For Janis, accepting a call to serve as Director of Youth and Family Ministry at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri, wasn’t simply a career move. It’s the next faithful step in a journey God has been shaping for years.
A Director of Christian Education (DCE), Janis recently accepted the call after a thoughtful LCMS process that gave her and her husband, Colby, space to pray, reflect, and trust God’s leading.
“When you receive a call,” she said, “there is really no wrong path to take because it is up to God. Through the whole process, Colby and I kept seeking where the Lord was leading us, and we feel comfortable and confident in accepting this call.”
Long before Janis joined the year-round staff as Retreats & Registrations Coordinator, Lakeview had already become part of her story. She first came to Lakeview as a camper, then served on junior staff and summer staff, and invested in Lakeview in a variety of other roles along the way. In each season, she said, camp helped shape the way she understands ministry.
“One of the things Lakeview has done so well is teach people to love like Christ and to be sent, just as Christ was sent for us,” Janis said. “That has impacted how I view ministry in general. Whether you are serving campers for a week in the summer or stepping into a new call, God is sending you for a purpose.”
It’s a great fit for her new position at Christ Memorial, where they focus on being loved by God in Christ and sent to the world. In her new role, Janis will step into a more visible, up-front ministry.
Her work will include equipping youth leaders, encouraging parents in the faith formation of their children, and helping strengthen educational ministry in the congregation. She is especially excited about opportunities for cross-cultural ministry and helping raise up young people who are prepared to lead and serve others in Christ’s name.
Even with that excitement, Janis says the decision to leave Lakeview wasn’t an easy one. “People joke that every workplace says it is like a family, but for us, the Lakeview family really has walked with us through highs and lows,” she said. “We hold these people in our hearts. Leaving is hard, but because of where God is leading us and because of where Lakeview is heading, we can move forward with joy.”
As Janis and Colby prepare for this new chapter, Lakeview celebrates a servant leader whose life has been shaped by camp and whose ministry will continue to reflect the love of Christ far beyond its grounds.
With gratitude for all she has given and confidence in the One who calls, we send Janis with prayers, thanksgiving, and God’s blessings.
Go with God Janis!
Love,
The Lakeview Staff