About Us

Click one of the links below to learn more.

Patrick Schultz

Pastor

Pat walked into Cottonwood as a UND student in the fall/winter of 1997. He never left. He has been on staff since 2000. He and his wife Andrea have six children. He currently serves as a Lead Pastor. 

Tom Dunham

Pastor

Tom and Jean were high school sweethearts and came to Christ while in college.  When Tom graduated from The Ohio State University College of Optometry, their heart for college students led them back to UND to reach and disciple young adults for Christ. Tom has been a bi-vocational pastor for 40+ years. Tom and Jean have been happily married for 45 years; they have 7 children and 25 grandchildren.

Sarah Twedt

Director of Kids Ministry

Seth and Sarah joined Cottonwood Community Church in 2010. They are parents to 5 boys ages 14-5. Serving in Children’s Ministry has been a part their family since then. Sarah stepped into the role as Children’s Ministry Director in 2023. 

Seth Dorman

Director of Teen Ministry

Seth Dorman married his high school sweetheart and best friend in 2001. He and his beautiful wife Teri have 4 kids. UND brought Seth from northern Minnesota to Grand Forks in 1998. Cottonwood became their church home and family after getting married in 2001. He is part of Cottonwood’s leadership team and leads the teen ministry. One of Seth’s passions is partnering with parents in helping disciple young men and women in their journey of discovering their own faith in Jesus and learning how to live that out. 

Taylor Miesel

Director of Finance

Taylor has been attending Cottonwood since 2008 when he got involved through the college ministry. He met his wife, Jaimie, at Cottonwood and they have been involved in various capacities since then. He currently serves as the Director of Finance and a member of the leadership team. 

Debbie Heitman

On-Site Administrative Assistant

Debbie came to Cottonwood in 2001 shortly after committing her life to Jesus, as a new high school teacher and recent UND graduate.  She loves the family feel, faithfulness to biblical truths, and many ways to get connected and serve.  She met her husband Rich at a Cottonwood event.  They married in 2011 and are blessed with one daughter and a baby on the way.  She serves as the On-Site Administrative Assistant, tending to printing projects, purchasing supplies, the cleaning team, birth and death recognitions, and other building concerns and improvements. 

Caitlin Gygax

Remote Administrative Assistant

Caitlin and her family currently live in Nevada, where she serves in a remote capacity as the Administrative Assistant for Cottonwood Community Church.  Caitlin previously spent fifteen years working with faith-based non-profits and loves serving Cottonwood Community Church with its organizational needs.  She serves as the Remote Administrative Assistant, overseeing church communication, calendars and events, website, scheduling, and more.  If you have any questions about Cottonwood Community Church or questions about how to get involved, please feel free to reach out to her and she can answer your questions or point you in the right direction.