Stephen Füssle's Bio
Stephen Füssle's Bio
The Man: Stephen Füssle
Stephen Füssle is a man who has selflessly served those around him who are in desperate need of life change. He has helped those with drug/alcohol addiction turn their lives around, he has counseled couples saving marriages, and he has loved and served those living lives of desperation into choosing a lifestyle of hope. He has made an impact in the world and his community.
At the age of 20 while living on the island of Maui, Stephen had his first encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. A few months later on a mission trip to China he decided to surrender his life to God. The moment Stephen relinquished control of his life God's power became evident. Stephen experienced positive changes in his daily life and actions, and was healed from all of the hate that consumed him.
God soon set Stephen’s feet on a new path: he graduated from Vanguard University of Southern California with a degree in Biblical Studies/Pastoral Leadership, served on staff at The Crossing Church, and married the woman of his dreams, Amber. Stephen is the founding pastor of The Awakening Church located on Maui. He had big ambitions as a young man, but he never imagined the joy and fulfillment he would experience in sharing God's love with others.
The family: Amber, Ka'iulani, & 'elele Füssle
Stephen’s family is his greatest achievement. He met Amber the first day of school at Vanguard. When he found out that he was Amber’s first kiss he about fell over. When they graduated they got married and started working in ministry together.
Now Stephen and Amber have two beautiful little girls named Ka’iulani and ‘Elele. They are all dear to him and there is nothing he would not do be a great husband and father.
The track Record:
Work Experience Past 10 Years
Lead Pastor at The Awakening Church in Kahului, HI [March, 2009 - Present]
Pastor of Student Ministries at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa, CA [Dec, 2004 - March, 2009]
Education
Warsaw High School in Warsaw, IN [1995 – 1999]
- National Honor Society
- 2x State Track & Field Men’s 4x4 Team
University of the Nations, Maui, HI [1999 – 2000]
- Certificate: Discipleship Training School
- Practicum in Hong Kong/Guangzho
Vanguard University of Southern California in Costa Mesa, CA [2001 – 2005]
- Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a Double Emphasis Major with Pastoral Leadership & Biblical Studies.
- GPA: 3.7: Graduated With Honors
Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA [2014 – Present]
- School of Intercultural Studies with a Master of Arts in Global Leadership.
The Community:
Care for Maui’s Environment: Beach Cleanup 2010 & 2011
Stephen has helped lead several beach cleanups in the Paukukalo area. His respect and love for the ocean and the environment is what drives him to challenge and encourage his congregation to be good stewards of this beautiful island. Each year the project would collect several truckloads full of trash that had washed up on our shores. But his leadership in community service did not stop there.
Care for Maui’s Marginalized: Home Makeovers 2010 & 2011
From the very beginning of launching The Awakening Church in 2010, Stephen set out looking to impact his community in a way that would be substantial. It all started when he was driving around a Hawaiian Homes community that he noticed many families living in substandard living conditions.
After encouraging his staff and congregation to participate in home makeovers for the less fortunate, they selected two homes over two years to renovate. With many man hours, donated material, and a lot of heart, The Awakening Ohana was able to complete 2 homes with over 1500 man hours and well over $50,000 worth of renovations. This included re-shingling, sealing roofs, re-plumbing, tiling bathrooms, painting, landscaping, and much more.
The spirit of those projects has impacted these two families tremendously, and it is this type of life change that Stephen wants to continue to see in and around his community. It has taught his congregation to be more generous with their time and give to the less fortunate living right in their own neighborhoods.
Giving to Keiki: Awakening’s Operation Christmas 2012, 2013, 2014
Because of Stephen’s exceptional leadership, those around him started taking initiative to serve the community in their own unique way. In 2012, the Keiki Zone leaders at The Awakening were able to collect from the congregation enough gifts to provide Christmas presents for every registered homeless child on the island of Maui. Then in 2013 The Awakening Keiki Zone was able to collect 104 keiki gifts, again for every registered homeless child and deliver them on December 11th, just in time for their Christmas party.
Also for the 3nd year in a row, our outreach pastor has designed a Santa sleigh ride that goes into many different impoverished communities to give the children free sleigh rides.
The World:
Mexico: Home Build Project x2
Stephen’s service stretches way past his community as he participated in one mission to Mexico and led another where his entire youth group built two different homes on the same trip. This was life changing not only for Stephen and the students who realized the needs around the world, but also what they could accomplish together even if was a bunch of young kids.
El Salvador: Water/Home Build Project
In 2005, Stephen traveled to El Salvador working with The Crossing Church & El Buen Samaritano on a water project to bring fresh clean water to over 10,000 people. He also helped build homes for impoverished families, which were reinforced to protect against earthquake damage. Unlike the wood framed homes in Mexico, these homes were built with brick mortar and rebar for extra strength. Stephen was known as the human forklift on this trip after all the cinder-blocks he hauled by hand up a hill to the build site.
China: Teaching English
In 1999, just a year after his high school graduation, Stephen traveled on a mission project with Youth with a Mission Maui to serve a small Korean community in the Guangzhou province. Stephen not only taught these young children English, but also spoke of a hope that they could change the world they live in for the better.
Uganda: AIDS Transference Prevention Hospital Build Project
In Uganda, Stephen worked with The Crossing and the Anglican Diocese in the southern district of Rukungiri. He helped them transform a Maternal Care Clinic into a level-4 registered hospital that helps prevent the spread of AIDS transference amongst newborns. In addition to spending his time in Uganda building a hospital, Stephen worked with a Child Survival Program in Rukungiri.
Furthermore, as a result of this mission, Stephen & his wife Amber have sponsored a young girl named Loyce for the last 5 years through Mosaic Vision Ministries. Loyce is a 'double-orphan', who had lost both of her parents to AIDS. After Stephen had visited her home with the team, Loyce immediately took to Stephen and the rest is history. Loyce has now completed primary school and now wants to go to university. This chance encounter has not only changed Loyce’s life, but Stephen & Amber’s as well.
The Church:
Stephen started serving in ministry right out of university in 2005. It all began in Costa Mesa, California were he worked at The Crossing Church for 4 years. He worked with troubled families to help them make positive life change. Stephen regularly dealt with the heavy issues facing young people such as suicide prevention, drug and alcohol addiction, gangs, and violence. The youth program started out small with only around 30 or so students and volunteers, but by the time Stephen had transitioned to Hawaii the program had grown to approximately 250 students, 2 new staff, and 80 leaders and volunteers. During his time at The Crossing, Stephen led hundreds of youth to commit to a life modeled after the teachings of Jesus.
Then in 2009, Stephen returned to Hawaii with the vision to start a church where people no matter where they are in life would feel welcomed, loved and encounter God. That is where the slogan “No Perfect People Allowed,” originated. Many people have made the decision to “Say Yes to God” at
The Awakening Church, striving to live a life surrendered to Jesus. Hundreds have had their life changed as a result of this ministry and hopefully many more to come.