Christine serves as the Worship and Creative Arts Director at Grace. She felt drawn to the intersection of music and faith at a young age, and has served and led in many worshipping communities. She received her bachelors degree in Music Education from the University of Toronto, and her M.Div from Fuller Seminary.

Christine values collaborative leadership, deep friendships, and time with her 3 boys.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: What makes you feel known and loved..

Allen joined the Grace Staff Team as the Connections Director in January 2025 and is pursuing a masters of Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary. He joins our team after spending the past 3 years at Grace with his family. Throughout his time at Grace, he’s served with the Men’s Ministry, Circle Up Groups, and This is Grace: Distinctives. You’ve likely seen him around in the atrium hanging out and chatting with others on the weekend!

Allen is the devoted husband to Noemy since 2019 and proud father to Juliana and Lucas.

Allen loves hosting and hanging out with friends over a good meal and can make a really good “arroz con gandules.” He also enjoys going to the gym, hiking, and watching a good Netflix series. For movies, he enjoys the action or mystery genre, with some of his favorites being The Bourne Trilogy, Inception, and The Sixth Sense. His ultimate favorite thing to do is spending quality time with his wife and kids — making them laugh and playing silly games.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: the amazing ways you’ve been seeing God show up in your life and discipleship.

Kelly grew up in Maryland and graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Independent Studies, focused in health and social sciences. She worked for 7 years in both the corporate world and medical community before following God’s call to be at home to raise and support her family (her favorite job to date!). Over the years, God has opened her eyes to how important family is and how the family unit plays such an important role in faith formation, partnering with the church. Her past experiences as a Sunday School teacher and coordinator, along with 7 years in Howard County schools, has prepared her for her current role as Grace Kids Prep Coordinator. 

You might see her husband, Trevor, waving around an orange flag outside on the traffic team, which he coordinates, and they have been married for nearly 27 years. They have called Grace their church home for about 8 years. They first started attending when their oldest daughter, Brooke, was about to begin high school. Brooke and their youngest daughter, Paige, are in college. Kelly has served in Grace Students for 7 years as D-Team host and more recently as the creative a props coordinator for  Journey With Jesus, Grace’s annual Holy Week drama experience. 

In her free time, Kelly enjoys hiking, biking, an occasional adventure race, and making or enjoying a good meal. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: a good cup of tea, gardening/the environment, or your favorite recipe!

Thomas is a DC native who serves as the Disciple Making Pastor. Outside of when he’s with his wife and three daughter, he’s happiest around books, movies, coffee, & sneakers.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: WWII; Jesus in the Old Testament; Batman

Matt has been on staff since 2010, fulfilling a variety of roles, including Grace Students Worship Coordinator, Grace Students AV Tech Lead, GADC Program Director, and Facilities and Security.

He started attending Grace in 1998. A family friend invited him to the youth ministry and he immediately got involved. He has volunteered in worship, technical, and small group ministries since the 6th grade. You will most likely see him in the sound booth on a Sunday wearing an Eagles hat.

He enjoys cooking and baking, especially cajun/creole food. Being able to create a delicious dish and share it with someone is one of his favorite things in the world. He hopes his daughter will learn to love something other than frozen chicken nuggets.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Delicious Food, delicious food, and delicious food

Dave joined the Grace staff team as the Pastor of Family Ministries in 2018 and transitioned to the role of Executive Pastor of Ministries in 2025. Dave has been in pastoral ministry for 18 years, serving in family ministry for all of those years. Before that, he was a math teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools for 2 years before making the jump into full-time ministry.

He was born and raised in the DC area and is one of the few native Marylanders who love the Orioles, Terps and the WFT (formerly known as the Skins) because “in my days of growing up, there were no Nationals or Ravens.”

He is married to Jen for 22 years and has 5 kids, 1 adopted. They are foster parents and have had 14+ foster kids come through their home to live with them. You can find him spending time with his family, cheering on one of their kids at a sports game. He also loves strong coffee and tacos. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Sports (O’s, Terps and WFT), Family, Golf, Foster Care, and helping kids in the community

Matt and his wife, Michele, have attended Grace since November of 1989! He has many years of experience in operations and production within a variety of facilities.

He has 4 kids, 3 grandkids, and 2 dogs. His hobbies usually include many house projects.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: How his kids are doing!

