Mark Jensen
Mark Jensen is a member of the Living Grace Lutheran Church's vision Board. Mark's interest in becoming an active member of Living Grace came from a combination of wanting to enhance his personal connection with God, his interest in helping be part of starting a new church family, and his family's connection with Pastor James at his previous church (First Lutheran Church in Avoca, NE).
Mark is married to Camille and they have three children; Syndey (10 yrs. old), Katelyn (7 yrs. old), and Nolan (5 yrs. old). Mark is employed with Farm Credit Services of America as a Sr. Vice President.
Melissa Jewell
Each week in worship, Pastor James says “We believe the Lord has led you here.” I am a firm believer of these words and am tremendously thankful that the Lord led me to Living Grace. I began searching for a new church home around the time Living Grace was preparing to launch, and God was very persistent in putting information about Living Grace in my path. After meeting with Pastor James, I joined the Launch Team…and the rest is history.
I feel fortunate to have found a church where I can use the gifts that God has graciously blessed me with. I’ve always enjoyed serving others, and God has blessed me with unbelievable opportunities to do so as part of the Bridge Team. I also serve as a member of the Vision Board, and I coordinate the scheduling for all of Living Grace’s dedicated volunteers.
I was born and raised in Omaha and have a degree in Elementary Education from UNO. I am the owner of Bobby’s Dancewear, a retail store that sells dance shoes and apparel. I have always had a great appreciation for the arts and feel blessed to work in such a talented and passionate dance community.
Ryan Blakestad
In November, 2007, my family and I decided to join Pastor James Lindberg and a small number of volunteers from surrounding churches in the west Omaha area to help develop a new congregation that we now proudly call Living Grace. The decision, although difficult at the time because of our comfort with our previous church home, has proved to be more rewarding than our family could have ever imagined. Through our experiences in building new relationships and establishing the church, it is clear that God has brought us all together to provide new ways to worship and serve in meaningful and practical ways. As a Vision Board member and a leader within this congregation, I would like to lead in a way that clearly reflects the mission of our congregation: Worship, Connect, Go and Bring. I am both proud and fortunate to be a part of this exciting new church that has built its foundation on worshiping God, building faith relationships, serving together, and creatively providing opportunities for others to share experiences with God.
My wife, Michelle, and I have three beautiful children who have enriched our lives as a family and keep us on our toes. When I’m not running to or from the kids’ school or sporting events, I work as an IT Director at First Data. Michelle has used her gifts as a professional preschool teacher and worked with a talented team at Living Grace to create Grace Place, the children’s ministry. Our children – Seth, Alec and Elizabeth, have all been involved with the start of Living Grace and Grace Place through the course of our short time as a church. The experience has truly been an amazing one for our family, and our spiritual lives continue to mature as the church grows. We are truly blessed and privileged to be a part of Living Grace. We invite you to attend Living Grace and welcome you to help us with the growth of this new church in Omaha!
Cindy Bender
I found out about Living Grace through a few friends at Christmas time in 2008. I decided to join this new church family because I had been looking for a source of peace. I have found that peace in the relationships and ministry at Living Grace, and I serve in leadership in the hopes of sharing that peace with others.
I work in Information Tecnology, and I'm HUGE into yoga! I'm also passionate about animals and nature. I have three older brothers and am currently living in Ralston.
Greg Salton
Coming from a traditional church background, my family and I were looking for a church experience that was more practical to our daily lives versus just something that we attended on Sunday. Whether its the daily Twitter devotion, the various social and service opportunities, a Sunday morning worship, the Grace Place Sunday School, Living Grace has found a way to reach each member of my family. As a result, our family is closer and stronger in our faith.
Erin and I have three wonderful children, Cole, Kenna and Kara. I am current employed by Farm Credit Services of America as the Director - Portfolio Management helping the company understand the current and future performance based on the economic environment. Erin works as a kindergarten teacher for Millard Public Schools.
Being a part of the start of the church, I am continually amazed how God provides as the ministry evolves and more people become involved and integrated into our church community. As a vision board member, I am excited to help the church continue to grow in a way that makes a difference in the daily lives of its members.