Faith United Methodist Church is a place to make a faith home. In my 27 years of pastoral ministry, I've served United Methodist Churches in Southeast, Northeast, and Deep East Texas, and four years ago moved from a church in Alexandria Louisiana, and in that time I have only served one other church which has such an immediate feeling of home, as Faith.

When I was in seminary, at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, after graduating with a BA in Psychology from The University of Texas, we learned that becoming the church of Jesus Christ was multilayered and multi-faceted. Faith Church's layers of love and care go deep and cover the spectrum of ages and opinions. We work to live out the Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors theme of God and the United Methodist Church.

I love to work with my hands and get sweaty and dirty and through our missions programs I've found many a kindred spirit here at Faith. Reading and study are some of my other loves and there are lots of classes and groups here for just that study.

I grew up in Port Arthur, Texas and met Merryl, my wife while serving Asbury United Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas. Our daughter, Rebekah, is one of my greatest joys and I love that she loves our Youth Ministries here at Faith.

The purpose that God has given me, at this time, is to serve the Kingdom of God and do the things of God. To that end I am always searching, with our church folk, to find the ways we can touch the lives of people to help them Know Jesus, Grow Faith, and Sow Grace.

Faith United Methodist is an exciting church and I feel blessed to be appointed here. The roles I serve in are wide-ranging and diverse. I am active in congregational pastoral care and in worship on Sunday. I also have several committee assignments. One of my greatest joys is leading classes and studies. I am involved in both ongoing and short-term groups throughout the year. The parts of my job that allow me to be involved with people are what I enjoy the most.

I am a second career minister. Prior to entering the ministry I was in sales and like to say that, "I have sold almost everything that is legal." In some ways I am still in sales, but now I offer the best thing anyone can receive, it's available everywhere, at anytime, it's free, and it's eternal. What a deal; a relationship with the author of everything.

I have lived in this county for 28 years and in this community for 6 years, so my appointment to Faith in 2005 was a real blessing. My wife Shelley and I have been married for 6 years. Shelley is a retired teacher that stays active in teaching by being a new teacher mentor in a local school district. We each have one son. Shelley's son is Robert; he is married and lives in the Dallas, Texas area. My son Brent lives and works in East Texas.

As Shelley and I have come to be a part of Faith we have found that the heart of this church is people. The way people are received and brought into the congregation is amazing. I believe that is the reason Faith has grown so much and continues to grow.

As Pastoral Assistant my role is to assist congregants and members of our community in finding the help and/or resources necessary in their time of need.

I have the privilege of coordinating Care Ministry here at Faith. That means I serve as the staff contact for Stephen's Ministry, CanCare Ministries, ALANON, Grief Share/Grief Ministry, and the Discipleship work area. I also work with the Care Team, do hospital visitation and assist in Worship on Sundays.

My husband Steve and I have been members at Faith UMC for over ten (10) years. We have a son, Will, who is in elementary school and two black labs that keep us entertained. Prior to assuming my role as Pastoral Assistant, I served as the Director of Faith School for Young Children. My education and work experience have allowed me to be an educator and an administrator. I have found that experience is serving well in my current position. But the most important piece is how God has decided to use those components to His good here at Faith.

My family and I have been members of Faith United Methodist Church since 1994. I am a native of Delaware, but moved to Texas when I was in high school. I have two amazing children: Doug, who is a Texas A & M graduate and teaches high school algebra at Clearbrook High School and Amanda, who is currently attending college at Blinn in Bryan and Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, majoring in photography. I have always felt that being a part of Faith meant, and continues to mean, being a part of a family. I have been teaching Sunday School for 12 years and before coming on staff actively volunteered with the youth. I became the Assistant Youth Director in 2005 and accepted the position of Youth Director in 2006. My richest blessings come from my children, my work with youth, my family within the body of Christ and, most of all, walking daily with God.

Since we are the YOUTH Department, my bio will be very "myspace-ian"…

1. married/single: single.
2. children: two, Doug and Mandy.
3. favorite food: is cheese a food? Most probably it would be Italian.
4. must see movie: You've Got Mail or Pride and Prejudice(old and new one).. okay so I love sappy love stories.
5. tunes I listen to much too often: I like all kinds of music but I am mostly old school rock and roll and I love the new Christian music that has come out in the last five years or so.
6. season: i love the fall because it gets cooler after a long hot summer… at least for a day or two.
7. sports: is there any sport but baseball????
8. coke or pepsi: diet pepsi would get my vote every time.
9. something I collect: besides extra children, I love to having my own movie library.
10. favorite color: some days blue, some days yellow.
11. most overused phrase on aim: whatever….. really, whatever.
12. mountains or beach: don't like sand between my toes or in my food so I am headed for the mountains.
13. pizza topping: cheese… more cheese… oh and more cheese.
14. favorite car: 1967 Pontiac GTO.. midnight blue.. talk about a sweet ride.
15. last but not least… my favorite Bible scripture: Isaiah 6:8 means the most to me… it is the passage that tugged at my heart to begin serving God and continues to inspire me to answer Him.

