worship leaders
Chaz Luchterhand
Corvallis, Oregon
Chaz Luchterhand, who is a “mostly self-taught” guitarist, he said, will lead worship with Shaina Cornwell at Festival of Tents this year.
Chaz day job is working as a behavior specialist in Corvallis school district. “I’ve been involved in the school district for five years,” he said. But it’s not just students he works with. “I’m certified and have a private practice and see clients of all ages he said.
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“I’m passionate about Jesus, getting to know him better.”
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He finds satisfaction in his work. “Seeing people heal or come to restoration, like counseling,” he said, “people come in and they are a whole person but there are parts that are broken. You are just restoring what is already there, its original purpose or define. I long to see people restored in that way.”​​​​
“[Worship] is important because it is ultimately for the Lord, to bring Glory to Him…
It’s a pleasing aroma to Him. It’s something He delights in.”
​As for ministry, he has a BA in Biblical studies from Corban University and has been involved in a variety of roles for almost 20 years. That includes working with youth, camp, and college ministries and at one point, working with the Navigators.
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“I’m a hodgepodge of things,” he said. He is ordained as a minister and does pastoral counseling. Currently, he is on The Green Tree Church leadership team.
Speaking and worshiping the Lord top the list of things he enjoys.
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“What’s special for me, there are so many ministry, and career highlights,” he said. "I am a really relational guy," he said, “Relationships are important to me,” he said. He treasures the connections he builds with people, he said.
As an example, he pointed to the “incredible friendships,” he has that began during his time as a resident assistant in college. “I was helping lead a house of 50 college guys,” he said. “We would spend time in Bible Study and doing life together. “What was special was we all lived together so it was ‘life on life,’” he said.
A fun fact about Chaz is that he is a certified scuba diver. “I haven’t done it in a long time, but it’s a fun fact,” he said.
Shaina cornwell
Corvallis, Oregon
​Shaina Cornwell and Chaz Luchterhand will be leading worship as a team this year. She will sing and play guitar.
“[Worship is] such an amazing way of connecting with the Lord. He has used music my whole life to bring me closer to him,” ​
“Jesus is worthy of our praise and worship, and music is such an amazing avenue. It’s not the only way to worship, but it can posture our heart to see Jesus rightly.”
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Shaina serves as a worship leader at The Spring Church and serves on a leadership team that meets with the elder team weekly. Once a month, they gather to talk, strategize--and pray.
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“The Lord has used music my whole life
to bring me closer to Him.”
"I am passionate about intercession, to see the Kingdom come and breakthrough in people’s lives,” she said. “The Lord has given me high empathy for others,” she said. “I have heard several times from the Lord that I carry a zeal that kind of, that draws people in, to want to be zealous for the Lord,” she said.
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[Music] is not the only way to worship, but it can
posture our heart to see Jesus rightly.”
Two years ago, God did something that is a highlight of her faith walk, she said. He laid it on her heart to start a Christian girls house, with seven other young women. “It was open just a year,” she said. At the end of the first year, everyone moved on. “But it was the Lord’s plan, he gave us the house and the girls,” she said. “I can look back and see what He did in me and the other girls,” she said.
Outside of ministry, Shaina loves anything outdoors. By day, she is an arborist, “a tree professional,” she explained. She trims trees and works as a manager for Seaders’ Tree Service.​
Her hobbies lean toward the outdoors as well, hiking, running, mountaineering, camping—being a chicken mom. “My chickens are my pets. They are laying hens, and I’ll probably have them until they are old haggard things,” she said.
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Lukas nichols
Corvallis,Oregon
Pictured: Lu's family at Natasha (Wenger) and Leo Ramirez' wedding summer 2025.
Meet Lukas Nichols. Lu, who is a native Oregonian, plays guitar and leads worship at The Spring Church in Corvallis.
He and Jill, his wife of 11 years, met through The Mandate Discipleship School.
Pictured: Lu's family at Natasha (Wenger) and Leo Ramirez' wedding summer 2025.
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The couple have two precious children, Alina (2) and Ruben (4 mos.)--And a plethora of animals. There's Fern the Cat, a labradoodle named Clovis; chickens Queen, Frostine or Queenie, Sweet Pea, Thunder, Lucy, Ethel; and five pond goldfish.
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Lu, who has been in construction work since he was 15, is a lead carpenter at Henderer Design +.
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When it comes to his spiritual things, he is zealous about worship, he said. For him, it is an act of trust. “Specifically with leading, I can’t do it on my own,” he said. “You can prepare all you want, but you need to put your trust in the Lord and when you do it, He will show up,” he said.
“Worship breaks down barriers, it settles your
spirit and brings you peace.”
Beside leading worship at his church, he is involved with The Furnace. “It’s basically, you focus on a scripture or theme, like persecuted people in Japan, and you have a prayer leader, worship leader and team, and you work together to intercede or pray,” he said. Spontaneous worship is part of it as well.