Julissa has been at Grace since 2015 and on staff since August of 2021. Prior to working here, she was working on and off as a housekeeper. She has also been involved with the Woven ministry by taking care of babies, toddlers, and kids at Grace!

With her servant heart, she has loved to volunteer during her free time wherever she could since she’s been a part of this church. She also loves to bake and cook!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: God, food, about yourself, your culture, or K-Dramas!

Armida works at Grace under/with the facilities department and has been for many years! She has 20+ years of experience in housekeeping. As she works throughout the buildings, you may have seen her singing and praying for everyone.

She has two wonderful children. In her free time, the Bible is what she enjoys reading the most.

Strike up a conversion. Just mention: All they need to do is mention God. She loves God above all. He is her savior, her everything. She can’t do anything without him! Praise be to Him.

Aline joined Grace in October 2019. Since then, she has faithfully served as a Community Group Leader and as a member of the Hospitality Team and Welcome Team, which she considers the apple of her eye. She joined the Grace Staff Team in 2025.

Born and raised in Brazil, Aline is a compassionate individual with a deep love for learning and a strong desire to make a positive impact on others. She is passionate about promoting health and well-being.

Aline enjoys good food, hiking, exercising, and watching funny movies. She’s a people person with a heart for the nations and diverse cultures. Her favorite book of the Bible is Ephesians.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Brazil, hiking, healthy recipes, exercise, Discipleship, and cultural diversity.

Jayden joined Grace in 2019 before the pandemic hit and started off serving with the AV team as a video shader in 2021.

He was born in South Korea and came to the United States for his theological studies in 2010 when he was 29 years old. While pursuing his M.Div degree, he served a Korean Immigrant church as an assistant pastor of young adults for 6 years and served Tremont Baptist Church in Boston, Massachusetts. After marrying his wife, Sylvia, they moved to New Mexico. He worked at the hospital as a chaplain intern to serve people, including Native Americans, and then he moved back to the East Coast in 2019.

He and his wife have 2 daughters. He enjoys traveling with the family and also loves to watch any kind of movie. The 90s and 2000s “K-POP” songs are always his cue to be ready to focus on work.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Travel (+ destinations), movies, and learning about history.

Haley’s career began in the Department of Defense in 2015. She spent five years as a Contracting Officer, creating and negotiating contracts on behalf of the federal government. Looking to flex her creativity muscles, she pivoted into Strategic Communications within the DoD. She supported leaders within business, cybersecurity, and operations sectors by creating innovative communications plans, ghostwriting, and authoring articles. She looks to use the skills to be a force multiplier for the Grace Executive Team and Grace Community Church as a whole.

Haley began attending Grace in 2022. Grace is now her church home and is a mainstay of where she serves, worships, communes, and seeks the Lord. Gracers may have spotted her serving in the GEMs ministry!

Haley and her husband, Brandon Hardy, live in Columbia, MD and are often out walking the lakes with their dog, Lovely. Haley loves kayaking/SUP, traveling, eating excellent food, and hanging out with Lovely watching reality TV.

Strike up a conversation, just mention: Pets, food, Taylor Swift

Derek is married to Geva Hawkins, and they have a beautiful daughter, Mckenzie Jean Hawkins. He is on staff at Grace Community Church as the Middle School Director. Derek enjoys discipling students, equipping leaders, and walking alongside families in their journey to emotional health. His hobbies include playing sports, researching historical events, eating good food, and watching movies. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: How Derek manages to win at any sport he tries, Gospel Music, and his top 3 favorite Rom Com’s.

Stacia joined the staff at Grace in the fall of 2023. She was born and raised in small town Iowa and surrendered her life to Jesus while attending the University of Iowa Business School. In 1994 she landed at Grace and has considered Grace her church home since that time. She has been married for 30 years to Ananta and has 3 grown children – one of whom has significant, multiple disabilities. God has seen fit to use adversity as one of her greatest teachers – a reality she has come to cherish. 

