Elders
The Elders serve as an extension of the pastoral office. Their primary role is one of care. They assist pastors in worship and in theological discussion, help teach bible classes, assist in making home or hospital visits, and are open ears to our congregation and their needs and opinions.
Name: Jarrod Cunnings
Office Serving: Elder
Married: 10 years to Angela Cunnings
Family: Elizabeth (8), Thomas (6), Theresa (20 months)
Years at St. Luke: 5 +years
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
The most recent Church Home growth and in My Discipling Relationships have been with my children. Now that my oldest is able to read and comprehend the basics, I have enjoyed explaining to her about Jesus and the text of the gospel. My 6-year-old enjoys actively grabs his bible to look through and try to read. My 20 month has just learned to fold her hands when we give thanks at dinner. But most importantly, I enjoy instilling the desire to serve. I try to actively get my children to help me when I usher because I want them to learn to interact with other and to humbly serve others in the name of Jesus.
Name: Rick Darragh
Office Serving: Elder
Married: To Debbie Darragh for 44 wonderful years.
Family: Three grown children Ben Darragh, Anna Publiski, Emily Quinton and 9 grandchildren
Years at St. Luke: 34 years
Tell a story of how you have experienced one of our core values.
Recently I have been leaning into dependence on Jesus. My elderly mother recently has had some serious health issues that have taken her from living independently to rehab and assisted living situations. Walking with her in this, along with other family members, we have seen Jesus at work in many of the challenges that are involved in these difficult transitions for us and for her. One of the things Jesus showed me during this time is that He is always with us and is very near as he has promised. As in the Bible story of the three men in the fiery furnace God did not spare them from the fire but was with them and saved them in the fire. Another point that has been helpful during this time is something from the Delight sermon series in that as we lean into Jesus and delight in him, he molds and shapes our desires to resonate with what he desires for us even in challenging situations.
Name: Sean Egmon
Office Serving: Elder
Married: 25 years to Lisa
Family: Angela, Robyn and Samuel
Years at St. Luke: 23 or so
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
The more I look, the more I see. Realizing that God delights in me has helped me to see obstacles at work, home and church as opportunities to see what Jesus has in mind. Building my faith and the faith of those around me can be seen in the way we respond to things that don’t go our way. I see that I’ve changed, my family has changed and our church has changed to be more loving, less argumentative and more focused on relationships. Those opportunities bear fruit in ways that only Jesus could form.
Name: Steve Hoover
Office: Serving Elder
Married: 25 years with Susan
Family: Bethany, Jonathan, and Joshua
Years at St.Luke years: 36
Tell a story of how you have experienced one of our core values.
We host a small group at our house, where we most certainly connect thru relationship. But recently as we have been studying Peter, we have had some in depth discussions about Theology, especially comparing our church’s to others. The core value of faithfulness to complex truths has been evident in all of these. This has had an effect on my children as well, as one of them was spending time with another church’s youth group, but ultimately stopped because they deny the trinity. We may not fully understand it, but they displayed faithfulness to it, defending it to the group when it came up.
Name: Tom Kamrath
Office Serving: Elder
Married: Yes, 42 years to my wonderful wife Pam
Family: (3) children and (7) grandchildren.
Years at St. Luke: Have worshiped at St Luke for 18 years
Tell a story of how you have experienced one of our core values.
Being active in various ministries at St. Luke has allowed me to be involved with people outside of our Sunday morning worship and get to know them on a more personal level. Currently, we are in the Precepts class learning more about the Bible and God’s love for us.
Name: Ron McCarty
Office Serving: Elder
Married: 45 years to Patti McCarty
Three grown children: Megan Colon, Emily Dawes, Paul McCarty
Membership at St. Luke: 30 plus years.
How have you seen our mission statement lived out in your life?
The mission statement has gotten me beyond just learning the names of our members. I now try to get to know each person a little better by sharing and learning more about their story. In the environment of church sometimes time doesn’t permit us to get to know very much about each other. Knowing His story and knowing that we are on each other’s rope makes serving the membership of St. Luke a joy.
