How many years have you been in ministry and what churches have you’ve served?
I served here in Student Ministry from 1993 to 2003, from 2003 to 2006 I served as Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries, since that time I’ve been serving as Executive Pastor.

What do you do as Executive Pastor?
As Executive Pastor, I assist the Senior Pastor in leading the church and staff and developing our strategic plan for ministry and mission.  I network with pastors and leaders of other large churches in our area and throughout the country to stay on top of the latest tools and knowledge available from thriving churches.  I preach and teach occasionally but not weekly.

What do you see as your strength/passion/gift in ministry?
I’m passionate about the church and its people being the light of hope and change for the world that God intends it to be.  I have a vision that every person stepping onto our campus or listening to a worship service online or connecting with one of our members is experiencing the Spirit of God through some element of their connection with us.

I believe my greatest strength is what I rely on daily and what I’ve learned through experience in the church and in my own life, and that is, that God will always reveal his love and grace and a next step for us if we just keep our hearts and minds focused on worshiping him.  God always comes through!

My greatest gift in ministry is probably my ability to “tune in” to people and to God — to listen and ask questions — something I’ve learned to do, not something I’ve always done well.  The knowledge and tools I receive from listening make me a better pastor and provide a perspective that often allows me to help others become more successful in ministry.  It also helps me recognize when God is moving in the church in some new way so that we can fan that flame and participate with God in creating new ministries.

What led you to be in the ministry?
I actually felt a call to be a pastor when I was about 13, but because there were no female pastors in my church, I didn’t understand what God was calling me to do.  In 1989, Ron and I became members of a Methodist church and eventually became members here.  Not long after, I was hired to serve as the part-time youth director.   I started working with great role models such as Rev. Jackie Gause who served here for many years, as well as other female pastors, and soon my understanding of the role God had in mind for me as a pastor became real to me.

What is your favorite part about being a pastor?
My favorite part of being a pastor is helping people see and accept God’s grace — seeing that spark of new life enter into someone who has been lost or who hasn’t fully grasped what God has offered.  I have also loved being part of helping lead this great church from where it was in 1993 to where it is today.  The growth in Spirit and people has been phenomenal!

How does being a pastor affect your family?
Several years ago my husband, Ron, created a secret club and named it the S.O.S. Club — Spouse of Staff.  He jokes about it now, but being the spouse of a church staff person can be overwhelming at times, especially the spouse of a pastor.  For 18 years he has surfed the waves patiently and often times serving in volunteer roles to support my ministry.  There were many late nights, busy weekends and successful efforts to keep me off the edge of burn out.  Ron is my rock!  I always know he’ll be there to listen, provide solid advice and remind me that he believes in me.

How many hours per week are you “on the job”?

Today, I actually have most Fridays and most Saturdays off, and I focus on Sabbath rest and my family those days.  I have a pretty typical weekday schedule and a few meetings or events in the evenings that are connected with the church.  I start my day early, listening to worship music, spending time reading scripture, praying and listening for what God might say to me as I begin the day.  That’s the most important part of my day because it prepares me for anything that might come my way that day.  But I haven’t always had healthy boundaries and disciplines for centering myself in God, especially during those 10 years I served in Student Ministry when the church was growing so rapidly.  My schedule was hectic.  I worked more hours than I probably should have as Ron and I were raising three sons.  Now, as Executive Pastor, I try to keep a really healthy balance in my schedule and my spiritual life so that I can be prepared for the unique ministry situations that come my way on any given day.  I could receive a phone call any time — day or night — that might be an emergency connected with our campus, a church member in crisis, a staff issue or a person in the community who needs our help.  Most of what I do in the church is not highly visible, more behind the scenes stuff that needs immediate attention.

What are your hobbies, passions and interests?
Reading, playing the piano, photography, playing video games and spending time with the grandkids.

What would surprise people about you?
I was a cheerleader in high school, and in 1973, I was the Itasca Wampus Cat Homecoming Queen.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I excelled in biology in high school and college and wanted to be a doctor.  I even took Latin in college.  I believe it was the Latin that caused me to change my mind!

If you weren’t a pastor, what do you think you would be?
A psychologist or counselor.

What do you see as your greatest accomplishment either personally or professionally?
I’m really proud of being a part of leading our youth ministry from a point where we were serving 15 active students, their families and a handful of volunteers in 1993 to about 250 active students, their families and dozens of volunteers in 2003.  All of those students are now adults, and I often have the privilege of serving in ministry with them, officiating their marriages or baptizing their babies.  My years in youth ministry were a pivotal time of growth in our community and the development for our church, and according to Mike, helped shape the growth we still experience today.  Serving this church for 18 years in multiple roles and being a part of shaping its mission and ministry has been a thrilling experience.  I have a deep love for this church.

Do you have a favorite scripture passage?
My favorite scripture passage is Romans 8:38 because it is such a bold statement about faith, God’s power over all creation, and the love of God we come to know through Jesus.