Hi! Sandy & Liz Weeldreyer here. We are both serving as youth sponsors at First Baptist. We have lived in Emery for about 26 years now. For Sandy our move to Emery was returning home to the church where he grew up. Liz is a Nebraska native but has happily made SD her home. We have 3 children, 1 in grad school, 1 in college and 1 in high school. We love working with youth and have a strong desire to help guide teenagers to not just know about God but to truly seek God and let Him change them. What a blessing it is to be able to interact with this great group of teens.
~Sandy and Liz Weeldreyer
We are John and Tracy Gilliland, AKA PJ and Mrs G. We moved to Emery in 2016 when John became pastor of FBC. Tracy teaches K-12 vocal music at Bridgewater Emery Schools. It is indeed our honor to be spending time with the teens at Wednesday night Encounter. Challenging? Yes. Rewarding? Most definitely! We are trying to encourage them and help them know that their hopes and dreams can become reality as they obey God and rely on His help in making right choices.
~John and Tracy Gilliland
John and Tracy Gilliland
Sandy and Liz Weeldreyer
Hello! We are Pastor Alec and Lin Bell. We began serving at FBC Emery in November of 2021. We hail from northern and southern Michigan.
Alec graduation from Calvary University in 2021 with a degree in Youth Ministry. Lin is passionate about serving other and serving God in the local community.
Alec and Lin have a heart for building relationships, serving the body of Christ, and having an impact on the next generation.
Alec's passion is for presenting the Gospel to the youth and bringing a real understanding of the abundant life Christ offers. He cares deeply for the truth of the Word to be spread from the local area to the ends of the earth. He is new in the area, but willing to help whenever and however possible.
We cannot wait to see a passion for the Lord grow in the youth of our local church. Our desire is for them to have a deeper knowledge and grasp on the truth, while growing in their relationship with our Lord.
Adam and Ashley Zens
Hello! We are Adam and Ashley Zens and we have been married for almost 9 years. We lived in Sioux Falls for 5 years before moving to Emery(where Ashley was raised). After having our son, Hudson, in 2012, we always knew we wanted to raise him in a small town. We quickly became involved at First Baptist Church. Adam has been a Youth Sponsor for 3 years now, and Ashley for 1.5. We truly love getting to know all of the students and treat them like they are our own! We strive to guide them to live out a strong Christian life. We pray that we can show them what a truly amazing God we serve and how He can change their lives if they trust in Him. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children’s lives!
~Adam and Ashley Zens
Youth Pastor, Alec and Lin Bell
Who We Are
(1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 28:19-20)
GLORIFYING GOD BY MAKING DISCIPLES
First Baptist Church, Emery, SD