I love music and I love children so it seemed natural to me to get my teaching certificate and combine two of my passions. I attended Colorado State University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Music with a Concentration in Education and my teaching certification. Since then I have had jobs directing Junior High Choir, teaching Elementary Music, and teaching preschool. I teach both Clarinet and Voice lessons.

God has also blessed me personally with a wonderfully supportive husband and two beautiful and sweet little girls. When I joined Faith UMC my children were 1 and 2 years old and I became quickly involved in the Children's Music Ministry. As life changed both at the church and at home I began to become more involved in the adult music ministry as well. I have sung in church choirs since I was in preschool and this all seemed to be just the way it was supposed to be.

Later as more things changed at church I began to feel God pulling me more and more into His ministries. With the guidance and the positive reinforcement of those around me I have felt pulled toward a career in directing choirs and serving God. When Faith was in need of an Interim Choir Director I got a small shove from God and stepped into the roll. That job was only for a season, but I felt God's leading in it. Now that I am in the position of Choir Director at Faith UMC I am finding that I am right where I need to be. I also praise God every day for the gift that my job is in my life. I am able to Praise God and make music every day of my life and they pay me to do it! God is so good!

I can see the growth that our church has undergone and I stand amazed, amazed at God's grace and amazed at His people who continue to come! We are just beginning our walk here at Faith and God has wonderful things in store for us.

My family and I have been so blessed to be members of Faith United Methodist Church. From God leading us to accept an invitation to the ice cream social held at Pecan Grove Elementary School in 1990 to my first commitment of singing in the choir, to ultimately becoming Director of Children's Ministries in 2001.

God has led me on a journey through Faith, leading me to do things of God I never even dreamed of doing. Growing up (a native Houstonian at that!) I was always involved in my church. I met my husband of 28 years, Larry, at our former church in Houston, Grace Presbyterian where we married in 1978 and through the next ten years had four wonderful children.

The Children's ministry helps children come to know Jesus and how much he loves them; to help children and their parents grow in their faith and service to the Lord through ministry and mission opportunities here at Faith and sow grace by sharing the love of Christ with those we meet.

God has called me to a position in ministry to lead children in our community. God has given me a heart for children and I am especially grateful that he has called me to share the gospel and love of Jesus Christ with our youngest disciples. I invite you to become involved in children's ministry at Faith and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those we meet in our community of Faith.

 

As Office Manager, my main role is to manage and assist staff, leadership, visitors and members in the daily operation of the business side of the church. One significant area is by providing the most updated information on the Church calendar as requested in order that our facilities can be utilized by our ministries and numerous outside groups most effectively. In doing so I am in constant contact with our janitorial service in coordinating the set up and cleaning of the Church facility. Although we have a janitorial service, there are other facility issues that arise and I am usually the one notified of the problem. I will assess the problem to see if I can take care of it or call a service provider if needed.

Another area is to oversee the purchasing and maintaining of office equipment used by staff and our volunteers within our budget constraints. This includes not only our computers, printers and copiers but also our phone equipment as well. Keeping up with new technology and updated programs that are constantly changing is always a challenge.

Some Fridays you may see me driving the church van to pick up (and then unloading) pantry and janitorial supplies. Over the past nine years, I would say my most rewarding thing I love to do at Faith would be making sure the Sanctuary and Church is prepared (in all ways) for special services such as weddings and funerals. I feel that what I do is true ministry especially with funerals. I make sure that the family that has a need feels the love of Christ by handling of church facility details that can be overwhelming and painful during this difficult time of their life.

My husband, Mike and I have been at Faith since its inception and are Charter Members. Our two children, Jeff and Kyle, went through confirmation classes and participated in Sunday school and youth activities. As members who began with the church, it has been quite a journey seeing many changes and unimaginable growth. We look forward to new opportunities that are in Faith's future.

I have been with Faith United Methodist Church since 1999. In that time the members have become like a second family to me. While my formal responsibilities are over the bulletin, newsletter, church membership, answering the phones, (and anything else that may arise) I feel that I am deeply involved with the congregation and the community. . I love to serve others and enjoy meeting new friends. I live in pecan Grove with my husband, Robert and our two sons Jarrett and Justin.

