The Bethlehem Staff is ready to serve

Pastor Jeff Shearier joined the Bethlehem staff in September, 2012 after serving in Colorado for 17 years. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Pastor Jeff also recently completed studies for a Doctor of Ministry degree at Concordia Seminary. He and his wife Anne are the parents of three grown children. Anne formerly served as a teacher of the deaf in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado and now teaches kindergarten at Forest Hills Lutheran Christian School. Pastor enjoys time spent with family and friends. Among his interests are hiking and exploring new places. Email pastor@blcfamily.org

Eric Oswald is Youth & Children’s Minister at Bethlehem. He grew up in Portland, attending Trinity Lutheran School and Portland Lutheran High School. He graduated from Concordia, St. Paul, Minnesota as a DCE and was called to Grace Lutheran, Sandy, Utah, where he served until September, 2012. Eric enjoys skiing, racquetball and Mario Kart.  Email youthandchildren@blcfamily.org

Kerry Bauer is Bethlehem’s Worship and Music Minister and Choir Director. Kerry grew up in the congregation, graduated from Concordia University, Portland and spent a year traveling with a Christian musical program before returning to Bethlehem as director of children’s ministry. After a two year leave to bring triplets into the world, she returned to Bethlehem as worship coordinator. Her husband Ben is a teacher at Forest Hills Lutheran Christian School and they are the parents of four children. Email worship@blcfamily.org

Laiva Hoffman has been Bethlehem Preschool’s director and lead teacher since 2017.  She earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in 2018 from Portland State University.  She and her husband have a daughter and a son.  In her free time, Laiva enjoys to run, read, craft, cook and be with friends and family.  She classifies herself as an early literacy “geek” who loves to provide as many opportunities for children to develop not only these skills but their social and math skills as well.  Email blc.preschool@frontier.com

Joel Hoffman has been Bethlehem’s Parish Administrator since 2017.  He also grew up in the congregation before attending schools in California and Louisiana.  He holds a Master’s in Teaching from Concordia University, Portland and taught for 5 years before becoming a stay at home dad.  He and his wife now have 3 children in school.  Joel is also a part of the Worship Team, the Youth Ministry Squad, and leads the Young Adult Bible Study on Monday nights.  Email office@blcfamily.org

Mary Heck has been Bethlehem’s Parish Assistant since 2017.  She has attended Bethlehem since 1999.  She grew up in Mondovi, Wisconsin and moved to Oregon in 1995.  She worked for many years in hospital records departments before joining the Bethlehem Preschool staff in 2003.  She and her husband have 3 grown children and one grandchild.  Mary is also a part of the Worship Team, the Relationship Team, and the Adult Choir. Email office@blcfamily.org