Stacia has served in a variety of ministries at Grace, including Youth ministry, Women’s ministry, Disability ministry and most recently as a large group teacher in Grace Kids. Having a primary spiritual gift of exhortation, her greatest motivation is seeing spiritual growth take place in the life of a believer. Whether a child, a student, a woman or young mom, or an individual with disabilities, her deep desire is to see them take steps toward maturity in their relationship with God. She takes James’s exhortation to “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds” very seriously, and aches for believers of all ages to experience that joy when they embrace life’s difficulties and allow it to lead to a deeper love and dependency on Jesus. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: hiking, great books, the storyline of Scripture. 

Kathy has been on Grace staff since the Fall of 2002, starting in Children’s Ministry and now in the Connections department. You may have seen her around Grace at the Connecting Place, serving at different events, or pushing a cart full of goodies around the church lobby!

Before working at Grace, Kathy spent many years in the Federal Government and the telecom industry as an administrative assistant. While being a stay at home mom, she volunteered at Grace using her administrative skills, which led to her being hired nearly 18 years ago.

Kathy’s been married to her husband Kenny for 34 years. They have two wonderful children, Rachel & Scott. She loves going to the beach, reading, listening to music, cooking and taking walks. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Food – I love talking with people about what they’re cooking & eating.

Diane joined the Grace staff team in 2016 as Hugh Ansley’s assistant. Since then, she has also become Mitchel’s assistant. Prior to joining staff, she worked at Howard Community College, taught piano privately, and worked for a nonprofit (Better BedRest) and was a professional clown. She was also home with her two daughters while they were growing up (the best job ever!). 

Diane has called Grace her home church since she graduated college. She has been part of the Grace Kids ministry both as a single woman and as her daughters grew up. She still loves being in the 3-4 year old room. She also met her husband at Grace!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Reading, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class, missions, your children

Karen and her family have been at Grace about 8 years after moving back to this area from Central Washington. She has had the privilege of serving in the Children’s ministry as an AV tech, as well as in the main auditorium working with the computer team, and most recently with the broadcast team behind the scenes.

Although Karen was formally trained as an engineer, God continued her education over the years in new ways as she raised her own children and was given opportunities to serve in ways that she never would have expected.

She has just celebrated 30 years of marriage with her husband, Bill, and has 2 grown kids – David and Rachel. She enjoys downhill skiing, snowmobiling and has even recently taken up scuba diving. In her limited free time, she enjoys reading and listening to music – often at the same time. Her favorite color of all time is purple!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Anything! She is game to discuss about any topic with the exception of movies, but can go toe to toe on veggies tales with anybody.

She still feel pretty new to the church, being that most of my time attending has been during the pandemic. Amy is excited to get to know more people and build more relationships, but she can be a little shy at first. So feel free to say hello!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Mention Hawai’i or Puerto Rico, the latest movies, classic Disney or Studio Ghibli animation, and video games like Animal Crossing or Kingdom Hearts. Also, as much as she enjoy telling stories, something she love is sitting back and letting others tell hrt theirs.

Jack has been at Grace since 2019, and if you look hard, you will find him all over the building! He was formerly a Copier Tech for 33 years. At his previous church, he led the men’s ministry and was on the worship team. 

He has been married to his beautiful wife, Denise, for 34 years. They have 5 children and 1 grandchild. He likes to make things: guitars, jewelry, knives, leather goods. He also loves the outdoors: camping, hiking, and kayaking. He became a Christian on October 15, 1978 and his favorite book is the Bible (Romans in particular). 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Guitars–I love ‘em!  

Jaime has been on staff at Grace since 2013, and she and her family have called Grace their home church since 2008. She went to the University of Kentucky where she received her Finance Degree, and became a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). 

Jaime is married to Andy and is mom to her three kids – Lindsey and twins, Jack & Allie. She loves to run and swimming is also part of her life– all of her kids swim year-round! 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Running and UK basketball.

Mitchel has been serving as the Lead Pastor of Grace Community Church since the fall of 2016. He initially joined the Grace team in 2012 as the Teaching Pastor and Pastor of Young Adults, and has served in other roles including leading Adult Ministries and Small Groups.

Mitchel’s first pastoral role was in South Korea back in 1998. Since then, he has served in churches in Maryland and Chicago. He started out in student ministries, but over the last ten years, God has called him to work more with adults and families. (But he still loves students!)

His formal theological education started in South Korea, followed by North Carolina for seminary, then to Chicago for grad school.

Mitchel’s first book, “Even If,” was published in 2021.  The Spanish version is also available.

