(alphabetical listing of our permanent and part-time staff members)

Chris Alford
Worship Pastor
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Watch this space for more information about Greg Culler.

Rob Fisher
Director of Media Technologies
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Rob Fisher was born and raised in Sacramento and started in the audio/video ministry in 1995. Along the way he completed a BS in Engineering Technology at California State University at Sacramento and worked as an engineer for several companies, and then moved on to be a school teacher at a private Christian school.

But Rob could not turn aside from a persistant calling into the audio/video ministry. Taking that step in prayer and faith, Rob turned his career around and stepped up from a part time volunteer to a full time position in the A/V ministry at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church. Dedicated to that ministry since then, Rob has continued advancing his interest and commitment and is serving as the Director of Media Technologies at Fair Oaks Presbyterian, as well as a part time consultant for an A/V system design company for a number of other Christian Churches.

Rob is dedicated to training and inspiring Christian volunteers and staff in the media ministries, and to ensure the best possible technical performance for each and every event.

Ty Fuentes
SML Band Leader
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The Sunday Morning Live (SML) worship team is one that endeavors to bring itself and those who hear its message to a place of experiencing God. It is our goal to bring God, our Father, the joy that comes from his children's adoration of him, and to be moved ourselves to response by the revelation of God's majesty and grace.

Ty Fuentes, as a worshiper who happens to stand on a stage, endeavors to play the acoustic guitar and sing on Sunday mornings for the SML service in a way that brings exultation to God's heart . In addition he works with other worship team members and pastors throughout the week to ensure that the attitude and content of each worship service is God-centered and God-pleasing . Ty also works as a quality control specialist at a background screening company in Roseville, but that's not nearly as interesting as it might sound.

He obtained a degree in English from California State University at Sacramento with a concentration in creative and professional writing, and he aspires to continue his education. His next academic goal is to earn a single subject teaching credential and then, God willing, a Master of the Arts degree in English.

He is a native of Sacramento and he was recently married to a gorgeous and godly young woman from Sacramento, Brooke.

Ty writes: “What I want from our worship is God's thrilled contentment and my unrestrained response. When I've let my preferences, my styles, and my opinions impinge on what should be an offering to Him, I've reaped nothing but dissatisfaction and a brain and heart that stew in their own resentful juices, while others are truly worshiping."

Carol Hawk
Church Organist
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Carol Newton Hawk has served as organist at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church since 1989. She too, has a deep rooted history in Worship and Music. As a young child, her father was the director of their family's church choir. Her mother held a degree in Vocal Music, and sang in the choir. Carol sat in the front pew, watching. She was four years old!

Over the years, Carol spent many hours in church choir rehearsals, watching, and listening. By the time she was 11, and after a move from Illinois to California, she could no longer resist the urge to study the organ (piano lessons had started at the age of five, and continued through Jr. High school). Her brother, the late Robert C. Newton, became her teacher. Carol had always been fascinated by her brother’s feet as he practiced is organ lessons. Eventually, she was playing for services, weddings, and funerals (beginning at age 11 1/2). It was a wonderful beginning to a long lasting love of choral and organ music.

Carol has been privileged to work with some of the finest Choral Conductors over the years; Royal Stanton, Sir David Willcocks, Jester Hairston, Donald Kendrick, Maestro Keith Lockhart and of course, Dr. Chris Alford. By the way, did we mention her deep love of choral music? At age 18, she was the youngest member of the Schola Cantorum (conducted by Royal Stanton) of Los Altos, CA, and currently sings with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra (conducted by Donald Kendrick).

Dr. Roger Nyquist is Carol's current organ teacher. She has also taken master classes with David Higgs, Fred Swann, and Michael Burhardt. Carol is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, a Professional Music Fraternity, P.E.O. and the Sacramento Chapter of the American Guild of Organists having served 4 times as Dean. In her spare time, she is a volunteer accompanist for Twin Lakes Elementary and Northridge Elementary Schools.

Ellen Koehler
Church Pianist
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Ellen has been part of the musical life of FOPC since 1998, playing piano and keyboards for worship teams, sanctuary services, soloists, and choir. She has been the church pianist since September, 2006.

It was natural that Ellen would spend her life in music ministries. She was raised in a family in which everyone played an instrument or sang. Fascinated with the expressive capacities of the piano, she asked her mother to teach her to play at age four. Throughout elementary and high school, she studied piano and flute and sang in choirs and madrigal groups. At Oregon State University, she studied musicology and piano performance (with Rachelle McCabe).

