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The Staff

Our Pastor

Stephen S. Linck was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 12, 1953. He is the son of A. Stephen & and Beatrice Linck. He has two sisters, Susan and twin, Michelle. Steve grew up in the Chicago suburb of Claredon Hills, Illinois, and upon graduation from Hillsdale High School, enlisted in the United States Navy at age 17. He served as a Hospital Corpsman at the Naval Hospital in Orlando Florida, and with Fleet Marine Force in North Carolina.

While on active duty Steve met and married Mary Lou Ivo on August 18, 1974. Upon completion of active duty in the Navy, Steve and Mary Lou returned to Florida, where he earned an A.A. Degree from Seminole Community College in 1977, and then a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, in 1979. For the next six years, Steve worked in retail marketing, primarily as a computer center manager for Tandy-Radio Shack.

In August of 1984, Mary Lou and Steve set off from Ovieda, Florida, with two children and one on the way, so Steve could enter Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While at Seminary, Steve served as student chaplain in Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke's Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne. He served his vicarage year at Trinity Lutheran, Reese, Michigan and also served as chaplain at Lutheran Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan.

Steve and Mary Lou returned to Ft. Wayne in November of 1988, to complete his classes at the Seminary. He completed his requirements for the Master of Divinity Degree on May 19, 1989, and accepted the Call to serve Trinity Lutheran, Riesel, Texas.

While at Trinity in Riesel, Pastor Linck served for a number of years as a Nursing Home Chaplain with Central Texas Senior Ministries. Believing in community volunteering, he has served as a volunteer fireman, Cub Scout

Master, and President of Heart of Texas Foster and Adoptive Family Association. The Riesel Community credits him beginning a Senior Center and Meals on Wheels Program, as well as opening the only day care and preschool in the rural area served by Trinity.

He also served at St. Paul Lutheran, Groves, Texas, in the Port Authur area, from March 1996 to January 2003. While at St. Paul he served as Circuit LWML Counselor, Circuit Youth Counselor, and the Circuit Mission Board - Vietnamese Ministries. His social involvement in Groves includes Committee Chairman of B.S.A. Troop 75, President of PNG - Little Dribblers Basketball, as well as an active participant on other community and school boards.

Steve and Mary Lou have been blessed with six children Nicholas, Timothy, Elizabeth, Robert (deceased), Benjamin and Marissa.

pastorlinck@bellsouth.net

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Our Associate Pastor

William Scott Snyder was born in Pensacola, FL, on September 20, 1958, to Donald R. & Carolyn A Snyder. The middle child of three, Scott has one brother and sister, Don and Susan. He grew up in Warrington, attended Redeemer Lutheran School where he met is future wife, Cheryl Lynn Miles, and graduated from Escambia High School, Pensacola, in May, 1976. On December 17, 1977, Scott and Cheryl were married. They have been blessed with two children, Melissa and Jarred.

Shortly after High School Scott began his career in Federal Civil Service, working as a Machinist, N/C Maintenance Machinist, Plant Services Division Supervisor and later as Facilities Support Contracts Manager. Scott has also served his community as Fireman, Emergence Medical Technician, Cub Master and Scout Master.

In 1995, faced with relocation due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), Scott enrolled in Pensacola Junior College at night and later transferred to Faulkner State Community College, graduating in 2003. After many years of serving the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) as Usher, Elder and Head Elder, Scott elected to make the commitment of enrolling the LCMS Lay Ministry Training Institute. After graduation he served Grace as Lay Deacon. He subsequently applied to and was accepted into the Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, under the Distance Education Leading Toward Ordination Program. He served faithfully as Vicar at Grace during his Seminary training. On July 12, 2009, Scott was Ordained and Installed as Associate Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Pensacola.

pastorssnyder@bellsouth.net

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Call On Us!

Feel free to call on us!! We are available to serve you 24/7!!

Stephen S. Linck, Senior Pastor

Scott Snyder, Associate Pastor

4040 Collingswood Rd

3058 Creekwood Drive

Pensacola, Fl 32514

Cantonment, FL 32533

Home: 477-8045

Home: 474-6577

Cell: 525-1328

Cell: 324-8671

Office: 476-5667

pastorssnyder@bellsouth.net

pastorlinck@bellsouth.net

Directions to Pastor Linck’s home

Collingswood Rd. is located in Camelot Estates, just North of I-10 off of North 9^th Avenue.

Confidential Message Center

When calling the church office (476-5667) after hours, you may leave a message on Pastor=s extension #104, which is a confidential voice mail for Pastor.

Call On Us Too!

