Los Gatos pastor, who previously served in Riverside and Orange County, dies of heart attack at 53

A pastor at a Los Gatos church died after suffering a heart attack while on a snowboarding trip with his family in the Sierra, church leaders announced Sunday.

Craig Jutila was the pastor of family ministries at Venture Christian Church. He was 53.

“We are grieving the loss of our family ministry pastor, teaching pastor, Craig Jutila,” Tim Lundy, senior pastor at the church, said Sunday morning to those gathered at a church service that was live-streamed on Facebook.

“We found out that Craig passed away from a heart attack on the slopes,” Lundy said.

Lundy said Jutila had taken his family on a snowboarding trip the day after Christmas, after hosting Christmas Eve services at the church for parishioners earlier last week.

Jutila was found unresponsive the afternoon of Dec. 26 along the Powderhorn ski run, according to a press release from the ski resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe. The ski patrol was called at 1:47 p.m.

Paramedics tried to revive Jutila as he was transported by air ambulance, but they were unsuccessful and he was later pronounced dead by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

“This sudden and terrible news has stunned us all, and we are grieving with Craig’s family,” Lundy wrote in a note on the church website.

“Craig’s leadership as pastor of family ministries has made such a difference at Venture. His writing and speaking ministry to families has helped countless homes and lives around the world,” the note said.

“Already stories of his impact are pouring in. He will be missed as a pastor, leader and teacher, but most of all, as our friend.”

Jutila, before joining Venture Christian Church, served as a children’s and teaching pastor at The Grove Community Church in Riverside for seven years and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest for 13 years, according to his blog.

He spoke around the country and internationally, and authored multiple books, including “Hectic to Healthy: The Journey to a Balanced Life,” and “Faith and the Modern Family: How to Raise A Healthy Family in a ‘Modern Family’ World.”

Jutila is survived by his wife, Mary, and children Alec, Cameron and Karimy.

The church is holding a celebration of life service for Jutila on Monday, Dec. 31, at 2 p.m. The service will also be live-streamed on the church’s Facebook page. The church is located at 16845 Hicks Road.