JD and Alini Müller are the pastors of ConnectCommunity church. They were raised in loving homes by hardworking parents and ended up finding each other while serving the ministry together. They have been married for 22 years and are raising 4 amazing children. Before moving to Stamford, Connecticut, JD and Alini have proudly served under Pastor Joel Osteen as part of the staff at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, with which they still remain close.
Life that is complete and abundant requires 3 things: God, others, and purpose. That’s why our mission is to connect people to God, to others, and to their God-given purpose.
That’s what happened to my family. In the 1940s, when my grandfather was a young man in Brazil, he became a substance abuser and lived to please his every impulse. It was when he heard the message of Jesus that his life was transformed. He joined a local church and became a notable minister. Because of that, my life was changed before I was even born.
There is no other institution in the world that can change people’s lives and transform the next generation better than the local church. That’s why we launched ConnectCommunity and are giving our lives to see people connect to God, connect to others, and connect to their purpose; that’s what we want to see across Fairfield and Westchester Counties. People like you finding healing, growth, and a place to belong, as we make a difference in this world.
When we felt called to plant ConnectCommunity in Stamford, it was challenging for me. I had just given birth to our first daughter, we were connected to a loving community, and things were safe and steady. Our lives had purpose, so why change it?
After praying for some time, I had this vision in my heart, which I believed was inspired. I saw a lifeboat rescuing people who were doing their best to keep their head above water. Good people, who were fighting through life alone and had no one in their corner; people who were met by life’s circumstances and weren’t asking for a handout, but needed a hand up. A ‘hand up’ of encouragement, prayer, and a family that would come around them and say “we are with you!”
That’s when I knew we had to move. Because that is the mission of the local church! To go to hard places, find those who are far from the shore, and bring them back to wholeness. And that’s why we are here. To love one person at a time, and tell them that they can rise higher!
We love Stamford, and we love Connecticut.
Paola has joined our team in October 2022.
Paola is efficient and dependable. She has spent most of her career in the non-profit sector, and continues to do so.
She is trained in Human Resources.
She and her husband have been part of ConnectCommunity for a long time and have served well.
After many years serving in a Leadership role, Katherin join our staff in March 2023.
Her passion for Kids and Youth is evident. She brings a strong pastoral vocation and vision to our team.
She has been part of ConnectCommunity from the very beginning and has served the church with her husband for many years.
In the Summer of 2013, JD and Alini were sent off from Lakewood Church to plant ConnectCommunity. Here is their send-off video.
