ministry experience includes: [list class=bullet-3]

  • Serving as an Elder board member
  • Foreign Missionary to Peru
  • Worship Pastor
  • Pastor of Spiritual Development
    • [/list]

    Jim is on the board of Gateway Neighborhood Outreach, a non profit community outreach in Sunnyvale, and is a member of Challenge Team outreach for Youth in Sunnyvale. In addition, he is a licensed contractor and has recorded a music CD.

    Jim and his wife Karen were married in 1990 and have three teenage children, James, Ellen and Zechariah. His hobbies are music, skiing, and investing in people.

    Avery Stafford: Pastor of Worship Ministries

    Avery Stafford

    Avery grew up in a pastor's home in Central California. His passion for music and worship has always been evident throughout his ministry career. A graduate of Abilene Christian University (TX) and Multnomah Biblical Seminary (OR), Avery has served as a staff pastor for churches in California, Texas, Washington, and Oregon.

    He is a sought after worship leader and teacher for church events and seminars. As a musical artist, Avery has recorded five albums and received critical acclaim and recognition as a vocalist and songwriter. He also leads Avery Stafford Ministries (ASM), a parachurch 501(c)(3) purposed to serve churches with resources in areas of worship, vocal music, instrumental music, sound and lighting, etc. But his greater passion is to lead God's people in worship through the arts.

    At age 7, he confessed the name of Jesus Christ publicly and was baptized in San Jose, CA. And he has been faithfully walking with the Lord ever since. Avery and his wife Nina have three children; Marlea, Stephan, and Kerrington. The Staffords have been serving at Trinity since September 2006.

    Chris Stirm: Youth Pastor

    Chris Stirm

    Chris has been the youth pastor at Trinity Church since 2002. Prior to coming to Trinity Chris served as a High School Intern for 3 years at South Valley Christian Church where he meet his wife Jade. Chris and Jade have been married for 8 years and have 3 kids named Eli, Addison, and Jemma.

    Chris attended San Jose Christian College (now William Jessup University) after discovering God’s call on his life to be in ministry. Chris grew up in San Jose and has been a Christian for 25 years.

    Diane Lyall: Children's Ministries Director

    Diane Lyall

    Diane gave her life to the Lord at a back yard Bible club when she was 7 years old. Since that day she have felt the love of Jesus in her heart. During Bible Club, God gave her a desire for leading children to Jesus. She wanted all her friends to know about Jesus! By the age of 12 years old she was working with preschoolers at her church. She has served in the church since then, working with children, youth and young adults. She previously worked for Calvary Church in Los Gatos as the Director of Nursery and Preschool.

    She graduated from Westminster High school in 1972. She attended Golden West College and California Baptist College in Riverside (now California Baptist University). She attended Evergreen College and received her degree in Nursing. Diane is a registered nurse in the state of California. Diane and her husband Keith have three Daughters, two grandsons and one granddaughter.

    Her passion and desire is for children to know the love of Jesus and to give their lives to follow Him.

    Lisa Prather: Nursery Coordinator

    Lisa Prather

    Lisa has been a part of Trinity Church since 1995. She also attended with her mom and big sister during much of her childhood years. It was at church camp with Trinity Church, one summer, when she was ten years old that she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. In early 1997, Lisa was baptized and became a member of the church.

    Lisa has been the Nursery Coordinator at Trinity since December of 2000. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and has more than 20 years of experience in the childcare field. In addition to her role at Trinity, she is currently a full time nanny. Having been a nanny for more than seven years, she’s cared for several sets of infant twins.

    Lisa is also involved in other ministries: [list class=bullet-3]

  • AWANA Cubbies leader
  • Women’s ministries
  • Special events
  • Family Ambassador through the City of Sunnyvale’s training program
    • [/list]

    Kristi Gill: Administration Ministries

    Kristi Gill

    Kristi was born and raised in San Jose, CA and grew up in a family where her dad worked in full time ministry. She came to know Christ as her personal Savior as a little girl and began her lifelong journey of following Him.

    Kristi attended Asusa Pacific University in southern California where she earned a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting and finance. She began her career in corporate finance but was excited to get the call to Trinity in 2004.

    Kristi has been a Young Life leader in both Azusa and San Jose for the past 12 years and is a member of the National Administration of Church Business Administrators as well as the Association of Professional Women. She is married to Adam, who serves as the junior high athletic director at Valley Christian School, and together they have a son, Kellen.