Dana Gray, Deacon of Finances
Email: dana@gcceugene.org
Family: My sweet and amazing husband Tony, 3 adult kids, 4 adult "bonus" kids, 12 grandkids and 1 great grandson.
Testimony: I was raised in a very dysfunctional non-Christian home. I attended church at the age of 14 in 8th grade with my best friend and immediately grasped the "bad news" — that I was a sinner and needed a savior, and the "AMAZING news" that God loved me, wanted me to be His child and sent Jesus as my Savior..
Though I learned that the "wages of sin is death," (Romans 6:23), it was truly God's kindness and love that lead me to repentance. (Romans 2:4, John 3:16). How amazing was and IS His love! Even so, I put God on the back burner for my high school years, dating and marrying an unbeliever at 17, just after graduation.
However, God's call on me was irresistible, and I rededicated my life to the Lord at 19, was baptized, and never looked back spiritually. Though I loved the Lord deeply, I was pretty legalistic and a perfectionist for much of my early Christian walk. But, since attending GCC (starting in 2016), I have been able to "cease striving" for perfection, and instead, daily live out the freedom of applying the gospel to my life — it is ALL Christ! God truly has been my light and strength in good times and bad (including a difficult 39-year marriage that ended in divorce), my comforter, the forgiver of my sins, and my redeemer. Two of my favorite hymns, "In Christ Alone" and "It is Well with My Soul" describe the joy and peace I have experienced in my walk with Christ.
Evidences of Grace: God gave me a set of fellow "young mom" friends in early in my 20's in answer to a plea/prayer out of loneliness. These friends and I still meet monthly, and they are dear to me to this day, some 45+ years later! But the biggest "evidence of grace" is that in my "senior years" I get to experience a wonderful marriage with Tony.
Favorite book(s): The book that transferred my relationship with Christ from performance to grace was "Classic Christianity" by Bob George, and the one that helped me to know and understand God better was "Knowledge of the Holy" by AW Tozer. And, the first book that made me cry was "Sounder" by William H Armstrong around 7th grade. Still a favorite!
Hobbies/interests: I am teaching myself watercolor (it's HARD!!). I love to travel near and far. AND, I will literally google ANYTHING given an excuse, as I love research and gaining new knowledge.
I want my GCC family to know: I SO LOVE this church family! I love getting to know our "GCC peeps" and building relationships and community. I am blessed that God has allowed me to serve using the personality and financial/administrative skillset He's built in me over the years. As "Deacon(ess) Dana of Finance," I am excited to help and watch our church family grow in generosity, financial stewardship and freedom.
Hannah Stamp, Deacon of Women’s Ministry
Email: hannah@gcceugene.org
Family: I have a twin brother! He lives in Mississippi and my parents are in Arizona.
Testimony: I grew up believing that I had to prove my value and worth, and I consistently fell short. I first understood grace and the genuine freedom of the gospel when I was 16 and was baptized shortly after. Through faith and understanding the gospel I was able to see my hope is found in Christ alone, not by anything I could ever do. I got involved with the Navigators when I was in college and learned how to read my bible and what genuine relationship with Jesus looks like.
Over the next several years I found a genuine community and got to help others discover the depth of the love Jesus has for them. I am far from perfect but serve a God who sent his Son to pay the price of my soul. I can rest in the identity he has given me.
Evidence of Grace: In all the changes and unknowns of my life, Jesus has made himself abundantly known. He has been the one steady constant as where I call home has changed and through changes in what my community looks like. He is my rest and my refuge.
Favorite book(s): One of my favorite recent reads is Untangling Emotions. A classic I come back to often is The Prodigal God.
Hobbies/interests: I love to create, whether that be baking, building or crafting. I also enjoy doing anything outdoors in the sun!
I want my GCC family to know: My passion is to support women in knowing and understanding who they are in Christ through reading the Word and living in vulnerability with community.
Phil Farris, Deacon of Sunday Operations
Email: phil@gcceugene.org
Family: I'm married to my wife Luisa & we have a son, Clarence Ian. I also have 7 siblings and most of them have young children too, so it’s wonderful getting to see each other raise kids and go through similar seasons of life.
Testimony: I was raised by parents who were believers and brought us up in a number of diff erent churches, mostly within the evangelical / reformed tradition. My folks also worked for Wycliff e Bible Translators / SIL which coupled with a classical christian primary education meant that I was deeply emersed in the church, at least to the point that I could at least speak the lingo. I grew up surrounded by a number of Christian intellectuals, and I witnessed some people wielding their knowledge in ways that pushed many people away from the church. During and after college I wandered from the faith, dabbling in my own special concoction of buddhism, agnosticism & hedonism. It wasn’t until afterwards that I began to slowly realize just how much I needed Christ’s forgiveness - something no amount of intellectualism could offer.
Evidence of Grace: Along my journey, Jesus has faithfully put many people in my path to act as guides and point me back to him when I have gone astray. My wife is one of those people. I also don’t want to overlook the common grace he gives us and the blessings and opportunities we have just by living in this wonderful community.
Favorite book(s): My top ten from the past 2 years include:
Unreasonable Hospitality - Will Guidera
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer
On Trails - Robert Moor
Hero on a Mission - Donald Miller
The Tiger - John Vallant
Start with Why - Simon Sinek
Everybody Always - Bob Goff
Trust First - Bruce Deel & Sara Grace
10x is easier than 2x - Dan Sullivan & Ben Hardy
Habits of the household - Justin Earley
Hobbies/interests: Trailrunning, Hunting, Ecology
I want my GCC family to know: My time as a part of this church up until now has been a catalyst for a lot of spiritual growth in my life. I want to thank the people in this church who have poured into Lu and I - it’s because of you that this has happened and I’m very grateful to each of you. I’m excited to have the chance to serve and do life with you.