Leadership
Jacob's Well is a church governed by a community of elders and operated by a staff of people paid and unpaid.
Kelli Arrandale
Kelli is the Infant-2 Director as well as the administrator for the Kid's Community team. She is also working to implement security strategies to ensure our kids' safety. Kelli is married to Ted Arrandale and is the mother of Samuel (Sam I am). She received a BA in Education from Kansas State University. Previously she has been a teacher, a swim coach and was on staff with Young Life for 4 years. Kelli loves to read, study, learn and communicate anything that comes her way, especially the ideas of grace and redemption in unlikely places and forms.
Ginger Broyles
Ginger is the administrator at Jacob's Well. She tries to keep things running around here and figures with a building this old there is great job security because something is always breaking. She received a degree in communications around the time many people who attend Jacob's Well were born, and has worked in editing, copywriting, marketing and other odd jobs before winding up at Jacob's Well through a series of divine emails and phone calls.
She is married to Mike and the two live in a nearby bungalow that reminds them of the beach (where they travel when they travel). They love watching movies (every night), reading, letting their dog drag them around the neighborhood for walks, and dreaming about Paris.
Mike Crawford
I'm the Worship/Arts Pastor here at Jacob's Well. I lead and arrange our musical worship teams and write many of the songs we sing here at Jacob's Well. I also facilitate the recording studio we have here at the church. We utilize the studio to record all sorts of bands and solo artists and to build relational bridges into the musical community that surrounds us in Westport. We also use the space to record some of the worship music we play here. You can check some of those songs out at myspace.com/mikecrawfordmusic. I have been playing music since I was in 5th grade and feel a deep sense of calling on my life to use music to connect people with God. I have been serving the Jacob's Well community for 7 years.
I am married to Laura and together, we have 3 kids - Cole, Macyann and Georgia. My family is the joy of my life. I love spending time with all of them, hanging out at the pool, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, taking nature hikes, going to the kids’ basketball games and piano recitals...
My personal interests are reading (poetry, fiction, theology), working out and (you guessed it) music. I love all kinds of music! Some of my favorites these days are...Thelonious Monk, Broken Social Scene, mewithoutyou, Hank Sr., Sigur Ros, The Beatles, Bobby Dylan, Spoon, The Smiths, Edith Piaf (or any 1940's WWII soundtrack music), Radiohead and on and on...
Maureen (Moe) Didde
Moe is the Student Ministries Director, working with 7th-12th grade students at Jacob's Well since July 2006. Prior to moving to Kansas City in 2005, Moe lived in Hong Kong, China, serving as the student ministry intern at an international church there. She received a BA in Religious Studies from Southwest Baptist University in 2004. Currently, she is pursuing a masters degree in International Studies at the University of Kansas.
Moe resides just northeast of Downtown KC. She is passionate about community and social justice, and loves to travel, play music with friends, do yoga, read books, and sit on the front porch with her cat.
Deth Im
I am the Pastor of Community Development, which means that I'm cultivating organic communities that live out our commitments of worship, creativity, learning, hospitality and justice. I do this by facilitating staff conversations and collaboration, by encouraging staff to engage their intuitive leadership and by resourcing staff as they gain new perspectives and tools.
I have a BA in Political Science and an MA in Theology and my professional experience has centered on organizational development, large and small group facilitation, instructional design, curriculum development and performance improvement strategies. Moreover, I'm passionate about issues that relate to diversity, urban social systems and youth development.
I am married to the love of my life, Mary and together we have three daughters, Imani, Verena, and Kairos.
I am the recipient of the meritorious COMIEL (Creating Opportunities for Multiple Intelligences and Experiential Learning) Award, which is a self awarded and self recognized honor that I annually bestow upon myself. Given the broad-based appeal and significance of this award, I am currently seeking to grow membership the COMIEL organization beyond one.
Tim Keel
Tim is the founding pastor of Jacob's Well. He is married to Mimi and together they have three kids: Mabry, Annie, and Blaise. Tim received a BFA in Design from the University of Kansas and a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary. Tim is an avid reader and loves to learn, write, and teach. He is passionate about creating spaces for people to connect to God, themselves and others. Tim also serves on the board of directors for Emergent, a growing generative friendship among missional Christian leaders seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ (http://emergentvillage.org).
Mimi Keel
Mimi is Director of the Kid's Community. She focuses on the spiritual formation of children and the development of resources that engage children holistically and creatively as they grow and learn to respond to God. Mimi is married to Tim and is the mother of Mabry, Annie, and Blaise. She received a Bachelors degree in Education from the University of Baylor. Previously, she has been a teacher and directed an urban tutoring ministry in Denver, CO, called Whiz Kids. Mimi loves being a mom and using her creativity and energy to help shape kids and families in the way of Jesus.
Mike King
Mike is serving the Jacob's Well community in a Leadership Staff Position. He is leading the transition period that Jacob's Well is engaged in as it embraces the rapid growth our community is experiencing and prepares for the future. Mike just celebrated his 32nd year of ministry and serves as President/CEO for YouthFront, a Youth Ministry organization. YouthFront works to bring youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by creating environments where spiritual transformation occurs, by working with those who are involved in the spiritual formation of youth and by providing church-assisting events.
Mike and his wife, Vicki, have two sons, a daughter and two daughters-in-law. Mike is the author of Presence Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Youth into Spiritual Formation (InterVarsity Press). Mike's interests are family, traveling, reading, history, music, art, movies, sports, scuba diving and running.
Philip Lesniewski
On staff at Jacob's Well staff since June 2003, Philip Lesniewski began working for the church as leader of the children's ministry. Currently he is transitioning from the children's ministry to a role directing social outreach and justice ministries. In July 2004, Philip launched the English as a Second Language program at Jacob's Well and contiues to explore and initiate ways to demonstrate the love of God in real ways in larger community of our neighborhoods, our city and our world. He will be functioning full time in this capacity sometime in the Fall of 2005.
