Adults

I’m Laura Burger. I joined the United Church of Christ of California in 1990 when I married my husband Steven. I am originally from Iowa and was living in Columbia when I met Steven on a blind date! Over the years, I have spent my time as a stay-at-home mom raising our two sons (Grant and Luke), along with 1st volunteering and then working part-time at the Elementary School along with volunteering for and also leading many different church programs at the church.

Now that our sons are grown and our family has grown to include our daughter-in-law Bailey (married to Grant), I am a housewife and volunteer my time at church. My favorite things to do are spend time with family and good friends, travel, fish, read, and do jigsaw puzzles. I love the outdoors and working in my yard. Along with leading these two groups, I also teach Sunday School and sing in the Senior Choir.

I started the Prayer Cell group on May 15, 2001. We have faithfully met weekly on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. at the church for the past 18 years. Only rarely – due to a holiday or bad weather – do we not meet The group is all women except Pastor Russ, but both men and women are welcome to join the group. The only requirements for being a member are that you commit to praying daily for those on our Prayer List and keep confidential information. I am currently the leader of R.O.K. which is an acronym for Reaching Our Kids.

Leader: Pamela Ives Hill

My husband, Doug, our son, Stephen, and I moved from Bellingham, Washington, in 2000. We spent several years searching for a church home, and through Reaffirmation of Faith and Stephen’s baptism, our family joined the United Church of Christ California in December 2005. Our son and his wife, Angela, now live in St. Louis but often visit and join us at worship services.

We have been very blessed to be members of the UCC California. Our church is a beautiful place to worship and receive biblical education and fellowship. We value the friendships and support we have received over the years from our church family during difficult and happy times in our lives.

I have been involved in several church ministries, serving on the Evangelism Committee, Financial Review Committee, and the Consistory. My husband has served on the Building Committee. After my retirement as an accountant and adjunct accounting professor, I became active in the Women’s Guild.

The Women’s Guild meets on the third Wednesday afternoon of each month. We are a group of women of all age groups. Our meetings are both inspirational and informative. In 2022, we are wrapping up our study of Jesus’s Miracles and will start a study of Lamentations. We have studied the Twelve Apostles, the Catechism, and the Women of the Bible in the past few years. We enjoy our study time, brief business meetings, and fellowship.

The Women’s Guild offers Celebration of Life dinners to all members and extended church families. Our monthly offering and donations fund the dinners. We have two groups that alternate in preparing and serving the meals and volunteers who prepare the desserts. As requested, we also support the other church needs in serving meals and refreshments.

Our group participates in various activities, such as birthday celebrations at the local care centers and other community projects like 3MT, the Community Service Project, the Ministerial Alliance Thanksgiving meal, and the Red Cross Blood Drive. We support a monthly benevolence and provide cards, gifts, and prayers for our shut-in church members. We provide flowers for the sanctuary and throughout the church.

Favorite Bible Verse:
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” NKJV

Leader: David Meyer

Hi, I am serving my first term as the Chair of the Men’s Brotherhood. I grew up in High Point, MO. My wife Rhonda my two daughters, Caitlin and Cameron, and I have been church members here for approximately 20 years. The Brotherhood is a group of men of all ages. We meet on the fourth Monday of each month. We start with a devotion, usually a short business meeting, then a program of various sorts, quite often a guest speaker with a great deal of interaction with the members. We take turns providing refreshments and we do a lot of visiting. Other activities include decorating the church for Christmas, Christmas caroling, a community service project with inmates from the Tipton Correctional Center, and church services at the nursing homes when our church is responsible for services.

Favorite Bible Verse: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

All men of the church are invited and encouraged to be a part of the Brotherhood meetings on the fourth Monday evening most months, at 7:00 PM. Typical meetings include a devotion, hymn singing, informational and inspiration program, and closing with fellowship and refreshments. An offering is taken each month to support various projects around the church and our community.