Pastor
Rev. Paul Thompson
Paul began serving at Northwest on January 1, 1995. His responsibilities have changed over the years beginning as an Associate Pastor with an emphasis on youth, to now serving as the Pastor. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Paul has a passion for foreign missions and has led numerous mission trips to Ecuador.
Paul and his wife Mary have three children, Katherine, Tori, and Bradley.
Paul is a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and Princeton Theological Seminary. He has completed additional studies at North Park Theological Seminary. Paul is an ordained minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Interim Worship Director
Magnus Hillbo
Director of Children and Family Ministries
Daun Geissler
Daun began attending Northwest Covenant as an infant and has been serving as the Director of Children and Family Ministries since August of 1995. Her responsibilities include adult education programming and children’s ministries, except children’s choir. Daun attended North Park University and worked for a major oil company for 20 years after graduation. She and her husband Larry have two children, Stefanie and Rusty.
Youth Director
Tim Anderson
Tim was born and grew up in Chicago. He graduated in 2010 from North Park University, majoring in Biblical Studies. Tim had the privilege of working at Northwest Covenant since 2007, growing with the Sr. and Jr. high students here. What an awesome group of kids! Each week they get together with both groups and play sweet games (sardines!), talk about funny stuff (if you were born with a monkey tail, would you keep it? why?), and hash out what it means to be a Christian in these crazy times! They also go to retreats, have lock-ins, and even mission trips.
Tim says, “God has given me a special place to call home at Northwest Covenant Church, and I am thankful everyday for the people who make up the ministry and who have welcomed me into their community.”
Administrative Assistant
Beth Petersen
Administrative Assistant at Northwest since 1990.
Brought up in the Evangelical Free Church Beth came to Northwest when her family moved to Mt. Prospect in 1981.
Being the mother of seven didn’t keep her busy enough, so she is also a Pre/Kindergarten Sunday School teacher.
There is always a dish of M&Ms on her desk in the church office so she is also known as the M&M lady!
Director of Music and Choir Director
June Entwisle Miller
June is the Director of Music at Northwest Covenant Church and the Director of the Sanctuary Choir and the Bell Choir. June is also an adjunct professor at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Il. where she is the Director of the Campus Choir and teaches Studio Voice, World Music and Elementary Music Methods. She has a Master of Music from DePaul University School of Music in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance, and a BA from St. Olaf College in music education. June also is active in community theator and the Camerata Singers, the Music Director of Highland Park Musicians Club Women’s Chorus and the Buckthorns in Lake Bluff, IL.
Organist
Karen Lindquist
Just to be different from the rest of the staff, I earned my Bachelor of Music Degree in piano and voice from Augustana College in Rock Island! 20 years after graduating from college I went to grad school at Concordia University, River Forest earning my Masters of Church Music Degree.
The interim 20 years were filled with 3 children, piano teaching and being active in the music program at Trinity Lutheran, Des Plaines. I served as Minister of Music at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect for 13 years before coming to Northwest. I am enjoying the wonderful pipe organ at Northwest, the caring staff and congregation, and of course my 3 grandchildren
Director of Children’s Choirs
Jennifer Swanson Hillbo
Jennifer has attended Northwest Covenant Church since she was three years old, singing in the Children’s Choirs she now directs. She attended North Park University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and earned her Doctorate in Human Learning and Development from National-Louis University. The mission of the Children’s Choir Program at Northwest Covenant Church is to provide memorable, positive musical experiences worshiping God and with the church community, that will reinforce children’s sense of belonging to God’s family and participation in worship and ministry with the church and community. The goals are that the children: 1) Understand God’s love, 2) Thank God for loving us, 3) Share God’s love with others, and 4) Help others worship God.
Choir Accompanist
Janet Eckhart
Janet is on the adjunct faculty at North Park University School of Music and a staff accompanist at Moody Bible Institute. In addition to accompanying the choir at Northwest Covenant Church, she accompanies several Chicago area groups including the Bach Week Festival Chorus and the Chicago Bar Association chorus. Janet received her Bachelor of Music degree from North Park University and a masters in Piano Performance from the Hart School of Music, University of Hartford.
Building and Grounds
Jason and April Hoke
Jason and April have been connected with Northwest Covenant Church for almost 15 years and since 2010 have served as building and grounds assistants. They have select maintenance and security responsibilities at the Mt. Prospect campus.
Prior to that, they assisted Pastor Paul with the youth groups from 1997-2002 when they left the area to serve in full time ministry. They were married at Northwest in 1997 after college.
Both attended Toccoa Falls College in GA. Jason has two bachelor’s degrees: Youth Ministry and Counseling. April has a bachelor’s degree in Counseling, and both have been active in youth/family ministry for over 15 years. Their desire is to glorify God wherever they can be used, and hope to get back into youth/family ministry in the future.
The Hokes have two son’s ages 4 and 9.