We take our role very seriously.

Ourselves? Not so much.

Meet the Team

  • Shaheen Eydgahi

    LEAD PASTOR

    Shaheen has been a part of Access Church since 2001, after some friends invited him to the youth group. It must’ve been pretty good, because he hasn’t left yet! In July of 2020, Shaheen became the Lead Pastor of Access Church and is thrilled for what the future holds. He’s responsible for the overall vision and direction of Access, and is the primary speaker at our services. He married his wife Kasi in 2006, and together they have two daughters, Audrey and Adele. Shaheen is a pretty decent guitarist, likes to ride his motorcycle, and is a huge Minnesota Vikings fan. You will hear about at least one of those things in most messages.

    shaheen@accesschurchonline.org

    Extension 701

  • mike Ciolek

    ASSOCIATE PASTOR

    Mike joined Access Church in December 2025 as the Associate Pastor, overseeing Small Groups, Discipleship, and Assimilation. With over a decade of ministry experience, Mike has spent years walking alongside students, leaders, and families, helping them grow in their relationship with the Lord and find meaningful community within the church. After prayer and seeking the Lord’s direction, Mike and his wife, Britney, felt called to step into a new season and relocate from Washington State to North Branch to join the team. Married since 2012, they love traveling and adventuring together and share a deep love for animals.

    mike@accesschurchonline.org

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  • Jina Linder

    KIDS DIRECTOR

    Jina and Peter have been married for 23 years. They have three teenage sons who are active in sports and the youth group at Access Church. As a family they enjoy swimming, hiking, biking, playing games, and having bonfires. Jina and Peter have attended Access for four years in total and started serving in the youth ministry a year ago. They enjoy hanging out with youth and having fun of all sorts. After graduating from North Central University in 2006 Jina has taught preschool through middle school in a Christian school environment. She has experience as a classroom teacher, Sunday school teacher, preschool teacher, youth leader, and Bible-study leader. Jina’s passion for Jesus and love for children led her to the Children’s Director position in November of 2025. 

    jina@accesschurchonline.org

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  • Jessica Prihoda

    YOUTH DIRECTOR

    Jessica and her family have been apart of Access Church since 2012 during that time she has served in many areas, but her favorite was serving as a Volunteer Youth Director from Fall of 2017- summer 2022. Coming back into Youth as a full time Director Jessica is excited to see all that God can do in the youths lives, and to be apart of ministry again. Jessica and her Husband Geoff have been married since May of 2007, they have two sons Christian and Maxwell. Jessica enjoys spending time with her Family and Friends, her favorite season is Summer when she can spend time on the lake, and go camping.

    jessica@accesschurchonline.org

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  • Anthony Kirckof

    WORSHIP DIRECTOR

    Anthony joined our team in February 2024. After graduating from North Central University in Minneapolis with a Music Degree, he continued his career working as a Manager for Waterparks, Resorts, and Theme Parks, which brought him all the way out to Middletown, NY. There, he met Chloe, who would later become his wife. In January of 2024, ministry finally called his name and out of all places, brought him back home to Minnesota. Music is obviously a passion for both him and his wife, but they also enjoy playing games (all kinds!), going camping, and ironically cheering for the Green Bay Packers. They have one son, Jasper, and a kitten, Willow.

    anthony@accesschurchonline.org

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  • Jody Heilman

    COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

    Jody and her husband, Andrew, moved to the area in 2010 and began searching for the right church, finding Access in 2012! They have two children, Henry and Katelyn. Jody has volunteered at the church in many different areas, but she joined the staff in August of 2022 as the Communications Coordinator. She not only answers phone calls and emails, she works with our graphic design team and manages our social media accounts. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, spending time outside, and reading.

    contact@accesschurchonline.org

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  • Raedean Halverson

    BOOKKEEPER

    In Febuary of 2004 Raedean started looking for a church in North Branch, after moving to the area from the Twin Cities, and immediately found her home here. She and her husband are raising 3 active boys, who have entered the teenage years. Raedean has been working for the church doing the bookkeeping in different capacities since 2015, and was even the Kids Director for several years. In her spare time she enjoys watching her boys race bikes (all types) across the country, combined with family camping trips.