Since that time, as a church musician Ellen has served as sanctuary pianist, organist, and choral accompanist. She has also played in chamber music and orchestral settings, and worked in instrumental and choral arranging. Along the way, she has also earned graduate degrees in history. She and her husband Loren (who plays acoustic guitar in the sanctuary worship team) have three children, each with a love of and involvement in music and worship ministries.

Throughout her life, Ellen has increasingly come to understand and appreciate music as what Martin Luther termed “a precious, worthy, and costly treasure given by God … that we might remind ourselves that God has created us for the express purpose of praising and extolling Him.” It is a joyful privilege to share in it.

Sara Noah
Director of Creative Arts
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Sara’s first memory of all things theatrical was at her first movie viewing experience seeing Mary Poppins. Sara was so crushed at the thought of Mary leaving the family that she sobbed hysterically as her mom carried her out under her arm while trying to keep up with her swiftly fleeing father and older sisters.

Since then, Sara has realized the power of creative arts to educate, edify, and excite audiences. What more powerful way is there to proclaim the greatness of our God than to emulate him as Creator? Sara has grown up a bit (though she still gets a bit teary at the end of Mary Poppins).

The Lord made it possible for her to pursue degrees in theatre arts at Willamette University (Salem, OR) and San Jose State as well as studying in London with the American Heritage Program and completing an acting internship at the Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, VA. She was involved in performing at several theatres in the Bay Area before moving to Orangevale in 1998. Sara has five creative, talented children: writers, poets, dancers, musicians, artists all.

She is blessed to see the gift of creativity take root in their lives and see them use these gifts to give glory to God. What a true blessing it is to be able to use her gifts for God and make a joyful noise (especially after eating a few spoonfuls of sugar!).

Robert Patterson
Computer Graphics

Watch this space for more information about Robert and his amazing ministry with computer graphics!

Marlene Shirley
Administrative Assistant to the Worship Pastor
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Marlene writes: "I have been married to David for 27 years and have 2 wonderful children and a beautiful daughter-in-law. I began my music training, taking piano lessons from age 8 to 17 and vocal training through my choral directors and Sharon Naylor. I began directing a church music department in 1989, and have directed church adult, youth and children's choirs and musicals.  I have accompanied multiple church choirs, soloists, along with accompanying the German Turn Verein Choir in Sacramento, California, Bella Vista High School and Jr. High choirs and musicals. I also play acoustic guitar. I currently assist the Worship Pastor at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church during the week and have a 'weekend gig' as a Worship Pastor at Family Christian Center in Dixon, California. I graduated from Capital Bible College in 1996, with a degree in biblical studies and am continuing other biblical studies at this time.

Scott Steele
Video Production

Scott Steele was born and raised in Lakewood, Colorado. He graduated from ITT Technical institute in 1986, with an Associates degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1994, he moved to Sacramento where he met his beautiful wife Leslie. They have been married for 12 years and have 3 beautiful children. He currently works full time for “Amdocs” located in El Dorado Hills, California, where he specializes in supporting Billing Software for Cable Television Companies.

Scott also works part time for the FOPC Media Tech team where he works with equipment associated with Cameras, Computer Graphics, DVD recordings and other Video related technology. Scott has been a member of FOPC since 1998, and volunteered helping out with various functions at the church before settling down in the Media Technology ministry about six years ago. He was a member of the Drama club and briefly worked with the hospitality group in SML. Scott talks passionately about his participation playing in one of the (now retired) 5 Hand Bell Choirs. If you ask him about playing bells, he will tell you about how he was the anchor for the “Joyful Noise” Bell choir as he always played the “really big bells” on the end.  You can usually find him Sunday mornings setting up and taking down Video Equipment in both the Worship Center and the Family life Center. He has high praise for the wonderful group of Volunteers that show up every Sunday running cameras, video switching and operating Computer Graphics.   

He says “The volunteers are the folks that make it happen, without them we would not be able to do the things we do Video- and Audio-wise on Sunday mornings. They are all truly enormous blessings to God, Myself and to FOPC.” Scott writes “Being part of the Media Technology department at FOPC has given me the opportunity to serve the Lord while interacting with some pretty cool Audio and Video Equipment. This is technology I would never get to work with in my day to day life. I find it fascinating what we have accomplished technology-wise through the grace of God.”