BKBrady@gmail.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?

About 44 years in two stints - from 1961 - 1984 and from 2002 until now. We attended another church between those times.

2. Tell us a bit about your family.

I married Joanne in 1983 at North Baptist Church (Northridge’s former name). We met in Sunday School when we were about 5 years old, but didn’t really like each other until later high school years. We have three grown children that are all married, living in the Rochester area. We also have 7 grandchildren. We love spending time with all of them.

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years?

I was a deacon for about 4-5 years, taught some Sunday School classes, have been a Community Group leader since shortly after Community Groups started at Northridge, and was an usher coordinator at both the Greece and Henrietta Campuses. My wife and I also worked on different aspects of the Capital Campaigns. I've served on the Stewardship Team for the last 9-10 years and I'm serving at ROC Connect.

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity?

I believe that God has given each of us minds and personalities that can be used to serve the body of Christ. I also believe that it is not only our responsibility to serve, but that it is a privilege. My family’s heritage at Northridge began with my grandparents in 1935, and this church has been extremely influential to us over several generations. I desire to see Northridge continue to influence the next generation and beyond forChrist and then grow in Him.

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?

I was raised in a Christian home and attended Northridge for most of my life. When I was about 5 or 6 I saw my need to have Jesus rescue me from my sins. My mother was instrumental in helping me understand the gospel and helped me to pray to ask to have my sins forgiven. I was baptized a few years later at North Baptist. I would like to say that I followed Him faithfully from then on, but as a teen I started walking closer to the world and by college I really lived like God wasn't real. It wasn't until after Joanne and I married when I slowly started coming back to Christ. I still have so far to go and some of those old habits sure do die hard, but I am relying on the grace of God to help me every day to live for Him.

BBuell@buelladvertising.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?

We left another church after 29 years to come to Northridge. I started attending Northridge in September 2016 and became a member on March 16, 2017.

2. Tell us a bit about your family.

Heidi and I became a couple on October 10, 1974, when she was 14 and I was 16. We got married after I graduated from college in 1979. We have a daughter, Sarah, a son, Adam, his wife, Sarah, and our granddaughter, Fiona, as well as a son, Jordan, who lives in Nashville. 

My family really consists of my dad, who went to be with the Lord in 1989 and mom, who joined him in 2000, followed in 2016 by my sister Carol. Still here on this side of heaven are my sisters, Joan, Bonnie, and Nancy. 

My dad and mom showed me how stewardship works. They both worked many long hours at jobs, but faithfully gave to the church monetarily and with their time. My dad was my hero. He made it easier for me to understand God the Father because he was a true leader, showing strength and courage, but also had no problem showing his love, saying “I love you”, and shedding tears. 

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years? 

At Northridge, I have worked with the creative team on sermon/service planning. My voice and acting have been featured in various video projects. Heidi and I serve as community group leaders and are greeters at the early service. I’m a community group coach and have been blessed to be a part of the worship team over the past couple of years.

While at our last church, I was a Life Together Group leader for over 20 years, worship team leader, wrote and performed one-man dramas for about 25 Christmas Eve services, led and still lead a men’s Bible Study group on Thursday mornings for about 30+ years. 

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity? 

I need to serve. I’m wired to work and to lead. One of my greatest strengths/weaknesses is my sense of responsibility. I thrive on making solutions that work. The Stewardship Team makes sense for me on several levels. First, I was asked to consider this role and I’m lousy at saying “No.” Second, the central focus of my business (Buell Advertising) is being a steward of my client’s advertising and marketing money. I invest creatively and with years of experience to get them the best results. God taught me how to invest in the kingdom when I had no money to give and used the lessons to help me give with great joy in times of plenty. My experiences, leadership skills, love of the Lord, and commitment to His church at Northridge continue to motivate me to do my best in contributing to the team. 

