SOTP – Staff & Council

Originally from Quincy, IL Pastor Mark answered God’s call to ministry after earning his degree from Indiana State University.  He entered seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and was ordained in 1990.  He served congregations in Centralia and Washington, IL prior to becoming a mission developer and coming to Huntley.  He is Shepherd of the Prairie’s first called pastor.   Pastor Mark has a deep commitment to walking alongside others in their spiritual journeys. His preaching blends real-life wisdom with hope-filled messages that connect Scripture to daily living.

Beyond weekend worship, you’ll often find Pastor Mark involved in local outreach efforts, supporting Huntley-area families, and encouraging service that makes a tangible difference. He values time with his family.  Mark’s wife Annette is a music teacher in District 158.  Mark and Annette have four grown children…Zac, Seth (Meredith), Jonathan (Nicole) and Grace.  He enjoys being active in the community, and believes the church is most alive when it reflects Christ’s compassion to the world around it.

Pastor Ryan’s career in ministry began when he was hired to be the Youth and Family Ministry
Coordinator at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Dixon in 2012. After six years of serving
Immanuel, he felt the Holy Spirit calling him to finally enter seminary and begin a new chapter
as a rostered minister in the ELCA.

Through Wartburg’s Collaborative Learning program, Ryan was able to attend classes full-time
on-line via Zoom, while also serving as the pastoral leader of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Manlius, Illinois. This amazing program allowed Ryan to gain four years of pastoral
experience while learning and exploring his faith in seminary.

During the summer of 2022, Ryan accepted his first call at Shepherd of the Prairie and was
ordained on July 23, 2022.

Ryan and Tara live in Crystal Lake with their three amazing boys, Derek, Evan, and Jack. The
whole family enjoys being a part of this genuinely welcoming and vibrant worshipping
community.

Kendra has led preschool classrooms and worked in the Early Intervention Program as a Developmental Therapist. She is very excited to share her passion in working with children and families at Little Lambs Preschool program. Kendra lives in Huntley with her husband and her three children.

She has worked in the Huntley school district as a teacher and an aide for Kindergartners with special needs. She was a Director of Education at a Sylvan Learning Center. Jill lives in Huntley with her husband and her two children. The Gillming family are charter members of Shepherd of the Prairie.

Whether it is thunderstorms during the day or the stars at night, chances are you will find Josh looking up at the sky! Even though he is always looking forward to a good thunderstorm during the warmer months, Josh will never hesitate to say that winter is still the BEST season of the year. From the cold temperatures, snowy weather, the shorter days and longer nights…winter is Josh’s element!

Josh is a born-and-raised fan of the Green Bay Packers and will always be wearing the green and gold on game days! He is also, of course, a fan of the Chicago Cubs!

Mia is passionate about creating a youth ministry that students genuinely want to be part of – not because they have all the answers about faith, but because they know there is a place for them at Shepherd of the Prairie’s table. Her hope is that every student knows three things: you are known, you are loved, and you belong here.

Mia and her husband, Brock, live in the area with their four children. When she isn’t at church, you’ll likely find her on a soccer field, cheering on one of her kids at their sporting endeavors, planning the next big idea, or somewhere with a very LARGE cup of coffee.

Jane has spent her entire adult life passionately leading God’s people in worship through the powerful vehicle of music. Her experience spans 30 years and includes liturgical and non-liturgical music, choral music, handbells, and instrumental music in traditional, alternative, blended and contemporary worship styles.

Jane grew up in Barrington, Illinois and was a graduate of Barrington High school and a active member of St Matthew Lutheran Church where her Uncle, her early years mentor Walter Krauss, was organist and choir master. After high school Jane attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan studying music with an emphasis in violin performance, choral conducting and literature. Upon completion of her studies, Jane has done extensive free lance violin work as well as private instruction. Jane has held several Church positions where she has added much to their programs including orchestras, handbell programs and new contemporary bands. For two years, Jane was a member of the Northern Illinois Synod Worship team and directed the Synod assembly choir and a handbell choir for Festival worship.

Jane lives in Huntley and is married to Tim, they have two grown children, Shannon, 27 and Kevin, 24. When not working, Jane volunteers as Director of Encore String and Wind Ensemble, enjoys swimming and is an avid cook and baker.

Jane is humbled and honored to have been selected as Worship and Music Director of Shepherd of the Prairie and is excited to see what plans God has for this awesome and thriving church family.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.– Hebrews 13:15

As a passionate worshiper, Jeff strives to lead others in developing a lifestyle of worship. He holds a Master of Worship Studies degree from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies and has led various workshops and seminars on worship design and the use of technology in worship. A key verse for Jeff is Colossians 3:17, which says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Jeff, his wife Emily, and his sons Elijah & Samuel are longtime Huntley residents. Jeff is absolutely thrilled to join the team at Shepherd of the Prairie and is excited to serve the community in which he lives.

Since graduating college, he has worked for different non-profits and government bodies dealing with social issues such as poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, mental health and public transportation in various team and leadership roles.

Growing up, Matt knew his purpose was to serve the people. He felt that the world could always use more people who were willing to help those in need and feels that in his role, he will be able to bring a very people centric focus to his work. Matt plans to be an energetic and positive presence to add the already great team that SOTP has!

Michelle brings together organization, creativity, and a genuine love for people in her work. From supporting the church’s day-to-day operations to creating communications, coordinating events, and helping share the story of Shepherd of the Prairie, she enjoys finding ways to help the church connect with and serve its community.

A priority in Michelle’s work is looking at the bigger picture and helping find solutions that are best for Shepherd of the Prairie as a whole. She believes that decisions should be thoughtful, collaborative, and rooted in what will best support the church’s mission, ministry, staff, volunteers, and congregation.

At the heart of Michelle’s work is a simple belief: everyone deserves to feel like they belong. She is passionate about creating a welcoming, inclusive church community where people can come as they are, ask questions, grow in faith, and discover that there is a place for them at Shepherd of the Prairie.

Outside of church, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, relaxing at the beach, reading, and finding the little ways to live out her faith in everyday life.

Dave has a degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois and is a CPA. He is retired from a career of over 30 years in various accounting positions at Caterpillar, Inc. He and his wife Joyce moved from Peoria to Huntley in 2015 to be closer to their family and joined Shepherd of the Prairie at that time. Dave feels blessed to have the opportunity to serve by helping to care for the financial resources that our members and friends so generously share with the church.