About Imago Dei Church

Imago Dei Church is a church plant in Castro Valley, California, made up of a small but deeply committed group of about ten Christian families. Our members range from newborns and toddlers to millennial and Gen X parents and grandparents. Everyone serves the church in various ways, and folks also spend time together and help each other outside of Sunday services.

Many of the families here have known each other for years and share a deep and abiding love for one another — the kind of distinctively Christian love that stays committed even amidst hardship. What we've found especially true at Imago is a sincere and earnest atmosphere of trust and safety. Though our church is young, the bonds between our members run deep.

God has brought us together and created beauty out of our shared experiences. We are a community that believes in walking alongside one another through every season of life, holding fast to the gospel that unites us.

Pastor Michael leads Imago Dei Church with exceptional clarity, warmth, and a genuine love for his congregation. His sermons bring the biblical text to life through compelling storytelling of historical facts and events, profound Biblically-rooted insights, and personal stories of suffering and growth.

He is never sanctimonious or condescending, but enthusiastic to reveal both the biblical meaning of chosen gospel passages and their historical context. Often the biblical relevance can feel obscured by the passage of so many years, but as Michael reveals the contextual significance, its meaning with respect to our lives becomes clear.

Beyond the pulpit, Pastor Michael is a devoted shepherd to his flock. He makes a point of going around and talking to everyone after services, making sure each person is doing well or needs prayer. He has counseled families through challenges, officiated weddings, and been a steadfast friend to members of the congregation through life's most difficult moments.