We are excited to welcome Jacob and Stephanie Cordray (with Rowan and Josie) into our Northstar family! If you haven’t had a chance to meet them yet, look for them on Sunday morning! They began visiting in August 2017 and joined in August 2018.
What are your vocations?
Stephanie teaches 3rd grade for Montgomery County Public Schools and Jacob co-owns a civil engineering and consulting business.
Tell the church a little about yourself (and family):
Jacob is orginally from West Virginia and Stephanie from South Carolina. We met through mutual friends while we were living in Charleston, SC. We have been married for 11 years and have two girls. Rowan is seven and Josie is five.
What brought you to Blacksburg?
Short version: God spoke and we listened.
Long version: Jacob had been trying to move our family to the mountains for the past 10 years and I (Stephanie) was the hold out. Summer of 2017, circumstances changed and I finally would discuss the possibility of a move, but only if it was to…Blacksburg (I was hoping Jacob would say no). I had attended VT for undergrad and that was the only place that had a feeling of ‘home.’ We took a weekend trip to see if it would be a good fit for us and do some preliminary house hunting with plans to move in one year. On the way up, I shared with Jacob I had an overwhelming feeling that we were supposed to move NOW instead of a year from now, but could that happen during the summer? I had already signed a teaching contract in SC and hiring was completed for schools here.
Well, it happened. We had a contract on a house that checked off ALL our boxes and I had a job contract within the week. We decided to rent our house in SC and found renters immediately. God opened all the doors and within 30 days of our initial visit we were residents of Virginia.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Why are you excited about being the church with Northstar?
We are very excited to become a part of this community and put down roots here. Northstar’s “don’t go, be” speaks to us and reminds us to live our daily lives with the love Jesus had for us.
Tell us about your previous church and in what ways did you serve?
When we left Charleston, we were part of a church plant, King’s Cross. Jacob was the Emergency Response Team Coordinator and Stephanie volunteered with the Children’s Ministry. We are looking forward to finding our place within Northstar!
The Cordrays live in Giles County and are active in John and Megan Evans’ small group. Look for and introduce yourself to them on Sundays!