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Lexis
Van Epps
Director
of Christian Education
 This writer took an informal survey asking friends and
acquaintances for adjectives that would describe Lexis Van Epps, Director
of Christian Education. Not
surprisingly the list included: friendly,
nice smile, helpful, hard working, gracious, upbeat, full of life, enthusiastic,
effective, sincere, instills confidence.
Lexis was born and raised in
Montana
on what would be called a farm/ranch. As
a matter of convenience, the family moved into town when she started fifth
grade. School attendance for her
older sister and younger brother and also mother, a teacher, would be much
easier. Town was Moore,
Montana, all 250 residents. About 15
families made up their church. There
were 18 in her graduating class;
4-H provided
interesting and challenging activities.
Lexis attended Montana
State University
at
Bozeman
for one year and then came to Battle Creek
to attend Kellogg
Community College which offered a Physical Therapy Assistant program.
Such was not available in Montana; it was not a wild leap as there were some family connections in
Battle Creek. Upon completion of her Associates
Degree in 1978, she worked at Lansing
General
Hospital
in Physical Therapy for five years at the same time continuing undergraduate
studies in Gerontology at Lansing
Community College.
During these years, Mike, who is from Grand Ledge, came into the
picture. He was a student at
Michigan Tech, Houghton. Lexis
describes the relationship as long distance.
They were married in 1982. The
plan was that Lexis would work in Physical Therapy in Houghton while Mike
finished his senior year. They were
seemingly all set, but the job fell through.
Then she became the night manager for the Burger King in Houghton.
She supervised the closing shift and assisted with training new
employees. After graduation, Mike
took another year at Michigan Tech and Burger King had Lexis for a total of two
years.
Chesterton,
Indiana, was the next stop as Mike had employment with Bethlehem Steel.
Tracy
was born. When the baby was six
months old, Lexis went back to school and ultimately received her Bachelor of
Arts degree in Sociology with Social Work Option from Purdue University
Calumet/Hammond, Indiana. This wife
and mother graduated in 1988 with honors.
Mike’s work took him to Germany. He preceded the family, traveled
back and forth, and fortunately was home for Dain’s birth.
The family was together in Germany
for six months. It was an
opportunity for travel throughout
Europe
which they enjoyed immensely.
Chris completed the family in March 1990 and Mike’s new job with
Digital Interface System brought them to this area in that year.
With young children of her own, Lexis became a self-employed Home
Day Care Provider for five years. She
worked to meet the needs of individual children and organized appropriate
activities for children ages six weeks to ten years.
From this it was a natural step to work for Tri-County Head Start, Berrien
County. She was a home-based family
educator teaching fundamental pre-school skills to children and basic life
skills to their parents.
Lexis and Mike have both been active and involved members of First
United
Methodist
Church. Over the years Lexis’ services
included several commissions and committees.
She has been Children’s Coordinator and in that capacity she headed the
group that updated the Children’s Library.
She has been involved with Adventure Club Children’s Ministry,
Vacation
Bible
School
and summer Sunday School.
Whether she knew it or not, all her work experience along with her
volunteer church work provided the necessary background for the position of
Director of Christian Education. When
the position was posted, Lexis applied, was hired and became an integral part of
the full-time church staff January 2002.
As CE Director, Lexis now recruits and directs all teachers in the
Sunday School (She has even recruited husband Mike.), guides the choice of
curriculum throughout the Sunday School, selects the materials and recruits the
staff of the Adventure Club and the Vacation Bible School, plans Rally Day and
does everything and anything that along the way comes under her title.
Of her work Lexis says that it is “great.”
She enjoys the children, her fellow staff people and the overall
challenge. Her guiding philosophy
is, “This is not Lexis’ ministry but God’s ministry.
He will provide.”
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St.
Joseph First United Methodist
Church 