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?
When I was 12, I attended a week-long church camp in the middle of nowhere, near Old Forge, NY. It was there at the end of the week that I went forward to accept the amazing gift of salvation. As the youngest in our family and the only boy (a long-awaited one), I felt the opposite of the typical “youngest” role. I believed I had a big part to play in our family. As far as a “salvation” moment goes, mine was the first, followed by an older sister, then Mom and Dad, my grandmother, another sister, then another…(if only the last one was saved…) I took my salvation seriously and along with leading my church youth groups for the majority of junior high and high school, I preached and sang in our church. I was blessed to lead my girlfriend (Heidi) to the Lord while in high school. I graduated from a Christian college and continued to grow in my walk and commitment to Christ. 

There have been many times when I have struggled in life and in my faith. When my youngest son challenged the validity of God and the relevance of the Bible, I heard his words and they shook me. I didn’t have acceptable answers to some of his questions…not good enough for Jordan or for me. It has caused me to dig deeper and question simple answers that are often handed out in Bible studies, churches, preachers, teachers, fellow believers, and me. I know that our God is far beyond description and understanding, so that helps me bridge the gap with faith, especially when any answers that man presents don’t seem solid enough.

JMapes@NorthridgeRochester.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?

I have attended Northridge Church since 1972, so 53 years.

2. Tell us a bit about your family.

I met my wife, Fray (Frances), at Northridge in 1975, and we married in 1977. We have four daughters, all of whom love the Lord and are serving their local church - two of them at Northridge.

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years?

I was involved with youth in the AWANA program at first, then got interested in the accounting and payroll operations of the church. I served on the Board of Trustees, and then moved to the Treasurer role. I became the church Business Manager in 2012. I've also enjoyed some technical roles over the years in audio and as part of the building committee in 2009 and 2010. Fray and I have been Community Group leaders since they started.

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity?

I enjoy putting the skills God has given me to work for the church. I've been privileged to serve in this role as God has blessed our church in truly amazing ways. I'm especially thankful to work with staff that truly want to follow God and do all they can in making more and better disciples!

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?

My uncle first introduced me to the Lord when I was about 5. I'm not sure if that was my actual conversion date, but I know God used that time in my life to draw me to Him, especially as a teenager. I'm thankful for the Godly examples and impact of family and Bible-teaching churches.

dmarble@northridgerochester.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?

I started attending Northridge Church with my wife Sharon in 2015.

2. Tell us a bit about your family.

Sharon and I are originally from southeastern New Hampshire. We were high school classmates at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, NH. We started dating during our senior year in 1977. She went to nursing school, graduated, and began her career as an intensive care nurse in Portland, ME. I went to pharmacy school at the University of Rhode Island. After my graduation in 1982, Sharon and I got married in Somersworth, NH. We moved to Buffalo so I could attend the PharmD program at the University of Buffalo. Upon my graduation from Buffalo in 1984, Sharon and I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Infectious Disease Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah School of Pharmacy. During the 10 years we were in Salt Lake City, both Sharon and I worked at the University of Utah Medical Center, where all three of our children were born. In 1994, we moved to Rochester, NY and settled in North Greece where we still live today. I worked at Genessee Hospital for 3 years before joining the Cardiovascular Field Medical Team at Bristol Myers Squibb in 1997.  In 2023, I retired after 26 years.  At the end of 2023, I joined the Northridge Church staff as a volunteer and started working as Stewardship Coordinator.  Sharon worked at Unity Hospital in the medical intensive care unit and, mostly, the Cardiac Catheterization Lab up until her retirement in April 2021. 

Our three adult children are now married, two live in the Rochester, NY area, and one lives in Brooklyn, NY. We now have 5 grandchildren. This past year Sharon and I celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary.

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years?

At the first church Sharon and I attended here in Rochester, I worked for several years leading the Welcome/Usher team.  At Northridge, I continue to co-lead the Greeter/Usher team during the first service at the Rochester Campus.  I have a great desire to meet, greet, and help individuals walking into a church who look fearful, lost, or are hurting.  I have served on the Stewardship Team at Northridge for several years.