He and his wife Sarah have 5 beautiful kids (the “bigs” and the “littles”). He enjoys golf, but can spend days on the river casting a fly to a finicky trout. The outdoors, especially mountains, rejuvenates his soul, and he always has a book on hand (except in a river).

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Fly fishing!

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Amita has gone from Bookkeeper to Finance Manager to Finance Director at Grace over the last 23 years. She received her Bachelors of Science in Finance from Villanova University and worked as an Accountant at BlueCrossBlueShield prior to joining Grace. 

She got married at Grace in 1993 (hers was the first wedding at the Rumsey Road building), and she and her family have been attending/members ever since. She met her husband James in high school —  they both grew up in Howard County (although Amita went to Wilde Lake HS and James went to Oakland Mills HS). Along the way, they both came to know the Lord through Young Life in high school.  They have two children – Kelly and Kate. She has served in GraceKids, Small Groups, Delta, and Women’s Ministry.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Empty nesting or Disney World

Victoria and her family started attending Grace in 2014. She joined the staff in 2022. Prior to this, Victoria was a stay-at-home mom (favorite years!), freelance writer, volunteer at the Laurel Pregnancy Center and World Relief, and worked in schools in different roles, most recently as a school administrator.  

Victoria and her husband Steve have two sons. What keeps them busy? Trying out restaurant recommendations, going on road trips, or chilling at home. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Tropical plants, books you love, the Philippines! 

Jill serves as the Birth – PreK Director and has been has been on staff for Grace Kids since 2006. She started at Grace as a part-time director for Tots and PreS/K and has been attending Grace for 17 years (as a new believer). Prior to ministry, she was a Physician Assistant for 14 years. 

Jill has been married to Doug for 26 years (they met at Virginia Tech), and together have 3 children. Jill’s kids went or are going to the same high school that she went to!  Jill also loves doing anything creative and planning things. Her favorite place is the beach or anywhere hot– she is “powered” by the sun. She loves traveling (especially mission trips to Mexico, Indonesia and El Salvador). 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: the BEACH! And GraceKids (it is a big part of who I am!)

Hannah was born in Maryland and grew up attending Grace Kids until her family was sent out from Grace as field workers when she was 9 years old. She lived overseas with her family until she was 18. She then attended Messiah University, where she met her husband, and graduated with a BA in Music & Worship. Prior to joining the Grace staff team in 2025, she worked in education for a few years and then for Renewal Collective, a church plant sent out by Grace in fall 2024. You may have already seen Hannah around Grace serving on the worship team and leading Prayer for the Nations with her husband, Isaac.

In her words, Hannah has consistently found herself more and more in love with the person of Jesus through everyday moments of worship and prayer – just being in His Presence. “That’s the thing I am after in all I do!”

Hannah loves being outside – hiking, camping, you name it. She also loves to show hospitality and make her home a place where people feel loved and welcome. She is in the process of becoming a birth doula. And one day, she and Isaac are hoping to serve overseas to bring the gospel to unreached people groups.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: growing up in a different culture or house plants.

After five years of Grace being “home” for Sabrina and her family, she joined the Grace Staff in 2024 as the College Ministry Coordinator. Sabrina has served in ministry leadership since 2012, including vocational roles in parachurch contexts and in her previous church’s student ministry. Sabrina holds a Masters of Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is passionate about discipleship, ministry leadership, and biblical theology. 

Sabrina is married to Collin and they have two little girls, Nora and Eliza, and a beloved French Bulldog, Rosie. Sabrina‘s comfort movies are the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended editions only…iykyk) and comfort show is Gilmore Girls (Team Jess). She is always down to grab coffee and find out what Jesus is doing in your life!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: travel, what you’re reading, gender & Christianity.

Marie grew up in New Jersey as the daughter of a campus minister, so she’s always been around the church. She came to Maryland to attend the University of Maryland (Go Terps!), where she graduated in 2017 with a degree in Marketing and Spanish Language & Cultures. After college, she worked in marketing for a year before starting my her business. Marie first joined the Grace staff in 2018 and has been off and on since then through COVID and maternity leaves. Currently, she serves as the Childcare Coordinator for our Tuesday morning women’s bible study. 

