New Member Profile: Stacey Bollinger

Stacey Bollinger moved to Lancaster with her husband, Jamie, in June 2010 with the purchase of their first home. This past February they welcomed their first child, Adelynn Marie. Stacey holds a bachelor’s degree in communication/journalism and a master’s degree in communication studies. She has worked in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors in the marketing and public relations field. She is currently a Tastefully Simple consultant and looking for a job in the marketing and public relations industry closer to home. While at Shippensburg University for her studies, she met her husband, Jamie. Jamie works within the education department at LancasterHistory.org, where he recently joined their team after working in downtown Lancaster at the Heritage Center of Lancaster.

Since moving to the area, Stacey was in search for a new church home. Growing up in the Methodist faith she began her search there. After passing Hempfield UMC while going to and from daycare for Addie, she thought she would check things out. Stacey and Addie began attending services this summer together. She loves the vast array of programs for every age group and how alive the spirit is here. Some of her happiest childhood memories involve activities at or surrounding the church, and she wanted a fun, creative and vibrant environment for Addie to learn about and grow in her relationship with Christ.

Stacey has a love of baking, wine tasting, walking around and exploring downtown Lancaster, and all things art. She is a classically-trained singer, and most recently performed with Opera Lancaster in their 2010 production of Opera Lancaster. She looks forward to becoming involved in our church family and their music ministry.

Click HERE to see profiles of the rest of our new members and be sure to welcome them when you see them. 

New Member Profile: Vanessa Labarriere

Sabine Vanessa Labarriere has three children who attend the church with her and she is a nurse at Moravian Manor.

She moved to Lancaster four years ago from New York, but was born in Haiti. She speaks creole and french. She loves reading and spending time with her kids, skating  and cooking.

She attends the 10 a.m. service and decided to join the church because she “loves the fact that my kids are able to know more about God by attending the classes.”

“I also love how friendly everyone is and how welcome they made me feel,” Vanessa wrote. “What drew me to the church is the fact that I only live across the street from it and I needed a church to go and pray to the Lord. I didn’t think that I would love it so much that I would want to be a member.”

“When I was a little girl, my mom always took me to church on Sundays. We were Catholic and as I got older and started reading the Bible I knew what it ment to give yourself to the Lord. When I was 22 I had a horrible car accident – the car was totaled but I came out with no broken arms or legs. That’s when I decided that God needs me and He protected me from this accident and that I must give myself to Him and praise Him for all He has done for me.”

Vanessa currently isn’t involved in serving at the church but is interested in getting involved in helping out with people in need.

Check back tomorrow for a profile of Stacey Bollinger. Click HERE to see all of the profiles we’ve run so far. 

New Member Profile: Bob Siemasko & Linda Breneman

Bob and Linda both reside in Lancaster and are recently retired from the County of Lancaster.

Linda has two grown children and two grandchildren. Bob has two sons, who live out of the area.

Linda graduated from Saint Joseph Academy. Her interests are her grandchildren and gardening. Bob graduated from Villanova University and has a master’s degree in criminal justice administration. Both love to read and enjoy the beach and outdoors.

They were brought to Hempfield United Methodist Church after searching for a home church and have been attending worship here for the last 18 months

“We enjoy how the Gospel is preached and we look forward to growing in our faith building a stronger relationship with Jesus,” they wrote. “We found the new members class was great with interesting discussion, fellowship and study.”

Check back tomorrow for a profile of Vanessa Labarriere. Click HERE to see all of the profiles we’ve run so far. 

New Member Profile: Scott and Cheryl Russell

The Russell family has been attending the 10 a.m. service since this summer.

The vibrant youth program has excited their four children; Katie (sixth grade LIC ), Annie (third grade LPC), Will (first grade LPC), and Thomas (preschool).

Scott is originally from Langhorne, Pa., and graduated from Neshaminy High School. Cheryl is originally from Cherryville, Pa., and graduated from Northampton High School. Both are alumni of the University of Pittsburgh and Kansas State University.

Scott is a local municipal engineer, a Rotarian and former U.S. Army Captain. Cheryl is a homemaker and a former nursing home administrator. They are thankful for Hempfield UMC’s Gospel-led service and praise-filled music.

Check back tomorrow for a profile of Bob Siemasko & Linda Breneman. Click HERE to see all of the profiles we’ve run so far. 

