Stephanie is the Director of Youth Christian Education and Jr. High Ministry. I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a major in Psychology. I met my husband, Jason, while in college and we got married in 2001. Jason went to school to be an Air Traffic Controller so when he was placed in Aurora we made the move to Illinois. We have lived in Oswego for 14 years and have 3 beautiful children. Faith and church life has always been important to both of us and we knew we needed a church that we could raise our kids in and that would give them different opportunities to be involved. After going to many different churches we chose OPC and haven’t looked back.
A couple years after we became members of OPC I felt a calling and started teaching Sunday school. I taught 3 year olds for several years and also taught Kindergarten and 1st/2nd grade. I loved the energy and enthusiasm the kids brought with them every week. In 2009 I answered a different calling and become an elder on the Worship and Music team. I served there for 2 years but was transferred to Christian Education my final year. It was there that I really got involved with the CE programing. I became one of the VBS directors and started to be involved with the Wednesday night program. My kids were becoming more involved therefore I found myself wanting to be a part of it as well. In 2015 I was offered the job of Christian Education Groups Leader. This position had me oversee the Sunday school, confirmation, WILD, and VBS programs. Being involved in these different programs I have been very blessed to get to know many different people and children, inside and outside of OPC. Kids bring such a life and enthusiasm to everything and their faith is no exception. Smiles always on their faces. I alwayssay that each one of them is a God sighting, for every week they show up eager to not only learn and hear about God and Jesus but to share Him as well. What a great gift!
This year I am fortunate enough to begin a new chapter in my life at OPC by leading the Jr HighYouth Group. It is an exciting time as I get to know these kids on a different level and to see how their love for God and faith shine through them during these important years. It is my goal to make sure each child, from preschool on up, knows their worth and that no matter what, they have a God that loves them. In turn they should live a life that is satisfying to Him but also to themselves. Being a part of a child’s early education about God and faith is an amazing and rewarding job and I am so blessed the roads and path God has laid out for me has ended up here. These kids have so much to offer and will do amazing things and I am so excited I get to be a part of that.