Marie started attending Grace in 2016 with her now husband. She’s previously served on the Young Adult leadership team and Connecting Place team. Currently, she’s a young adult community group leader and serves on the photography and hosting teams. You may have seen her doing the announcements on the stage during our Sunday gatherings!

Marie and her husband, Daniel, and have two young daughters, Eden and Isabel. In addition to her role at Grace, she’s also a wedding and portrait photographer, so she spends a lot of her time running her business and photographing couples, families, and kids! She’s also a sports girlie who likes watching and playing various sports, especially soccer, football, and volleyball. Marie firmly believes that anything vanilla flavored is a waste of calories, and the best desserts are all chocolate. While she doesn’t have tons of spare time in this season of life, when she does have it you can find her reading a romance novel, binging Netflix, or decluttering her house.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: photography, Taylor Swift, or her kids.

Before coming to Grace, Ashleigh worked as a pre-school teacher for twelve years and loved connecting with children and families. She’s passionate about children, families, missions, and prayer. Her family started attending Grace in in 2022 when they moved to Maryland from the west coast. Her husband is her very favorite person in the world, and a close second are her two teenage kids. She loves to read and go on walks in nature, especially if it includes good conversation.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: your story! She loves people and hearing their stories, so tell her your story and she will have so many follow-up questions.

Nelson was saved at his previous church in 2010, and after high school he started working various jobs up until he decided to start studying IT in 2021. He has been at Grace since 2015. Since then, he has participated in many young adult events and has been a part of a few small groups. Now, he’s on the worship team and co-leads a small group. You can find him sitting with the young adults on the left side of the main auditorium. His hobbies are playing volleyball, learning new board games, and getting together with friends to have video game competitions via livestream. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Super Smash Bros or One Piece.

Katrina has been on staff at Grace as an Assistant for over 3 years.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: The beach, reading & writing haiku, or sushi.

Ashley is a UMBC graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She brings eight years of experience in special education, with a passion for supporting children of all abilities. In her previous role, she led a program serving children with disabilities through Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation.

Before joining Grace, Ashley attended New Design Church in Frederick, Maryland, where she was baptized in 2024. She began attending Grace in 2025 after moving to Hanover with her brother, Zach, and her cat, Belle (AKA Bubby). You may recognize Ashley from her involvement with the Young Adults Ministry, where she faithfully participates in a community group each Wednesday.

In her free time, Ashley is a travel agent and Disney enthusiast. You can often find her at Walt Disney World or sailing on a Disney cruise. She is also an avid reader and always welcomes great book recommendations.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Disney, fishing, books.

Audrey joined the Grace staff team after graduating from Liberty University in the fall of 2025. She majored in Family and Child Development as well as Disability Ministry. During undergrad, she worked on a Child Psychiatric Unit and as a preschool teacher, and spent her summers leading in camp ministry.

Audrey grew up as a pastor’s kid in California, and her family moved to Maryland and started attending Grace when she was in college.

She has a huge heart for families and children. Her family fostered for ten years before adopting her sister, which grew her desire to work with children and families. She has three siblings, as well as nieces and nephews… whom she absolutely adores!

In her free time, she loves to go camping and kayaking, build a fire and watch a movie, or find some new records for her record player. She also loves spending time with her family, and their favorite meal to eat together is hot pot.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: foster/adoption, food, or any hobby you’re into!

Seth has been serving at Grace, specifically in the areas of community groups and discipleship ministry since 2017. Prior to joining Grace, he was a youth pastor at Community Fellowship in Chicago for 11 years. 

Seth has been married for thirteen years to his lovely wife Joy, and they have four children – Davy, Joanna, Evangeline, and Brooks. His hobbies include woodworking, painting, drawing, reading, and spending time outdoors hiking and enjoying God’s creation. 

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: I’m passionate to see God’s people rise to their fullest potential as his beloved children growing in the character of Christ and using their God-given gifts to serve and bless others.

Brooke started on staff with Grace in the fall of 2023. Prior to that, she was an English teacher at Long Reach High School for 11 years. Before returning to Grace, she was a worship leader and the nursery director at her previous church.

Brooke attended Grace with her family in middle and high school and went on to be a part of the Fusion church plant in Ellicott City. She came to know Christ in 8th grade on a youth group retreat to Rockbridge! Since returning to Grace with her family over a year ago, she has served in Grace Kids with the infants and preschoolers.

