Volunteer Staff

Paula Bender (Administration and Hospitality)

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Paula has worked as an elementary teacher and reading intervention

specialist for many years in both Rocklin and Western Placer Unified

School Districts.  She now works as a Quality Control  Specialist at a

regional insurance brokerage.  She and Chris Bender have been

married for over 23 years and have helped facilitate multiple

Bible studies, home groups and continue to work together in ministry. 

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Her attention to detail is of the utmost importance.  It started with

becoming a "Spelling Bee" champion at an early age and then
entered into every aspect of her life.  In addition, she is gifted in
making others feel comfortable as she demonstrates hospitality 
day after day.   Paula has a heart for the homeless and volunteers

regularly to feed the homeless and those in need.

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Jim Arechiga (Bible Study Leader and Facilitator)

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Jim met Dan Springmeyer, Chris Bender and Steve Gregg (founder of

The Narrow Path) back in 2017 when Steve was teaching the Bible

during one of his Sacramento visits.  Jim and Dan shared some of the

same past challenges with false teaching from a group of misguided

believers decades ago.  The Lord helped to lead them both out of 

that environment and recognize Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and King

of the Universe and as truly One with the Father and the Holy Spirit.   

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Jim has been an important part of TLC since its inception.  Since 2020, 

he has been, consistently, providing leadership for studies we have on

a monthly basis.  He, also, regularly provides support to attenders of 

the Saturday gatherings.  His gentle and loving nature makes him such

an important member of the Body of Christ.  Jim has been married to his

wife, Dianne, for 26 years and has 4 grown children: Ariana, Kira, Julian

and Risa.

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Miya Simpson (Women's Bible Study Leader and Study Facilitator)

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Miya Simpson is a dedicated, single, homeschooling mother of Maelynn, who is in 9th grade.

Miya has been growing in her faith in Christ and following Him for the past 14 years.  By

God’s grace she was led out of the Word of Faith movement (in part due to the solid biblical

teaching from The Narrow Path).  Miya led an extremely active life of fitness, as well as

providing personal training and physical therapy to numerous people.  Though she is still

very active, her level of physical activity came to a screeching halt after being victim of a

hit and run accident in January of 2019.  Due to the injuries she sustained, God has allowed

her road to physical health to be an arduous one.  All the while, she has been an inspiration

to many as she demonstrates how to follow Christ in the midst of suffering.

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Miya is passionate about trusting Christ in all things and this passion helps her to continue

to grow in Him.  She enjoys singing scripture songs daily (which makes her very effective at

memorizing scripture) and appreciates taking time to meditate on God’s Word.  She also

has a compassionate heart toward the persecuted Body of Christ.  She spends a lot of time

supporting Maelynn in her involvement of speech and debate and various homeschool

activities with many other families.  Even with all of this, she makes regular time for her

extended family.  She has been regularly leading women's studies and enjoys facilitating

the study of God’s word.  Her ability to memorize scripture challenges all those around her.
 

Chris Bender (Co-founder, Teaching Pastor and Study Facilitator)

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Chris began his work in ministry over 20 years ago as a youth leader for a growing church.  Over time he found that his love for God’s word expanded to deeper teaching and leading studies. In the the past, Chris struggled to maintain the consistent study of scripture.  Since his job had already required a fair amount of driving (working in the world of insurance), Chris began to listen to various audio Bibles.  In time, he made it a habit of going through the Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) 4 times each year.  He still is avid audio Bible listener (as well as reader) and enjoys several different word for word and thought for thought versions, as well as the Septuagint version of the Old Testament.  

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Then, after being introduced to The Narrow Path, Chris began to add (to his regular audio listening) those Biblical commentaries and topical studies from Steve Gregg.  Over the course of several years, Chris has completed all of the verse by verse biblical commentaries.   He has also completed the majority of The Narrow Path’s topical commentaries, debates, etc. and plans to listen to the remaining teachings.  Chris received his Bachelor of Divinity, With Honors from Christian Leaders College. He is learning Greek from the same college and hopes to be proficient soon!  Chris is an ordained minister as part of the Christian Leaders Alliance. 

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He enjoys books and videos from teachers, scholars and apologists such as C. S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, A. W. Tozer, N. T. Wright, Matthew Henry, 

Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Bill Creasy, Ray Vander Laan, Francis Chan,  William Lane Craig, and many others.  As a biblical teacher, Chris sees it as his responsibility to equip himself with biblical knowledge, the reasons to defend our faith, knowledge of other religions, etc.  Chris believes that regular studying is very important so that he can effectively equip others with sound, biblical teaching that, through the Holy Spirit can be applied at work, home and everywhere a believer goes.  All the while, we should be looking more and more like Christ as we serve Him.  And, when we share Christ, it should be done in both truth and love.   

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Chris and Paula Bender have been married for over 24 years and have one son, Caleb, who is a computer science major at William Jessup University.  Chris and Dan Springmeyer are the founders of TLC Gathering and he is always looking for the Holy Spirit to lead everyone involved with TLC to wherever best gives glory to God. 

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Dan Springmeyer (Co-Founder)  - Went to be with the LORD on 7/1/2018

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Dan Springmeyer was a driving force in getting TLC Gathering put into place.  He also coined the name "TLC" and felt that our focus in life should be to demonstrate Truth and Love in Christ with Tender Loving Care.  

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Dan met Chris Bender through the ministry of The Narrow Path.  Steve Gregg’s ministry (www.thenarrowpath.com) not only includes a daily bible answer radio show, but The Narrow Path’s website includes thousands of hours of biblical commentary (including verse by verse and topical studies).  

Steve has been awarded a doctorate from Trinity Theological Seminary (for the vast amount of research and teaching he has completed over the 40 + years of his ministry), though you’ll never hear him asking for you to call him "doctor".   After many decades of ministry, Dan went to be with the LORD on Sunday, 7/1/2018.  He and Chris Bender founded TLC Gathering and their desire continues to be that believers in Jesus Christ are strengthened when brought together.  In addition, one of the primary goals of TLC is that believers don't stay where they are, but continue to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ through the giving of themselves as living sacrifices to their Lord. 

From left to right: Chris Bender, Paula Bender, Dan Springmeyer and our friends from The Narrow Path: Dayna Gregg and Steve Gregg.

From left to right: Jim Arechiga and Steve Gregg.

From left to right: Jim Arechiga and Miya Simpson