Deacon Candidates
Karen Warren
Deacon Candidate Role: Clerk
I have been a Christian for over 50 years. My first understanding of what it means to be a Christ-follower was in kindergarten. Although I had memorized Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are you saved through faith, not of yourselves, it is a GIFT from God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”, at age 5, I thought I would get a cool gift, like a toy or doll! Little did I know that the gift was salvation through Jesus Christ. From the moment I understood that Jesus was the gift, I began following and living for Christ. Not to say this has always been easy or perfect - far from it - but it has been rich in blessings from the Lord.
I’ve been married to Steve for 36 years. We have two children, Doug, who lives in Seaside, Oregon and Laura, who most of you know is one of LTCC Missionaries, along with her husband, Micah and 3 children serving in Papua New Guinea.
We’ve been attending LTCC for approximately 25 years. We were drawn to this body of believers for many reasons, but mostly because of the mission focus and the welcoming nature of the Pastors and congregation.
I have enjoyed serving in various capacities over the years: as a youth leader, Sunday School teacher, nursery worker, youth pastor search committee member and women’s ministry committee member. I have also been involved in small groups and women’s Bible studies for as long as I can remember.
I have recently retired from over 20 years of teaching and administration in Christian schools and am looking forward to spending more time with our church family. I am excited to serve the Lord as a Deacon on the Church Council in the capacity of Clerk, if the Lord so directs. I look forward to working with the council to help live out our mission of “Loving God by helping people follow Jesus”. As we head into this next phase of preparing for our new Lead Pastor, I am confident that our church will continue to be a beacon on the hill in the Bonney Lake Community.
Tena Storgaard
Deacon Candidate Role: Treasurer
I was born in California, but my family moved to Washington when I was 5 years old. I grew up in Lynden, Washington on a dairy farm. My duties were to feed the calves and when I was older to milk cows twice a day. Looking back on it, it was a hard life, but my parents gave us kids a great work ethic. I was very fortunate to be raised by two God-fearing parents. We attended a Christian Reformed Church and I accepted Christ at the age of 17.
After graduating from high school, I attended Dordt University in Iowa for 2 years and received my Secretarial Science degree (this is no longer available as everyone now has a computer on their desk)! I then came back to Washington and got my first job with an engineering firm in the Seattle area. During this time, I also completed my bachelor’s degree in accounting. I continue to work as an accountant for a large engineering firm.
Before meeting my husband, I was not walking with the Lord, but He kept a hold of me. Through those challenges, Christ showed me how faithful our Father is and how He loves and takes care of those who call on His name. As Lamentations 3:22-23 says “because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
I met Steve at Highlands Community Church in Renton, and we have been married for 30 years. We have three grown children, and four grandchildren. We pray that God uses us to be a witness to each of them, especially as two of our grandchildren are not being raised in a Christian family. Steve and I co-lead a multi-church (that stemmed from our last church) life group that meets bi-weekly to challenge us through the study of God’s word and a time of fellowship with these fellow believers. I also attend an online Bible Study Fellowship class that helps give me a greater knowledge of Him, and it also challenges me to grow in a deeper understanding of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We have been at LTCC now for about 4 years. We have been involved in the Missions Committee, Hospitality team, and serve as greeters, occasionally. Lake Tapps Community Church has been very welcoming and friendly to us, and we are happy to be a part of the LTCC family.