STAFF & LEADERSHIP

PASTORS

Chris Woodard
Chris Woodard Lead Pastor (Elder)[email protected]
Chris has been here at LifePoint since its inception in 2007. He has his B.S. in Religion: Biblical & Theological Studies from Liberty University and is currently pursuing his M.Div. at a snail's pace from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As our Lead Pastor, Chris handles a majority of our Sunday preaching, while casting vision for the direction of LifePoint. Chris works closely with the staff and elders to ensure that the Bible is taught, Jesus is proclaimed, and the people of LifePoint are equipped and cared for. Originally from Houston, Texas, Chris married his wife Debbie in 1995 and they have three adult children (Savannah, Cameron and Sierra). Chris and his family continue to spend time on the mission field, having served in many countries around the world.
Jay Bennett
Jay BennettLead Associate Pastor (Elder)[email protected]
Jay works to provide direction and oversight for LifePoint’s staff and ministries. Jay works alongside our Lead Pastor to implement the vision of and oversee the direction of the church. You’ll find Jay serving as one of our Sunday gathering preachers, serving on the Worship Team and helping lead Student Ministry. Jay has a B.A. in Communication Studies from California Baptist University (CBU) and over 15 years of ministry experience prior to joining LifePoint in 2015. As a Southern California resident for most of his life, Jay spent many of his early years traveling the United States with his military family. Jay and Danielle were married in 2008 and have since added JJ, Maddie, Nolan and Austin to their family. Jay loves working hard, but he loves to play even harder. He enjoys spending time with family, working out, building projects, playing games, and finding a really good restaurant with Danielle.
Brendan Pratt
Brendan PrattStudent Ministries Pastor[email protected]
Brendan is passionate about helping students to live out lives that honor and glorify the Lord through a personal faith that comes through the gospel. You will find Brendan on Sunday morning’s interacting with everyone and helping wherever help is needed. Brendan has a Master of Divinity from Midwestern Theological Seminary and a Master’s degree in church ministries from Baptist Bible College. Brendan met his wife Emily in Missouri while doing an internship, and they were married in December of 2021. They also have a son named Jensen. Brendan enjoys working out, reading a book, and watching the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday’s in the fall. Brendan is originally from central Ohio, but moved to Quincy in 2024 as God was working in his life leading him and his family to LifePoint. His passion is to see the gospel go forward as people surrender their lives to Jesus and follow him wholeheartedly.

