We have a passion for people, our region, and our world. Our culture and leadership is characterized by worship, the love of God, and a genuine call to ministry.
Staff & Leadership
Staff & Leadership
We have a passion for people, our region, and our world. Our culture and leadership is characterized by worship, the love of God, and a genuine call to ministry.
John Bass
Lead Pastor
A native of New England, John has been leading Cedar Springs for 25 years. His heart for God, love for people, thoughtful teaching, passion for the Word, and counseling experience has helped our ministry grow into the thriving community of believers we are today. John is married to Karen, the founder of Cedar Springs Church, and they both enjoy time with their two lovable Goldendoodles, Nala & Sammy.
Kelly Davis
worship Pastor
After 20 years as a worship pastor in both Illinois and Texas, Kelly came on board with Cedar Springs in early 2022 bringing leadership to our worship and production ministries. He is passionate about helping to create environments where people can engage their hearts with God, and experience His transforming power in their lives. Kelly enjoys playing golf, traveling, and guitars. He is also an avid Chicago sports fan.
Samantha Sali
Children's ministry & social media
Samantha has been leading our children's ministry since 2020 with the help of an extraordinary volunteer team. A treasured part of her time at Cedar Springs is when she gets to witness a child start to understand the Gospel and why Jesus died on the cross for us. Samantha is married to Travis, and outside of church delights in tending to her family, homeschooling, writing, reading, baking, and crafting. Two of her favorite Bible verses are John 3:30 and Philippians 1:21.
Barb Sauer
Church Administrator
Barb has been with Cedar Springs since it began meeting over 25 years ago. She is our Church Administrator, and for over two decades has mostly worked behind the scenes taking care of all the administrative details necessary for the church to run smoothly. In addition to being the Church Administrator, Barb is also our head Elder.
Karen Bass
Church founder
Karen is the founder of Cedar Springs Church, and also serves as one of our Elders. She is married to Pastor John.
Kelly Balsewicz
Director of Cedar Springs Ranch
Kelly took the role of Director of Cedar Springs Ranch (CSR) in 2022 after a number of years on the ranch staff team. CSR is a vital part of the Cedar Springs Church ministry. To learn more about Cedar Springs Ranch and the equine therapy and programs offered there, please visit csranch.org.