OUR TEAM

Pastor Jeff and Michelle Bower

   Pastor Jeff Bower was born and raised in San Luis Obispo less than three miles from the Agape Church campus in a neighborhood nestled at the foot of Bishop’s Peak.  A lifelong Central Coast native, Jeff grew to love the people and place of San Luis Obispo from a young age. The son of an aerospace engineer and a teacher, Jeff is a product of the local public schools and graduated with honors from Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business and College of Education.

   Jeff’s teenage years were tumultuous of his own making.  Seeking excitement and peer affirmation, he experimented with and ended up addicted to drugs.  The double life of Eagle Scout, honors student, musician, and baseball player on one hand combined with drug use and broken relationships on the other caused self-hatred and significant pain to many around him.  At the age of 20, Jeff’s life was spared by divine intervention as a passenger in a treacherous high-speed car crash along the coast. Receiving undeserved grace in this tragic moment led Jeff to saving faith in Jesus Christ at Agape church.

   Since then, Jeff has served the mission and people of Agape church as a musician, worship leader, board member, teacher, life-group leader, elder, missionary, and assistant pastor.  Most recently in August of 2018, Jeff left a twelve year career as a technology entrepreneur to accept the call to serve Agape as lead pastor, becoming just the third lead pastor in the church’s 40 year history.  

   Jeff and his wife Michelle live with their three children in a Templeton farmhouse that has been in the Bower family for generations.  Michelle is a gifted children’s ministry leader and enjoys blessing others with healthy home-cooked meals. Aaron (10), Abigail (8), and Joshua (5), are all students at Christ Classical School in San Luis Obispo and enjoy a variety of recreational sports, boogie boarding, and the unique blessings of work and play found in country life.  Jeff is also a private pilot and enjoys aviation, songwriting, baseball (as long as the Dodgers are winning), jazz, ping-pong, and interesting books.



Missions Pastor mike & jan sparrow

Mike Sparrow was raised in Southern California as a Roman Catholic. In 1977, during the “Jesus People Movement” he received his new life as a born again, Spirit-filled Christian through Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, CA.  Mike has been on pastoral staff at Agape Church since 1986, initially serving as a youth pastor, then associate pastor and becoming lead pastor in 1994. Pastor Mike received a degree in Biblical Studies from Calvary Christian International in 1996 and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies in 2011.  He has been ordained since 1986 and serves as a regional director for the Association of Faith Churches and Ministries (AFCM).

 

In 2018, Mike and the Agape leadership recognized God was orchestrating an exciting new season of change and transition. Mike stepped down as Lead Pastor as Jeff Bower stepped up. Now Mike serves as Missions/Senior Pastor. He has pursued a life-long call to missions, leading and participating in over 45 short-term trips to 15+ countries.  Agape is continuing apostolic work in Kenya, Cambodia and in partnership with several other ministries, including COG Global and AFCM.  Locally, Pastor Mike has been networking with several ministerial fellowships, promoting unity and cooperation amongst Evangelical churches.  Since 2000, he has been involved with Family Care Network, serving on the Board of Directors, and now in Community Relations. As Missions Pastor, he hopes to expand Agape’s service and influence in the local SLO Community.

 

Pastor Mike & Jan have been happily married since 1981.  The Lord has blessed them with three (now grown) children—Jeff, Alie and Joshua all serving God and married to amazing spouses! In addition, five energetic and creative grandchildren are now part of the family! Besides ministry, Mike and Jan enjoy camping, hiking, volleyball, golf and an occasional scooter ride. They consider it a great, great privilege to serve God on the Central Coast and beyond!

What we believe

The Bible is the only inspired and authoritative written Word of God.

II Peter I:21, II Timothy 3:16,17


There is one God, eternally existent in three persons, God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

II Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19


In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years.

I Timothy 3:16, I Corinthians 15:1-19


The only means of salvation is through repentance from sin, and faith in the atoning blood of our Lord Jesus and regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3-6, Romans 10:9-13,Titus 3:4-7, II Corinthians 5:17

Titus 3:4-7, II Corinthians 5:17


The new birth breaks the power of the curse of sin, sickness and poverty. By faith in the living Word, a person my live in victory over the curse.

Deuteronomy 28, Galatians 3:13-14,29


The redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer.

Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24


The baptism in the Holy Spirit, according toActs 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it. The Holy Spirit has been sent to empower the believer to live a victorious life through faith in God's Word. The Holy Spirit's presence is manifested by scriptural evidence of new tongues, power, boldness, holiness, spiritual fruit and gifts.

Acts 1:8, 2:4, 10:44-46, 19:1-6, Galatians 5:16-22, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 1:15-23, 2 Timothy 2:19-22


In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation.

John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 20:11-15


In water baptism, not for salvation, but as an outward expression of an inward faith.

Matthew 28:19, Acts 10:47-48, 18:8


In the Blessed Hope, the rapture of the Church at Christ's coming.

I Thessalonians 4:13-17


In the Great Commission - Sharing our Christian faith and making disciples.

Mark 16:15-18 Matthew 28:18-20, I Corinthians 5:11-21

missions we support

Agape Kenya

Believers Missionary Fellowship

Captive Hearts ministry

Love Without Borders –Israel

Good Shepherd Ministries

YWAM – Carol Starbuck

Younglife

Lifewater International

Mutual Faith Ministries

World Outreach Ministries – Brazil

Rick Renner Ministries – Former Soviet Union

Association of Faith Ministries

Cambodia Harvest Church

Gill Ministries

Harvesting in Spanish – El Salvador

Family Life Radio 89.3

Jon Colyer Ministries

Living Water Teaching – Paraguay

Living Word International – Thailand

Touching Hearts Ministry

Tree of Life

Cali Life Church – Santa Maria

Unreached Villages – Billy Graham Palouse

Child Evangelism Fellowship – Good News Clubs

Ends Of The Earth Ministries – Dana & Liz Niles

Campus Crusade – Jamey Pappas