The church is led by a Board of Lay Leadership, Executive Committee and Elder Board. Grace has a constitution which is made up of rules and bylaws by which we are governed. Decisions are made for the church by the Board of Lay Leadership, Executive Committee and Elders. Lay Leadership and Elder meetings are held each month and anyone wishing to attend these meetings is invited to do so. Every communicant member of Grace is also a voting member. Typically, voter meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of February, May, August, and November. Voters are encouraged to attend these important meetings to hear about the wonderful ministries going on at Grace, as well as contributing to important decisions of Grace’s future.

2009/2010 Elected Positions:

Board President: Ralph Fisk, 478-0604

Board Vice President: Rob Krauss, 696-9197

Head Elder: Lester Poppe, 968-9492

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Pastor Emeritus

Rev. Bob Richter

Grace is blessed to have an associate pastor, Pastor Emeritus and five members of Grace who are certified by our District as Lay Ministers and Deacons. They assist the pastor in teaching, preaching and overall ministry at Grace.

Ministry Assistant Coordinator

Karin Moore, 476-5667

graceprayers@bellsouth.net

Karin coordinates and communicates the prayers of the church to those who notify us of their special prayer requests and wish them to be sent out to our prayer chain. She also handles the scheduling of Adult Bible Classes for the Board of Education and coordinates Senior Ministry, Small Group Ministries, special programs and Stephen Ministry. National Day of Prayer, the GLC Retreat and special holidays throughout the year are also coordinated by her.

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Office Manager / Membersnip Secretary

Keli Thorn 476-5667

gracepensacola@bellsouth.net

Keli is responsible for the master calendar and publication of the monthly newsletter. Sunday bulletins are prepared weekly by Keli and she serves as information central, ministry coordinator, the Church=s and Pastor’s Administrative Secretary. If you have a question and do not know where to go for answers, Keli is the person to ask. If you need to schedule a meeting, or the use of any of our buildings, or to check out equipment, Keli is the one to go to.

The Membership Secretary keeps an information file for each family that joins Grace Lutheran. Keeping current information on each member requires your input. We give each prospective new member an information packet to fill out to obtain pertinent family information, prior church history, hobbies and interests. If you catch an article in a newspaper featuring one of our members, please clip it and bring it to Keli. It will be proudly displayed in the office window then placed in the family file. Member files are confidential and are kept locked within the church office .

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Lay Ministers and Deacons

Bruce Dietl,. 456-7936

Nathan Krause, 342-2670

Jack Onkka, 474-1082

Brent Wipf, 937-3816

Children's Ministry Director

Amy Onkka, 505-7735

graceprek@bellsouth.net

Amy oversees all our children’s educational programs including Sunday school, Mid-Week, Preschool, VBS, Easter and Christmas children’s activities and Children’s Church. She always needs volunteers to teach, cook, craft, or create or share an inspiration.

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Director of Christian Education

Zeal Beale, 512-5545

gracedce@bellsouth.net

Commissioned and installed January 13, 2008, Zeal received her D.C.E. education from Concordia University, Austin, Texas. Her responsibilities include the programming and implementation of spiritual growth for children in the FAITH night program; 3:5 youth group (third, fourth & fifth graders); junior high youth; senior high youth; young adults. Zeal’s office is in the youth building and she is always available to the youth and their families.

Finance Secretary

Joan Cassens, 476-5667

gracefinance@bellsouth.net

The Finance Secretary serves as accounts receivable, recording member offerings and any monetary income to the church. Annually, a statement of your offerings is mailed. This job is made easier by using the numbered envelopes assigned to you, and indicating where you desire your funds to go. If you have questions regarding your statement, or how to accomplish something financially within the congregation, please call the church office and we will be happy to find an answer for you

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Director of Outreach & Assimilation

The Director of Outreach and Assimilation handles correspondence, advertising and special mailings to keep members informed of things that are happening at Grace. Coordinating new member orientations, welcome packets for visitors and organizing our greeters are just a small part of the duties. The Director of Outreach and Assimilation is also responsible for organizing a variety of church-sponsored events such as our annual Day in the Park, guest speakers, parties in the park and any other exciting things happening at Grace.

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Campus Engineer

Stephen Shearer

The church grounds and building are maintained on a daily basis. Each day he is responsible for setting up and taking down tables and equipment for our scheduled meetings and events. There are always a variety of tasks that can be performed and any assistance is greatly appreciated.

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Webmaster

Dave Cassens 937-6873

dcassens@cox.net

If you see something that needs updating or have ideas, give Dave a call. The website includes information, calendar items, and pictures from congregational events!