James graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO in 1997 with a degree in Missions and Biblical Studies. Since then, he has served with various churches in Florida and Pennsylvania leading youth, young adult, small group, and teaching ministries. James has also served with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for several years in South Florida. In 2008 God laid on his heart to plant a new church here in Martin County, which eventually became Coastal Life Church.  

James and his wife Kirsten met in college and were married in 1996. They have two incredible adult children, Kaleigh and Caleb. James and Kirsten have served alongside each other over these years and have a desire to spiritually invest into people by sharing life and the Gospel with them (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

Jason graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO in 1999 with a degree in Missions and Biblical Studies.  After serving a two-year internship, Jason and his wife, Nadia, spent almost 13 years as church planning missionaries in the country of Nicaragua. For the last eight years, Jason pastored in Jacksonville, FL. In November 2022, Jason felt God leading him in a different direction in ministry, which led him to Coastal Life Church.

Jason and Nadia met in college and were married in 1999. They have three adult children, Katie, Hudson, and Hunter. They also have one son still at home, Harrison. Jason and Nadia are so honored to be a part of CLC and look forward to helping people of all ages come to saving faith in Christ and grow in Him!

After teaching in Christian elementary schools for 18 years, God brought Jeremy, his wife, Joy, and their 4 daughters from Southern California to join the staff at CLC in the summer of 2015.  They are so excited to be a part of this ministry and have quickly grown to love the people here, the priority that God's Word holds, and the passion for "being the church" that is so pervasive. Jeremy looks forward to seeing what God will do in and through the children of CLC as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. His prayer for them is that they would "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" so that their light would "shine before men" to bring glory to our Father in heaven.

Kaleigh has been a part of Coastal Life Church since the very beginning. Kaleigh, her brother and her parents, James and Kirsten Pendleton, started Coastal Life as a family in their living room. Kaleigh attended Liberty University and graduated in May of 2019 with her Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies and Education. Kaleigh and her husband, Tanner Boyett, got married in January of 2021 and lead our high school and middle school ministries. Kaleigh’s heart and passion is for teenagers and mentoring young girls through these crucial years, which makes her a great fit to lead our student ministry. She and Tanner welcomed their first baby boy, Hunter, in January 2024 and their precious baby girl, Lainey, in April 2026.

Born into a ministry family, Alex grew up being a part of the church at an early age. Around the age of 15, Alex felt God leading him to pursue ministry with a focus on biblical worship through music. This led him to pursue his calling and passion further, eventually graduating from Toccoa Falls College located in Toccoa, Georgia with a degree in Music & Worship Arts. He has been leading worship for over 10 years in various capacities.

Shortly after college, Alex met his wife, Brianna, and got married in 2022. Both Alex and Bri enjoy serving the Lord through the worship ministry. Alex’s passion is to help encourage people to encounter the Lord and live a lifestyle worthy of true biblical worship and reverence.

Nadia graduated from Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO with a degree in Missions and Elementary Education. She served alongside her husband, Jason, during a two year missions internship that led to serving the women and children of Nicaragua for almost 13 years.  For the last eight years, she has served in Jacksonville, FL in many different facets of ministry.

Nadia and Jason were married in 1999 and have four wonderful children, Katie, Hudson, Hunter, and Harrison.  Nadia is so excited to help the children at Coastal Life learn to know and love Jesus!

Robert has been a part of Coastal Life Church since 2010, serving as an elder, on the advisory team, in kids and youth ministry, and as a life group leader.  He graduated from Florida State University in 1999 with a degree in accounting and finance. He is a certified public accountant and a business owner. He is so excited to join the staff serving in his new role as Operations Director, an extension of much of his training and heart for ministry.

He has been married to his wife, Lynsie since 1999 and they have 3 adult children, Joshua, Emilie and Sarah. He loves his time with family, playing golf and all things related to sports. He feels honored and blessed to be a part of the Coastal Life Church Leadership.  

After 20 years as a public school teacher in St. Lucie County, Daryn is excited to spend his days serving the people of Coastal Life Church. He is passionate about connecting with people and helping people connect with Jesus. He is honored to be a part of God’s amazing work in and through the people of Coastal Life Church.

Daryn loves spending time with his wife, Kate, and their four children, Luke, Ezra, Ezekiel, and Ivy. He enjoys surfing, fishing, mountain biking, and camping.

