Connie Beamer

Networker

Family: Connie has been married to her husband Eric for three decades! They have three daughters: Jana, 24; Joanie 21 and Carrie, 17.

Background: Connie graduated from WWU in the Community Recreation program, but is mostly celebrated as mom and wife.

Did you know: Connie crews on the family's commercial fishing boat in Alaska. She can be found on a mountain at some point almost every weekend, loves her friends and family more than they can comprehend, along with chocolate, road biking, hiking and skiing. Connie is married to a wise, soft-spoken backcountry ski fanatic and renowned Fish Research Biologist. She is thankful.

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Lynda Burke

Children's Ministry Director

Family:  Lynda said “I do” to Roger 20 years ago and helped launch Keaton (17), Madison (14) and Amsa Grace (6).

Background:  Lynda was born and raised in New York and learned how to ride her bike behind an Italian restaurant next to their dumpster.  Moved to Tucson, Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in education.  Taught 5^th grade, had kids and moved to Lynden, the land flowing with milk and honey, in ’98 and has been working at Sonlight for almost a decade.

Did you know?  She can speak New York fluently.  She is one of Lynden’s most outspoken ambassadors for the rain.  She thinks it makes the day cozy and nice.  Her grandma Betty will always be her hero.  She is daring and has extensive cliff diving experience in Kauai, Hawaii.  She can swim in 51 degree waters and is not afraid of bugs.  She sneezes daintily, but yawns loudly.  She loves to garden, read, collect vintage things, bake pies, wear aprons and run slowly.  She also has the very best job at Sonlight. 

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Pete Byma

Senior Pastor

Wife:  Married 23 years to wife Cheri.

Children:  Rachel (21)  Matthew (18)  Ryan (16)  Christine (12).

Background:  Pastor Pete grew up on a dairy farm in Western Michigan.  He graduated from Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary (MA Church Education and M DIV).   He served three churches in Michigan (Cedar Springs, Byron Center, and Cadillac) and arrived at Sonlight Community Church as the Senior Pastor in October of 2009.

Did you Know:   Although he went through a barbwire fence with a snowmobile when he was 11, he still enjoys a fast ride in fluffy snow on a Yamaha sled.   Okay, maybe he would go downhill skiing first, but keep the winter sports close by.  Pastor Pete enjoys Geo- cashing with his GPS but get’s lost half the time.  If you want to stop by, bring some of his favorite candy (Peanut M & M’s) and you will find a friend for a long time.

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Tim Furr

Janitor

Family: Married with one son.

Background: Tim grew up in Virginia and worked in Washington, D.C. for several years before he and his wife came to the beautiful northwest to attend Regent College in Vancouver.  They moved to Lynden in 2003 and are very glad that it is now home! 

Did you know? Tim's favorite activity is spending time with his wife and 8 year old son, and he especially likes having fun family outings and occasional camping trips.  Tim also enjoys following international soccer, and likes to do computer research, particularly if he can help others track down information they need.

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Sue Littlejohn

Children's Ministry Aid

Family: Husband, Jeff. Children: Josh, 22, Natalie, 15.

Background: Sue grew up in Wisconsin and has a Masters in Biology. She and Jeff moved to Washington from Michigan in 1988 and have made Lynden their home. She has worked in  the natural resources field, in a quilt shop and now at Sonlight. She has helped in the children’s ministries area for 5 years.

Did you know? Sue has about 30 unfinished quilt projects and starts more all the time.

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Keith McKenzie

Worship & Outreach Pastor

Family: married to Judy with one son, Michael (6)

Background: Keith has served in church worship ministry for many years: as a worship leader, organist, and choir director in paid and volunteer roles. Keith also had a 20+ year career in the airline catering industry with stints as master scheduler and operations supervisor (yes, he even likes airline food). He studied music education at the University of Washington.

Did you know? The first musical instrument Keith studied was the accordion and his first job was playing the piano at the Bon Marche (now Macy's) at Christmas time. Keith loves cooking, the UW Huskies, Diet Coke, spending time with Judy and Michael, writing music, the smell of jet exhaust, going to Disneyland, and the color black.

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Mike Slofstra (aka Sloffee)

Youth Pastor

Family: Mike and his wife Bethany (since 2000) have three boys; Joshua, Caleb and Micah.

Background: Youth work/education since '02, Sonlight youth ministry director since '07, pingpong paddle construction since '97. Education: BHKin, BEd. MAL.

Did you know? Despite being 6' 5", Mike is afraid of heights; he still hasn't conquered that little diving platform at the creek he camped at as a kid. His favorite websites are Craigslist and ESPN (editors note, we are sure he meant to include biblegateway.com in this list). The best thing he's ever won is a stereo, and the worst job he's ever had was cleaning grease pits at McDonald's (editors note, that was random). If Mike is not doing youth ministry, he is hanging out with his bride and three boys, playing ball, or building something out of wood.

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Shona Ten Pas

Director of Preschool Ministries

Family: Husband of 14 years, Jeff; Children: Taylor 10, Hailey 8, and Micah 6

Background: Born and raised in the CRC church here in Lynden.  Graduate of Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA with an MRS. Degree (oh, and an A.A. degree). Worked as Preschool Director at Sonlight from 2001-2008.  Took a year off to home school Micah and now is back.

Did You Know?  Shona’s 6^th grade teacher told her parents that she loved rainbows…she still has her head in the clouds most of the time!  She loves to work with color…especially finger painting, digital scrapbooking, and photography.  She was raised by a sports fisherman family and has survived falling into the river at age 3 (even won a tackle box).  She isn’t scared to touch raw fish.  She caught a 34 lb. King salmon.   She knows how to hold live crab (without losing her fingers). Previous employment consisted of hand picking red raspberries, cleaning toilets at the KOA, driving a raspberry harvester at .1 miles per hour (I can crawl faster than that), taking phone calls and making travel arrangements for a manufacturing business, being a mama to three precious munchkins, and working on the creative team er, I mean Children’s Ministry team here at Sonlight.   Let’s just say she is well rounded.

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Rana Velasco

Church Administrator

Family: Married to husband, Tony, for 18 years. Has three daughters... Tia (17), Amber (13), and Emma (2).

Background: Grew up in Edmonds, WA.  Attended WWU in Bellingham and studied math and physics.  Rana worked in Sonlight's Children's Ministry, then became the full time secretary before her current position as Church Administrator.

Did you know? Rana is an only child, loves to garden, her favorites are chocolate and the color green.  High school testing said her profession should be a diesel mechanic, and she graffitied on the Berlin Wall.

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Barb Winkler

Administrative Assistant

Family: Barb was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and lived there all her life until moving to Lynden in 2008.

Married to Frank; children are Jennifer (26) (and son-in-law James), Kelly (15), and Ashley (13); grandson is Karlin (6 months).

Background: Has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Alaska.  Many years of teaching Sunday school, homeschool, teacher assistant work, and substitute teaching.  Worked in administration for the State of Alaska government for over 10 years.

Loves to worship, run, clean, organize, read, scrapbook, cook, talk. 

Did You Know? Survived the 1964 Alaska earthquake.  Was an exchange student to France at age 15.

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