Brad Epperson 

Welcome!  I grew up in Lakewood and would like to formally apologize to any teacher in the Clover Park School District who is reading this bio.  I’m sorry, especially if you were a sub.  I’m living proof that a relationship with Jesus is transformative! 

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I received my M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2008 and was ordained and installed at Little Church in 2011.  A few years later we launched Lakewoodgrace because we’re passionate about introducing as many people as possible to the hope and joy that is found in Jesus.  Prior to my ministry at Little Church and Lakewoodgrace I was a chaplain resident at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma.  

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Heather and I have been married since 2001 and we’re proud parents of our two kids, Ava and Lucas.  

James Kim

Thank you for checking us out. I am glad you are here. 

I have been one of the pastors at the Little Church and Lakewood Grace since 2010. I consider it an absolute privilege to be able to share about Jesus. Here, you will hear the word of God preached and expounded upon. We go verse by verse through God's word because we stand under the authority of God's word in order that we might begin understanding the world around us. It is exciting to see what God is up to through the Little Church and Lakewood Grace and invite you to find out for yourself. 

I have been married to Helen and we have four adult children. I studied philosophy at Pepperdine University, received my Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and received my Doctorate of Ministry from the Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. 

When not working, I enjoy golf (most of the times), riding my motorcycle (when the weather is nice), and reading. 

Bill Ward

Bill retired in February 2019 after 20 years as Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Reardan, WA, a small farming community 25 miles west of Spokane.  This was his first and only pastoral call as a “second career” pastor and a very different style and pace of life for a lifetime suburban dweller and former electrical engineer. Bill attended UC Davis where he met  his wife Lori.  Upon graduation, Bill accepted a job with Boeing working in military and then commercial avionics systems.  During this time, he and Lori attended Foster Tukwila Presbyterian Church, where both of them became very active in teaching and missions.  It was originally to improve his Bible teaching skills that Bill first attended Fuller Theological Seminary classes through their Seattle Extension.  After a couple of years of classes, the Session of Foster suggested that Bill explore ordained ministry.  Also during this time, Lori & Bill welcomed their four children, Leanna, Peter, Monica and Renee into the world.  Soon after Renee came along, they moved to Bothell as Bill followed a job opportunity.  There they attended both Emmanuel Presbyterian Church and Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church, where Bill served as a ministry intern for 18 months.  Now settled in Lakewood, Lori & Bill are close to their three daughters and their families (Peter is just a short hop away in Boise).  With a great love of the great outdoors, Lori & Bill enjoy camping & hiking, scenic road trips, cooking, gardening and (for Bill) cycling (both road & mountain).  Bill has always been passionate about missions, especially the unique mission of the smaller church and “frontier missions” (taking the Gospel where it has not been before).  Bill has served the Presbyteries of Seattle, North Puget Sound (now Northwest Coast) and Inland Northwest in a wide range of capacities, including as commissioner to the Synod of Alaska Northwest and to the 221st General Assembly (2014).

Mary Mannering 

Miss Mary started teaching in our preschool in 2007. She now serves as our Children’s Director and oversees the preschool. Mary loves spending time with kids. She enjoys finding creative ways for children and families to experience Jesus. Mary is faithfully assisted by her husband - Mr. Scott. Science experiments, historical facts, and 3D-printed crafts are just a few of the many ways that Scott contributes to our Sunday school program. Mr. Scott and Miss Mary have two grown daughters, Halla and Luci, and an adorable grand dog named Mozzie.

Kaitlin Kim

As a former high school teacher and currently working at an education non-profit, Kaitlin is very passionate about working with youth in multiple ways. She grew up attending Little Church and is eager and excited to share the love of Jesus with students today, as so many mentors and leaders did for her when she was a part of the youth group. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and during the summer, you can find her paddleboarding or on a hiking trail.

Please pray for God's guidance as she and Janta seek wisdom about how to meet the needs of our students.

Janta Steele

Janta loves God and people, relishes a challenge, delights in pushing her husband Toby out of his comfort zone. A step-mom to a creative 16-year-old, she seeks to put people first in her law practice and is excited to point young people to Jesus and support them as they grow in their love for Christ.

Please pray for God's guidance as she and Kaitlin seek wisdom about how to meet the needs of our students

Molly Crane

Molly serves the church as the worship leader at Lakewoodgrace as well as the Choir Director for Little Church.  She began her music career at the age of 12. She started taking classical voice lessons and later went on to earn her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Western Washington University. She currently teaches voice lessons out of her home studio in Lakewood and at The Tuned In Academy in Olympia. As a member of the Little Church on the Prairie and a Chancel Choir soprano, she feels blessed and excited to explore this experience of modern worship music through Lakewoodgrace. She is grateful to God for pushing her out of her comfort zone to lead others in worship and for granting her the opportunity to be a part of something far greater than she could ever have imagined. She lives in Lakewood with her husband Alex, two cats (Loki and Athena), and her dog (Freya). In her free time, Molly is learning to play the piano and the guitar, which she hopes will aid in her new position. She also enjoys traveling and has seen 14 of the 50 states and 11 different countries. It is a dream of hers to visit as many states and countries as possible (if not all!!) in her lifetime.