About Us

ABOUT US

We are real people, living in a real world, serving a real God. We are a community of people who are striving together to discover God's purpose and plan for our lives. Proverbs 27:17 states that "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. " So, we believe that life is better together!

We strive to be a church without walls, as Jesus calls for us to go outside the walls to reach the lost and the broken. At LifeWay, we want to reach the "One", the One who is feeling disconnected, the One who is far from God.

We highly value our relationships with one another. We look to grow through fellowship and ultimately growing closer to God. We value the word of God, and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We look to extend grace to all of the lost and broken, and lead those with no hope to the hope of Jesus.

WHO WE ARE

OUR MISSION

LifeWay Church exists to "Reach The One" in the greater Hartford area and beyond, to help them connect with God, others, and community.

OUR VISION

LIfeWay Church does not just exist for the people who are here, we exist for the people who are not here yet. We want you to be a part of reaching the one who is lost, absent, or disconnected.

OUR VALUES

We love God passionately. We will do anything short of sin to "Reach the One". We are spiritual contributors not spiritual consumers. We desire to grow. We laugh hard, loud and often. We believe in life-changing encounters. We put His Kingdom first. We believe you belong. We believe the best of each other.

OUR STAFF

Steve Cianci

Lead Pastor

A Newington native, Steve Cianci is co-founder and lead pastor here at Lifeway. He and his wife, Tina, have been married for over 20 years and have 2 boys, Michael and Silas. Pastor Steve is a church planter and musician with a heart to reach people with the love of Jesus. When not with his family or sharing the gospel, Pastor Steve is often found playing retro video games and listening to podcasts.

Joel Rissinger

Executive Pastor

Pastor Joel has been in ministry for over 30 years as a pastor, speaker, writer, and chaplain. He has a heart to see lives transformed through Jesus Christ.

Christine Crowley

Children's Pastor

Pastor Christine is our Children's Pastor. Her heart is for children to come to know, love and serve Jesus.

Amy Clement

Life Groups Pastor

Pastor Amy has been our Life Groups Pastor for three years. Her heart is to connect people with God and others and to encourage building relationships through Life Groups.

Tina Cianci

Worship Leader

A Montreal, Canada native, Tina’s love for music has been a lifelong journey which started out with a little girl singing solos in church. As her love for music grew, she stepped into her role of leading worship. Tina is married to lead pastor Stephen Cianci and has 2 sons, 2 cats, and a dog named Ruger she has plastered all over her social media.

Tim Crowley

Youth Director

Born and raised in CT. 5 kids. Beautiful wife. Called by God to serve Him ministering to people, especially young people.

Alex & Shelly Figueroa

Missions Coordinators

Alex and Shelly met in Newington and are passionate about serving God both in town and overseas. They have a desire to connect the local church with the global church and to share the gospel with nations near and far.

They have been married for 10 years and have two beautiful girls.

Joe Buttaro

Media Director

While he will be the first to admit that he can't sing in tune or play an instrument, Joe has a passion to use technology to not only reach people within the church walls, but also to help spread the Gospel to "Infinity and Beyond".

Charity Lane

Office Manager

Charity is our administrative ninja who loves to work behind the scenes.

Cetty Napoletano

LifeWay Learning Center Director

A Wethersfield native, Cetty has been in the childcare industry for 20 years, becoming a Director in 2015 after completing the Administration & Supervision of ECE program. Cetty has two teenage children: Julia and Anthony Jr. and a dog, Lola. Outside of work, Cetty is an avid Soccer Mom and enjoys watching her children play. In her down time, Cetty enjoys traveling to Florida, family dinner night, Uno, and listening to music with her family.

Kristy Koyama

LifeWay Learning Center Head Teacher

Born and raised in Newington, Kristy has been working with children and families for over 20 years. Kristy has been attending LifeWay Church for 6 years and leads our Guest Services department. She has been the Head Teacher at LifeWay Learning Center for 2 1/2 years.

In her down time, she loves spending time with her family, listening to music, and cooking.

REACHING THE ONE