Pastors
Steve Schibsted – Senior Pastor
Steve is a Southern California boy, born in San Diego, grew up in LA, and attended college in Santa Barbara. Because of living so many years on the coast, the one thing that Steve misses now that he’s living in Chico, is the beach. Steve has been married for over 20 years to his wife Leslie, who works at Chico State in the Advancement Office. Steve and Leslie have two teenagers, Allie and Drew. Prior to coming to Chico, Steve spent time in the Bay Area, serving for five years as a youth pastor in Pleasanton, and seven years as an associate pastor in Burlingame. He loves being a pastor and is especially grateful to be with Bidwell Presbyterian in this exciting period of its long history.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Give me a nice beach with decent waves and I am very happy.
What are your hobbies?
Cycling (road and mountain), working in the yard, backpacking, and reading.
What is the best meal you can cook?
I am known in the Schibsted home for cooking a pretty good omelet.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a pastor?
I would be the point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Greg Cootsona – Associate Pastor,
Adult Discipleship
What energizes Greg the most about pastoral ministry is seeing people “get God”— to watch them see the relevance of God in their everyday lives, either for the first or the thousandth time. It’s for that reason that Greg is engaged in spiritual formation and outreach. Greg and his wife, Laura, live in Chico with their two daughters. Outside of church, Greg enjoys mountain biking, hanging out with my family, and drinking Peet's coffee. For more about Greg and his interests, visit his blog. If you’d like to connect, please email him at Gcootsona@bidwellpres.org.
What would you be if you weren’t a pastor?
I love music, and if I weren’t a pastor, I’d be a professional drummer. OK, if I weren’t a pastor or drummer, I’d be a professor because I love engaging with big ideas and questions. (By the way, I do teach Western Religions at Butte College.)
What’s on your iPod?
Currently on my iPod are the Future of Forestry, the Police, and U2.
Who are your favorite authors?
Because of my intellectual thirst, I savor the writings of C.S. Lewis, Karl Barth, and Blaise Pascal. I also did a degree in literature, and so I’m a fan of John Updike, Shakespeare, John Dunne, and Anne Lamott.
Have you written anything yourself?
I love to write, and I’ve finished three books, the most important for this purpose is Creation and Last Things: At the Intersection of Theology and Science.
Jim Coons – Associate Pastor,
Connecting, Equipping, and Group Life
Jim and his wife Emily have three children, Julia, Jakob and Eliza Kate. Jim loves cycling and hanging out with friends and family. He’s been involved in ministry for over 20 years and doesn’t see the end in sight. His passion lies in taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the lives of people and putting them together through relationships. Jim believes he has the best job in the world and the best family of all time!
What’s currently on your iPod?
U2
What do you do to relax?
Fly fishing with friends.
Any interesting stories to tell?
Ask me about the wooden fish in my office.
Shannon Christopher – Associate Pastor,
Congregational Care
The newest pastor on our staff is Shannon Christopher. Shannon is a recent graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary where she earned the Master of Divinity degree. She was also selected as a member of the Company of New Pastors of the PC(USA) and is certified in PREPARE-ENRICH Marriage and premarital Counseling. Prior to her years at Princeton, Shannon earned a Bachelor of Arts from Drew University in New Jersey in 1994 and studied abroad in Munich Germany from 1992-1993. She also worked as a recruiter for 7 years at a national law firm in Chicago.
Shannon brings to her ministry many qualities and substantial experience which are important to being a meaningful, spiritual leader as one of our Associate Pastors.
Shannon and her husband Frank were married in January 2002. They have one son, Rylan, who was born in February 2003.
Shannon likes to make beaded jewelry and loves to bake, garden and read. Frank keeps bees, enjoys cooking, biking and hiking. Rylan is a green belt in tae kwon do, and he loves to play basketball, ride his bike and go swimming. As a family, they love to go camping and canoeing.