Our Team

Jeff Palen serves as the Lead Pastor and Elder at Center Church Star, where he focuses on preaching, teaching, and counseling.
Before planting in Star, Jeff served as a pastor in Gilbert, Arizona, and has been working in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Arizona Christian University and a Master of Divinity in Biblical and Theological Studies from Phoenix Seminary.
Called to ministry at age 16, Jeff has a passion for helping people meet and follow Jesus, and longs to see God’s people glorify Him in every aspect of their lives.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Barb, and together they have four children—Hannah, Mackenzie, Ben, and Ava. Outside of ministry, Jeff enjoys cheering for the Green Bay Packers, fishing with his son Ben, and camping with his family.
You can connect with him at jeff@centerchurchstar.com or by saying hello on a Sunday morning.

Joe Terranova serves Center Church in Music Ministry, leading our congregation in song and helping us lift our hearts to Jesus.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Studies from Grand Canyon University and serves because he loves the Lord and wants others to see His glory and experience His grace, love, and mercy.
Joe is married to Emily, and together they are raising their two kids, Jude and Kaylie. Outside of church, he enjoys playing music, spending time with his kids, and gathering around card and board games.
You can find him leading music on Sundays or reach him by email at music@centerchurchstar.com.

Barb Palen serves through Children’s Ministry at Center Church, where her heart is to create a safe, joyful, and gospel-centered space for kids to meet Jesus.
With a background in early education and over 20 years of children’s ministry experience, Barb has worn just about every hat there is in serving families. A graduate of Joshua Wilderness Institute with additional study in American Sign Language, she’s passionate about serving others, whether that’s teaching kids, coming alongside women through counseling, or partnering with her husband Jeff in marriage ministry.
Barb and Jeff have four wonderful kids, Hannah, Mackenzie, Ben, and Ava, who keep life fun and full. When she’s not serving her church family, you’ll often find her cooking up a meal or sweet treat to share, crocheting, gardening, or laughing and goofing around with her kids. She also still loves to rock out to Five Iron Frenzy and blast TobyMac with the kids, and fun fact… She’s gone skydiving and even worked as a high-ropes instructor.
You can connect with Barb at barb@centerchurchstar.com or find her smiling in the children’s area on Sunday mornings.

Micah Gross serves through Digital Outreach at Center Church, where he helps facilitate digital communication and Sunday morning production.
His goal is to ensure the church looks and sounds clear as it presents and shares the gospel. With a professional background in creative media for the cybersecurity industry, Micah has spent the last decade creating digital content.
Passionate about using his God-given gifts to further the mission of the church, Micah desires to remove barriers that might keep someone from hearing or understanding the gospel and to help people know God more deeply.
Micah is married to Rachel and together they are raising their two daughters, Marley and Ivy. Outside of ministry, Micah enjoys working on home projects and spending time outdoors.
You can connect with him at micah@centerchurchstar.com or find him behind the scenes on Sunday mornings helping with production.

Rachel Gross serves as the Administrator at Center Church, where she supports church operations, hospitality, and assists Pastor Jeff to help ministry run smoothly.
With a background in communications and administration, Rachel holds a B.A. in Communications from Grand Canyon University and has over ten years of experience working in both faith-based and communications organizations. She has a passion for connecting with individuals and making others’ work lighter so they can focus fully on their ministry calling.
Rachel is married to her husband Micah, and together they are raising two young daughters, Marley and Ivy, who keep life full of joy and adventure. Outside of church, Rachel loves playing games, spending time with family and friends, and continuing to learn through reading and documentaries.
You can connect with her at admin@centerchurchstar.com or by saying hello at the front door on a Sunday morning.