We are blessed to have two pastors, 13 elders and 15 deacons, as well as other staff members, serving the congregation and the community. You can reach our leaders through the church office: (916) 428-3439
Leadership
We are blessed to have two pastors, 13 elders and 15 deacons, as well as other staff members, serving the congregation and the community. You can reach our leaders through the church office: (916) 428-3439
Jeff worked for several years as the youth director at First Presbyterian Church in Burlingame where he met and eventually married his wife, Esther, in 1992. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1996 and took a call as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Families at Dundee Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Nebraska, where he served for eight years. In 2004, Jeff and Esther received a new call back to California and joyfully became a part of the Faith community here in Sacramento. Jeff and Esther have four children — Isabel, Noel, Godebo and Bereket. Next to spending time with his family, Jeff most enjoys backpacking, playing his guitar, dining on Mexican food and coaching Little League baseball.
Brett Shoemaker serves as Associate Pastor to Youth and Families. Brett, a native of Washington, came to California after twenty years of youth ministry at a church near Seattle. His home team consists of four beautiful women: his wife, Wendy, and three daughters. Brett enjoys activities that involve motion, including biking, running, skiing, and ultimate Frisbee, and a few things that do not, such as card games and reading. He is thrilled to walk alongside Faith's young people and their families and to experience Spirit-filled, memory-making moments together through worship, mission and community.
Eunice Aldrich
accompanist
Eunice has been playing the piano for more than 20 years. She earned her degree in composition from UC Davis, followed by a master’s degree in piano performance from CSU Sacramento. She lives in Sacramento with her husband, Michael, and their two spoiled dogs, Loki and Miki. She feels extremely blessed to be a part of Faith, and thinks that the Faith congregation is made up of the most welcoming and friendly church members she’s ever encountered.
Laura joined the Faith staff in May 2013. She hails from Upstate New York but has lived in California for more than 20 years. In her spare time, Laura enjoys finding new and tasty uses for curry and cardamom, reading, hiking and taking spur-of-the-moment road trips. Laura became a member of Faith in 2017 and continues to be grateful to God for bringing her to this church family.
Ron BeaMs
Director of Congregational Care
Ron and his wife, Sherry, have been members of Faith since 2015. Ron has an extensive background as a bereavement counselor, hospice chaplain, family support counselor and ordained minister. Ron feels that accepting the position of Director of Congregational Care is truly a calling of God for this time. Ron enjoys gardening and is known for bringing his harvests to church on Sundays and sharing them with neighbors. He also enjoys blessing us with his gift of singing on occasion.
Marlys Emery
Financial AssistanT
Marlys and her husband Ken have been attending Faith since 2019. She worked for CalPERS for many years as an expert level analyst before retiring in 2022. Shortly thereafter, she joined Faith as the financial assistant in 2023. Marlys's parents and sister also attend Faith, and she and her husband were married at Faith in 2018. She attended seminary at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and served as a missionary for three years in Costa Rica and Bolivia. Marlys enjoys gardening, reading, traveling, trying new recipes, and attending musical theater productions. She is grateful for the Faith community.
Mark joined Faith as director of music ministry in January 2017. He has been in music ministry since the early 70s and holds a degree in Composition from CSU Sacramento. He has three beautiful children: Chris (married and teaching music in Elk Grove), Eliza (studying music and art at American River College), and Jesse (in high school). His wife, Tracy, is the love of his life and the most gifted person he knows. He is thankful for being a part of, and inspired by, the people at Faith, who continually show God’s love and grace.
Jacob
Zvolanek joined Faith’s staff in 2020. He and his wife, Keanan, recently
moved from San Jose to the Sacramento area, where they have been
enjoying living closer to family. Prior to coming on staff at Faith, Jacob
led worship for Los Gatos Christian School’s K-8 chapel
program and taught middle-school Bible and math
classes. Jacob received his BA in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific
University and his MA in Ministry and Leadership from Western
Seminary. He is passionate about the ministry of the Gospel and helping
people finding their identity and purpose in Christ alone.
session/elders
The Session (made up of elders and pastors) is responsible for overseeing the mission of,
and providing governance over, the congregation.
Claire Pisor
adult christian formation
The mission of the Adult Christian Formation Team is to provide a variety of learning opportunities for adults to grow spiritually as Christian disciples. Faith is nurtured through classes, Life Groups and seasonal retreats, all of which are intended to engage head and heart in service to Christ, the church and the world.