Brooke has been married to Bob since 2009, and they are now a family of four. Brooke and Bob are licensed foster parents in Carroll County, and they still love leading worship together when they get the chance. Brooke loves being outside, especially at a lake or beach. She enjoys going to concerts, rewatching Parks and Rec, doing crosswords, trying out new coffee shops, and taking her two dogs to the dog park.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: their kids, music, a good book, pets, or fostering.

Chae has been attending Grace since October of 2019 after marrying her husband, Sam, but has joined staff this past August of 2021! She started off serving in Grace Kids with her small group, but after the pandemic hit – switched over to serve with the AV Team for the livestream.

She was born in Buan, South Korea, but her family moved to the states in 2001 when she was 4 years old. She grew up in church because her dad was a pastor! She loves cooking and baking, watching Korean tv shows, playing board games with friends, and playing video games with her husband.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: The Legend of Zelda video game series, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series, or co-op board games!

Joanne has been at Grace since the spring of 2019 and on staff since 2021. She’s been in a community group in Clarksville and also has been a part in Rooted with a bunch of lovely ladies. She always looks forward to studying the Word with others!

Joanne has been a stay at home mom for many years and has worked in various companies working in office administration. The last job she had was with an internet advertising agency.

Her hobbies include rollerblading, going outdoors to walk, getting out in nature and spending time with friends and family – especially when good food is involved. She tends to like the color pink and all things floral!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: The TV show Survivor, Jesus, or the Bible!

Andrew joined Grace in 2019 and has been on staff since summer of 2022. He serves on the worship team and young adult nights on rare occasions. Prior to that, He served as the college ministry worship leader at Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church and as a music director during Harris Creek’s church plant. If you see him around don’t be afraid to come say hi!

Born & raised in Maryland, Andrew spent most of his years in Howard County. He graduated from Marriotts Ridge High School in 2013 and went off to work towards his B.A. in Music Technology at UMBC. Andrew continues to grow in knowledge and experience within the AV world and loves every second of it.

Having a natural drive for competition, Andrew loves playing any type of team sport and staying active. He also finds books related to psychology/communication fascinating but above all, anything music related is his forte!

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Are there more wheels or more windows?

Shaena graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in elementary education and special education. She taught in Howard County for six years prior to having children. When her oldest daughter was one, God called her to go to Uganda to work side by side with the teachers in AOET’s primary school. She had no idea the experience would have such a drastic impact on her life. God opened her eyes to his people and work around the world, and she knew God was calling her to get more involved in global missions. Shaena volunteered in the Beyond Department for several years and went back to Uganda several times both as a trip participant and a trip leader. She also had the privilege of traveling to Kenya. In 2013, she accepted the position of Impact Trips Coordinator. During her tenure at Grace, she’s been able to travel to East Asia, Africa, and Latin America and watch as Gracers have taken that same leap of faith to “go” and experience God in a different context and culture.

Shaena has been at Grace for most of her life. Her father helped start Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium when she was a baby. She grew up going to that church until they moved to Howard County when she was in middle school. Grace Community is a sister church to Grace Fellowship and as a family, Shaena started attending Grace Community when she was in eighth grade. She’s grateful that she and her husband settled in the area and have continued to attend Grace and serve in the church together.

Shaena has been married to Jeff (also known as “Footy) for almost 20 years. They have three children… Caitlyn, Avery waiting for them in heaven, and Bailey.

She loves to read (mostly fiction, but the occasional non-fiction book), exercise, travel, and spend time outdoors. Her family enjoys riding bikes and hiking together.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Missions/global travel or a good fiction novel

 

Lauren started working as Grace’s Multimedia Specialist in 2017, where she produced, shot, and edited videos, took photos, and told stories in various formats. She previously served as an intern and a part-time Social Media Specialist before joining the team full-time. She has called Grace her home church she since was 10 years old. Now with her experience, she has taken on the role of Communications Director to continue casting vision in a wider scale for Grace.

Lauren graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Her original career goal was to go into sports broadcasting, so throughout college she worked on various sports broadcasts and video productions. Meanwhile, she was also involved with campus ministry and spent the summers of her underclassmen years on mission trips. Through those ministry experiences, God captured her heart for vocational ministry.

