Q: What do you do here at Calvary?
A: I am the new Director of Women's Ministry. I walk alongside women as they take Next Steps in their journey with Christ. Through Bible studies and a variety of different onboarding ramps, we bring women together to grow in their love for the Lord. The general age range is from 19 years and older.
Q: How did you come to faith?
A: My dad was a pastor, so I grew up in a Christian home and had the head knowledge of Christianity and what it meant to be a believer, but it wasn't until second grade that I realized my personal need for a savior and the beauty that was Christ coming to earth, living a perfect life and dying on the cross for our sins. It was one evening when I was seven years old and we were headed for bed—which was when we, as a family, spent time with the Lord—and I was like, "I need Christ in my life." And so I prayed a prayer of salvation with my mom and dad and then a couple weeks later was baptized by my dad, which just was a really cool experience.
And then I would also say, for me, that going to college was really pivotal. Growing up in a Christian home, I was able to ride [my parents'] coattails of faith for a while. And then in college, there was no longer anyone waking me up and being like 'We're going to church, let's go.' So, I vividly remember the first Sunday in college being like, "Okay am I doing this or not?" And it was just such an easy yes. Looking back, I could see my relationship with Christ growing and how He had been faithful through those years.
Q: What are you most excited about since joining the staff at Calvary?
A: Oh, so many things! I have just felt called to women's ministry for a long time; it's what has been on my heart since college and I've always had a hand in the discipling of women in their growth with the Lord. As I watched Calvary from afar, in praying and processing the question of "is this where God wants me?", it was so cool to see the foundation of Women's Ministry that's already been laid with Study and Share and the content being put out and the tools available to equip women. As I'm able to engage in the "next step," the next season of the journey is just exciting; to see what we're going to curate and what God has in store for us as women.
Along with the Study and Share element, [I'm also excited about] getting to think about what it looks like to gather together! I think if 2020 has taught us anything, it's that community is so important and so many of us realized we didn't have it when COVID hit. We were like, "Oh wait, no one's called me in three days? What's going on?" Thinking about what it looks like to gather safely together, to be able to have the community that we were created for—no matter the season of life we're in, no matter where we find ourselves, but knowing there's a group of women who love and care for us and help us in our journey. I'm excited to see how that flushes out strategically and specifically over the next couple of years. As I was praying and prepping for this season, it just got me so excited about what God's already done and will continue to do through the women here.
Q: What do you do when you're not at Calvary?
A: A good chunk of my time is spent on a podcast! You can also find me having honest conversations, which is just a really sweet hobby of mine that's kind of turned into a thing. I love to read books because they are helpful and then dive into conversations of tough topics through a Biblical lens. Also, any type of like musical-music-thing, I'm in for. The joy of being this close to Broadway when it reopens—I was like, "Thank you, Lord!" I usually will always have music playing. So yes, I would say you'd find me either talking on a podcast or at a concert or a show or something musical.
Q: Do you play any musical instruments?
A: So my claim to fame is that I was bassline captain for my senior year of high school. I'm still waiting for my "Little Drummer" solo in a church pageant; that's really the goal. I did play bass clarinet, so I can read music, but not at any proficient level. Don't sign me up for anything! I'll just absorb people who are really good at what they do.