Faith’s Family Ministry aims to equip and support parents and others as they disciple children and teach them to love, obey and follow Jesus. Children learn and are supported through a weekly Sunday school program. Parents are encouraged and equipped to nurture the spiritual life of their family by participating with their children in daily spiritual practices. Annual events, such as Vacation Bible School, provide additional opportunities for children and youth to learn and work together. Families are also encouraged to participate together in mission projects, fellowship activities, retreats, and other events that bring the generations together.
The Communications Team directs the flow of information internally to the congregation and externally to the wider community. The team oversees Faith’s various digital and print communications, as well as the people and the technologies that help produce them.
The Fellowship Ministry’s purpose is to provide opportunities for Christian fellowship, through which members and friends of the Faith community can come together and develop closer personal and church ties.
The goal of the Finance Team is to provide oversight of the finances of Faith Presbyterian Church, thereby ensuring that financial gifts and pledges are secure for use in the ministries of our church, within the congregation and out in the world.
Lay Ministry
The purpose of Lay Ministry is to assist members of the Faith community in finding ministries or activities that they love to do. The team believes that if you find what you love to do, then you have found your gifts, talents and passion. You are also likely to experience more joy as you serve from your God-given strengths and spiritual gifts.
The Mission Team encourages and equips followers of Christ to serve Him by living out their faith inside and outside the walls of the church. A significant portion of Faith’s budget is dedicated to our many local, national and international mission projects, such as Family Promise, South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership Food Closet, Moral Values Program, World Vision and One Child One Hen. The mission team also plans and coordinates the annual summer mission trip and Faith’s Team World Vision run, which raises money for clean water in Africa.
The mission of the Outreach Team is to equip members of Faith Presbyterian Church to be more intentional in sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others and to provide opportunities for them to do so. The Outreach Team offers a multi-faceted ministry of hospitality for newcomers to our church, with the aim of ensuring that those who come to Faith experience the welcome of Jesus Christ through their engagement with the congregation.
The Personnel Ministry Team administers the employment relationship with Faith’s ordained and lay staff. We encourage and support Faith’s staff to utilize their unique gifts and talents in the service of our Lord. We maintain personnel policies, assist in annual personnel reviews, interpret employment policies and procedures and make salary and staffing recommendations to the Session.
The Property Maintenance Team cares for and maintains all physical facilities of the church buildings and grounds. The Building Ministry Team provides for and plans the updates of the church’s facilities master plan. It also prepares for the expansion and improvement of the facilities and manages the construction of facility improvements.
At its heart, stewardship is an ethic of taking care of something that is not our own. Christian stewardship is a commitment to use all the gifts God has given us — our time, talents, and financial resources — in ways that further God’s work and God’s will in our world. Broadly, then, the role of the Stewardship Team is to encourage biblically informed Christian stewardship in all members of the Faith community. Specifically, the team directs the annual stewardship campaign and any other major fundraising initiatives and offers the congregation opportunities to learn and apply essential principles of Christian stewardship.
No Current Elder
Youth
The Youth Ministry Team seeks to guide Faith’s youth in deepening their relationship with God through meaningful interactions with peers and adults who are rooted in Christ and through worship, memory-making, playfulness and sharing our stories.
The mission of the Worship Team is to provide an
opportunity for people of all ages to experience meaningful worship at Faith,
with the prayerful expectation that they will encounter the living God here.
The Worship Team works with pastors, other staff members and volunteers to
coordinate many aspects of the worship service. The team oversees the host of
volunteers who help prepare for and lead worship every week. The team’s hope is
to encourage widespread participation in worship, with the result that everyone
may have a deeper worship experience as part of the Body of Christ that is
gathered to praise our resurrected Lord and Savior.
Deacons
The Board of Deacons have a ministry of “sympathy, witness, and service.” Their primary work in the church is ministering to those in need, the sick, the friendless, and any who may be in distress.
Parish 1
Helen Frisch
Parish 2
Betty McClure
Parish 3
Randy Smith
Parish 4
Cathy Healow
Parish 5
Georgianne Becker
Parish 6
Candi Okada
Parish 7
Winnie Ling
Parish 8
Anthony Shelton
Parish 10
Pat Witzens
Parish 9
Sue Kim
Parish 12
LORRAINE OTANI
Parish 11
AUDREY NEWPORT
Parish 13
Roy Chastain
Parish 14
Sherry Beams
Parish 15
Pam Rock