This spring, we want to acknowledge our awesome staff and all the wonderful things they do to help our church home run smoothly! We want them to know they are appreciated! Laurie and Deanna will be recognized at the church services and the 9:30 Fellowship Time on Sunday, April 28! If you would like to thank Laurie or Deanna with a card, you can drop it in their mailbox or email them.
Laurie Bullard
lauriebullardcpa@comcast.net
Laurie has been on the Bethesda staff since December of 2012. She works about 5 hours per week. In her job she pays the church bills and deposits money that is not going to be recorded by the Stewards. She prepares the financial information every month for the church planning council. She also handles all aspects of payroll and provides assistance with anything financial related to the church.
When asked what she likes best about her job, she said, “I like being able to help the church’s administration function. It is a talent that I have and I am glad to be able to use that talent in the church. I really like when I can answer someone’s question and give them assurance that things have been accounted for.”
Laurie, and her husband, Dave, have been married for 32 years. Her mother lives with them now. They have two daughters and two sons in-law. Laurie’s main business is as a CPA. Her business name is Laurie M. Bullard, CPA, PC, which she started in 2007. She has prepared income taxes since 1987. This year she will prepare close to 300 returns. She also prepares some financial statements. Her husband works with her now that he is retired from the IRS. Shehas another assistant during tax season.
Laurie and Dave attend the 11:00 service Sundays. She has also enjoyed the Thursday night quilt group and the Wednesday night Bible study.
People might not know that Laurie grew up in Romeo, Michigan. She was born on her great grandmother’s birthday and one of her daughters was born on that same date. She says her greatest accomplishments are her children.
Deanna Rivera
deanna@bethesdalutheranchurch.com
Deanna has been our communications coordinator since 2014. She manages Bethesda’s website, social media and creates our weekly bulletins/watermarks, monthly Evangel, and many of the other materials you see throughout the church. She is also one of the four core volunteers that make our Neighborhood Gatherings possible. Deanna loves being able to offer her talents and skills in this way.
Deanna has been a member of Bethesda her entire life and she attends the 11am service. Her grandparents were Merrill and Bernice Jensen and her mom, who attends at 8:30, is Marilyn Mousseau. She says she’s related to pretty much everyone at Bethesda. Deanna attends the 11am service and has three children: Emily (22), Jensen (16) and Levi (10).
Deanna and her husband, Emmanuel, own UplinkSpyder, a local marketing agency. This is their 10th year in business. Their primary services are website development, helping clients develop and implement marketing plans, content development (writing), and graphic design/branding. UplinkSpyder has created brands and websites for hundreds of Oregon businesses & organizations, most of them in Lane County.
The area of her job that Deanna is most proud of is the Bethesda website. She and her team have created two websites for the church over the years and she knows that the website has helped the church to grow and attract new members, including Pastors Steve & Sarah! Deanna loves to explore and celebrate everything with her family and friends. She especially loves outdoor adventures and the Oregon coast.
Did You Know?
- There are at least 22 groups who use the Bethesda facilities monthly or weekly. That adds up to hundreds of members, friends and neighbors who walk through our doors often.
- Every six weeks building supply orders include a case (80 rolls) of toilet paper. In the Bethesda building there are 12 bathrooms with a total of 21 toilets and at least 16 sinks.Each month around 900 church service bulletins and 150 Evangels are printed.
- Financially speaking, Bethesda Lutheran Church has 74 different accounts that various groups at the church keep their money in for special purposes. In addition, there is a memorial fund, a mission endowment fund, and 4 bank accounts that need to be reconciled monthly.
- In 2018 our website had 7000+ users!
- Laurie and Deanna work under a contract with Bethesda. What this means is that we, as a congregation, recognize that these women are business owners and at certain times our projects and requests may be delayed. We recognize that hiring staff with their specific gifts for the hours that we need them would be cost prohibitive. We are blessed that Laurie and Deanna are willing to share their talents with us as employees under contract.