Stefanie Clayton
Children’s Pastor / Administrator
This little, hard charging gal came to us a pre-teen! While she was supposed to be at catechism class she would sneak off to hang out with her friends at one of those “different churches!” It didn’t take long, within a year she was plugged in and serving in one of our children’s departments!
As a third child, Stefanie grew up as a watcher/fixer kind of kid! At home she would dutifully observe father-mother, parent-child, sister-brother dynamics and then make her move to bridge the gaps, bring the peace and make nice—it was an exhausting, self-inflicted, anxiety-filled start. She was on her way to becoming a compulsive over-achiever. Her dad brought her to a defining moment at a breaking point when he told her, “Stef, you can’t change the world!” She got what he meant and began channeling her energies in a healthy way. That way included burning off energy in sports! Cross country, soccer, softball, you name it—if it was happening she was there!
Stefanie continued her athletic pursuits at Lamar University while she was working to complete a degree in education! She was a natural teacher. Her childhood experiences made her watchful, proactive, and creative at bridging gaps… but she was also W-O-M-A-N! At Lamar she rekindled her high school friendship with a boy named David and in August of 1994 the wedding singer was singing! Now married and growing very pregnant Steffie went totally parental! Her career would have to wait!
Eventually Stefanie returned to teach in the private school sector. Innovation after innovation made her a priceless jewel to her team of early childhood developers! For thirteen years she poured herself into every class of children—doing all she could to inspire in them a passion for learning. Aside from the classroom Stefanie was rising through the ranks to become lead teacher and part time Administrator… and then it happened! An opening as Children’s Director opened at church at a time when the church focus was going two generations down. There were kids everywhere and they needed a Champion—and then some!
The church needed someone who could design an effective child evangelism program, NOT just to bring the gospel to the kids but getting the kids saved and sending them back into their worlds as evangelists bringing light into their homes and power to their schools! Steffie said yes and the place has never been the same!
Stefanie has diverse, inspirational administrative abilities but her passion is still creative, informative, bridging the gaps classroom time downloading the Word of God to her kids! Adults love her, she’s the kind of person people like to work for but she’s the ultimate kid magnet! They love to be around her!
Completing Steffie’s personal world is her great and gifted husband, David, and their three great kids, Asa, Saylor, Navi and, a grand-daughter Olive in a happy home here in Angleton.