About Us

Kristin is a Southern Georgia belle, who graduated from UGA as a veterinarian May 2010. Carter grew up in NC, went on to seminary, became an ordained pastor, and has completed his doctorate of ministry. After retiring from full-time ministry, Carter is thoroughly enjoying being a financial advisor (and volunteering on the ministry side of things). After about a month of emailing, asking questions, and going through the steps of eharmony.com, we were full of excitement and became very eager to meet one another face to face. October 25, 2009, we met and enjoyed every minute together. We had no doubt God was going to strengthen our relationship with Him as well as with one another. Carter proposed August 9, 2010 on the boat in the middle of Lake Wylie at sunset. Kristin said "Yes" after some happy tears. We got married April 2, 2011 and what an amazing beautiful day that was! God has continued to bless us throughout our marriage. On May 18, 2017, our family grew when God gave us our son, Micah. We look forward to see what He has in store for us each and every day. We are super blessed to be serving the Lord wherever we are. God is constantly surprising us with new callings!

Yes or No?: February Pastor's Porch

The decision between giving God a “I can” verses giving God a “I can’t”.

Do we give God our “Yes” or our “No’s?”

Have you ever really thought about that before?  Do you give God “Yes” or “I Can’s” more than you give God a “No” or “I can’t?”

Do you live in a world of scarcity where time is limited and you have to make choices?  I know I do.  Time is so short.  Do you know what?  We all have the same 24 hours in the day and the same 7 days a week, and the same 365 days in a year.  But what we do with that time is the difference.  Do we spend it glorifying God or glorifying ourselves?  Do we spend it serving God or serving ourselves?  Do we spend it working towards God’s glory or our own glory?  Do we spend it to the good of Glades or the good of ourselves?

I think part of the problem we run into is that we think being “Busy” for God is good.  We feel if we are “always” doing something for the church or God that we are on the right path.  Unfortunately, I don’t think that is the case.  Being busy for God isn’t the goal.  The goal is to see where God is working and where God is doing great things, to be able to discern what God is calling us here as a church to do, and working towards that goal TOGETHER.  It is all about a TOGETHER thing.  As we are reading through the Bible in 90 days, I hope you are noticing how God was all about the COMMUNITY.  We aren’t supposed to go off on our own or do our own thing, but the key is bringing everything back into the COMMUNITY of faith. 

The problem is that we can get so busy doing so many things that we think God wants us to do, but in reality we are missing the mark because we don’t take the time to ask “Where is God leading Glades” and “how can I focus my energy and resources to have the most impact towards the goals of God and the Goals of Glades?”  Many times busier isn’t better.  God wants us to serve him efficiently.  God is calling Glades to do lots of great powerful things, but that doesn’t work if we aren’t working together toward common goals.

What do I mean by that?  I mean that it isn’t about Tuesday Morning Group, or the Men’s Group, or the Young Woman’s group, or Youth Group, or Walk in the Word, or Choir, or Circle of Hope, or any group that we have formed.  It isn’t about making each of these separate groups stronger or more powerful or more popular, but it is about connecting these groups to the church and getting these groups working towards the common goal that God has set before us as a church.  Some of those goals include increasing worship attendance, reading through the Bible in 90 Days, increasing our commitment and small group participation, our Easter Outreach Event Egg Hunt are a few that we are working towards currently.

What is an example of this?  Last year, the Tuesday Morning women’s group made Christmons during one of their meetings to help fill the Christmon tree in the sanctuary.  They knew that was something that the church was working towards as a whole and they stepped in to help and work towards that goal of the church.

You see if we all get caught up in our different groups, we can get so busy doing things that suddenly we don’t have “time” to give God any more “Yes” or “I Can” because we are so caught up in doing ‘things.’  We are all so busy doing things that we get lost and miss the BIG YES’s and the BIG I CAN’S that He really wants us to do as a church and as a person.

Glades is a small church.  We need to stop competing with each other for our time.  When there are members of the church that have to make a decision between small group, Bible in 90 days, choir, serving on a committee, or another group, then maybe we are competing with ourselves.

As we continue in 2017, let us take some deep hard looks at what we are doing as a church and what we are personally doing.  Are we giving God our BEST YES, where we are seeing Him efficiently and where HE wants us to serve.  Or are we so busy that we can only give to auxiliary things in the church causing us to not have time to focus on the main thing that God is calling us to as a church?

What is God calling us to do as a Church?  What is the MAIN GOAL of EVERYTHING we DO at Glades?  Here they are 3 simple steps.  3 simple things that we need to focus on and pour everything we have into.

1.       Worship Together — Sunday Mornings at 10:30

2.   Study and Read God’s word together in community — Bible in 90 Days Mondays at 7pm

3.   Go out into the world and Make Disciples — Easter Egg Hunt and Personal Outreach to              bring others to #1 Worship Together


That is what God is calling us to do.  That is what God is calling Glades to focus on.  There is so much that goes into each of those events isn’t there?  Choir has to practice and prepare for worship each week (Thank you, Choir!).  Everyone has to read 12 pages a day in the Bible to keep up with Bible in 90 Days, AND make a commitment to be there Monday Nights to be in an accountable community.  Then the final aspect is that as a church there is a focus on bringing in others to the 3 step cycle.  Outreach is meant to bring people to worship with us on Sunday mornings and then to be a part of the #2 of joining a group that studies and reads God’s word together in community.  THEN those who came in are now working step 3 of Going out.  That is how the church is going to grow when we can focus on this process of discipleship. 

But the key is that we as a church are going to have to focus.  We are going to have to work all that we have into the steps.  If we don’t, then we are just going to keep on giving God “No’s” because we don’t have time.  We are going to keep on telling God “I Can’t” because I can only do so much.  When each of us are focusing on our own projects and our own groups, then as a church, we will never accomplish what we are called by God to accomplish because our focus as a church isn’t together.

Questions to think about…

Am I focusing on the main thing, the main goal of the church or am I focusing on my group or my personal goals?

Where do I need to start saying “No” to lesser goals so that I can start saying “YES” to the big goal of God for me and for Glades?

Remember what Paul said in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him (Jesus Christ) who strengthens me.”


Notice he didn’t say, I can do some things, or I can do the things that I want, or I can do most things.  He said, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.”  God wants the YES.  God wants the “I Can.”  Through Christ and focusing on what the main thing is, we’re focusing on what is MOST important to God where He can receive our BEST YES.

"Peanut, It's Dad Here!" : )

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

“Peanut, it’s Dad here.” (Carter grinning ear to ear every time he says this line at my growing belly.)  And then many other lines normally follow…  “Mommy and Daddy love you!  We are proud of you!  God loves you!”…

Practically, every time Carter does this now, Baby R gets excited and begins moving about for both of us to feel.  I can just foresee how our Munchkin is going to respond later on…when Daddy comes home, when Daddy is giving loving, when Daddy and baby meet eyes for the first time.  I’m not going to lie, my heart melts EVERY time we have these special moments or when I think about once Baby R is here!  

I can’t help but think about how our bundle of joy already knows Mommy and Daddy’s voices! 

Carter and I were just having the discussion how Peanut is still in Mommy’s womb!  And how God knew this precious little one before formation and is now forming every detail!  How cool is that!?  Seeing those details over time at ultrasound appointments has just allowed us to cherish every minute!  

We are all known by God!  We are all special children of the Lord!

We praise God every day for trusting us with His little one!  We can’t believe we are already Week 23 into this journey!  Praying Baby R grows up loving his Creator and serving Him daily!


For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13