History
If you want to know where we're going and who we are, you have to know where we've come from.
Bloom began as just a few friends that started meeting together at Michael and Lisa Gungor's home. The Gungors moved to Denver at the end of 2006 from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Michael and Lisa had been music leaders at a large church for six years. They felt their hearts stirred to resign from that job and to move to Denver to learn how to live as the church in a new and more meaningful way.
Learn MoreValues
Our values both flow from and guide our dreams. They begin with a vision of God, and culminate with a vision of the kind of world God desires to see.
See Our ValuesLeadership
Bloom is led by several communities of leadership. Starting with our Lead Pastor and Congregational Leadership Team, we hold all matters of our identity and calling within community. The staff and section leaders provide further support in leading our house church leaders and ministry volunteers, as well as imagining new ways in which our values and vision may be expressed through our life together.
Congregational Leadership Team
- Elected within the community
- Steward mission, vision, and life together
- Display deep commitment to the Bloom Community
Staff
- Enable those within the Bloom community to live as committed followers of Jesus
- Exist to equip and disciple the Bloom community
- Come alongside others to guide and lead
Seminarians
- Pursue theological education and/or ministry opportunities
- Serve Bloom through their passions and gifts
- Are provided with leadership development and ministry opportunities by Bloom
Section Leaders
- Serve as a pastoral presence to House Church Leaders
- Encourage house churches
- Cultivate a shared life in the community of house churches
Congregational Leadership Team
The Congregational Leadership Team are elected leaders from within the Bloom community who are tasked with safeguarding and stewarding Bloom’s overall vision, mission, and life together through prayerful discernment and staff support. The mark of a CLT member is that he/she are individuals who display deep commitment to the Bloom community and lead lives that are reflective of discipleship to Jesus and Spirit-filled ministry. Two CLT leaders are elected from among our house church leaders, two are elected from the greater congregation, and the CLT is led by Bloom’s Executive Pastor.
Responsibilities:
- Create staff roles
- Advise in the hiring and dismissal of staff members
- Set gathering times and locations
- Approve annual budget
- Approve non-budgeted items over $1000
- Selection of section leaders
- Ensure healthy House Church and organizational structure
- Meet in person for 2.5 hours each month, on the fourth Sunday of the month
Guidelines:
- Must align to Bloom’s marks of a leader
- Must align with Bloom’s Statement of Faith
- Basecamp software is used to conduct business throughout the week
- CLT members will be called upon to speak into certain areas during the Sunday Gatherings
Staff
The staff of Bloom exist for a single purpose: to enable the whole of the Bloom community to continually rise to become a people committed to loving and following Jesus. We see our role as primarily one of equipping and discipleship: from providing our house church leaders with training and resource for shepherding God’s people, to gathering the family together for worship and sacrament, to speaking the love and life of the Spirit into one another, and helping to empower the Spirit’s work beyond the Bloom community and into the greater world. We are not the providers of programs, but instead are friends coming alongside other friends in the task of being guiding the Bloom community into all that God dreams for her.
Responsibilities:
- Enable those within the Bloom community to live as committed followers of Jesus
- Exist to equip and disciple the Bloom community
- Come alongside others to guide and lead
Seminarians
We believe deeply in discernment and preparation for ministry, and as such have traditionally made it a point to try to create formational spaces for individuals who desire or demonstrate capability of being leaders in the Church. Thus, the seminarian is a person pursuing theological education and/or ministry opportunities for the service of the local church. He/She serves Bloom in ways congruent with his/her passions and gifts and that are mutually beneficial to Bloom’s life together. In exchange, Bloom provides seminarians with leadership development, mentored formation, and various ministry opportunities.
Responsibilities:
- Pursue theological education and/or ministry opportunities
- Serve Bloom through their passions and gifts
- Are provided with leadership development and ministry opportunities by Bloom
Section Leaders
Section Leaders at Bloom serve as a pastoral presence to the House Church Leaders in our community. They meet regularly with House Church Leaders to hear how things are going, offer support and prayer, and encourage house churches towards full health and life with God. Our Section Leaders are also tasked with cultivating a shared life in the community of house churches in their care by planning social gatherings, worship and prayer nights, and service opportunities.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as a pastoral presence to House Church Leaders
- Encourage house churches
- Cultivate a shared life in the community of house churches
David Blankenship was born and raised in Texas, and after graduating from Baylor University, headed to Denver Seminary to earn his masters in counseling. David works to build the culture, structure, and organization of Bloom, as well as leading and developing our staff, congregational leadership team, and our team of house church leaders. David also oversees all aspects of our Sunday gathering and develops our team of preachers.
