Connect with Deb Ellis

 

RUBY: How long have you attended Troy United Methodist Church?

Deb: 13 years

RUBY: What drew you to this church?

Deb: I grew up in the Methodist Church. When my family moved to Glen Carbon in 2000, I knew I wanted to raise my children in the Methodist church. One Sunday I visited TUMC by myself; I had a 1-year old on my hip and a 3-1/2 year old under my feet. I must have looked desperate (or sleep deprived), because as soon as I walked thru the front door I was greeted by Tim Price. He immediately introduced me to other moms and by the end of the service I had a fist-full of phone numbers and I was enrolled in the church’s MOPS group! (I need to add that the music filled my soul and I was hooked!)

RUBY: Which service do you typically attend?

Deb: 9:30am

RUBY: Share a favorite Bible verse and/or inspirational song, and why this is a favorite.

Deb: The spirit really moves me through music. I love Word of God Speak by MercyMe – it touches my soul and brings tears to my eyes each and every time I hear it. There are a lot of different Bible verses that speak to me at the perfect moments in life. One verse that I try to apply to my life daily is “As water reflects the face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19 NIV

RUBY: Tell us about your involvement at Troy UMC and/or the community.

Deb: Oh my…I think I have tried about every committee & activity offered at church…from Preschool Board to VBS to Sanctuary Prep and Computer Data Entry. I even had a few failures, like Munch & Ministry. I am not a coffee drinker, so making the perfect pot of coffee stressed me out. I asked to quit that assignment early! And one year I helped team teach the Kindergarten Sunday School class. I learned quickly that was not my spiritual gift! In fact, that endeavor brought me to take Deb Inman’s spiritual gifts class…I have to admit that I have actually taken it twice! I am still working to find the right fit. I have now settled into the Mission Team and the Monday Afternoon Women’s Bible Study Group. I absolutely love the ladies in my Bible study group. I have grown so much in my faith because of these remarkable women. They are prayer warriors, survivors and my sisters in Christ. I have hardly missed a Monday in the past nine years!

As for my current community involvement, I work part-time at the Edwardsville YMCA as the Family Programs Coordinator. (I just celebrated my one-year anniversary.) Prior to the Y, I was a proud stay-home mom for 12 years! I am on the Board of Directors at the Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville. And when I have a free moment, you can usually find me volunteering at my daughters' school.

RUBY: Tell us about your family.

Deb: I met my husband Patrick in 1990. I lived in St. Louis; he was an Air Force Officer and pilot living in Southern California. (Our chance meeting can only be described as a “God Moment”) We dated long distance for 2-1/2 years and married in 1993. (We celebrated 20-years of marriage this past January!) While in the AF, we lived in Maryland and California. When my husband separated from Active Duty, we chose to move back to the Midwest to be near my family. I grew up in Effingham. (He is from Dallas, TX) We have two beautiful daughters. Meredith is 16 and Claire is 14. They both attend Edwardsville High School.

RUBY: Which historical time period would you most like to visit, and why?

Deb: I think I would love to go back to the 1920s and watch my Nana grow up. I so admired her. She was full of love, humility and compassion. I wanted to be just like her.

RUBY: Describe your favorite childhood game.

Deb: Kick the Can. We had massive games that would last all day…every kid in my neighborhood would play. I actually taught my daughters and their friends how to play. (We don’t have great hiding places in my yard so it didn’t really take off as I had hoped.)

RUBY: What's the best way to spend a rainy weekend?

Deb: I am an avid scrapbooker, so I would like to say I spend rainy weekends being creative. But the reality is…I am also a compulsive neat freak. So you would probably find me cleaning and organizing something in my house.

RUBY: How may we contact you in order to make a further connection?

Deb: E-mail is the best way to catch me – debsellis@sbcglobal.net

Connect with Debbie Rakers

RUBY: How long have you attended Troy United Methodist Church?

Debbie:  27 years

RUBY: What drew you to this church?

Debbie:  I was looking for people to talk to. I went to another church that no one spoke or introduced themselves, and I had gone there for about 2 years. And when I walked in the doors here for the first time, a very special lady came up and introduced herself and made me feel like this was home. I will be forever grateful to her, because it was here that I found Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.

RUBY: Which service do you typically attend?

Debbie:  I usually go to the 10:30 service, but I attend a Sunday school class at 9:15 am, and I listen to and sing the first few songs of the 9:00 am service before going to my class.

RUBY: Share a favorite Bible verse and/or inspirational song, and why this is a favorite.

Debbie:  My cousin from California sang beautiful Christian songs, and when we were out there on a visit in 1991, my uncle gave us a tape of her singing. My daughter, my niece and I sang those songs all the way home. One of them was “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.”

I also love the song “How Great Thou Art” and each time I hear it now I cry, because we played it at my mom’s funeral as she had requested, and I still miss her.

