OUR STAFF

Abbie is a Pastor, church planter, and entrepreneur. She is the lead Pastor of New Culture Church and Director of Neighborhood Networks for Collaboration Project. She is passionate about seeing Kingdom renewal and equipping the next generation of church leaders.

Amy Meyer is the Connecting Lifestyles Coordinator at the Church in Fitchburg, WI and the Adopt A School Partner representative to Leopold Elementary School. Amy lives in Middleton with her husband Jeff who is the lead pastor at the Church - they have lived in the area for 28 years and been in ministry for 34. They have 4 daughters - and 7 grandchildren. She loves to be outside either taking a hike or enjoying a paddle in her kayak. Amy has enjoyed her speaking ministry for over 25 years and has had the privilege to offer training in the area of leadership and discipleship to women in Korea, Hong Kong, Kenya and Ethiopia. She has a passion for journaling and is the author of Snapshots and Stories Increasing Awareness of God’s Faithfulness Through the Practice of Journaling.

Becca joined the Collaboration Project team in April of 2023 after 5 years of youth ministry in Madison. Prior to parish ministry, she worked in outdoor ministry in east-central Wisconsin where she lived lakeside and loved it. She’s passionate about intentional relationships, authentic experiences that nourish the spirit, and pulling up chairs to make room for more people at God’s table. Becca and her husband enjoy hiking, camping, making music, and playing board games.

Caleb serves as pastor of New Beginnings Alliance Church on Madison's East side. His wife, Liz, teaches fifth grade at Winnequah Elementary in Monona. They adopted their two daughters, Rylee (9) and Evie (8), out of foster care and have guardianship of teenager Jwana, a freshman at UW-Whitewater. Caleb has been a full-time pastor since 2014 and in his current role for approximately four years. He is passionate about multi-ethnic ministry and encouraging believers to live out their faith in Christ-like ways.

Israel Oby is an Associate Pastor at Northside Christian Assembly and is a passionate minister, music artist, and evangelist. He has been married to the love of his wife, Nyla, for 2 years. Born and raised in Madison, Israel is driven to see the city believe in Jesus.
In his free time, Israel is a lover of all things music, a nerd for business, and loves spending time laughing about nothing with friends and family.

Jon served as a pastor in the Madison area for twenty years before launching Collaboration Project in 2019. He has a passion for serving the local church and encouraging the church as they serve the most vulnerable. Jon has a history of starting programs centered on engaging the church in local service. He helped begin Madison Missions, a local youth service camp, that engages hundreds of students every summer. He also co-founded the Kingdom Justice Summit which annually brings together hundreds of people from dozens of churches around Christianity and justice in our city. He is married to his beautiful wife, Mary, and together they have three kids, Ethan, Charlotte and Hazel.

Kate serves as the Associate Pastor for Children, Youth and Families at Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ. She is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Kate has served in a variety of ministry positions, including chaplaincy in both a state psychiatric facility and a trauma hospital, and in a pastoral role focused on pastoral care and spiritual growth in a United Methodist church. One of Kate's favorite quotes is from St. Irenaeus of Lyon: "For the glory of God is a human being fully alive." She is passionate about helping people across the lifespan explore what it means to embody this glory together in community. Kate lives with her husband and son on the east side of Madison, where she enjoys reading, walking in nature and sharing in meaningful conversations.

Lauren joined the Collaboration Project team in November 2025. Lauren, her husband, Adam, and four kids moved to Madison in 2020 to join Westwood Christian Church where Adam is the Lead Minister. Lauren has seen how valuable it can be for churches to work together and has enjoyed attending Collaboration Project events as a participant. She is excited about supporting the Collaboration Project team administratively so we can support and facilitate even more trust and partnership in the greater Madison area. Lauren enjoys reading, watching movies, sewing and playing board games.

Lief joined Collaboration Project in August 2026. He spent the last 4 years helping launch Madison Learning Community, an initiative of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, offering seminary-level courses to an ecumenical community of pastors and leaders in the Madison-area. Prior to that, Lief served in local church youth ministry for 20 years. He proudly served on the inaugural CoPro board (2019-2023). Lief is passionate about building community, connecting people, and helping them discover and fulfill their calling. Lief, Emily and their two kids (Ellie & Fisher) live in Middleton. Together they enjoy family adventures (especially when they include mountains, canyons, and/or lakes!).

Nathan serves as the Associate Pastor of Teams at Faith Community Bible Church in Madison. His passion and hope is to minister in ways that show the compassion of Jesus to others. In his free time, Nathan enjoys playing guitar, being outside, and reading novels. He and his wife Annika live in Sun Prairie.

Stephanie Avila serves as Executive Pastor at Lighthouse Church on Madison's west side, where she provides leadership across ministry, education, and organizational development. She is passionate about developing leaders, strengthening teams, and creating Christ-centered environments where people can grow and thrive. Her background in social work, education, and ministry leadership has shaped her passion for people and desire for meaningful community impact. She is married to Oscar and is the proud mother of two teenage daughters, Abi and Belen.