New Member Profile: Benjamin Hershock

A few years ago, Ben was invited to attend a Dave Ramsey ministry at Hempfield UMC by a friend.

After leaving to work in Baltimore for a couple years, he came back to Lancaster and decided to join because “it is a church where the people are strong in spirit and their activities show a full devotion to the Lord.”

He looks forward to becoming involved with the activities of the church and continuing his spiritual growth with the Lord. Ben had served in the Army National Guard for eight years and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology from Penn State University. He worked as an engineer in the Natural Gas Utilities for more than 10 years and is currently the supervisor of pipeline integrity at UGI Utilities Inc. He enjoys paintball, Hershey Bears hockey, tennis, running in 5Ks and spending time with his nieces and nephews.

Check back tomorrow for a profile of Scott and Cheryl Russell. Click HERE to see all of the profiles we’ve run so far. 

New Member Profile: Trevor and Judy Gontz

Trevor and Judy Gontz have been attending Hempfield UMC for four years and have been shepherds for preschool Kids Konnection for the past three years.

They have decided to join our church family because they have “found a home” here. They have two sons, Nickolas, who is age 6 and Benjamin, age 4.

Trevor is a technology teacher in the Elizabethtown Area School District and Judy wears two hats. Judy has worked in insurance for years and is a newly certified mathematics teacher. Trevor enjoys the outdoors, photography, genealogy and working with computers. Judy also enjoys the outdoors, playing games and watching and playing all sports.

They met while attending college at Millersville University. Trevor grew up in Chambersburg and Judy’s hometown is Abottstown. Nick and Ben are highly energetic, lovable boys. Trevor and Judy welcome the opportunity to grow in Christ and to teach their boys about Jesus.

Check back tomorrow for a profile of Benjamin Hershock. Click HERE to see all of the profiles we’ve run so far. 

New Member Profile: Jeanie Pflugrad

Jeanie Pflugrad and her husband, George, have two adult children. Their daughter and son-in-law live in Michigan and their son lives in North Carolina. Jeanie and George met in high school and have been married for 42 years. They are originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and also lived 20 years in East Amherst, N.Y.

For the last nine years Jeanie has been employed by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education at Millersville University. Her position is director of payroll. Millersville University is where Jeanie became good friends with Bunky Frey, a neighbor who is active here. Bunky invited her to a Bible study several years ago they have attended our church’s women’s retreats together.

She was baptized, confirmed, and married in a Lutheran church.

“While still in Wisconsin, I organized the nursery for our church,” Jeanie wrote. “We had three services with many little ones so we had to schedule three adults for each service. When we moved to New York, I was asked to teach Sunday school. It was one of my favorite times of the week. When my children were in confirmation class there were more students than teachers so I agreed to teach confirmation class for a few years.”

“In the early 1980s I developed a strong appetite for the Word of God. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t spend time studying the Bible. The more I learn, the more I realize how much more I need to learn. The journey is never ending. One might say my hobby is studying the Bible. I love all the online resources that are now available to help you grow. I have to admit, I still prefer to have four or five translations of the Bible in book form laid out to the same verses while studying rather than electronic versions.”

Jeanie has not yet decided where her skills would be best used in service here.

“Spending time in prayer for the needs of others has been a major part of my life the last 10 years,” she wrote.

Check back tomorrow as we get to know the Trevor and Judy Gontz. Click HERE to read all the profiles we’ve run so far.

New Member Profile: Brian Hetsko

Brian Hetsko lives in Mount Joy but is originally from Scranton. He graduated from Wyoming Valley West High School in 1997 and completed a degree in computer engineering at Lehigh University in 2001. He completed a master’s of engineering in electrical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in 2005.

He lived on the Jersey Shore for eight years while working for the U.S. Army, then moved to Princeton for two years while working for Sarnoff Corporation. During those years in N.J., he was also the assistant band director and percussion instructor for Shore Regional High School and technical theater director for Wall Township High School. He was the lead drummer and Sgt. Major in the Pipes and Drums of the Atlantic Watch and performed all over the world with them. He was appointed as a departmental guest at Princeton University in 2007 and 2008 and is also an active Freemason and was the Master of my Lodge in New Jersey in 2009 and 2010.

Brian moved to Mount Joy in August. His girlfriend, Jamie, has two daughters, Mackenzie and Kylie. He is the chief engineer for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at AAI Corporation in Hunt Valley, Md., primarily working with current and next generation UAVs for the Army.