A Bible verse that inspires me is Phil 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

RUBY: Tell us about your involvement at Troy UMC and/or the community.

Debbie:  Along with Heather Walker, I have been involved with the Methodist Missionaries for Christ (M&M’s 4 Christ) which is what they named themselves . They were the 5^th and 6^th graders, and they love to do mission work for the Lord. It was changed this year, but I know that we will be doing many more things because God is still in control and though it involves a wider range in ages (K-12^th grades), they continue to ask about it and want to remain strong in it. We will be taking them again to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center in Chatham in June. I have been on quite a few mission trips in the past, and I am currently serving on the Mission team. I also help out with the junior high on Wednesday nights. I truly love the brothers and sisters in Christ that I have come to know over the years and the new ones I meet every day. When we had vacation bible school in the evenings, I helped out there. I have been a part of the United Methodist Women.

RUBY: What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

Debbie:  From the Bible … Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

RUBY: What was your favorite game you played as a child, and why?

Debbie:  I think that would be Scrabble… still love to play that game because it helps keep your mind thinking.

RUBY: Tell us about your family.

Debbie:  I am married to Doren Rakers. We have known each other since high school, and after taking many different paths and going through many different struggles we both ended up in Troy and made the choice to marry making Christ the center of our marriage for nearly 14 years now. God has been so good to us.

My daughter Cassie and her husband Billy have given us 3 wonderful grandchildren - Simone, Sophie and Britton. Doren’s daughter Pam and husband Dave have given us a beautiful granddaughter - Isla. They live in Colorado. His son Doug and wife Rowan who currently are in Ft. Irwin, California have also given us 3 fantastic grandchildren - Aiden, Chloe and Lucas.

RUBY: How may we contact you in order to make a further connection?

My email is dordeb55@aol.com

My cell number is 618-830-2813. I do accept texts, but don’t like to have texting conversations.

My home number is 618-667-3261.

I do have a Facebook page.

I try to check my email and facebook every day, but sometimes just don’t have the time, so calling is best for immediate response.

Connect with Carol Cottingham

1.  How long have you been attending Troy UMC?
32 years beginning in the little white church on Main Street.

2.  What drew you to this church? 
The pastor and the friendliness of the people.  My husband as we were leaving, said this church needs us as much as we need them.  The lights kept going out during the service. He went home, got his meter and his electrical things, came back and fixed them.  As far as I know, they worked until we moved to this facility.

3.  Which service do you typically attend?
 I used to attend the 9:00 and 6:00pm on Sunday night, but now I'm teaching Sunday school at 9:00 and now attend 10:30 which most of my friends attend.

4.  Share a favorite Bible verse, and why this is a favorite.
The 100th Psalm, "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth," and John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  If it weren't for that, we'd all be doomed!

5.  Tell us about your family. 
My husband Ty and I have been married 54 years.  We were just kids 17 and 19.  He was in the military for 22 years, and I followed him all over the U.S. and Okinawa.  We have 3 boys, 51, 47, and 38.  All married to wonderful young women whom we love dearly.  They gave us 8 grandchildren and one of those 8 gave us 2 great-grandchildren! Our oldest lives in Godfrey and retired from the Alton Police Dept. and is now working security at one of the St. Louis Hospitals.  He has 3 girls, one getting married June 2013.  Our middle son lives in Flint, Texas, has 2 girls and a son.  His eldest daughter is the one that has a boy and a girl. He works as a Physical Therapist Assistant and teaches classes at the local junior college for Physical Therapist Technicians.

6.  Share a favorite Christmas recipe, and why this recipe is a favorite.
It's not very exciting, but sugar cookies because I used to help my mom, and my boys and the grandchildren always liked to help decorate.  Kind of a family thing.

7.  In what era would you most like to have grown up, and why?
I don't know why, but I guess the excitement of the old West.  I thought it would be great to travel in a Conestoga wagon across the valleys and mountains.  I know there was hardship, heat, death and wearin' those long dresses!  Oh my.  I guess I thought it was romantic somehow.

8. I found you behind a desk near the church entrance the other Tuesday busy at work.  Share your involvement at Troy UMC.
I am on the "care team,” the mission team, just went off after being 3 years on the Church council, Vice President of our local UMW unit and am secretary of the District, answer phones every other Tuesday, help with labeling the Newsletter for mailing, attend the Monday Afternoon Bible Study and occasionally lead a session have been a member of the choir years ago, have been in a couple of performances at Christmas, teach first grade Sunday school, attended Sunday school. We had another women's organization called Fidelis Circle. We met in the evening, and I was an active member of that until it dissolved. Helped start the now preschool program that is now called First Step.  Back then it was a Mother's Day Out Program where Mom's could drop their children from 10:30 – 2:30.  They learned to identify their own names, shapes, colors, etc. We had a great time!

9.  How may we contact you in order to make a further connection?
Email tysr@charter.net  or phone 667-2408 or cell 401-9872.