todd berge | senior pastor

Todd serves as the Senior Pastor of The Bridge Church. He married Jeanne, his high school sweetheart, in 1986, and together they have four adult children: Amanda, Daniel, Rachel, and Emma. Jeanne works as a Registered Nurse at Good Shepherd Hospital. Todd committed his life to Jesus Christ at the age of fourteen and soon began serving in the church. After marriage, he worked in construction and he and Jeanne volunteered together in youth ministry at the Village Church of Barrington. In 2008, Todd responded to the Lord’s call on his life and began preparations to leave construction and go into ministry full time. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute in 2011 and has a Masters of Divinity from Liberty University. In the fall of 2013 he left construction and focused on starting The Bridge Church. Todd is grateful to serve the community of Algonquin and The Bridge Church as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Contact: todd@thebridge-alg.org

Dave norbeck | Pastor

I put my faith in Jesus Christ at age 7. I grew up in a Christian home with a strong Christian heritage that goes back generations. I was confirmed in 8th grade in the Covenant Church and baptized at age 15. I have served in the local church in Awana and Children’s Ministry, and in leadership as an Elder for 11 years in 2 different EFCA churches. I started attending The Bridge in 2015 and served as Elder and Chairman for 5 years. My occupation was as an orthopedic surgeon. I went part time in that capacity when I felt called by God in 2012 to pursue a Masters of Theological Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Bannockburn, IL. I finished that degree in 2017. I have since retired from Orthopedics in 2021, and currently serve as a volunteer Pastor at the Bridge. I have been married to my wife Toni since 1989, and have 2 grown children, Andy and Alyssa. My spiritual gifts are leadership, teaching, shepherding, and giving.

Contact: dnorbeck@thebridge-alg.org

mark lachel | associate pastor

Mark is honored to be serving The Bridge Church as the Associate Pastor. Mark came to know the Lord as a freshman in high school and was discipled by his youth pastor. Soon after, he felt a calling to ministry.  He has over twenty years of ministry experience and has a degree in Christian Ministry and a Minor in Biblical Studies from Trinity International University. Mark has a passion for investing in people and wants to see them become disciples who make disciples. Mark and his wife, Catie, have been serving together in ministry since they met. They have been married since 2005 and enjoy playing obscure board games and rooting for the Bears, White Sox, and Bulls. Mark is excited to be part of what God is doing in Algonquin through The Bridge Church.

Contact: mark@thebridge-alg.org

Pam Casali | Senior Administrator

Pam serves as Senior Administrator at The Bridge. After a brief hiatus in 2021, she is happy to be back serving in the church office on a weekly basis. Pam came to know Jesus as her Savior at the age of 32, making her the first believer in her family. She and her husband Tom, who gave his life to Christ shortly after Pam, are grateful to have had the privilege of raising their four children in a Christian home. The next generation, which includes four grandchildren, are continuing that legacy. In her spare time, Pam participates in Bible Study Fellowship, is a member of a book club, and meets regularly with a prayer group that has been together for 25 years. She also enjoys Mondays with her grandson, and travels to Colorado frequently to see the rest of the grandkids. Pam is grateful for the opportunity to serve The Bridge Church family!

Contact: pam@thebridge-alg.org

ANDY BOETTCHER | Worship Pastor

Andy is thankful to serve as Worship Pastor at The Bridge Church. Andy has served at The Bridge since 2017 after graduating from Judson University with a Bachelor’s in Worship Arts, and he currently leads the Worship and Tech teams while also occasionally preaching. Andy has a passion for helping others to grow in their faith and understand the Bible better and in the spring of 2021, he began pursuing a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Andy and his wife, Julie Marie, have been married since May 2019. They both enjoy making music together, serving in worship and tech ministry, and reading.

Contact: andy@thebridge-alg.org

Sarah Berge | Connections Director

Sarah serves as the Connections Director at The Bridge. She has been serving in the Connections Ministry since 2019 and has a passion for creating a welcoming and hospitable environment for our congregation on Sunday mornings. Sarah came to know Jesus as her Savior as a young child and enjoyed attending Sunday school, Awana, and youth group where she eventually met her husband, Daniel. Sarah and Daniel have been married since 2014 and have two girls, Hazel and Tatum. They enjoy weekly Sunday dinners with their families, walking into town, and traveling to Florida to visit family. During the week you’ll find Sarah chasing her girls, blogging, and probably planning a party for someone. Sarah loves chatting with everyone on Sunday mornings and is grateful for the opportunity to serve!

Contact: sberge@thebridge-alg.org

Kelly Yarrington | Children’s ministry director

Kelly serves as an Assistant Administrator at The Bridge. She has an Associate Degree of Applied Sciences in Computerized Administration from Sawyer College as well as Medical Billing and Coding Certifications. Kelly grew up in Northwest Indiana and relocated to Illinois in 2007. She loves spending time with her husband, Jeremy, and their three wonderful children: Samuel, Bethany, and Logan. Her desire is to maintain preservation of family, contribute to community, and cultivate a God-centered life. She accepted Christ in her heart and life at the age of 8 years old, and has found in her faith it is important to trust the unknowns in life and that our Lord and Savior will fortify deeper and stronger faith.