After graduating from Kansas State University with a BS in geography, Philip spent more than three years working as an environmental educator in Africa. He has also worked as a program manager in federal government and in the non-profit sector. He currently lives with his sporty wife Christine and daughters Grace and Peace, a strong three-iron shot from downtown in the historic Westside of Kansas City. Having grown up in Massachusetts, he is an avid Boston Red Sox fan. Philip holds his breath throughout the month of September as the Sox contend for a pennant against the evil empire. He keeps in shape by wrestling with his daughter, Grace, bicycling up and down Signal Hill and sledding in hopes of being called to represent our country on the Olympic luge team at the 2006 winter games in Torino, Italy.
Charity Marrone
Charity's primary role as the Early Childhood Director is to create curriculum and an environment that encourages the children of this energetic age to have a place to experience God's story through play.
She earned her BS in Elementary Ed. and Health Ed. from Southwest Baptist University and completed a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on the Creative Arts in Learning through Lesley University. It is her desire to guide spiritual formation activities that incorporate the multiple intelligences.
Charity appreciates truth revealed through the heart of a child, the idea of creating spaces that uniquely represent the spirit within, and how JW has encouraged her to actively participate in the conversation of God's story. She also loves sharing life with her husband Pete and daughters- Adelaine and Sylvia, curling up with a good book and a warm beverage, Girl's Night and really funny stuff, especially identity theft commercials.
Beth Mercer
Beth assists Tim Keel with his calendar and aids other office staff as needed. First arrived at Jacob's Well on Father's Day in June 2002 and except for a few months abroad and a six-month stint in LA, has rarely missed a Sunday since. After growing up in Wichita, she went on to K-State and graduated with a BA in Creative Writing. Fascinations include: reading, movies, travelling (Ireland!), writing, photography, and the outdoors.
Beatriz Stawarz
Beatriz (Bea) Stawarz is the Assistant Director for Kids Community. She was a volunteer in Jacob's Well kid's community for two years before joining the leadership team. Bea focuses on the spiritual formation and discipleship of children beginning from infant through youth. She received a Bachelors degree in English from the University of Missouri- Kansas City but found her passion for children while volunteering. Previously Bea has participated in the Leadership Training Project at a Northland Church both as an intern and as team leader training college students in the spiritual formation of children. She is passionate about creating a space for kids to not only hear God's story but experience and guide them in their exploration of who they are in it.
Beatriz was recently married to Shawn Stawarz and is having a blast testing out her cooking skills on her husband. Her pastimes include coffee with friends, knitting, snuggling with her new puppy (Henri), and finding creative ways to use her label maker.
Leslie Tenjack
Leslie is our Director of Kairos. Her main roles are communication and volunteer coordination. Leslie is a Lawrence native with a background in graphic design and oil painting. Prior to Kansas City, she resided in Bloomington, IN, where she earned her BFA in Graphic Design from I.U.
She, her husband JT, and son Koen, live in South Hyde Park and are often seen riding their bikes and walking their dog Nikko. Some personal interests are social justice, gardening, playing, swimming, and people watching. Her favorite spectator sport is Karaoke.
Micah Thomas
Hello there. I am a part-time worship leader here at Jacob's Well. I have been on staff since September 2007. In December 2007 I graduated from The University Of Kansas with a B.S. in Accounting. Shortly thereafter I relocated to midtown and also began working for YouthFront--a non-profit youth ministry organization just down the road from Jacob's Well.
I love Kansas City barbecue, creating and recording music, playing outside, and exploring new places. I hope you have a lovely day. Thanks for stopping by.
Shayne Wessel
Hey! I’m one of the pastors here at Jacob’s Well and my chief role is cultivating life in our community through pastoral guidance, creating opportunities for spiritual formation and fellowship, and providing spiritual oversight and support for our congregational lay ministers, including Community Group leaders and Jacob’s Well Institute facilitators. When I’m not indulging my passion to help form and unveil the image of Christ in the members of our congregation, you might stumble across me hiding somewhere reading theology with a cup of strong coffee, talking about the Kingdom of God with other obsessed Jesus fanatics, or seeking out the experience of pretty much anything (legal) in it’s raw unobscured essence.
I share a home with my wife, Suzanne, where we join our sweet, contemplative four-year old daughter, Aurielle Eowyn, in an ongoing desperate effort to manage the chaos of raising our two-year old, Aurora Anastasia. Don’t let her irresistible cuteness fool you… when you leave and it’s just us, she’s a force of nature.
I love getting to know the passions and giftings of our people, so please introduce yourself to me sometime and tell me what makes you tick and why you think God brought you to Jacob’s Well! I’ll warn you in advance that I’m in an ongoing process of gaining more social grace, so in the meantime you’ll have to excuse my idiosyncratic, random musings when you first get to know me; that’s just my eccentric attempt at small talk while I’m looking for a chance to make the conversation intense and/or completely non sequitur, so brace yourself!
Elders
The Elder Team is responsible for overall direction and governance at Jacob's Well. They oversee the pastoral staff, approve and monitor budgets, deal with problems as they arise and seek to anticipate and avoid them whenever possible, and most important, are responsible for the vision and direction of our church and its mission and values. Members are selected for spiritual, personal, and relational maturity, along with special gifts or skills needed by the team. The current elders are:
- Bruce Wimberly
- Paul DeWees
- Tim Keel
- Mike King
- Ashley Cleveland
- Deth Im
- Rachel Bonar
- Ed Marquette
- Tim Roth
- Laura Lesniewski