“I began coming to Hempfield UMC in January after over 15 years away from any religion whatsoever,” Brian wrote. “I was invited by Jaime Ridilla while visiting and was truly moved by Pastor John’s message and program on the life of Christ that reinvigorated my faith. I began listening to the sermon podcasts and attended whenever I was in the area.”

He is involved with the worship band here and looks forward to serving more.

Check back here tomorrow for a profile of Jeanie Pflugrad. Click HERE to see all of the new member profiles we’ve run so far.

New Member Profile: Kevin and Kelley Keel

We have been married for six years and have a wonderful 2-year-old son, Caleb. We are also expecting a baby girl in February. We moved to the Lancaster area from Allentown a few months ago. We just purchased a new home in Mount Joy. Kevin works for Mack Trucks Inc. as a materials manager and has been asked to help a supplier in Lancaster for a few years. Kelley was a Spanish teacher in a middle school but now has the best job in the world as a stay-at-home mom. Neither of us are originally from Pennsylvania. Kevin grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and Kelley is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. We enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, golfing, and exploring new things with our son.

We attended Bethany United Methodist Church in Wescosville while living in Allentown. When we arrived at Hempfield UMC we felt welcome with open arms. Everyone was so kind and welcoming that we felt at home right away. We attend the 10 a.m. service and our son Caleb is in the 2-year-old classroom. At Bethany we were involved in the Marriage Ministry and are planning on becoming involved in the Marriage Ministry here. We look forward to meeting new friends and becoming a part of the church family.

I (Kevin) grew up attending a Catholic church. It was not until I started attending Bethany United Methodist in Allentown that I realized that I was missing something in my spiritual walk. After attending Bethany for a short while I became involved in a small group bible study. This helped me to begin my spiritual walk with Jesus Christ. Kelley and I also became involved in Marriage Enrichment which helped us to grow closer to each other and to Jesus Christ as well. Last year I participated in the Top Gun men’s bible study which helped me deepen my spiritual walk. Top Gun also helped me become the spiritual leader of my family.

I (Kelley) grew up attending church weekly in a Lutheran church. It wasn’t until I met Kevin that I really grew deep into my spiritual journey with Jesus Christ. Kevin and I were at about the same place spiritually when we met and decided that in order for us to have a strong relationship and eventually marriage we needed to have God in the center. We began to do devotionals daily and prayed together each day. As we grew closer to God we also grew closer to each other. God has been the center of our marriage and has made us strong as a couple and as individuals. As we have been through difficulties in our lives we made sure we kept focused on God even in the tough times. I still feel like I have a long way to go in my spiritual journey and look forward to becoming a part of Bible studies at Hempfield UMC in order to deepen my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Check back here tomorrow as we get to know Brian Hetsko. Click HERE to see all of the profiles.

New Member Profile: Fred Iliff

Fred Cox Iliff is a father of four (Mary Ann Cioffi of Pembroke N.H., Dr. Susan Iliff of Scotch Plains, N.J., William Iliff of McClure Ohio, and Nancy Love of Laurel, Md.) and five gifted grandchildren. He is a retired funeral director and embalmer from Newton, N.J.

He is joining Hempfield UMC because it is the home church of his bride, Shirley H. Aument, who he married in May 2011.

“I am blessed,” Fred wrote in his biography. “I was born in the Methodist Church. Some of my earliest recollections are of walking to our local Methodist church from home, sitting through Sunday school and attending church with my parents and sisters and later my brother. My father sang in the choir and in my teenage years I joined him along with my older sister. Choir rehearsal every Thursday evening, many dinners as prepared by the ladies of the church, as I remember a monthly events to earn funds for the WCTU. I attended several Methodist campout weeks and I think I came to know Christ during one of the evening vesper services out in one of our local state forests. Perhaps an idyllic scene with tall pines, a bright moon shining and a charismatic clergyman.”

Fred has served his home church as a member of the board, a trustee, a substitute Sunday school teacher, lay speaker, janitor and member of the outreach team cooking and serving a hot meal in a local soup kitchen.

“I have always said that I am waiting God to tap me on the shoulder and tell me what he wants me to do next,” he wrote.

Check back tomorrow for a new member profile of Kevin and Kelley Keel.