Steve was raised in the church with the mindset of "The best place to be is the center of God's will." He felt the Lord calling him to vocational ministry at a very young age, and grew up with that desire holding strong. In 2019, he graduated from Toccoa Falls College with a degree in Youth Ministry and a Minor in Music. After graduation, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, for a 2-year residency program at Christ Community Church, focusing on Middle School Ministry. Through this program, he got a Master's Degree in Ministry Leadership from Crown College and became ordained in the Christian and Missionary Alliance in the spring of 2021. After the program ended, the Lord called Steve to a part-time role as "Production Technician" for the Next Gen team at Christ Community Church. That position changed and grew over the next four years, resulting in Steve becoming the Assistant Production Director. In January of 2026, the Lord placed the Production Director role at Coastal Life Church on Steve's radar and the doors were opened throughout the whole process.

Casi, her husband, Norm, and their two children, Jake and Lyla, have been a part of the Coastal Life family since March of 2015. She grew up in the ministry as a pastor's kid and has served alongside her family her whole life. She also is a native and was born right here in Stuart! Casi joined our part-time staff in March of 2020 and enjoys helping with the communication needs through our social media platforms, website, weekly emails and so much more. Casi's passions and skills are a perfect fit for our Coastal staff team.

Ashley is passionate about helping women grow in their relationship with Christ and walk in authentic community. She began attending Coastal Life Church in November 2014, and it was there that she was equipped with a deeper understanding of salvation and discipleship. In early 2017, Ashley gave her life to Jesus and was baptized on March 26, 2017, marking the beginning of a life fully devoted to following Christ.

Ashley earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and later received her law degree from Barry University School of Law in May 2010. While her professional background is in law, her heart is firmly rooted in ministry. She jumped in headfirst, hungry for God’s truth and a genuine relationship with Christ, and that same passion now fuels her calling to serve others.

Today, Ashley is dedicated to creating spaces where women can encounter Jesus, be discipled, and grow deeper in their faith. She believes in the power of surrender, community, and walking alongside one another through every season of life.

Dave, his wife Deb of 46 years, 3 children; Jenny, James & Katherine, and their spouses, along with their 9 grandchildren have been a part of Coastal Life since 2021. Dave is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in Environmental Resources Management. After working in the environmental consulting field and owning a wholesale nursery business, Dave spent 20 years with the Martin County Parks & Recreation Department as the Sports & Athletics Supervisor. Currently retired, Dave spends most of his time enjoying his grandchildren and volunteering at the church. He brings his wealth of knowledge and passion for sports to Coastal Life as the Coordinator of the Sports Ministry Program. He feels that participating in sports while sharing the gospel is a great way for new friendships to be formed and a continued love for Jesus Christ to be strengthened.

Ed Mazzola was born in New York and raised in Palm Beach County, eventually moving to Stuart, Florida, in 2023. After serving an impressive 38 years in law enforcement, Ed retired in 2015 as a sergeant from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. He now serves as the Safety, Medical, and Parking Teams Coordinator at Coastal Life Church. Ed is married to his beautiful wife, Sara, and together they have five grown children and eleven grandchildren. Rooted in faith, they are committed to being the hands and feet of Jesus. Ed's life verse is Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

Monica graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Business Administration/Finance. She worked for many years in the insurance industry in North Carolina & Florida. Prior to working in insurance, she was the Financial Assistant for a Christian school and daycare in Virginia.  

She and her husband, Michael, and son, Matthew, relocated to Florida and have called Coastal Life Church home since 2011.
She has enjoyed facilitating Bible studies and being involved in the Women's Ministries and Host Team here at Coastal Life.
Monica feels so blessed to serve our Coastal staff and church community.

Steve and his wife, Penny, have been a part of Coastal Life since the beginning. They are enjoying the retired life and find great joy spending time with their 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Steve has a passion for serving others and our church by leading in the facilities maintenance area.

Eileen, her husband, Matt, and children, Noah, Izzy, Ellie and Elijah moved here in 2022 from New Jersey where she served as a volunteer in the kids ministry for 15 years. Eileen grew up in a Christian home but began following Jesus when she was a sophomore in college.

Eileen has been serving here at Coastal Life as our MomCo coordinator since its inception in 2024 and was brought on as a part time employee cleaning the church facilities in 2025.