LFC-Huntersville Staff Updates
December 13, 2018Dear Lake Forest-Huntersville:
As we head into 2019, our staff team will look and operate a little different – new additions, expanded roles and some goodbyes. Growth and life changes tend to always shake things up. As we recently discussed in our message series, ministry work is not set apart from other work – it all matters to God. However, we are very grateful that our professional calling involves serving and partnering with this tribe. Relationships, not transactions or products, are the core of our work, which is why we want to share these staff changes with you.
Coming Off Staff, but remaining in the LFC worship family:
Andy Muhich will be leaving his role as Missions Pastor at the end of this year to pursue an entrepreneurial business startup that provides opportunity to embed kingdom values into organizations and help steward resources towards blessing others. Andy began attending LFC over a decade ago while a student at Davidson College. After graduation, he served as LFC-WestLake’s first youth pastor before moving into his role as leader of LFC’s Mission Team. Andy was ordained as a pastor in the EPC in 2016. Under his guidance, we’ve strengthened our cross-cultural relationships in Huntington Green and reaffirmed our commitment to serve families in distress through Safe Families. Andy will remain a member of our Missions Team and he and wife Kim will continue to be active Ministry Partners.
Tiffany Arachikavitz, who has served as our Early Childhood Coordinator this last year, will leave our team in late winter/early spring to pursue an incredible opportunity to do ministry with her husband, Daniel, at an international church in Shanghai, China. Please pray for their family, which includes three young sons, as they work through the necessary paperwork and logistics for this unfolding God story.
In early 2019 our leadership will work to fill the gaps that Andy and Tiffany will leave as we continue to grow.
As we noted last week, Suzanne Powell is moving into a new chapter of her empty-nest life in Morganton, NC. She served as the office manager and executive assistant to Pastor Mike and our executive directors/pastors for more than 11 years – plus a few dozen other official and un-official roles. Her last day was December 13.
Sammi Jo Sharp stepped in as our interim receptionist in September and has done an awesome job helping us through transition in that role. We are so thankful for her always-ready-to-help attitude and for her welcoming presence to our guests. Join us in praying for Sammi as she discerns what’s next in her calling for global missions.
Melissa Alvarez made a decision to leave her role as Ministry Assistant in August to focus on her family. Her generous and caring spirit is missed by all of us. However, we’re thankful that she continues to partner with Tracy Grubbs to create beauty throughout our Gathering Space and serve on our worship team.
New Additions:
Pamela Schwarz joined the team on December 10 and will serve as Spiritual Formation Administrative Assistant. She will work alongside Jeff Cook to make sure no one “falls through the cracks” and help people connect to opportunities to discover, belong, share and go at LFC. Pamela and her husband, Brock, also help lead our 20Somethings Group.
Shelby Cochran also joined our staff on December 10 and will serve in a part-time role as Pastor Mike’s Executive Assistant. She will coordinate Mike’s schedule, projects and teams that he leads. Shelby, her husband Daniel and two sons moved to Huntersville from Florida in 2018 and they began calling LFC their church home last spring.
Dusten Harward will come on board in January as LFC’s first Technical Coordinator, overseeing everything on campus related to audio-visual and production. He will also lead the team of Ministry Partners who serve on our Sunday morning production teams. Dusten and his wife Recah have one son.
New Roles:
Cammie Howard has a new title – Shepherd Minister to Women & Youth. Cammie will now lead our Women’s Ministry Team and will continue to partner with Mike Hall to cast vision for our Youth Ministry and care for re:mix leaders and parents of teens. This new role will also allow Cammie the ability to expand work in her sweet spot, which is providing one-to-one care and counseling.
Kellee Olmsted has been promoted to Children’s Ministry Coordinator, expanding her role as leader of our elementary program to now overseeing our entire Kidtropolis ministry and staff from birth – 5th grade.
Catherine Greenberg will add LFC-Huntersville Office Coordinator to her duties as Human Resources Coordinator. She’s just the woman to keep us running ship-shape!
Please join us in welcoming these new team members, and in thanking those who are moving on for a job well done!
-The Pastors and Staff of LFC-Huntersville