About Us

In the Beginning…

Co-Pastors Kevin and Molly Kiefer remember that evening vividly. They were playing ping-pong in their basement after the kids were in bed.  At the time, they were the parents of three elementary school-age children. Molly was a stay-home mom and Kevin had been on staff at the Elgin Vineyard Church for 8 years.

“I think God is calling us to take a risky next step,” Kevin said as he crushed the ball past Molly’s head. “Yes,” Molly said. “What if took the best of what we have learned over the years and what if we could bring God’s love and power to a new city?  Do you think we could see His Kingdom impact another suburb through a new church plant in the area?  As Vineyard founder, John Wimber always said, faith is spelled, R-I-S-K.”

Kevin had been raised in a Catholic family and remembers serving as an altar boy at St. Mary's Church in Kenosha, WI, but his faith did not become an important part of his life until he enlisted in the United States Army and met the Lord while stationed at Fort Carson, CO. Kevin went on to study at Purdue University, where he was the chaplain for a Christian fraternity house, and a tennis instructor each summer.  It was in one of his final classes during his last semester in graduate school that Kevin met Molly while they were both completing a master’s degree in education.

Molly grew up in a pastor’s family and claims that the only person she knows who has sat through as many church services as she has is her identical twin sister, Mary. So it was only natural that when the sisters—both college cross-country and track athletes—attended Purdue, where they were student leaders of Athletes in Action, the on-campus ministry to athletes.  A few short months after meeting Kevin in grad school, Molly accepted his proposal and they got married in 1997 (they honeymooned in California, hiking trails and taking in hot spots along the coast).

After graduation, they both landed jobs as public school teachers and the couple settled in Crystal Lake, IL.  Molly was employed as a teacher at Cary-Grove High School and she and Kevin served as youth and young adult leaders at the Vineyard Church of Elgin. Kevin taught special education at Oak Knoll Elementary School in nearby Cary, IL for four years before he was invited to join the pastoral staff of the Elgin Vineyard Church.

Then August of 2009, with the full support and blessings of the leaders of the Elgin Vineyard, Kevin and Molly gathered a small group of friends and families in the living room of their home in Palatine, IL, to share their vision for a local church that would carry God’s love to impact a new city.

“We have been entrusted with God’s Spirit,” Molly told them. “Let’s go be a blessing to our neighbors, co-workers, and families together.” 

Before long, the fledgling congregation outgrew their tiny living room, and met for the next few years on Saturday nights at Christ Lutheran Church, before moving to Cutting Hall in downtown Palatine on Sunday mornings.   

In 2016, Thrive Vineyard Church moved into its current home at 845 E. Glencoe St, Palatine, IL 60074, with a 170-seat auditorium upstairs and the children’s ministry classrooms and cafe downstairs...

Today, Pastor Kevin is excited about the future of Thrive. "It's a privilege to be able to show our community the goodness of Jesus and how He can change lives.” And Pastor Molly shares his optimism. “What if everyone in our area has a chance to encounter the reality of God’s love and the power of His Kingdom in the next 20 years?  What if we leave a lasting legacy of hope in our wake?  What if we could see heaven here on earth through the small steps of faith right in front of us?  What could God do through a group of people who love Him and each other well?”