As we grow, it will be increasingly important to integrate new attenders into the life of BG. We are grateful to the Lord for every person he brings to us, and we want to take good care of each one.
The elders decided to open a new staff position to ensure that we are building strong relationships. The Community Coordinator will work with staff and volunteer teams like our Fellowship and Outreach Committee to strengthen our events. The long term goal is to deepen our ability to disciple each other.
We are pleased to announce that Katie Winkler will be our Community Coordinator.
Katie was our pastoral counseling intern last fall. She showed a strong ability for connecting with college students and young professionals through our new small group, Christ, Coffee, and Conversation. She also led workshops for all ages on mental and emotional health. Katie has already proven to be a valuable member of our team.
She grew up in Montour Falls, the second of seven children. She says, “My parents were both well-educated and encouraged each of us to pursue education ourselves.” She graduated with a BA in biology in 2009. While working in human resources at Cayuga Medical Center, she completed a master’s in pastoral counseling at Liberty University.
Raised in a Christian home, she knew about the Lord. “My personal story of faith is not as much about coming to know Him as it is of learning to know Him as a Person who cares about me.”
After several conversations with people about hard things they were facing, she felt unprepared to help them. Those experiences led her to start her master’s in 2019. “One of my key priorities, though, was to study counseling from a Christian school.” She found Liberty’s online programs to be well organized and based on a Christian worldview.
We welcome Katie to BG’s staff! Among her first projects will be leading the breakfast service on Easter morning, which promises yet again to be a rich time of fellowship.