    raedean@accesschurchonline.org

  • Josh Fagan

    Trustee

  • Matt Falk

    Trustee

  • Bob Gertz

    Elder

  • John Gilbert

    Trustee

  • Kevin Haseltine

    Elder, Founding Pastor

  • Jerry Mahlke

    Elder

  • Brandon Neumann

    Trustee

  • Jay Sachs

    Trustee

  • Brian Sherry

    Elder

our values

There’s a lot of important things, and a lot of good ideas.  But we’ve got five values that rise above everything else when it comes to our unique approach as Access Church.  Jesus said that the two greatest things we could ever do would be loving God and loving people.  These five values are how we feel we can do that the best.

  • Relationship fuels everything.

    Christianity isn’t about rules or trying harder. It’s about being connected with God. Jesus said apart from Him we can do nothing. Real change doesn’t come from willpower; it comes from staying connected to the source. We need to intentionally spend time with God - not to check a box, but because life flows from Him. When we stay connected, fruit grows naturally.

  • Honesty over image.

    Church should be one of the safest places to be real. Being authentic means we don’t pretend to have it all together or put on a church face. No one here is perfect, including our leaders. We value honesty about struggles, doubts, and growth areas. Authenticity isn’t about staying stuck; it’s about telling the truth so God can actually change us.

  • Growth doesn’t happen alone.

    Faith is personal, but it’s not private. We were never meant to follow Jesus in isolation. Intentional relationships mean we pursue connections that help us grow. We look for people who encourage, challenge, pray for, and correct us. It’s not about having a crowd; it’s about not being alone. Isolation breeds stagnation. Intentional relationships build strength.

  • Participation produces impact.

    Church is not just something we attend, but something we are. Shared ownership means we show up consistently, serve with our gifts, give faithfully, and invite others. Instead of asking, “What am I getting?” we ask, “How can I help?” The mission of drawing people into a growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ belongs to all of us.

  • Faithfulness over feelings.

    Our culture says follow your feelings and leave when it’s hard. We choose faithfulness instead. That means staying in the conversation, working through conflict, forgiving, and committing to each other for the long haul. Feelings matter, but they don’t lead. Faithfulness produces depth, unity, and maturity.

Our Beliefs

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the word of God and is without error.  It was written by humans under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It is the supreme authority on all matters of faith and morality.


God

We believe in a God who has always existed in three equal persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Each member of the Trinity has a different role and purpose, but all are equal in power and authority.  We believe that God the Father is holy, powerful and unchanging.  We believe that He is loving and compassionate and desires a relationship with everyone.  We believe that Jesus was completely God and completely human at the same time.  He never sinned and therefore could be a substitution for us in fulfilling God's requirement for perfection.  We believe that Jesus died on the cross and three days later rose from the dead so that we could have life.  Salvation comes through Jesus alone.  We believe that the Holy Spirit guides believers.  He comforts us, gives us spiritual gifts and makes us more like Christ.

People

We believe that every person has been created in God's image.  Every person has been given a purpose by God.  We also believe that every person has sinned and fallen short of God's standards of perfection.  Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, people can put their trust in Him and allow Him to trade places with them.  We believe that without putting your faith in Jesus that a person cannot be in a right relationship with God and will not spend eternity in Heaven.

The Church and Eternity

We believe that Church is God's plan for reaching the world.  The Church is responsible for teaching the lessons in the Bible.  Every believer plays a vital role in serving in the local church and reaching those who are far from God.  We believe that one day Jesus will return and there will be a judgement.  Those who have put their faith in Jesus will spend eternity in Heaven with God.  Those who haven't will spend eternity away from God in Hell.

As an Assemblies of God Church, we believe in 16 Fundamental Truths. You can view the complete list here.