About Us

Our Mission

Learn together. Grow together!

We exist to bring people of all backgrounds and nationalities together to know Jesus better, build community, and experience life transformation!

Who We Are

We're a community united by faith, dedicated to worshipping the one true God, and also to spreading love, understanding, and healing. We believe in the transformative power of compassion and the stregnth people have when they follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Our doors are open to all who seek guidance, support, and a sense of belonging in their spiritual journey.

What is a Bilingual Church Service?

Our church services offer a unique opportunity for worshippers from diverse backgrounds to come together and celebrate their faith in a unified setting. Our services accommodate speakers of both Spanish and English, alternating between them for different parts of the service or providing translations, ensuring everyone can participate fully. This approach not only enriches the spiritual experience by fostering a sense of community and understanding but also helps bridge cultural gaps, allowing congregants to learn from each other's traditions. Whether you're fluent in both languages or just beginning to learn, attending our bilingual service can be both spiritually uplifting and culturally enriching.

Meet the Van Pelt Family!

Welcome to El Refugio Church! I'm Pastor Cody, and this is my wife, Emily, my son, Evan, and my daughter, Tatum. We're excited to meet you!

We love spending time together as a family, playing sports, watching sports (mostly soccer, basketball, football, track), enjoying Colorado outdoors, watching movies, spending time with friends, and laughing!

And we love learning and growing with people just like you no matter where you currently are in your journey!

Emily, Evan, and Tatum were all born in Colorado. I was born and raised in western Nebraska. We have also lived in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. And before the kids were born, Emily and I lived on Maui, Hawaii, as well.

When we were World Missions Associates in the Dominican Republic, we worked with kids at Haitian schools and churches. Upon returning to the U.S., Emily and I continued working interculturally with twelve resource centers that helped locals with food, clothing, pastoral care, and financial care. And now, in 2025, we are beginning the journey of planting El Refugio Church!

We love people of all cultures, and we love to share the news of who Jesus is and how much you are loved by God! And one of my favorite things in the world is worshipping a God that loves us so much and experiencing the worship in multiple languages! It's beautiful! I think it's so cool when people of different cultures and backgrounds get together to worship and to learn more about Jesus. And we get to learn more about each other at the same time! How fun is that?!

In John 13:35, Jesus tells us that people will know that we're his followers by the way we love each other. And we're a church that wants to do exactly that, no matter what language you speak, no matter what your past is like, and no matter what you think about yourself! You are made in the image of a God who loves you and adores you! We want to celebrate that with you and continue to learn and grow with you!

Meet the Acosta Family!

Hi everyone! I'm Alex Acosta, and I'm thrilled to introduce my wonderful family: my wife, Katy, our son, Patrick, and our daughter, Evy.

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru, and came to faith in Christ in my early twenties. It wasn't long before I knew God was calling me to missions. I traveled throughout Peru, preaching and helping churches grow. I even met Katy during one of the short-term mission trips she was on to Peru. Shortly after we married, we planted a church in San Bartolo, Peru, which is still active today.

God then called us to Greeley, Colorado. From 2005 to 2015, I dedicated myself to building the Spanish-speaking service at a church in Greeley, raising leaders, forming a worship team, leading Bible studies, and preaching. That Spanish service also continues to thrive.

Over the past decade, we've been focused on raising our children and growing as a family. I've always had a desire to continue serving God through missions and church planting, and I'm excited about the opportunity to be part of El Refugio Church! I'm looking forward to using my gifts to serve God and reach people, sharing God's love with them. Having spent over 20 years in the United States, I have a deep understanding and respect for the diverse Latino population in this area. We're excited to see how God will move through this new bilingual church plant!

Meet the Rodriguez Family!

Hello, we are Cruz and Mireya and we are the parents of our son Cruz Antonio Rodriguez. We were both born and raised in Colorado and we currently live in Greeley Colorado.

Mireya and I both came to faith in 2023, and have seen our lives change drastically. Being new to the kingdom we are eager to share the gospel to all nations!

I teach and coach at Greeley West High School and I love my job! I have been teaching for 3 years and everyday is an opportunity for me to learn from students and be a better mentor for them. I enjoy sharing life with students, building relationships, and walking with them in the process of their development.

Mireya is working on her PhD in School Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. She worked at a Juvenile facility, then worked as a caseworker for two years and then the Lord opened the door for her to go back to school. Her prayer and ministry is to reach students and families at schools.

