Staff
Jeremy Ashworth – Pastor
Jeremy is our pastor, and he lives to help people grow. He loves good food, great conversations, hiking, rock-stacking, travel, and meeting people. He is married to the incredible Mary Ashworth, and they have two pretty awesome sons, Gavin and Zane.
Juliana Pitruzzello – Office Manager
Juliana is our Office Manager at Circle of Peace. She earned a BA in Communications at American University in Washington, D.C., worked at multiple organizations in office manager positions prior to Circle, and has been with us at Circle since 2008. Juliana is married, has a daughter, and lives in Peoria.
Jaime Howard – Ministry Director
Jaime has a degree in Family Studies and Human Development, and has been a children’s pastor for over a decade. She knows firsthand the impact that God’s love can have on a little life, and it is her heart’s desire for children to understand that they are deeply loved by a faithful God. She has a loving husband and three beautiful kiddos, and loves all things crafty. And good coffee. And chocolate.
Nate Istrate – Youth Minister
Nate is a graduate of Johnson University with a degree in Strategic Ministry, Bible and Theology. Nate is passionate about working with teens because he knows firsthand that it is a critical time of life to develop strong faith, healthy relationships, and leadership potential. He loves to travel, play board games, and go snowboarding in the mountains.
Here are just a few of Jeremy’s favorite quotes:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.Jesus, Luke 10:27
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20
The most common sound you’ll hear in our church is laughter. It’s not that we don’t take God seriously, it’s that we don’t take ourselves too seriously.Pastor from California
Everybody has a strategy until they get punched in the face.Mike Tyson
What I do is me.Gerard Manley Hopkins
Christian love means a profound concern for the welfare of another, without any desire to control them, to be thanked by them, or to enjoy the process.Alban Institute writer
