Ryan and Lindsey have been a part of the Evans small group. It has been a joy getting to know them, and Northstar will benefit from their faith and service. I have learned that Ryan is really funny and Lindsey is a really great mom. Be on the look out for them and their beautiful family, and give them the warm Northstar family welcome.
Tell the church a little about yourself and family.
Lindsey and I are both originally from Roanoke. We got married in 2006 and spent most of our marriage in Northern Virginia (Reston/Herndon area) with a two-year stint in Vienna, Austria for work. We have two sets of twin girls – Ella and Braelyn (5 years old), and Cadence and Annora (2 years old). It’s a lot of fun raising two sets of twins but also pretty exhausting. If you try to start a conversation with us, and we look brain-dead, it’s only because we are. So apologies in advance….
What brought you to Blacksburg?
I (Ryan) had been working for the U.S. Government for 14 years when, last year, I was offered a job at Virginia Tech, my alma mater. Although I enjoyed my job and we both loved NOVA, our church, and our friends, we felt like we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to raise our girls in Blacksburg and have them closer to their grandparents. So here we are!
Why are you excited about being the church with Northstar?
Our church there focused on three core elements: worship, mission, and community. Every Sunday morning after setting up (we met in a school just as Northstar does), our pastor would pray for the upcoming service and send us off saying, “Let’s go be church!” We know that church is not a building where we go on Sunday mornings. The church is us, the body of Christ. We loved worshiping and serving with our church family and being on mission in our community. And we’re excited to continue that with Northstar!
Tell us about your previous church and ways you were able to serve:
We were both on staff (part-time) at Reston Community Church in Reston. I was one of the church’s worship leaders, and Lindsey was the Outreach and Events Director. I’m starting to get involved with the Northstar worship ministry, and Lindsey is excited to engage with various outreach and care programs.
What is your favorite hobby?
We love to be outside, whether that is camping, backpacking, or hiking. We will attempt camping with all four girls this year. We’ll see how it goes. I enjoy singing and playing guitar and piano. I’m also a movie nut. Lindsey enjoys sewing, quilting, painting, and gardening. The girls love playing hide and go seek and having family dance parties. And in this season of life, Lindsey and I really enjoy bedtime… sweet, merciful bedtime.
What is a favorite teaching or story of Jesus?
One of Ryan’s favorite teachings of Jesus is Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son, because it reflects the amazing grace and love that Christ has for me.
One of Lindsey’s favorites is the story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10. Jesus’ invitation to shed worry and anxiety and choose to just sit with Jesus is a wonderful invitation in this life.