| |
  
Director of Student Ministries ~ Diane Milligan
Diane?s Story
I was born and raised in Massachusetts and while I?ve moved around a lot in my adult life I am a New England girl at heart. I grew up attending church and when I was in the 7th grade I accepted Christ as my personal savior while I was on a youth group retreat. I had an immediate sense of joy after making this decision which was quickly followed by a deep sense of sorrow. I was so overcome by a burden for those who didn?t know Jesus that I began to sob for the people in my life who I wasn't sure were going to heaven. It is my hope and my prayer that my heart will always break for what breaks Jesus? heart and that I will never stop weeping for those who don?t know Him.
After some wrestling with God during my freshman year of college over His calling on my life I transferred to Gordon and majored in Youth Ministry and Bible. While at Gordon I participated in and led several missions trips, developing relationships with many people who continued to shape my view of God and His world. Following graduation I began down a path that lead me to Nashville, and then St. Louis, pursuing a career in Social Work. After completing my graduate work I moved to London and worked for Children?s Services. When I returned home I began working at DARE Family Services in Worcester where I have been providing intensive home based services to families for the past five years. During this time I began attending Pleasant Street and volunteering with the youth group. Earlier this summer, while I was on the mission trip to Camden, I sensed God calling me to use my passions and gifts to serve Him in full time ministry. I began thinking about moving to Camden to work with Urban Promise but God reminded me that He had already called me to Whitinsville. I came home wondering what God had in store for me and began looking into a variety of options. A short time later God?s plans became clearer as this opportunity to serve at Pleasant Street was presented.
I love to be a part of students? lives during a time when they are trying to figure it all out, asking questions like, "Who am I?", "Who do I want to be?" and "How do I find meaning in this life?" I truly believe it is a gift and an honor when a student opens their life to me and I can show them a piece of who Jesus is by loving them, listening to them and building up their strengths. I have been a part of this church and its youth ministry for the past two years and I have found a family here. I love that our church is committed not only to raising up our own youth to become spiritually mature adults but also to reaching out to the youth in the community and becoming a spiritual family to them.
Diane?s Passions... -> Loving Jesus -> Loving my neighbors -> Youth -> Community Development -> The Outdoors -> Travel
Pastor of Support Ministries ~ Rev. Howard DeVries with his wife Marlene
Office Administrator ~ Judy Godeke
Welcome to Pleasant Street Church—as you enter our offices just off
the lobby of the main church entrance, I will greet you warmly and
mentally pray you will be blessed. I will usually be trying to do
at least three things at once—there are weekly bulletins,
mail, phone and email messages, minutes and agendas to type
and disburse, photos and biographies of new members, church
records,
letters, and many other small tasks that occupy my time. Then
there are larger tasks, such as the yearly directory; office budgets,
contracts, and supplies; the annual master plan; job descriptions
for all volunteers, etc., that get accomplished in between.
My journey here began with receiving Jesus as my
Savior at age four and with a vision of myself doing church administration
at age 19.
I was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, lived in the Philippines
as a child with my missionary family, went to Beaver and then Dordt
Colleges, and came to Whitinsville to teach third grade at Whitinsville
Christian School from 1970 to 1973. I married Don in 1971 and three
years later, our three daughters began to arrive: Christian Joy,
Carry Hope, and Grace May. From 1986 to 2002, I was the secretary
at Fairlawn Church. In 1989, I also became the secretary at Pleasant
Street Church, a position that has grown from about ten hours a
week to be full-time office administration with a wonderful staff
of servants.
We are here for you—to pray with you, send out your prayer
requests on our email and phone prayer chains, and help the details
of your worship, small group, and friendship experiences to flow
in the goodness of our wonderful God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Judy
Godeke
|
