“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7
Elders are the spiritual shepherds of the church. The Elder Board is responsible for making certain the Mission and Strategy of First Christian is being accomplished in the various ministries. An Elder must be a baptized disciple of Jesus, and meet the qualifications (both skills and character traits) outlined in the New Testament (e.g., see Acts 20:17; 28-31; 1 Timothy 3:2–7; 5:17; Titus 1:6–9; 1 Peter 5:1-2; James 5:14). We praise God for the service of our Elders! Below is the current slate of Elders at FCC. Please commit to praying for them.
Meet our Elders
David
I grew up in a family that regularly went to church. Shortly before high school I began taking more ownership of my faith. Throughout high school and university I was blessed with various friends that challenged me and encouraged me to live a life worthy of the calling we have in Jesus. Following Jesus has been a continual journey of learning to listen to His voice and follow. One of the things that excites me most about the goodness of Jesus is the practical benefit and transformation that Jesus offers in this life here and now for those looking for peace, healing, freedom, etc. It is exciting to see how God is powerfully extending His Kingdom around the world where Jesus is not yet well known. I am eager to continue being part of the Father’s work, seeing people experience flourishing through the power of God in their lives.
Our family has been intentionally pursuing how we can join God in being a blessing to all nations. I am eager to see when and where God takes us to next. For now we are seeking to be used by God in Lawrence, and have been at FCC for 4 years.
Bob Eisele
Hello, my name is Robert Eisele, but everyone calls me Bob. I have attended First Christian Church of Lawrence since I was born in 1997, and was baptized at FCC by pastor Randy Beeman. I was a student at the University of Kansas from 2015 to 2018, a student at Johnson County Community College from 2018 to 2019, and am currently working as an electrician in Lawrence. Some of my favorite times at FCC were spent in youth group, meeting many different people, and forming a relationship with them through Jesus. During my time in the youth group, I helped to lead small devotional groups, and was blessed with opportunities to develop my teaching skill. From 2012 to 2016, I played with the praise band on Sunday mornings, and enjoyed playing with many different worship leaders throughout the years. From 2016 onward, I have volunteered with the tech team on Sunday mornings, learning many different roles in order to make Sunday mornings more enjoyable for everyone.
Some of my favorite scriptures include Psalm 23 and Romans 5. I am always trying to learn more about the Bible and dive deeper into its beauty. If you ever learn something interesting about the Bible, I’d love to hear about it!
I look forward to serving the congregation of FCC and the community of Lawrence in many different ways during my future here.
Lisa Rundell
Hi! I am Lisa Rundell, Vice Chair of the Elder Board. My husband, Hugh, and I first came to FCC looking for a pastor to perform our wedding ceremony. Pastor Ron Goodman told us that if we would agree to give God a chance in our lives and come to church for 6 weeks, then he would perform our ceremony. That was over 20 years ago and I am so grateful for what both Pastor Ron and God have done in my life since then. I currently work as the Director of Therapy at Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital in Topeka and I serve on the board of directors for the Kansas Family Stroke Foundation where we yearly fund a stroke camp for stroke survivors and caregivers. I heard someone once describe themselves and their journey with God like “a very blessed snail”. This is an image that really stuck with me. I am sometimes a little hard headed and argue with God more than I should, but He continues to gently nudge and guide me in the direction that I should go. A few of my favorite scriptures that sustain me along the journey are Jeremiah 29:11, Micah 6:8, Philipians 4:6 and Hebrews 12:1.
Aaron Lathrom
Hello Brothers and Sisters in Christ! My wife and I have been coming to First Christian Church for over 18 years. Way back in 2002, I asked my best friend to marry me. Even though she had no idea what she was getting into with me, she said, “Yes!” We have been having adventures ever since. At the time neither one of us had a church home. Pastor Randy Beaman said he would perform the wedding ceremony at First Christian Church if we took a pre marriage class with him. We did, and the rest is
history.
Throughout the years, I have had the pleasure, and honor, to meet some really great people because of First Christian Church. I was able to help out with the Children’s Ministry for years, helped with VBS, served at L.I.N.K., participated in small groups, and got the benefits of participating, as well as leading, Peaceways. The list goes on and on. My family and I even had the chance to go on a church campout and a canoe trip. Be sure to ask my wife, Jeanene, about the canoe trip. That definitely tested our marriage communication skills! Last, but definitely not least, I am proud to say that I was baptized at First Christian Church.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Mark 10:13-16. This is where Jesus talks about receiving the kingdom of God like a little child.
I love to talk with people. So if you see me in church, or out and about somewhere, be sure to come up and say “Hi!”