MEET OUR STAFF

	George Garrison Senior Pastor George is husband to Susan and father of Christina and Stephen. He grew up in Rolla, Missouri, as the youngest of six children, so that he was an "only child" for all of high school. And the ministry is in his blood; both of George's grandfathers were full-time ministers. George is an avid sports fan. On his shortlist of favorite films are The Shawshank Redemption and Dead Poets Society. His favorite books include Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis, A. W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God, and a biography of George Washington, . One of George's favorite things about serving at Immanuel is hearing people's stories of grace and learning how God has equipped everyone uniquely for ministry. George may be emailed, like other staff, using his first name finished with "@immanuelpresbyterian.net".

	Carol Plueddemann Minister of Congregational Life Cross-cultural relationships are a significant part of Carol's life. After growing up as a "missionary kid" in Ecuador, Carol completed her bachelor's and master's degrees at Wheaton College. Then she and her husband, Jim, served as missionaries in Nigeria for 13 years and in leadership in Serving In Mission for 10 years, work that sent them to 56 different countries. Carol draws on her cross-cultural experience and command of the Spanish language in her outreach to Warrenville's Hispanic community. She serves on the city's Hispanic Council and is delighted that Immanuel is considered a hub for many community activities. She is also committed to keeping our congregation connected with missionaries serving overseas. Much of Carol's daily responsibility involves helping people connect--to God, to each other, to our congregation, and to the community. She enjoys facilitating leadership development, especially when that includes helping the younger people in our congregation find a place to serve. Carol enjoys working in her garden and reading international fiction. Her recent favorites include A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan), The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar (India), and Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria). Perhaps the greatest delight of her life is being a grandmother to Josh and Cara, who live close in Wheaton and Sam (2½) and Sahara (newborn), who live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

	Grant Burns Minister to Youth

	Mary Hopper Minister of Music Mary is a longtime lover of church music. Her mother was the choir director at the Presbyterian Church Mary grew up in. Since then, she has made music a career. As Professor of Choral Music at Wheaton College, she has directed the Women's Chorale for 30 years and the Men's Glee Club for 8 years. She is currently the Director of Performance Studies in the Wheaton Conservatory. Mary is married to Peter Welander. Their daughter, Betsy, is a sophomore at Wheaton College. In her ministry at Immanuel, Mary loves coordinating the music--choosing hymns and songs that fit with the theme of the sermon. She also loves playing the organ and leading in congregational singing. When she isn't planning or conducting a service or college performance, Mary likes reading books on worship by Marva Dawn. She is also an avid reader of mystery and spy novels and movies. Her favorites include Smiley's People and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

	Amy O'Brien Minister of Christian Education Amy grew up overseas (mainly in Singapore), as the daughter of missionaries. She returned to the US for college, where she studied theology and met and married her husband, Brandon. She is currently working toward her M. A. in Christian Formation and Ministry. Amy enjoys working with the Immanuel staff and helping people start ministries they are passionate. Her primary passion is working with kids. She enjoys being silly with kids and helping them get their wiggles out. But ultimately she is motivated by seeing children encounter God in true worship and developing spiritually. When she isn't teaching the children at Immanuel, Amy likes to read and work Sudoku puzzles. She loves to bake, and is currently testing out gluten-free recipes (having recently discovered that she's allergic to wheat). She also enjoys writing letters and journaling--or visiting with friends--while drinking a warm cup of coffee. Amy is a huge fan of Jane Austen novels, though Emma is decidedly her favorite. She's recently become a fan of Walter Wangerin, Jr.'s stories, as well as new children's books by Phil Vischer. Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman and Children Matter, co-authored by Scottie May, have been influential to her work at Immanuel. As for movies, she has four all-time favorites: While You Were Sleeping, Harvey (starring Jimmy Stewart), Support Your Local Sheriff, and That Thing You Do.

	Barbara Lawrence Church Secretary Barb recognizes her role as a link between the congregation, the community, and the pastoral staff. She may seem a bit shy, but she loves people and loves developing relationships. Her love of people equips her well for her ministry at Immanuel, in which she has ample opportunity to help out. Barb enjoys relaxing beside her backyard swimming pool and reading (currently Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz), but her favorite pastime is playing with her grandchildren. When she's not doing all that, Barb is learning Spanish and developing friendships in Warrenville's Hispanic community.

	Amber Johnson Business Manager Amber is a lifelong Warrenville resident who grew up right down the street from the current Immanuel facility. She left Warrenville to attend college in Greeley, Colorado, where she majored in international trade and relations and minored in Spanish. It was in college that Amber became a Christian. After college, at a retreat, Amber met her husband, Marc. Now raising three daughters of her own not far from Warrenville, in North Aurora, Amber is thrilled that she can use her skills and education to help improve the church's finances. When she's not doing that, she enjoys cooking, knitting, and cross-stitching and spending time with family and friends. Amber recently read and enjoyed The Shack. She enjoys movies Marc calls "chick flicks"--including musicals. Among her favorites are Enchanted and Return to Me.

	Linden Cole Assistant Business Manager Linden experienced major spiritual growth through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship while a student at Harvard University, where he developed a heart for missions. He taught for two years at a mission high school in Pakistan and spent many more years on the Latin America Mission Board. His main credential as a church treasurer is a career as an actuary (someone who designs and manages risk pools). He enjoys being able to put his experience in business to use in the church. Linden enjoys figuring out how to get places by public transportation, taking walking tours of Chicago, and visiting the city's many museums. He loves baseball games and reading Sherlock Holmes stories, anything by Emily Hahn, and books about India and Pakistan. As for movies, he counts all six of the Thin Man movies, Groundhog Day, and the Marx Brothers Monkey Business among his favorites.

	Frank Lawrence Church Sexton