I am the Director of Faith School for Young Children, the church's preschool for small children ages 16 months through young fives. In September, 1990 I felt God's calling for me to be an integral part in forming our children's ministry. While planning both short and long term goals I felt God's desire for a preschool to be formed once we had a building in order to offer His children a safe and nurturing learning environment. The school was formed in 1995 during my tenure as the founding chair of the school board. This calling was beyond anything I had ever done before and showed me first hand the awesome things God can bring about.

After serving as school board chair for three years I moved into the position of financial manager for the next eight years. The school has offered me a way to be involved in the ministry of children where I could use both my education and finance background. The journey continues as became the Faith School's director in June 2006. I look forward to being a part of the school's bright future.

I have been married to Wes for over 27 years. Wes and I met when his father was appointed as my church pastor at a Methodist Church on the east side of Houston.

We have lived in Pecan Grove since 1987 and we have two children: Alicia is 22 years old and is currently a law student at Baylor School of Law in Waco, while Patrick is 13 years old and attends a prepatory school. I enjoy spending time with my family, serving this church and school, reading, scrapbooking and gardening in my spare time.

As Church Administrator my role has three functional areas. The first area is accounting and finance, in which I prepare the financial statement, maintain banking relationships, and coordinate with the Business Management Committee. My next functional area is working with the Trustees on facilities maintenance and buildings. The final area is staffing and employment in which I work with the Staff Parish Relations Committee. I also work with the Building Committee, the Long Range Planning Committee, and the Administrative Board.

I graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelors and Masters in Finance. I have worked as a financial analyst for a government contractor and a Controller / Business Manager for a government contractor, technical staffing firm, computer services firm, and an electrical supply firm.

My wife Julia and I have been members of Faith UMC for two years. We have two sons, Alec and Eric. Alec is in elementary school, and Eric can't wait to be in elementary school. Julia and I met at Texas A&M and take the kids there often to ensure they are completely indoctrinated in the Aggie Spirit.

My time at Faith UMC has been very rewarding and I have learned a lot through Church service, Sunday school and numerous studies. When the opportunity arose to become the Church Administrator, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to give back to God and the church for the blessings I have received.

As Financial Secretary my role is to handle the day-to-day financial operations of the Finance Office and to assist the Church Administrator in financial reporting and funding campaigns. In my roll I take care of the accounts payable, record contributions and provide financial information to the various church ministries. I see my job as a ministry in that I facilitate the efforts of our committees, staff and individuals as they go about the business of making Faith the active and welcoming family of God that it is.

I am originally from Michigan and moved to Texas in 1979. Since I joined Faith in 2000 I have been at times overwhelmed by how friendly and supportive this church family has been to me. This is an amazing place that truly nurtures me as I learn and grow in my walk. I enjoy being a part of the Genesis choir, which is the Sanctuary Choir at the 11:00 service and it has become a second family to me.

My greatest joys are my three children: Travis is serving in the Air Force, Beverly is a college sophomore and Vicki is a high school sophomore. Both my daughters have been active in the Girl Scout program into their high school years, and I enjoyed supporting the program by serving six years as the Rosenberg-Richmond (TX) District Girl Scout cookie coordinator. God has blessed me with great kids and a loving church family, and together they are the light of my life.

I am blessed to be a member of Faith UMC and a staff member, also. My position is multi-faceted. I help to create, produce and distribute several types of materials not only for our congregation, but for our community as well. My goals over the next few years are to expand Faith's communication system, by increasing the information that is available to our church family, making that information more readily available, and having a more diverse delivery system.

I am currently working towards my BA, with my eyes on seminary. Working at Faith is a true blessing that has allowed me to know the love of God, in my church family and in my community. Pecan Grove (in Richmond, Texas) is where I and my four beautiful children reside. Ashley, Hunter, Isabel and Elissa love coming to church and participating in the wonderful activities here at Faith. I have enjoyed watching them and their friends grow in such a positive and loving environment.

I enjoy what I do and I can attribute my joy to being able to work with the fantastic, devoted and loving staff and serving Jesus. I feel honored with the privilege to serve you and to serve Jesus with you.

God has truly blessed me by leading me to Faith United Methodist Church and allowing me to be the church pianist. I have been playing the piano for church groups since I was in junior high school and I have played at several churches. As a child I was inspired and encouraged to play the piano by my parents and I received extra support from my piano teacher, who also happened to be the pianist at my church! I began playing the piano at Faith for the 8:30 service in 1993; that role has now expanded to playing for all the services. I have been privileged to work with many wonderful people at Faith UMC and I pray that God will continue to guide and bless our music ministry as well as all of the other ministries at Faith.

I am a native of El Paso, Texas. I hold a Bachelors Degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters Degree from Corpus Christi State University. My husband, Dave, and I are the parents of a daughter, Leslie. She attends the University of Oklahoma.