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity?

I have a tremendous inner desire to see God’s church grow in its local influence, just as the early church did. I have invested years learning about applied servant leadership as modeled by Jesus Christ. I have grown in my ability to lead while living day-to-day, improving my ability to listen to, hear, encourage, and lovingly teach others. I want to use my abilities, skills, and gift of encouragement to serve the body of Christ and, especially, those who need Christ. I want to contribute to Northridge Church’s solid growth as it continues to step up and out of its four walls into the community, setting a local example of applied biblical Christianity.

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?

Looking back, I can see God’s leading in my life. Growing up in a Bible-teaching Congregational Church in NH, somehow I knew “good” would overcome “evil”. Though the Bible was taught there as the Word of God, I do not remember learning about personally accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.  Through my years of doubt and searching, I was never presented with another religion or philosophy that had the power, promises, evidence, and personal relationship that Christianity possesses. In college and during our early years of marriage, I was searching and attended some Catholic churches. Shortly after moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, I was invited to an Assembly of God church and started attending. The teaching was biblical and I learned of the grace, truth, and joys of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It was there in 1983 that I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior.  At that church I remember God inaudibly telling me “You are free from the law” and I understood what those words meant. I no longer felt I had to work and perform to earn and keep God’s love and forgiveness. 

When we moved to Rochester, our neighbors invited us to a local Bible-based church, where I continued to grow and Sharon began learning about Christ and His sacrifice, later accepting Christ herself.

DReed@NorthridgeRochester.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?

We have attended Northridge as a family for over 11 years.

2. Tell us a bit about your family.

My husband, Eric and I have been married for over 46 years. We have three wonderful, married children and their spouses, who are our children as well! Our two daughters and sons-in-law live in Webster and all attend Northridge. Our son and his wife live in Buffalo and attend The Chapel. We have ten grandchildren between the ages of 6 and 14. They are all being homeschooled and love the Lord. We are so grateful for our family! All of my four siblings and their families live in the area.

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years? 

Since coming to Northridge, we have helped to launch the Webster Campus at Willink Middle School and were the team leaders for the First Impressions Team. We have been Community Group leaders for about 8 years and have hosted pastor and youth retreats and membership classes at our home. We are also on the CarePortal team. Most recently, we were part of the building and design team for the Webster and Brighton Campuses and I continue to support the design team as well as the outdoor landscaping and gardening team.

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity? 

I am anxious to serve in this leadership capacity. I was asked to serve, I believe, based on my background as a recently retired elementary school principal. This role provided me with many and varied opportunities that we pray may be of service to our church.  

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?

I was blessed with God-loving parents who were active in our church and strong in their faith. We, in turn, raised our family in this way. Since coming to Northridge our faith has definitely grown and been strengthened.

nrwegman@gmail.com

1. How long have you attended Northridge Church?
I started attending Northridge in 2008 when the church was named North Baptist. 

2. Tell us a bit about your family.
My wife Sarah and I have 3 children. Jacob, Jackson, and Eliza. Jacob is studying at the U of R and the other two enjoy playing sports and rooting for the Bills!! 

3. What has been some of your involvement in the church over the years?
I have helped in many areas. At the Rochester Campus I was involved in the children’s ministry as a host and story teller. At the Greece Campus I helped with the tech team, kids min, set up / tear down, and the video editing team. Currently in Webster I am a kids min host. At all three locations I have led the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class.

4. Why do you want to serve in this leadership capacity?
I love to help. If I can use my talents to help the church or others then I’m in!

5. Can you share your story of coming to faith in Christ?
I was born and raised in a Christian home. My father was a pastor at First Bible Baptist Church. As a child, I asked many questions about God and faith, and one evening after church I asked my dad to lead me to Christ.