He is passionate about “helping people feel seen by Jesus, and mentoring others,” he said. One way he does that is by leading a middle school boys’ youth group.​
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​As for downtime, he enjoys family activities like going on walks, listening to music, having dance parties, and going on daughter dates with Alina and Ruben, “which often consist of walking to Coffee Culture for treats, getting a balloon or going to Pet Smart,” he said.
When it comes to hobbies, he seeks out activities that revolve around fitness and anything that challenges and pushes him, he said. "Disc golf, wrestling, running, Onewheel riding--putting myself in positions where I am stretched... being outdoors, being creative, " he said. ​
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Right now, he is working on a special TOP SECRET project, he said. It is for his brother Peter, who knows he's making him something--but will have to wait until it's done to find out what it is!
Travis and Stacy Soverns
Veneta Oregon
Music was an important part of both Travis and Stacy Sovern’s lives long before they met. She plays piano and sings. He also sings. "And plays guitar, drums, bass, saxophone, tuba—'all the things,’” Stacy said. And it was their love of music that God used to bring the two together.
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Here's how they met.
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​He was lead singer of a Eugene-based Christian band known as Flipside. She attended a concert in Roseburg where they were playing. During intermission, concert goers had the opportunity to mingle with band members and get autographs. She met members of Sanctus Real and Firefly.
And then she met Travis.​
​​​​​She was smitten. The two took a selfie together (See photo above.) and he asked her for a date. “Our first date was lunch, where he invited me to play in a concert with his band,” she said.
With parents who are musicians, it is little surprise then that the couple’s three sons, described by their mother as “creative, loving and adventurous,” are musicians too. Atreyu plays drums and piano. "When he could barely stand, he began playing with chopsticks at Asian restaurants,” she said. Miles sings. Isaiah leans toward electronics, sound and writing music. All three boys take piano lessons.
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“Drawing people closer to Christ
through worship is one of their passions.
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[Another is] helping Christians to mature and grow
in Christ-- so they can replicate that model.”
Travis and Stacy’s spiritual giftings, are difficult to nail down, one might say they are “Jack of all trades.” Different gifts are apparent depending on the situation. "For us, it’s just being sensitive to God’s spirit and what he wants to do,” she said.
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He serves as an associate pastor and she as a pastoral assistant at Fernridge Faith Center, in Veneta. The Spirit-led couple’s hats also include that of youth pastors, worship leaders, sound team, and teaching.
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In addition, the Soverns travel to teach and lead worship at churches around Oregon. A highlight of their summer this year was traveling as a family to do the same in Indonesian churches. God used them to bring encouragement to the people in churches there, Stacy said. In the area they visited, Christians are a minority. The general population is 90% Muslim.​
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“In worship, we gather together to declare God's word in song. We edify and build Him up, and,
in my experience, healing happens, spiritual warfare and [more] happens," Stacy said.
Christians there are faithfully “hammering out” their faith. They are “tired—yet hopeful,” Stacy said. “What we had to bring to them was living water, like rivers in the desert, where they came and drank,” she said, “We are already saving money to go back.”
Until then, the couple have plenty enough to keep them busy. In addition to raising their three boys and ministry responsibilities, the two tend to their small farming homestead and, as owners of The Farm Store, managing the business and selling feed and farm supplies.
(L) A photo from the Soverns family's trip to minister to churches in Indonesia.
KADEN WENGER
Philomath, Oregon
​Kaden Wenger, who leads worship regularly at Awaken Church in McMinnville and Green Tree Church in Corvallis, is heading up one of four teams leading worship at Festival in 2025.
Kaden credits his teacher Bob Holton for helping equip him to lead others into the presence of God. “He’s led worship for many years. So, it was good for me, it was more than [learning] guitar,” he said.
​“Worship is a time where we can lay aside everything
and just look at Jesus," Kaden said.
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“There is a lot of power in songs that are biblically based, include exaltation [and are] Jesus focused,” he said.​
A highlight of Kaden’s spiritual walk is a camp he attended on the East Coast as a teenager. Evangelical Missions Training Camp or EMT is a ministry of Dove International, a network of churches The Hive is part of. “Going to the camp has been a unique opportunity to pray and share the gospel with people and see them come to the Lord. He regularly goes on outreaches with a local group these days.
“Ultimately, I am passionate about everyone—including myself on a level I have not
experienced—having a deep personal life changing relationship with God.”
Kaden said his spiritual gifts are in the areas of evangelism, leadership and worship—and prophecy, he said. “I think a lot of music has to do with prophecy,” he said.
For leisure, the youngest of 13 children likes to write. “I’ve written songs, short stories, a book. None of those have been published, but that is something I do,” he said. The 2025 graduate also enjoys sports. His favorite is basketball, which he played throughout high school.​
When asked about his marital status, he replied, "I'm single. You can mention that."
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An interesting fact about Kaden is that he is an experienced traveler, having visited 12 different countries. His family maintains relationships with people around the world, he said. So, visiting people is a big part of their travel. He spoke particularly about a road trip across Europe with his family that he enjoyed.
​​​Kaden currently works as a barista at Imagine Coffee in Corvallis. His favorite drink is a Mocha.
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Psalm 96:1