STAFF

Rachel Plattner
Rachel Plattner LifePoint Kids Director[email protected]
Rachel is passionate about families and empowering them to live out their faith in all places and spaces. She loves telling His Story and inviting kids into that story so they may know, love, and follow Jesus. She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with BA’s in Youth Ministry and Christian Education and Wesley Seminary with a Masters in Children’s, Youth, and Family Ministry. She has worked as a Director of Children’s Ministry at a church in Texas and as a Children’s Pastor in Springfield, Illinois. She and her husband Justin enjoy chasing their sons Donnie and Artie around. As a family they enjoy roaring like dinosaurs, going to parks, eating ice cream, and watching the same movie over and over again. They have a goldendoodle named Oliver (Ollie) who they are convinced is a muppet. Rachel enjoys spending time with family, going on trips, getting lost in a good book, playing an occasional video game, watching movies, attending sporting events, and appreciates a good cup of coffee.
Nancy Geissler
Nancy GeisslerDirector of Communications and Worship Arts[email protected]
Nancy is our Director of Communications and Worship Arts. She started attending LifePoint in 2010 and joined the worship team soon after. She holds a BA in Communication with a minor in Music from Western Illinois University and an MA in Communication from Quincy University and has worked at Quincy Community Theatre as well as Quincy University. Nancy and her husband Mark got married in 2010 and have two children.
Wendy Koontz
Wendy KoontzImpact Coordinator[email protected]
Wendy is our volunteer Impact Coordinator. She coordinates the impact of LifePoint’s communication, creativity, and design. She makes sure that each ministry is consistently weaving together our LifePoint story. Wendy is married to Tim and they have two grown daughters, Megan and her husband Jack, and Madelyn and her husband Matt. She loves family time with her children, travel, and walking. Wendy serves on the Connect Team, is involved in Women’s Ministry and LifeGroups. She and her husband Tim are one of the four founding families of LifePoint.
Danette Rabe
Danette RabeOffice Administrator[email protected]
Danette is the first point of contact for LifePoint and she plays a role in everything from Connect Ministries, event planning, and making sure everything is ready to go for Sunday mornings. She enjoys serving, greeting, and meeting people's needs. Danette and her husband, Eric, live on his family’s farm in Mendon. They have two wonderful daughters, Shannon and Claire. As a family, they enjoy playing ping pong, card games, and going on summer vacations. Danette also enjoys running, walking, playing piano, and baking cookies.
Garris Brown
Garris BrownDirector of Facilities and Technical Arts[email protected]
Garris is our Technical Arts Director. You’ll find Garris powering up all our tech on Sunday mornings, running some of the AVL (Audio, Visual, Lights) equipment in the tech booth, and being our go to person for trouble-shooting on Sunday mornings. Garris is from Quincy and he has three children.
Sara Meyer
Sara MeyerConnect Coordinator[email protected]
Sara is our Connect Coordinator and oversees the team that welcomes our LifePoint families and any guests who walk into our doors on a Sunday morning. She makes sure that all feel welcome, that questions are answered, and that people are pointed to the next steps at LifePoint. She has a heart for hospitality and is passionate about serving alongside the people at LifePoint. Sara holds a BS in marketing and finance from Houston Baptist University and a secondary education certification in mathematics. She taught math for a combined 15 years at Quincy Senior High School, John Wood, and Pastor Chris’ alma mater Spring Forest Middle School in Houston, Texas! Previously she worked with the student ministry team as a youth leader and currently serves on the Women’s Ministry Team. Sara is married to Eric, and they have 3 grown children and 2 adorable grandsons. Sara loves to read, drink a good cup of coffee, watch factual movies with happy endings, and vacation with her family. She and Eric are one of the four founding families of LifePoint.
McKenzie Platz
McKenzie PlatzNursery & Childcare Coordinator
McKenzie oversees our childcare workers and ensures that the children of LifePoint are well cared for in a safe and loving environment. She is excited for this opportunity to work with the families of Lifepoint. McKenzie graduated from Culver-Stockton College with a degree in Elementary Education and completed her Masters in Education from Western Governors University. She has been a teacher for 8 years and loves working with kids. She has been a volunteer with Lifepoint Kids and enjoys sharing the love of Jesus with the children she works with. McKenzie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, crafting, playing board games and reading.

ELDERS

To contact one of our elders, please e-mail [email protected]
Doug Schulte

Doug Schulte

Elder

Doug and his wife Cindy have been attending LifePoint for over ten years. They both serve in LifePoint Kids and lead a LifeGroup. Doug and Cindy recently celebrated their  40th anniversary and the Lord has blessed them with three children, their spouses and eight grandchildren. Doug has been employed at Knapheide Manufacturing for 25+ years and enjoys almost anything outdoors.

Ryan Wood

Ryan Wood

Elder

Ryan has been attending LifePoint Church since 2010 and was installed as an elder in 2020. He and his wife Lindsey currently serve in our Connect Ministries. Ryan was born and raised in Elvaston, Illinois. After high school he attended Western Illinois University, earning a degree in Agricultural Sciences and a MBA in Finance. After managing a farm in Brazil for two years, he returned to his family farm in rural Illinois north of Quincy. He has been farming with his father since 2009. He met his wife, Lindsey, through a church Bible Study and they were married in 2012. They have four children.

Ryan serves on our Church Discipline Team.

Dave Wadsworth

Dave Wadsworth

Elder
Dave has been attending LifePoint since 2019 and was elected to the Board of Elders in 2022. He has been married to Cori for 41 years and together they have two adult children. Their daughter Lauren lives in St. Louis where she teaches elementary school. Their son Barrett lives in Quincy and also attends LifePoint Church. Dave was raised and lived in the Chicago suburbs until being transferred to Memphis, Tennessee in 1988. Seventeen years later the family moved to Quincy. He has been with Gardner Denver for nearly 44 years at multiple locations and in a variety of roles. 

At LifePoint, Dave and Cori serve on the Connect Team and LifePoint Kids.