She’s also a national champion jump roper (yes, it’s a real sport) and a soccer coach. She loves running and sports. She cheers for all things Terps. She’s also a foodie, and loves cooking & baking. And she loves doing all of this with her husband.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Sports, food, travel, and pandas.

Once a Legislative Director to a member of Congress for 10 years; homeschooling mom for 17 years; teaching children for 25 years, and has now been on staff at Grace for over 9 years. Tandi has been attending Grace for over 15 years, but started her journey as a staff member by teaching the Homeschool @ Woven Bible class when her youngest child was in elementary school, Pray4Grace, and Grace 14:18. A fun fact about Tandi is that she was born in Zimbabwe to missionary parents and lived there till she was 7.

Hobbies: Meeting friends to walk or have coffee, reading.

Jaimie grew up in the beautiful state of West Virginia and relocated to the DC metro area a few years after she completed college. She came to Howard County in 2015, where she resides with her husband and her two children. Jaimie graduated from Fairmont University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and from West Virginia University with a master’s degree in Industrial Relations with a focus on Human Resources. Jaimie was a Human Resources Professional for many years before she followed her heart to become a stay-at-home mom while her children were young. Since then, she felt the calling of the Lord to return to the workforce and joined the Grace staff as an HR & Office Manager in 2025.

Jaimie has attended Grace since 2017 and has been involved in various ministry areas. In particular, Jaimie has served in Grace Kids for several years and has also been a long-time participant of the women’s Bible study at Grace. Jaimie enjoys spending time with her family, walking the trails, swimming, reading books, and being outdoors in nature.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: fostering community in your neighborhoods, the joys of raising kids, or great restaurant recommendations.

Aaron has been on staff at Grace since 2006. His background has been in Technical Arts Ministry.

 

Chris is Grace Community Church’s Executive Pastor and has been on staff since 2018. Chris is also a member of Grace’s Elder Board, which he has been serving on since 2017. He is currently enrolled at Lancaster Bible College, working towards a Masters of Ministry. Prior to being called to full-time ministry, Chris was a corporate sales leader at Tom James Clothiers for 25 years. 

Chris has been a member of Grace Community Church for 26 years. Over the years, he’s had a hand in everything from overseeing Child Dedications and the premarital ministry, to various mission trips to Central America. He and Peggy, his wife of 20 years, have two daughters – Sydney & Sophia. 

One of his favorite sayings is from Edwin Markum: “There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone, whatever we put into the lives of others we get back in our own.”

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: Fishing, Golf, Discipleship 

Rich joined Grace in January 2021 as the Community Life Pastor and transitioned to the role of Pastor of Care in 2026. He previously served at Grace in 2014 as the Men’s Pastor and served at a church in Indiana for a few years before returning back to Maryland.

He has been in full-time ministry for 18 years, starting off as a Youth pastor. More recently, he has been serving adults specifically in areas of discipleship and groups. He is always grateful for the opportunity to help people understand what it means to know and follow Jesus!

Rich and his wife Carol have 4 kids: Ezra, Mercy, Torah, and Judah. He enjoys reading, writing, running, and Star Wars.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: The Pittsburgh Steelers

Carlos started serving at Grace in the fall of 2024. Before that he worked on staff with Cru, ministering to college students for nine years in the Baltimore area. Carlos’ deepest desire is to help young people encounter the life-changing message of the gospel and to help equip them to tell others.

Carlos was born in Baltimore, is an only child, and is the proud son of immigrant parents who moved here from Peru and Colombia. Carlos is a Mt. Hebron High School alum, go Vikings! He began following Christ in high school when a friend invited him to a youth group gathering at Grace.

Carlos has been married to Emily since 2012. They live in Catonsville and have an English Cream Golden Retriever dog named Minnie. They are in the process of growing their family through adoption. Carlos enjoys playing foosball, traveling, going on hikes, watching sports, and going to concerts.

Strike up a conversation. Just mention: adoption, evangelism, Ravens and Orioles, or dogs.   

Andrew is a University of Maryland College Park graduate (Go Terps!!!) with a degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Physiology and Neurobiology, and he’s currently working on his M.Div at Westminster Theological Seminary. Most recently before Grace, he worked for Giant Pharmacy for five years as a CPhT since 2020.