Mark became the senior pastor on May 16, 2010, after having served on the staff as an associate teaching pastor for nearly two years. He also was the interim youth pastor for the 2009-2010 school year. Mark had been a long-time member of Bridgewood’s Advisory Board and a speaker at several of our Men’s Retreats. Mark felt called to his position through his deep seated passion for Jesus and encouraging His people.
Mark grew up in the Milwaukee area, and began his ministry thirty years ago as a Junior High Youth Pastor! Since then he has been involved with church-planting, pastoral work, counseling, worship leading, and even some drama! Mark holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Bethel Seminary.
Mark has been married to Betsy for twenty six years and they have five children. He loves to learn and read, play guitar, mandolin and some banjo…"trying to learn violin but it sounds awful right now!" In the winter he snow-shoes, and summer you can find him on his bike.
Birthday: August 9
Favorite Restaurants: Wow! Too difficult to narrow down. I can say I LOVE “mom and pop” type places.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Rocky Mountains
Favorite Scripture Verse: John 15
Click here for Mark Spencer's blog.
Mark can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 763-780-2500 ext. 15
Tom resigned from the senior pastorate on May 16, 2010, to assume a half-time pastoral/teaching role. Tom is the founding pastor of Bridgewood Community Church. Desiring greater effectiveness in reaching and transforming lives for Jesus, he gathered a committed core of like-minded people and together launched Bridgewood in September 1994. Tom’s spirit of adventure was nurtured through a childhood in the wild-west of Montana, a junior high in Grand Forks, ND and high school in Breckenridge, MN. He later scaled the heights as a high jumper and Philosophy Major at the University of Minnesota.
Brendon joined the staff in fall of 2011. Through many different God ordained circumstances and situations, Brendon ended up having conversations with Pastor Mark and Tom while taking a class in MN. From that day forward, Brendon and his wife Shanna knew that God was calling them out of sunny San Diego to serve at BCC.
Matthew joined the Bridgewood staff in the summer of 2003. His home is the Twin Cities, but engaged in music tours and missions around the world throughout high school and college. At an early age, he was called to use his musical gifts to minister. Matthew's passion is for all to live lives of worship, living out the songs we sing. He graduated Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN and has a degree in Bible and a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
Heidi grew up in Blaine, MN and currently lives in Circle Pines. Heidi started attending Bridgewood in fall of 2001, and joined the staff in the fall of 2002.
Diane grew up in Minneapolis and lived in Japan for two years right after she graduated from high school. She started attending Bridgewood in January 2002 and joined the staff in March 2005. Diane believes God used each season in her life to bring her to this time and place. She became a licensed minister in 1994 and worked as a pastor within the prison system for four years. In 1996, she joined the staff at Christian Recovery Center and in 1998 started a Christian shelter for women and children fleeing abusive situations. God has used each of these experiences as well as others to prepare for her role at Bridgewood.
Susan grew up in Minneapolis, married and eventually moved to Blaine in 1972. In 1994, God called Tom and Susan to do life with people they loved and who also knew God was calling them to share the grace of redemption with others. To Susan, Bridgewood is more than our “church”~ it is family. She was called to her current position because she wanted to give back what she had been given.
Kay grew up in South Dakota, and moved to the Twin Cities after graduation from SDSU. She started attending Bridgewood in 2004. In the School of Ministry Leadership Training class in 2007, she realized that administration was one of the gifts from God had given her. Kay prayed for a new direction for life and felt God was calling her to this position at Bridgewood.