Meet Our StafF
Senior Pastor
T.J. Helling
T.J. Helling has been serving and leading The Porch since April 2015. Growing up in Inola, Oklahoma has given T.J. a deep love for the community. Serving the people of Inola has always been a calling for him, not only as pastor of The Porch, but also within the public school system where he is currently acting as the high school assistant principal. T.J. believes in the global Church and passionately serves people all around the globe. His desire is to help others come to an understanding of who Jesus is and what Jesus calls us to as His Church. T.J.’s favorite calling of all, is being a husband to his wife, Polly, and father to his four children,
Anna Jo, Caleb, Izzy, and Titus B.
thelling@theporch.church | 918-639-8525
Student Pastor
Cruz Chavez
Cruz Chavez has been serving as the student pastor for The Porch since August 2021. Cruz is from Kaufman, Texas, and a graduate of Rogers State University where he ran cross country and studied business marketing. Cruz's wife, Jenna, is from Claremore and graduated from UCO with a master's degree in nutrition. They currently live in Inola where he works co-vocationally. Cruz is a junior high school teacher and Jenna is working with OU Tulsa. Their passions are student ministry and fellowship.
chavez.jcruzito@gmail.com | 469-267-7361
_edited.jpg)
Children's Pastor
Tim Schaefer
Tim Schaefer was born and raised in Oklahoma. He has been serving in children's ministry for the past thirteen years. He currently lives on a farm in Inola with his wife, Kristi, and his two sons, Aidan and Kainan. Kristi not only helps Tim with Blast Kids ministry, she also teaches kids every day in a second grade classroom at Inola Elementary School. Tim and Kristi also stay busy following all of their boys' school and sports activities. They deeply desire that the kids they lead have fun, laugh and most of all learn a foundation in Christ that will last them a lifetime.
tkschaefer1@yahoo.com | 918-231-9763
Worship Leader
Nykol Biggs
Nykol has been the worship leader at The Porch since 2017. She first started attending in 2015 when the doors first opened! She is newly married to her husband Nathan and they live with their chocolate lab, Pete. She works co-vocationally and has a passion for helping lead God’s people to the foot of the cross.
918-691-4522
Blast 2.0 Leader
Amy Reeves
Amy Reeves has been working with children with disabilities for 17 years. Her love for people with disabilities has brought her to serve in Blast 2.0 at The Porch for over three years. Amy, her husband Cameron, and their four kids love their community, church, and most of all, Jesus. Amy is currently a special education teacher at Inola Middle School/High School and pours the love of Jesus into every area of her life.
amreeves85@yahoo.com | 918-407-6090
Nursery Leader
Michelle Springer
It is not surprising to find Michelle serving every week in the Porch nursery. Michelle has spent the last 21 years working at the Inola Elementary School in various roles. She enjoys being around all the young people and often says that she is learning more and more about God as she teaches them about who God is and that Jesus wants to be their best friend. Michelle and her husband, Ronnie, love on all the kids every week but they are especially fond of their three granddaughters that can be found in the Porch nursery on most Sunday mornings.
lhornsbaseball4@icloud.com | 918-639-9925
Nursery Leader
Suzanne Powers
Suzanne has been leading the team of Sunday morning nursery volunteers for more than two years. She guides the children she serves to know Jesus and passionately helps them understand God's vast love for them in a way that their developing minds can begin to understand. On all the other days of the week Suzanne and her husband, David, spend as much time as they can with their new grandson and the four-legged friends that live with them.
suzannerpowers@gmail.com | 918-200-5470