Contact: kyarrington@thebridge-alg.org

Matt Mason | Director of Kids Church

Matt has been a faithful teacher in Sunday school for more than 20 years. He enjoys sharing God’s word and connecting with children. He grew up in a Christian home, the son of a local missions pastor, attending, serving and working at a Christian boys camp in northern Minnesota every summer through college. He accepted Jesus as his Lord at six years old and still continues to learn more about knowing God. He went to Iowa State University for Mechanical Engineering and met his wife, Sara, at college. They married in 1999 and they have two teenage children. He also works as a staff engineer and enjoys watching sports and movies and playing board and card games.

Contact: mmason@thebridge-alg.org

Dan Mondragon | Elder Chairman

I wish I could tell you I grew up in a Christian home, but I cannot. I am an “Everyone.” In 1974 I picked up a up a “Soul Winner’s New Testament” and read the “Romans Road” to Salvation. After reading those verses once, I knew I wanted to surrender my life to Christ. Shortly after professing Christ as my Savior, I was baptized in the reflection pool at the University of Houston. It has been 47 years since I placed my faith in the finished work of Christ. I have served as a Deacon at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN and The Chapel on the Campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I also had the privilege of being part of a Church plant team in Lubbock, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Over the years I have led several men’s and couple’s small groups. My wife and I taught a Bilingual Spanish class at Bellevue for 10 years. Silvia and I began attending The Bridge in 2015. Silvia and I have four children ranging in ages from 30 years old to 44. I retired from my position as Vice President of Field Operations with Five Guys this year. My spiritual gift is mercy which is manifested through prayer and giving. God has called me to reach the world for Christ (Mat 28:19,20) and to see every man and woman complete in Christ (Col 1:28). 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to ‘Everyone’ who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

rob chapman

I put my faith in Jesus as my Savior in 2010 and was baptized the same year. I have been called to serve in numerous ministries in and outside the church—benevolence, home repair, children’s ministry, and with New Life Corrections leading biblical fatherhood courses in the Illinois correctional system. My family and I came to The Bridge 2017 and I have served as an elder since 2018. I work for a large medical products company where I lead a readiness organization for our medication dispensing software and hardware products. I have been married to my wife, Karen, since 2006 and we have two children, Madie and Ben.

max kittle

I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home and came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ when I was 10. My parents modeled for me and my siblings their love for each other and the church. Serving in the church has been an act of worship for me and my family. I have been involved in children’s ministry, missions, ushering, elder and deacon boards. My wife Tanya and I have been married for over 30 years and we have 3 adult children (Max III, Sean, and Brooke). In 2021 we will add the title of grandparents! I enjoy gardening, camping and collecting root beer. My spiritual gifts are service, faith, giving and hospitality.

dale russell

I come from a strong Christian home and accepted Christ as my Savior at an early age. I was raised in the Reformed Presbyterian Church, where I developed a deep love for congregational worship, especially the Psalms. I came to Illinois for graduate school at the U of I, where I received PhD’s in linguistics and computer science. Now I am working at Zebra Technologies, where I help create Spoken Language Dialog Systems. In 2008, I received a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. My spiritual gifts include teaching, giving and knowledge. In addition to the worship team at the Bridge, I enjoy singing with the Chicago Master Singers. Since 2009, I have been making regular trips to Haiti, and serve on the board of Jerusalem Baptist Mission, a Haiti-based network of churches, schools and orphanages.

Nick Petronella

I was not raised in a spiritual home and it wasn’t until my early thirties before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Almost immediately I felt a call from God to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Religion at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, which I completed in 2012. I’ve served in a variety of church capacities beginning with The Chapel and continuing during my time at The Bridge, where I began attending in 2016. Although I enjoy leading a men's bible study where we can compassionately invest in each other's lives while studying the Bible from various perspectives, teaching in children's ministry has always held a special place in my heart. It came as no surprise to me when I discovered that my spiritual gifts were administration, giving, serving, and teaching. My wife Megan and I have been married since 2002, and we have four children: Parker, Michael, Manny, and Elizabeth. I’m currently employed as an examiner for a stock market financial regulator.

Steve Johnson

Though I grew up and was confirmed in the Lutheran Church, it wasn’t until my late 20s that I was saved and began following Jesus. I have been serving in worship and technical production ministry since 2003. My background is in audio production (recording studio & live sound), and I currently work in the audiovisual commercial construction industry, helping design and build integrated systems. I’ve been attending The Bridge Church since 2014, primarily serving upfront and behind the scenes on the worship and technical teams. I began serving on the Elder Board in 2016. My wife, Valerie, and I were married in 2003, we have 3 wonderful girls: Naomi, Annika, and Kathryn, and we live in the Elgin area. I find joy in bringing spiritual giftings of faith, exhortation, shepherding and discernment to God’s people.