Pastor Sam Reinhard serves as Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Faith Community Lutheran Church. Originally from Texas, his ministry journey has taken him to Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado, and Nevada. He is passionate about walking alongside youth and young adults as they grow in their faith and discover what it means to follow Jesus in their everyday lives.

Pastor Sam and his wife, Athena, have been married since 2017 and have a son, Arthur. Outside of ministry, he enjoys hiking, reading, and weightlifting.

Pastor Brandon Larson serves as Pastor of Discipleship & Missions at Faith Community Lutheran Church. With nearly two decades of ministry experience, including 15 years in pastoral ministry, he has served congregations in Bullhead City, Arizona, southern Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. He is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word and equipping Christians for their lifelong journey of faith.

Pastor Brandon and his wife, Amy, have two children, Elinore and Mark. Outside of ministry, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, drinking coffee, and exploring the outdoors.

Bryan Land serves as Executive Director at Faith Community Lutheran Church & Schools, working alongside staff teams to support ministry operations and administration across the church and schools. He also works closely with Faith Community’s mission partners who are inviting people to know Jesus throughout the Las Vegas community and around the world.

Before joining Faith Community, Bryan served in senior leadership at a large non-denominational church in Las Vegas, where he used his business background to lead various areas of operations, ministry, and missions.

Bryan and his wife, April, are both Las Vegas natives and love being part of the Faith Community family.

Daniel Smith has spent much of his career in education and has a passion for helping children learn, grow, and thrive. Prior to his current role at Faith Community, he worked with middle and high school students with special needs, bringing valuable experience in education and student support.

Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master of Education, both from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Daniel and his wife have two children. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Nichole has served at Faith Community Lutheran Church & Schools since 2013, beginning as a teacher at Faith Community Lutheran Preschool before transitioning into Human Resources in 2025. Her background also includes serving as an Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry, and her experience in education, ministry, and HR has given her a strong understanding of church and school operations and a genuine love for serving the people behind the ministry.

Nichole holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a minor in Management and a master’s degree in Education.

Nichole and her husband have three children. Together, they enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, and exploring new places as a family.

Carl’s lifelong love of music began growing up in Southern California and has led to a diverse career as a musician, worship leader, and music director. His experience has taken him from churches and Broadway touring productions to concert arenas around the world, as well as performances on Beale Street, Elvis tribute shows, and Worship Arts Leadership Institute (WALi) conferences. Throughout his career, Carl has developed a deep passion for Lutheran theology and using music to serve the Church.

Carl studied music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and studied bass with renowned bassist Joel DiBartolo.

Carl and his wife, Becky, have three daughters and spent nearly 14 years in Memphis before making their way to Las Vegas.

Becky Chaplin has served in children’s and family ministry for more than a decade, with a passion for creating fun, meaningful Bible experiences that help children and their families grow in faith together. Her love for ministry began when she first volunteered at Vacation Bible School at age 13 and eventually led her to serve with VBS organizations and churches in Colorado before joining Faith Community in 2021.

Becky earned her bachelor’s degree in Family Ministry from Concordia University Ann Arbor in her home state of Michigan.

Outside of ministry, Becky enjoys the Las Vegas heat, Taylor Swift albums, and Chipotle guacamole.

Ashley Evans joined Faith Community’s Children’s Ministry team as Assistant Director in August 2025, following 13 years of service as a federal special agent—an unexpected path that ultimately led her to children’s ministry! She enjoys using her experience to serve, connect with, and support children and families as they grow in faith together.

Ashley holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and is continuing her education through ministry and theology courses as she grows in her ministry experience.

Ashley and her husband have two children. Outside of ministry, she enjoys gardening, traveling, exploring the outdoors, and making memories with her family.

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Dr. Tim Jones serves as Contemporary Music Associate at Faith Community Lutheran Church, where he has been part of the praise team since 2003. Originally from South Australia, Tim is also Vice Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Coordinator of the First Year Seminar program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. An accomplished percussionist and educator, he has performed with organizations and artists including the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Las Vegas Opera, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and many others.

Tim holds a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts and has taught at the UNLV School of Music since 2003. He also holds a certificate in Worship Theology from Concordia University Irvine.

Tim and his wife, Melaney, have three children, Raylin, Cooper, and Carter. Outside of music and education, he enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the world of wine.

Jon has spent four decades serving as a ministry leader, worship arts practitioner, and educator, helping churches lead God’s people in faithful and meaningful worship. Having served congregations and ministries across California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada, he is passionate about bringing together the Church’s theological and liturgical heritage with the gifts of contemporary worship, while mentoring leaders and building healthy ministry teams.

A ministry graduate of Concordia University, Nebraska, Jon served for two decades at Concordia University Irvine, where he developed new pathways for preparing future worship arts leaders. He is the founding director of the Center for Worship Leadership and its Worship Arts Leader initiative (WALi) and has led and curated worship for numerous LCMS gatherings, including three National Youth Gatherings.

Jon and his wife, Carol, who serves as Director of Faith Community Lutheran Preschool, have three adult sons: Jonah, Caleb, and Jacob. Jon is grateful to be back in parish ministry and finds great joy in serving the Church.

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Athena Reinhard brings a diverse background in hospitality, events, and school administration to her role at Faith Community. From breweries to education, she has always had a heart for hospitality and a gift for helping people feel welcome, known, and at home.

Athena earned her degree in Hospitality & Event Management from Concordia University Wisconsin, where she met her husband, Pastor Sam.

Athena and Sam married during his time in seminary and lived in St. Louis and Chicago before making their way to Las Vegas in 2024. They have one son, Arthur. Outside of work, Athena enjoys exploring the mountains, reading a good thriller, color-coding spreadsheets just for fun, and attempting to learn embroidery.

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Joseph Svendsen serves as Cantor at Faith Community Lutheran Church, helping lead the congregation’s musical life through worship, choirs, and the broader Worship Arts ministry. A choral conductor and educator with more than two decades of experience, he also serves as Director of Choral Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Artistic Director of the Las Vegas Master Singers.

Joseph holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music and English from Luther College.

Joseph and his wife, Jillian, have two sons, Henry and Gus. Outside of music, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, hiking and exploring the outdoors, and reading about history and church history.

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