Name: Jim Putz
Office Serving: Elder
Married: Luana 33 years
Family: Matthew, Brandon and Jacob, all grown
Years at St. Luke: Transferred to St. Luke in 1990
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
In My Church Home in the shared experience of worship services. As a group we are all in this together when we bring our burdens to Jesus and we rejoice together in the sights and sounds of His Word.
Name: Andy Smith
Office Serving: Elder
Married: 28 years to Roxanne Smith
Family: Jakob, age 22 yrs
Years at St. Luke: 46 yrs
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
During our Sunday morning education hour, high school students attended with adults for a recent Bible study and discussion series. This type of intergenerational contact can be powerful.
Jesus has also orchestrated some “coincidences” – e.g., a member of our home fellowship group met by “chance” a young couple who had a strong interest in, and many profound questions about, Jesus. They attended our small group several times; they read and discussed Scripture with us. It was a privilege to tell them about Jesus.
Name: Austin Thomason
Office Serving: Elder
Years at St. Luke: 23ish…?
Tell a story of how you have experienced one of our core values.
Connection through authentic relationships has been a big one for me lately. I’m somebody who spends a lot of time with my friends, and I feel as if I’ve neglected my family a bit over the past few years. I’ve intentionally spent more time with my family recently, and it’s been very rewarding. For the first time in over 3 years, I went to Grand Rapids to reconnect with my sister and her family. I was a bit nervous to go because of how little we’ve connected over the years, but I didn’t need to be. We picked up right where we left off. It was great going to church with them and getting to know their faith community. I’m enjoying the rekindled relationships and looking forward to spending even more time with my family!
Spiritual Leadership Council
The Spiritual Leadership Council, or “SLC,” is the primary lay leadership group in our congregation. As defined by our by-laws, this governance board is elected directly by the congregation and acts on behalf of the congregation to oversee and support the direction and mission of the church.
Name: Aaron Johnson
Office Serving: President
Married: Kristine Johnson
Family: Ben, Charlotte, Olive, Margie and one on the way
Years at St. Luke: 5
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
I have seen Jesus active in our Church Home. We have seen many changes here at St. Luke. The changes have not been what we expected, and have not been what we could have predicted. Jesus has been active in these changes and has prepared our church for the next step he has planned for us. The future is exciting and frightening all at the same time. Through it all we will hold onto the fact that Jesus is working among us and is walking alongside us. I’m excited to see what he is up to next.
Name: Jason Hallman
Office Serving: Vice President
Married: 11 years to Kristin Hallman
Family: Everett (1st grade), Owen (Kindergarten), #3 due Dec/5/2018
Years at St. Luke: 6 years
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
These are all interconnected! St Luke has been a place through which Jesus has drawn me into deep discipling relationships. A few years ago I began an intentional journey of discipling with a small group of St. Luke men. Some I knew well, some I knew only casually. I wasn’t clear at the time in what I had agreed to participate. Through these men I learned to better recognize the work of Jesus in my life and live out the values of St Luke daily. I recognized kairos moments as I moved through my everyday communities. I sought the stories of others in ways I likely would have been blind to only a year or two ago. Moreover, I was blessed to get to know a great group of men, and even more blessed to have them walk with me through the difficulties of life. I see now how Jesus was actively placing on my rope the right people for the time and place.
I think that Jesus wants to provide these kind of authentic relationships for all of us. After all, his ministry on earth was characterized by a small core group of individuals whom he discipled for a time… before sending them out to “seek others’ stories.” I want to help St Luke to continue growing into a place which supports the formation of these authentic relationships. These authentic relationships then can support us to be sent out to form authentic relationships in our everyday communities.
Name: Karla Chapman
Office Serving: Treasurer
Family: 2 adult children: Kayla & Kyle
Years at St. Luke: 16
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
I have seen Jesus active in my everyday communities more and more. Part of it is that I am praying that I see Him in all places because so often I can get so busy that I am unaware of what Jesus is doing. I ask Him to show me how to be helpful to those I share my life with at work, where I work out, and when I am meeting with friends.
