Ministers
Devin LaBay and wife Cammy - Lead
Minister
As Lead
Minister here at Surprise Church of Christ, my wife Cammy and I
would like to welcome you to our website and to invite you to join us
for Bible study and worship at your earliest convenience.
Just so you know us a little better, I am a native Texan growing up in the Piney Woods of East Texas in Longview. My wife Cammy and I met at Abilene Christian University and married in 1990. God has blessed us with four wonderful children, two daughters, Rebecca and Sheridan, as well as our twin sons, Trevor and Cullen.
I love sports,
hiking, fishing
with my boys and losing golf balls. I received my degrees in
Bible and Ministry from Harding University and the Harding University
School of Biblical Studies.
Cammy is
an incredible wife and mother. She is actively involved in the
life of the church and has served as a teacher as well as behind
the scenes doing the things that need to be
done. Cammy is a faithful Christian wife, mother, friend, servant
and confidant. Cammy grew up in the Park Plaza Church of Christ
in Tulsa, OK where her parents still attend. Cammy works with
children as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and enjoys art and
reading as well as hiking.
As a minister I love
sharing the Word with people in a way that is uplifting, educational
and relevant to daily living. This includes a style of
presentation where power point, current events, storytelling,
interactive sermon outlines, as well as video clips are utilized.
The goal is for the listener to leave the worship experience feeling
better that when they came in: motivated, dedicated and ready to share
the good news with others.
Reading between the lines is
important in Bible study. It must be more than red and black ink
on white pages. A diligent effort should always be made to
communicate the original intent of the text, it's historical impact as
well as cultural and linguistic detail that is often lost in our
English translation. But most importantly, the Word must be
communicated in a manner that has relevance and application for today's
world.
One of my favorite
things about being a minister is making the connection on a personal
level. The most powerful and meaningful ministry takes place one
on one and at the most crucial times in life. One of the many
benefits I have received in my ministry experience has been that of
covering the age spectrum. As a Youth and Family Minister for 10
years, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve congregations as
small as 200 and as large as 2,000. and as pulpit minister I have
been blessed with the experience of serving older Christians and become
aware of their needs, challenges and contributions to the Kingdom.
A strong Biblical
foundation is important to me and important to the Surprise Church
family. I am thoroughly committed to preaching and teaching
non-denominational Christianity in a 21st century culture.
Surprise Church of Christ is committed to meeting the needs of people
using relevant methods
that do not compromise Biblical truth.
I hope to see you
soon!
Brian Smith and wife Megan- Teen Ministry
As the
Teen Ministry leaders here at Surprise Church of Christ, we want
to welcome you and invite you to join us. Our Teen ministry is
designed to help you learn about God's plan for your life, how to serve
Him in he community and how to have fun as a Christian.
I grew
up in Alabama and my wife Megan grew up in Georgia. I am
currently serving in the United States Air force as an Avionics
Technician working with F-16 Falcons at Luke Air Force Base. I
enjoy cycling, shooting, playing the guitar and hope to get into
classic car restoration in the future. Having grown up in a
Christian home as the son and grandson of preachers, I was surrounded
by Christian love and received the foundational instruction that aided
me when the time came for my decision to follow Jesus.
My favorite
passage of Scripture is I John 1:5-10; "This is the message we have heard
from him and declare to you: God is light: in him there is no darkness
at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in
the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all
sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out
to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." This
is the core of the gospel; we are all sinners subject to a perfect God,
and we can have continual forgiveness if we continue to strive for what
is righteous. This passage shores up my faith with comfort and
hope.
Megan and I
believe that God has called us to lead young men and women to Christ
and to help build them into powerful leaders for Christ. This is
our vision that we bring to the Surprise Teen ministry. We
believe that our commitment to the Lord, through Jesus Christ, our
personal commitment to excellence and service in every personal
endeavor, our youthful energy and a love for wholesome fun, as well as
a
desire to learn and know God's word will open the door to opportunities
for us to effectively interact with people from all backgrounds.
We invite you to
join us and grow with us.
Matthew Miller and wife Vallerie - Children's Ministry
Welcome to Surprise's Children's Ministry! On behalf of all the
children and families here at Surprise Church of Christ, we want to
invite you to
join us for a great time of learning and fun. Our Children's
Ministry is designed to teach your child about Jesus and to have fun
and enjoy themselves while doing it.
I grew up in Iowa and am a huge Hawkeye's fan. I have lived in the Phoenix area for the last 15 years and received my education from Arizona State University. I currently work as a Purchasing Manager for a Manufactured Home builder. I love to swim with my family in the backyard pool as well as playing golf and football.
My favorite
Scripture is Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul writes, "For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do."
My mission as a dad
and as Children's Ministry Leader here at Surprise Church of Christ is
for our
children to understand and embrace this "gift of grace" that Paul talks
about.
Hey there!
Valerie here (Matt's better half). I grew up in Wilcox, Arizona
and I enjoy reading, art, sewing and cooking. I received my
degree from ASU in Marketing, but currently have my hands full with our
five daughters: Savannah, Alaina, Krystina, Sabrina and Julianna as a
stay at home
mom.
I have two favorite
passages of Scripture that I believe every child should come to know
and understand. First, Psalm 139:14; "I praise You because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful. I know
that full well."
Our children are
wonderful and they need to know that! I chose this Scripture
because I was born with birthmarks that I was teased for as a
child and as a result I always felt inferior. I now have two
children who have the same birthmarks and I want their experience to be
different from mine. I can't guarantee that they will never be
teased, but I can make sure that they know that even though we are all
different, we are all wonderfully made. I also like I Corinthians
14: 4-8 because it is an awesome reminder of how we should treat one
another. It gives me a model of what my husband and children
should see from me.
Having five small
children of our own has provided us with a wealth of knowledge and
experience. We understand where young families are in their life
and the problems and challenges they face. We enjoy working with
children and genuinely care about the future of all children, not just
our own. We are creative people and enjoy putting those ideas
into action and encouraging children to use their imaginations to do
the same.
We invite you to
join us and grow with us.