Michele has worked with some wonderful ministries over the past 20 plus years spanning from Illinois to California. With a potpourri of job descriptions and a diversity of age groups, she has been empowered by this experience and training and feels compelled to give that away to others. Her passion for developing leaders is what brought her to Ohio in 2006.
In November of 2018, Michele began a new season of ministry as lead pastor at Rockside Church in Independence, OH. Michele has a vision to see Rockside Church continue to grow and to further fulfill Rockside's vision of taking the unchanging love of Christ to an ever-changing world fueled by PRAYER, PARTNERSHIPS WITH MISSIONARIES, and BUILDING DISCIPLES.
She is an Ordained Minister with the Assemblies of God and has been serving in full time ministry since 1999. She is also a certified Leadership Coach with the John Maxwell team and continues to have a passion to teach, train and develop leaders of all ages.
Michele is married to Charles Thompson and they have twin daughters, Acelynn and Adrianna. Charles is a Clinical Registered Nurse at the University Hospital in Cleveland and has served there for over 13 years. His heart to care for people shows not only in his personal career but also in his heart to serve the church however he can.
Rachel brings with her several years of experience in youth ministry, worship, and missions work across three continents. She is passionate about carrying the heart of missions into every sphere of life both at home and overseas. Rachel attended Agora Bible College, has been licensed with the Assemblies of God since 2019, and is currently working toward ordination. In her free time, you can usually find her exploring nature or curled up with a good book.
Cathy has served in a wide range of church leadership positions in the Cleveland area for decades. She was a founding member of two Christian non-profit organizations and is a graduate of Christ for the Nations. She retired from 35 years of public service with the Cuyahoga County Public Library where she last served as the Branch Services Director.
She is the Director of Missions and Community Outreach at Rockside Church. Currently she oversees the church's relationships with over 60 missionaries or organizations, chairing our missions committee and connecting with city leaders on behalf of Rockside Church.
Cathy is a Graduate of University of Mount Union with a Bachelor's Degree in English and Philosophy and earned a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science from Case Western Reserve University. In addition, she is also a certified Relational Wisdom Instructor.
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Vaso brings years of church ministry experience and has been part of Rockside Church leadership team from the church's beginning in 2002. Vaso has served in various roles over the years filling in as needed.
She is presently serving as Admin Support and coordinating the Children's Ministry. Her ministry experience mixed with her exposure to the business neighbors through her employment in the Rockside Road business corridor makes Vaso a great representative and networker for Rockside Church and beyond.