Our passion for children is something the Lord has done for us. Our desire is to testify of the goodness of God to public schools. Reach families and tell them about Jesus and the Good News! “One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

We are excited to be part of El Refugio Church! We want to learn alongside you and share life with those who have walked with the Lord more than we have! It is a great opportunity to mature in our faith and fulfill our ministry! Whatever that may be!

Meet the Robertson Family!

Hello, my name is Ana Robertson and my husband Bailey and our sons Bailey and David. We love the outdoor activities and spend time with friends. I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and grew up in a strong faith family.

I migrated to this country twenty one years ago and met my husband in San Antonio, Texas. We moved to Colorado nine years ago, and I was captivating with the natural beauty of this state. I have been learning a lot about Jesus because he is my Savior and I would love to show people his love and compassion through this new church!

I also love helping people who struggle with English-Spanish, and I would like to meet you to help you to understand the wonderful love of God!

Meet Laurel and Charles!

Hi everyone! We are Charles and Laurel Walsh. We are originally from South Carolina but moved to Colorado back in 2006. We both grew up in the same small town and have known each other since the first grade. Now we live in Wellington. We have two daughters and a son in law, and our dog Hattie. Our oldest daughter, Emma, lives with us in Wellington and our other daughter, Eliza Ann lives in Laramie, Wyoming with her husband Sam. We love spending time with our family, traveling together and camping together. We have a passion for children and foster care and also for helping hurting people. We love journeying with people to Christ. We are thrilled to be apart of this wonderful new church.

Meet the Greggs!

Hi, my name is Anna Gregg I was born and raised in Greeley. I met my husband Jim on the mission field.

We, have five children, Brenda, Sandra, Andy, Chris, and Jeremiah. We have 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter.

I received my call into Missions when I was elected president of our youth group at First Spanish assembly Of God. I was informed by the district that we were having a contest with all Assemblies to raise money for the missionaries living in the foreign country. That year we won first place and the second year also. The trophies are still on display at the La Trinidad assembly of Of God church. In 1994 I went on my first mission trip to El Carmen, Mexico. It was there that called me into missions.

I was Vice President for Mission of Hope international for 13 years we took teams to Mexico, south and Central America, the teams built churches, worked in orphanages, and ministered in the field.

I was ordained as a missionary evangelist by Rabbi Bob Schwartz, and missionary Pastor Mike Dragan.

I now Translate for our Serve 6.8 resource center. God has place such a deep love for the Latin people that I enjoy Ministering to them ever Tuesday. Jim has also enjoyed working as a navigator for the resource center.

We are associated with John Hagee, from San Antonio Texas, founder of CUFI Christain United For Israel. We go to Washington DC once a year where we meet with about 1,000 other members for training on talking points to present to all house and senate members in behalf of Israel. Jim is the congressional liaison for the 8th congressional district in Colorado.

We are member of Jean Bailey’s flashpoint army. Where we intercede on behalf of our nation.

I will now be translating for Pastor Cody Van Pelt at La Refugio church.

Meet Brooklyn!

Hi! I’m Brooklyn and I am excited to be involved in the children’s ministry at El Refugio! I am entering my senior year of high school and hope to pursue medicine, missions or teaching in the future!

I also love swimming, hiking and anything outdoors with family and friends! I was raised in the church and I have loved serving the Lord through children’s ministry for the past 5 years. I adore kids and sharing God’s unfailing love with them! I can’t wait to be apart of the new church family!

Meet Julie!

Hi, I’m Julie, the accounting manager at El Refugio Church! I am a retired Registered Nurse with a background in research and teaching. Throughout my career I specialized in analyzing numbers, entering data and creating documents to confirm my findings.

My husband, Kim, and I were both born and raised in Lincoln, NE, and are University of Nebraska alumni. We live in Ft. Collins with our golden retriever, Nora Ruth, and Ted, our ginger cat. We have two grown children, son Jack and his wife Jessica, who live in Denver, are expecting their first baby in late September. Our daughter Claire, her husband Levi and their daughter Sydney (4 1/2) live in Austin TX. Being grandparents is the absolute BEST!

I have always had a passion for serving others, it is what led me to become a nurse. Volunteering to help others is a central theme in the Bible. Jesus set the example by coming to serve humanity rather than being served. The Bible encourages followers of Christ to use their gifts and resources to serve those in need. I believe God has led me to El Refugio Church in this phase of my life to serve and honor others by sharing my gifts, including my love of numbers. I look forward to meeting you very soon!

More Team Photos Coming Soon!

We hope to add your photo here!

Join our launch team and make a difference for Northern Colorado and for the kingdom of God!