Melissa hails from the orange land of Clemson, South Carolina but somehow escaped the southern accent. She has been in Denver and a part of Bloom since 2012. Melissa's work focuses on formation, education, and equipping opportunities for the common life of our community. She can also be found drinking too much coffee, talking about liturgy, gallivanting in the mountains, and being an overzealous Clemson football fan.
Seth is a worship leader who was born in Oklahoma, raised in Texas, met his wife, Hannah, in Arkansas, worked in Iowa, and now calls Denver his home. He and Hannah have two boys, Elliot and Alden. Seth likes good coffee, good food, good conversation and anything that tells a good story.
Michelle is a passionate advocate for women and family issues. She uses her communications and administration experience to help with the spiritual formation of Bloom Families. Michelle was born in Iowa, raised in Phoenix Arizona and now with her husband Aaron and their three daughters Kylie, Christian, and Kenedee she call Denver home.
Daniel Martinez is originally from Pueblo, Colorado and moved to Denver for Seminary in 2015. He is in his third year of his Master of Divinity degree at Denver Seminary. As a seminarian, his focus is on Scripture and it’s role at Bloom. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, eating good food, watching movies, and hiking with his wife Brooke.
Benten is a Colorado native and has been part of the Bloom community since 2011. Benten works to intentionally craft the brand and messaging around the mission and vision of the Bloom community. He has a passion for design and enjoys bikes and a good cup of coffee.
Coming from the midwest, I had the privilege to grow up in a home with Christian parents. I learned from my mom and dad at an early age to value the church and to make a difference in the community. If the doors where open at church we were there. As a child I often remember being at church well before my Sunday school teachers!
I went on to study at a Cedarville University and majored in Christian Education and Youth ministry. My time at Cedarville was formational for me. I was surrounded by others my age who wanted to serve Jesus too. It was there that I met my wife Susy.
I have served as a youth pastor on staff at a church and extensively in the non-profit world too. Currently I own a small roofing company. Our goal is to create employment opportunities for homeless men who have no other options. It is rewarding and challenging to run a for profit business while at the same time expanding opportunities for the marginalized in our society.
I am excited to serve on the CLT at Bloom. I see the community of Bloom as a powerful outpost in the Kingdom of God. So many here are willing to be involved and make a difference in so many unique areas. I look forward to all that God has for us in the future.
Aaron is seasoned in ministry and non-profit management with over 25 years of experience and a track record of growth. He possesses a high level of integrity and he is committed to building success through teamwork. He loves Bloom because of the commitment to liturgy and openness to the Spirit.
Aaron along with his wife Michelle and three daughters Kylie, Christian and Kenedee have called Bloom “home” for over three years; they all serve the Bloom Community. He has a vision to see Bloom continue to grow and touch many lives throughout Denver and its surrounding communities.
Kate grew up in Wisconsin wanting to be a wide receiver for the Packers and somehow found herself moving to Colorado in 2010 as an engineer. She can usually be found outside: participating in one of too many hobbies, playing soccer, or chatting with good friends around a fire. Kate has attended Bloom since 2013, having been drawn in by the strong sense of community, the consistent invitation to the table, and the constant call to be avenues for God’s restoration.
Patrick is a home-grown Coloradan and has been part of the Bloom family since its beginnings. He was born and raised in Fort Collins and moved to Denver to pursue his passions of graphic design and photography at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. While in school, he got connected with a college ministry, where he met his wife Kaylee and began their careers in ministry together. Over the last 9 years, they have served as full-time campus ministry leaders, started a family, and built a photography/design company. He is excited to serve and worship with the students at Bloom.
Being Bloom
Thoughts on faith and life, the Church, and leadership.
From the Bloom staff and leadership, as a resource for the Bloom family and the Church at large. Topics include worship and liturgy, house church, spiritual formation, structure and leadership, recommended readings, conferences, podcasts, blogs and more.