I'm deeply grateful to be joining St. Mark's UMC in July 2025. Partnering with such a faithful congregation and becoming part of God's ongoing, beautiful history at St. Mark's is a true gift!

Every step of my spiritual life and ministry journey has been dedicated to discerning the Lord's will. This continuous pursuit of God's guidance, rooted in prayer and scripture, ultimately led me to walk the spiritual journey together with churches and the community in Kansas since 2014. 

The most important part of my ministry is all God's children in the church and the community that surrounds us! My heart is full of gratitude for everyone who has contributed to our journey, continuously joining with the wonderful spiritual talents they possess, and collectively envisioning the possibilities God places before us. I'm deeply humbled to now count St. Mark's as my home and members and neighbors as my families in Jesus. 

Now, I believe that God has an incredible ongoing dream for St. Mark's and this neighborhood, and I would love to invite all of you to join me in prayer to discover that dream and bring it to life within us. 

Welcome, Love, Grow, Serve—isn't just a saying; it is a calling. Let's walk with God to be a welcoming home where God's love transforms us to serve everyone around us and to build a true God's community where everyone finds Devotion, Worship, Compassion, and Justice.

I have been in the role of St. Mark's Office Administrator since July of 2024. I bring to St. Mark's the skills and wisdom that I've developed in over 25 years of serving within Church communities. I retired as a Resource Specialist, Communication Specialist, and as a Safe Environment Coordinator. In other roles I have been technical support for a large corporation, and I am an ALICE certified instructor. I served for over 8 years as the Executive Director of Communications for a nonprofit. I have led large scale metro-wide command centers searching for the missing and trafficked. I am one of the most trained victim advocates in the nation for the missing. I have run career transition groups (job clubs) since the 90's: Nativity's Career Transition Group (past) and Kansas City Metro Networking Job Club (current). I have done public speaking as well as being interviewed by local and national media and written up in or received acknowledgement in several books. In 2018, I received my Master of Science in Psychology from Divine Mercy University. When I have free time, you can find me hanging out with my 6 grandchildren. My three youngest grandchildren live and attend school (East Antioch and SM North) all within walking distance of St. Mark's. 

Favorite quote: "There is a tremendous strength that is growing in the world through sharing together, praying together, suffering together, and working together." ~ Mother Teresa

JANET CARTER, has been employed at St Mark’s UMC since 1990 and currently works for 20 hours each week as the Director of Music, Youth and Justice Ministries. Janet has a Music Education degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and High School teaching credentials from Christchurch Teachers College, Christchurch, New Zealand. She has taught music to students of all ages, has more than 50 years’ experience as a church musician, and is Artistic Director of Rezound! Handbell Ensemble which is an auditioned ensemble in the KC area. At St Mark’s UMC Janet directs three adult handbell ensembles, and the chancel choir, leads youth activities, a weekly women’s small group, and youth activities.