Faith Formers
Posted on Mar 04, 2026 by Pastor Jealaine Marple
Shortly after marriage, Chris and I moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. Chris had gotten his first teaching job and so we moved someplace where we knew no one. Our first task: find a church. Since it was Texas, our options for Lutheran churches (at least in that part of Texas) weren’t great. So, we settled at Faith Lutheran. Our first Sunday was our pastor’s first Sunday. Quickly after arriving we met Stephanie and Sandy. Despite the age difference of about 40 or so years, we were taken under their wings and gained new family members.
Stephanie and Sandy, that’s how they were always known. They were always together. Both served their country in the Air Force (Steph was a retired colonel and Sandy was a retired nurse). They volunteered for everything. They got involved with lay ministry. They loved their dogs. They were married in the eyes of God long before they could be legally married. Their doors were always open and there was always room at their table for anyone.
I remember telling Sandy and Steph about my intentions to go to seminary before I even told my own pastor! They were both over the moon for me. They promised to pray for me and I knew they would. They supported Chris and I (in every way possible) in our four years in seminary. Travels to see family often took them through Dubuque (where we were at the time) and they always made time to see us.
We recently got news that Steph and Sandy passed away as they always were: together; an unfortunate carbon monoxide poisoning accident. Chris and I were crushed, and in some ways we are still grieving. The biggest reason why our hearts long for peace is because when I think about the people in my life who helped to form my faith, Steph and Sandy are first to come to mind. They lived out their baptismal identities every single day in every single way with everyone they would encounter. Their faith inspired me (and still does).
I share this story with you not for sympathy. If you feel so inclined, you can pray for their families. But I share to encourage all of us to engage in forming the faith of those around us. Through prayer, words of encouragement, cards, phone calls, texts, or even a simple hug, you can be Christ to one another. We never have an idea of how far our reach will go. If I had two more minutes with Steph and Sandy, I would make sure they knew how important they were/are to my faith formation. It’s not too late for any of us to shape one another. We’re like rocks in a rock tumbler: by “bumping” into one another, we actually make one another better.
In Peace,
Pastor J