1. Steven (Steve) and Jennifer (Jen) Greasby married last April, and have since been looking for a church to call their own. Steve was a member of Mt. Olive in Milwaukee, while Jen attended Divine Redeemer in Hartland (she taught kindergarten Sunday School there too). Since the couple now resides in Wauwatosa, Divine Redeemer was a far drive away. Mt. Olive didn’t offer contemporary worship, which Jen loves. At Immanuel, they found both distance and worship style compatible with their desires. Steve says they both like the order of services: fairly traditional but flexible for different seasons of the Church year, so that overall the atmosphere stays fresh. They also have both connected with the pastors’ sermons.
Steve is a software engineer at Vilter Manufacturing. Jen works in corporate learning at Rockwell Automation.
Jen likes to do crafts, especially using stamps to make greeting cards. Steve is part of the Wauwatosa Curling Club, which he compares to shuffleboard on ice (he is also partial to the fact that it takes place indoors during the winter!). The couple enjoys traveling, and, Steve says, are relishing the ride of sharing life experiences together.
Get to know these newlyweds at the 10:45 service!
2. J.P. and Kristin Fyans moved to Wisconsin from Chicago when Kristin got a new job working in gift card marketing at Kohl’s Corporate Headquarters. J.P. works for Dowling, Thelen, and Benske, a law firm. The couple are in a head-spinning transition, as they are planning to move to a new home in Bay View from their current residence in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. They are also expecting their first child, a boy, in May.
J.P. says the couple visited several churches in the Milwaukee area, and when they came to Immanuel, it felt like home. They are pleased by how active the congregation is and enjoy the doctrinally-based sermons. The couple looks forward to becoming involved in Bible study classes, and J.P. is interested in pursuing athletics at Immanuel (he coached 5th and 6th grade Boys Basketball at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Illinois).
Kristin and J.P. enjoy sports of various kinds: J.P. played soccer for Illinois Wesleyan University, while Kristin played softball at Millikin University. The couple also enjoys golfing together. Kristin also enjoys shopping and the aesthetic hobby of painting, especially abstract modern art using oil paints. J.P. and Kristin also like being with family and friends whenever possible.
Be sure to greet this young couple at the 9:30 service!
3. C.J. and Laura Dykstra, of Wauwatosa, transferred to Immanuel from Redemption Lutheran Church. They were attracted to Immanuel because the congregation is growing and outreach-focused.
“The Pastor doesn’t determine the direction the congregation is growing; it’s based on people and their talents,” Laura says. “He doesn’t try to fit everyone in a box.”
Laura and C.J. have been attending Immanuel for a time – Laura helped with Vacation Bible School last summer and enjoyed working with other women in the congregation.
The couple has one daughter, Grace, who is five. They are also expecting a second girl in April – she will be the fifth baby born in the past year on C.J.’s side of the family.
C.J. works in Human Resources at Park Bank, and Laura is a stay-at-home mom who is kept busy looking after Grace. When Laura has a free moment, she enjoys reading (especially novels by Christian author Karen Kingsbury) and knitting. Grace and C.J. also love to read. Grace’s favorite toys du jour are The Littlest Pet Shop and the Build-a-Bear workshop, where she recently made a dog for herself and a teddy bear for her little sister’s arrival.
Say hello to this young family at the 9:30 service!
4. Anthony (Tony) and Julie Baker are new transfers to Immanuel from St. John’s in Glendale. The couple found Immanuel after they moved to a house in Brookfield and were looking for a church closer to their new residence. Julie says that when they first visited Immanuel, the church felt welcoming and comfortable, and they could see themselves fitting in really well.
Besides moving, Tony and Julie are each busy traveling for work. Julie works at GMR Marketing, and Tony is a packaging engineer for Harley Davidson. He is also working towards his MBA.
Tony and Julie are looking forward to summer in Milwaukee, when they’ll enjoy riding their Harley motorcycle (Julie is getting her motorcycle license in April) and attending outdoor music festivals.
5. Jeff and Becky Kaus recently transferred to Immanuel from Zion Lutheran in Menomonee Falls. They found Immanuel through the recommendation of friends. At Zion, Jeff was in a brass choir, which often accompanied the hand bell choir. He hopes to become involved in music in our congregation. He says music keeps him passionate about his faith.
Jeff and Becky have two sons: Jacob, 6, and Ben, 3. The family enjoys reading and doing outdoor activities together. Jeff especially likes hunting and biking. Becky is an avid runner. Jacob is busy with sports too: he is involved in soccer and Little League baseball.
Becky is a pharmacist at Medco Health. Jeff is a social worker at Children’s Hospital.
Be sure to greet this friendly family at the 9:30 service!
6. Michael and Renee Gribble moved to our area from Illinois, where they attended Bethlehem Lutheran Church. The couple now resides in West Allis, where they are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child (due in April). Renee is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Linguistics at UWM, while Michael works at Dedicated Computing.
Renee says they were drawn to Immanuel because they were pleased with our school. At their previous church, Renee enjoyed helping with Vacation Bible School and the Youth Group. She’s interested in learning more about our youth programs. Michael would enjoy helping to serve meals at ministry events. Renee and Michael’s prayer request to the congregation is for safety for her brother, Graham, who is serving in the U.S. Army’s 101st in Afghanistan.
Look for this young couple at the 9:30 and 10:45 services!