Meet Our Staff
Learn about our pastors and staff guiding NWCOV with care.
Meet the Leaders Who Guide Our Community
David Kersten
Interim Pastor
Rev. Dr. David Kersten was the Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of North Park Theological Seminary from 2012-2022. Dave is a three-time graduate of North Park, having earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1977, Master of Divinity in 1982, and his Doctor of Ministry in 1997. He has served ECC congregations in Alabama, Florida, Washington, and Minnesota, and served as Executive Minister of the ECC Department of the Ordered Ministry for 11 years. Dave’s board service over many years includes Swedish Hospital; the ECC Board of Ordered Ministry, Council of Administrators, Executive Board, and World Relief Commission; Covenant Ministries of Benevolence; President of the ECC Ministerium; and Executive Board Chair of the Theology Committee for the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (IFFEC). Dave is married to Sandra (C’77). They have three children, Andrea Kersten Healy (C’01), Peter (C’05), Genevieve (S’03), and 5 grandchildren.
He is the caretaker of the family’s 1953 Chris Craft Express Cruiser. You’re welcome for a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan any summer evening.
Sarah Winter
Pastor of Family Ministries
Sarah grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois before going to Purdue University to study Civil Engineering. After working as a Project Manager for 10 years, she left engineering and followed her heart and call into ministry. She graduated from NorthPark Seminary with a MACF in May, 2022 and is pursing her Spiritual Direction Certification. She has served as Children and Family Pastor at DeerGrove Covenant Church in Palatine and Forest City Church in Elgin and lives in Hoffman Estates with her husband Tim and her kids Kaleigh, Kyle and Quinn.
Sarah has a passion for sharing our Christian Story with believers of all ages. Living out Ephesians 2:10, she believes that we are all God’s masterpieces, created to do incredible things through Christ and she is very grateful to be able to share in the faith journeys of our Northwest Covenant Church community.
Jake Jacott
Director of Student Ministries
Jake is originally from Minnesota and grew up in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities. He later attended North Park University in Chicago, graduating with history and biblical and theological studies degrees. He was also a member of the men's golf team. Jake also served as summer staff and an intern at Covenant Point Bible Camp in Iron River, Michigan, and spent a year as a youth intern at Northwest Covenant in 2022. Jake returned to Northwest Covenant in August of 2024, where he began serving as the Director of Student Ministries.
Daun Geissler
Director of Administration and Communication
Daun was born and raised in Mt. Prospect. She attended North Park University and worked for a major oil company for 20 years before coming back to Northwest as the Director of Children and Family Ministries in 1995. Daun became the Director of Administration and Communication in 2018.
Peter Sjoblom
Interim Pastor
Rev. Peter Sjoblom has served as Associate Superintendent for the Central Conference of the ECC, and also served as Director of Congregational Vitality from 2005 till 2020. Peter’s vision in working with the conference in creating a climate for growing health and mission in congregations, enabling each church to fulfill their unique calling.
Peter was the co-founder and vice president of the Chicago Urban Reconciliation Enterprise, a multiethnic team sharing urban ministry for more than 30 years as a church service and consulting organization. Peter is affiliated with the National Black Evangelical Association and served on the joint commission on race with NBEA and the National Association of Evangelicals.
Peter began his full-time ministry with Youth for Christ in 1976 and became the central city coordinator in Chicago, supervising 25 high school clubs. He has been involved in city and cross-cultural ministry since that time, including Circle Church, a pioneering cross cultural church plant in Chicago.
Since retiring, Rev. Sjoblom has served as an interim pastor and leads a training cohort for interim pastors in the Central Conference.
Peter is married to Joanna (Westberg), has four adult children and 7 grandchildren.
Joshua Smith
Director of Worship
Joshua joined the team at Northwest Covenant in 2022. Joshua has served at Winnetka Covenant Church prior to joining Northwest Covenant.