Leadership at Woodstock Bible Church

Elder, Preaching Pastor

John Schlaefli III

One spiritual principle I keep returning to is God’s patience. I am constantly impressed how often the Bible teaches about this attribute of God. All of us are a work in progress, and sometimes our ability to learn and grow seems frustratingly slow.

Yet, God is always with us, watching us and caring for us. Let’s be honest, once we tell someone something once, we expect them to get it. If we have to repeat ourselves or explain the same thing over and over, we tend to get angry and impatient. God is not like that, thankfully, and I think we would all be different people if we reflected on that more and applied it to our own daily interactions. God is for us despite our stubbornness and unwillingness to learn – His example is a helpful guide for our own life and character.

An idea that is expressed throughout the Bible is this simple assurance:  
 
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Psalm 103:8
 
I started in the ministry in 2000 and serve as an elder over the Woodstock Bible Church. I am a preaching pastor at the church and help to oversee the church’s functioning as we strive to reflect the love of Christ Jesus. I am an English teacher at Clackamas High School and in my spare time, I enjoy sports, reading, video games, and spending time with my wife Tressa and two sons.

Elder, Preaching Pastor

Scott Stumetz

God has taught me that He is continually at work around us. I have the choice of seeing and then joining in the work He is accomplishing. Being an elder in the WBC, one of my goals is to help people see where God is working and encourage them to get involved with God’s work.

I have been attending Woodstock Bible Church since 1996 and currently serve as an elder. Professionally, I am a commercial pilot and in my spare time, I enjoy fishing, the outdoors, spending time with my wife and two daughters, and watching my daughters play sports.

Deacon of Worship

Corie Heath

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 121, “I lift my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.” The beauty of creation and the peace it brings my soul is such a gift from the Lord.

It’s something that I think about daily and choose to focus on. He created all these trees, lakes, rivers, mountains, sunsets, and flowers for our benefit, and I love how He used word pictures of nature in the Bible to help us understand life and Him. The Psalms are filled with them – Psalm 1:3 – “He is like a tree planted by streams of living water, which yields its fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.” I find God’s faithfulness and steadfastness in His creation to be such a gift, and something I think on often.

My role in the church is Deacon of Worship. I enjoy playing piano, singing, cooking, traveling, researching family history, and spending time with my husband and three kids.

Deacon of Youth

David Scheuermann

I am continuously reminded that God calls us to live right and how that means to love God and love others. Ultimately, this means following what God leads me to do and then trusting Him with the outcome.

Life is temporal and nothing of my strivings in this world matter for anything except to be used for God’s kingdom. No career pursuit, no education, no pleasure is worth anything if it is not for the sole purpose of inevitably being used by God, or having God use you through it.
 
I serve as the Youth Deacon at Woodstock Bible Church. In my spare time, I enjoy being out in the sun and heat and participating in activities like hiking, biking, running, playing sports, and being with people.

Deacon of Business

Ben Heath

Several spiritual principles I try to keep in mind are God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness for each of us. The following verses are a few examples that continue to help me in my life since they offer encouragement and hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
 
Psalm 51:1 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”
 
I have been attending Woodstock Bible Church since 1997 and married my wife at the church in 2000. My role as the Business Deacon started in 2019. My duties include working with the church trustees on various matters and coordination of funds. I am an owner of a local healthcare clinic and enjoy basketball, architecture, and traveling with my wife and three children. 

Deacon of Women’s Ministry

Sharon Gavrilovic

God’s grace and faithfulness in my life give me peace and assurance. Throughout the Bible, God provides countless examples of His grace to broken individuals whom He calls His own and loves.

Within the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we get a picture of God’s plan for redemption through Jesus. We witness Him working in the lives of individuals, who despite their sin, love the Lord, follow Him, and experience God’s forgiveness when they seek it. God is Faithful to fulfill His word. His promises and His grace extend to everyone who seeks Him.

As I daily experience God’s grace and faithfulness, He fuels me to love others and to draw closer to Him. There is no one who can satisfy and meet my needs the way Jesus does, and He gives me strength to get through each day.

I have been attending Woodstock Bible Church with my family since 2000. I have served in various capacities in the church over the years. In 2021, I became the Deacon of Women’s Ministry. My role is to oversee committees created for the purposes of serving the church, the local community, as well as helping facilitate Christ-centered fellowship among the women. 

I enjoy playing the guitar, ukulele, singing, and creating things with my hands (e.g., crocheting, wood burning, repurposing old items). Being outdoors on a nature walk or camping refreshes me and helps me thank God for His wonderful creation! I also love cooking and experimenting by recreating some of my favorite international foods. My family and friends are very important to me, and I love spending time with them.