Our Pastors

I felt called to the ministry when: I reflected with gratitude on the love I experienced growing up as a child of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, in Ephrata, WA, and I began to realize many people do not experience the church as a community of welcome, mercy and justice. And I kept meeting inspired, faithful, gracious, funny, flawed, lively, passionate, justice-seeking, compassionate people whose work I admired--and lots of them were pastors.

The thing that I most enjoy about Faith Lutheran Church is:Some great things I’ve seen so far:  the desire to welcome and include people of all ages in Faith’s  ministry, commitment to caring for one another and reaching out to the broader community.  I'm looking forward to learning more!

I see God at work among us when:people know they are loved and reach out to show others God’s love.

My favorite things to do in my spare time:making things (food, cards, clothing, compost, messes) and growing things (vegetables, flowers, herbs, ferns, worms); reading; swimming, running, and doing yoga; dancing; listening to public radio and music of all kinds

Every morning I start my day by:getting up later than I planned, but early enough to read, water plants, sit quietly, go for a walk or tidy around the house; eating breakfast (always) and drinking a cup of coffee (sometimes).

I knew God was present in my life when:I felt comfort in times of sorrow, joy in the midst of community, and strength in the face of struggle.

Favorite Bible verse: I’m going to have to cheat here and list several passages!  I feel called and convicted by Isaiah 58:1-12, and inspired by Ephesians 3:16-19; and I wrestle with 1 Cor. 1:10-2:31.

The thing that I like most about Faith Lutheran Church is: working with the people of Faith! The church is the people and the people of Faith Lutheran are doing amazing things in service to God and the community. They (your) passion for the Gospel with a commitment to having fun is contagious!

I see God at work among us when: I start paying attention. Seriously. God is love and every expression of love — for our neighbor, each other, our families, and our friends — has to be God at work. It's just so darn easy to focus on what's going wrong that I often miss what God's up to right here, right now. Sometimes I wish God would choose to be flashy about it!

My favorite things to do in my spare time are: eclectic. I'm a bit of a sports nut so you can find me at a Nationals game or watching one on TV. College football (go USC Trojans!) and college basketball are favorites of mine. I also like video games, movies & TV (I claim JJ Abrams and Vince Gilligan as my creative spirit animals), and a few comics. But perhaps my favorite thing to do is to spend time with friends and family. A quiet night at home with my dogs and cat is always nice, too.

Every morning I start my day by: bargaining with God and my alarm clock, followed by brewing coffee. I'm not a morning person. Though, I do often get up well before the sun in order to run or do Crossfit.

I knew God was present in my life when: I decided to change my major (remember the whole engineering thing not working for me) and my grandfather died - both happened in roughly the same time period. I was at odds with my parents who felt I should continue to study engineering as a fallback. The support I got from my friends who walked through that and then, were also with me while I dealt with the reality that my grandfather's health was in serious decline, was God incarnate for me. Their love was evident in the way they simply stayed with me - never trying to fix the situation - only letting me vent and cry.

Favorite Bible verse: Mark 9:24 - "Immediately the father of the child cried out, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"

Something interesting about me that would surprise people: A few years ago, I turned my kitchen into a small brewery. I brew my own beer. And probably less interesting but yet very surprising to most people, I wear a size 11 shoe.