Roxana Jones is probably just like you! No Damascus Road experience. No Nicky Cruz "Cross and the Switchblade" story. Not ordained. Not a missionary. Not in full time para-church work. She considers herself to be the "icon of average" of the Oil of Heaven team.
Like many of us, she is a lifelong LCMS member who was raised in church, educated in synodical day school, made her confirmation, attended worship and youth group, and moved through the system in a rather average way. In a very typical manner, she dropped out of church for awhile, but when she came back, it was like most of us do–without lots of fanfare and drama. She's married. She has two beautiful daughters. She gets up at the crack of dawn to a regular job for the U.S. Postal service--something she's been at for 30 years. Average. Regular. Typical.
But somewhere along the way, she encountered the power and presence of the living God and now, while she may identify primarily with the descriptor of "average," we would add the adjective "anointed." We have seen amazing things happen as she ministers to people in their need. She operates mostly in the healing anointing that flows from a heart of compassion. She has a passion to bring "ordinary people" into a closer relationship with God and impart to them whatever He has given to her. She operates under Jesus’ theme of "freely you have received, freely give."
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Pr. Steve Stutz serves Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Pasadena, TX. He began work there in 2002 after having served a small town congregation in Big Spring, Texas (1998-2002) and before that enjoying life as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (Essayons!)
By August 2005, a mere six years into pastoral ministry, he had "hit the wall" so speak, after serving two highly conflicted congregations. With frustration, resistance, and disappointment being the top adjectives to describe his life and ministry, Pr. Steve began wondering how to quietly slip into his next career without causing too much of a flap with his long suffering wife, Krista.
As a last ditch effort to give God one more chance to make things work, Pr. Steve signed himself up for what he thought was a "soaking prayer" school, but turned out to be a TACF Catch the Fire conference. Too tired and frustrated from the Houston morning rush hour to get back in the car and go home, he decided to stay around until lunch time because at least he wasn't in the office and no one was complaining to him! Within three hours of walking in the door, the Holy Spirit had begun to radically restore and transform him. As a result of a dramatic encounter with the Holy Spirit and some precisely delivered prophetic words, Pr. Steve returned to the parish, committed to facilitating spiritual renewal for anyone who was interested. GSLC quickly became a known as a safe place to explore the gifts and power of the Spirit and be equipped for service in the Kingdom of God.
Pr. Steve holds an M.Div from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO and is currently a D.Min student at Houston Graduate School of Theology. He is a formally trained spiritual director under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and teaches in the Formation in Direction program. He enjoys preaching, teaching, leading workshops and conference, running, and having a good laugh—which means reflecting on his golf game or watching The Simpsons. Pr. Steve and his wife, Krista have been married 20 years and live in LaPorte, TX with their three teenaged daughters.
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If you had asked Shannon Clarke to describe her life in one word, prior to June 8, 2001, it would have been "perfect." Perfect husband, beautiful & talented daughter, lovely home in the mountains of New Mexico, a supportive family, a wonderful church home. She never imagined it was possible to experience so much happiness in life.
Within a matter of minutes, however, her perfect life was shattered the day her husband of twenty years died suddenly. She remembers praying, "Father, I know with Your help I can continue on and raise my daughter but I'm sure that I will never again experience joy this side of Heaven."
Shannon moved to Kingwood, Texas to reconnect with her previous church family and during the ensuing months she developed a spiritual hunger to know the Lord more intimately. Through attending a Sunday school class on healing and a woman's bible study, she received a powerful touch from the Holy Spirit which radically transformed her life.
After that initial encounter, seeking His manifest presence became her greatest desire. She began to experience a deep and complete joy bubbling up from within that didn't depend on her circumstances but on an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Her prayer life had changed dramatically. Whereas it used to feel like standing on the Earth and praying up to a distant Heaven, was now a matter of already standing in Heaven and praying it back down to the Earth.
Shannon resides in Kingwood, TX, with her college age daughter and two golden retrievers. She is an occupational therapy assistant for a local school district and attends Christ the King Lutheran Church. Her passion is to help others to experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit more intimately - to hear His voice, see His face and to feel His (touch) arms around them. She enjoys spending time with friends, reading, doing anything artistic, and attending Christian conferences.
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