Name: Roxanne Smith
Office Serving: Secretary
Married: to Andy
Family: 1 son Jakob, 22
Years at St. Luke: since 1986—32 years, during which St. Luke has felt like it’s been at least five different churches!
How have you seen our mission statement lived out in your life?
Last year at this time I noticed a young Asian couple in our church lobby. I introduced myself and learned that they were from China, had been in the U.S. for only a month, and had never been in a church before. (I am withholding their names for their protection.) The young woman told me she was interested in learning about the Bible. I introduced them to my husband and several members of our small group, and we spent the morning helping them through the Bible study in the Great Room and then late service in our Sanctuary. We weren’t sure they understood much but simply tried to make them feel welcome. Since our small group was meeting that afternoon, we invited them to join us. They were delighted to accept.
Over the next 6 months, we got to know this young couple’s story and had the privilege of introducing them to Jesus…sharing in His story. Pastor Matt suggested that we give them a Chinese English Bible so that they could read it in their heart language. So we did. We all signed it and gave it to them. The young woman also attended a St. Luke weekday Bible Study group when she could. They even got connected with an international student ministry which was helpful to them.
Last Friday they flew back to China. They will be seeking out a Christian church in their hometown. Her parting words of thanks were, “You let me feel God. Now we are believers in Jesus!” None of their friends, neighbors, or colleagues were Christian, and only one family member, an aunt, had faith in Jesus. God used their one year in the U.S. for postgraduate research to show Himself to them. It was truly an honor for our small group to be a part of how God worked!
Name: Spencer Alan Young
Office Serving: Member At-Large
Married: Rebekah Leigh Young 5+ years.
Family: Beatrice Marie, Iris Genevieve
Years at St. Luke: 24+ not sure if I was 3, 4 or 5 when my parents started attending.
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
I am learning more and more that I need to decrease and Jesus needs to increase (John 3:30) in my life. Reading through the Psalms over the past few weeks has been a joy and a delight to see how God gives us everything that we need. He gives himself to us through his word and through Jesus’s Body and Blood through communion. He gives us his Holy Spirit to breathe life and give faith to us through Baptism, and he gives us his word to guide our path as a Lamp onto our feet. Jesus tells us how to walk, how to work, how to rest, how to act, how to love, how to pray, how to worship and so much more. And when we don’t do as he tells us, he tells us how he will forgive, show mercy, save us, comfort us and dwell with us.
Name: Jim Sorgatz
Office Serving: Member At-Large
Married: Marian
Family: Emily Seltz and Erin Guelzow
Years at St. Luke: 4
Where have you seen Jesus active in at least one of our growth environments?
During the days leading up to a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I had an opportunity to share our excitement and tour details with two of my neighbors and three other friends. I was surprised at their interest and anxiousness to hear more upon our return, not really knowing where they stood, spiritually speaking.
We recently completed our journey. I have seen the three friends and this was their first question, “Well, how was your trip?” I was startled by their eager inquiries. A door for dialog has opened. Jesus is alive and working! I was able to easily share spiritual insights and personal reflections. I look forward to my first encounter with my two neighbors. Perhaps new opportunities will develop with them, as well. Thank you God!
Name: Chad Woltemath
Office Serving: Spiritual Leadership Council At-Large Member
Married: 25 years to Heidi Woltemath
Years at St. Luke: 11 years
Tell a story of how you have experienced one of our core values.
One of the reasons Heidi and I started worshipping at St. Luke was the variety of ministry opportunities available through the congregation. We sensed that St. Luke had an openness to people and expression by the variety of worship styles, multi-site ministry (at the time), partnerships with community groups, and various ministries that reached both internal and external constituents. It was important we were part of an LCMS congregation (as we knew that such would remain faithful to the complex truths of Scripture), but we were excited to be amongst a congregation that had a vibrant multi-generational ministry, a diverse community, and a desire for more people to know Jesus. St. Luke has transitioned much over the years we have been here, and we look forward to being a part of the next chapter of ministry at St. Luke.
