Jennifer Bedell
You moved to Texas from Illinois. What year did you move here? And what drew you to Our Redeemer?
Before we had any idea that we would be moving to the Dallas area, my sister and brother-in-law, Katie and Reverend Michael Schuermann, spent several years in Dallas while Michael served as vicar and then pastor at Our Redeemer. During our visits with them we worshipped at OR, all the while having no idea that we were becoming acquainted with our future church family. Though the Schuermanns had already moved back to Illinois when we moved here in 2015, we knew our new church home would be Our Redeemer.
You have been on the MEMNT Advisory Board since 2017. What inspired you to join?
I was introduced to the ministry when Pastor Yadessa asked me to teach an English class. I spoke with Pastors Yadessa and McGuire to learn more about the ministry and then offered to help organize an advisory board.
Your background in communications has really helped grow the MEMNT ministry. You have helped develop the newsletter, brochures and posters, a website, a presentation, and a video. What was your professional experience prior to moving to Texas?
My communications experience includes small nonprofits and large corporations. Most of my career has been spent in strategic communication roles and managing the development and production of large projects such as magazines, videos, and websites.
You recently wrote and produced an inspirational video that portrays the highlights of the last four years of the Multi-Ethnic Ministry. You also enlisted the skills of your talented daughters to produce it. Tell us about this experience.
In the past, when I produced videos at work, I partnered with technical professionals who did the filming and editing. For the ministry video we had a turnaround time of only a few days and were without professional support. With the help of my daughters, I learned to do basic video editing with iMovie. I am thankful for this and the many other opportunities the ministry has given my family to serve together.
What are some other opportunities for families to serve together?
Families can mentor adults or other families being served by the ministry, participate in special projects such as the angel tree, shop for or collect and donate needed items, provide food or supervise activities for the youth program, and of course, pray. Many families have contacted us with ideas such as providing activity bags during lockdown or a special treat or activity for the youth program.
What has the experience with the Multi-Ethnic Ministry meant to you?
The MEMNT is a place to serve and be served and to witness the beauty of God’s people loving and caring for one another. It is where growth and blessings result from forgoing comfort and stepping out in faith. It is an opportunity for people of diverse backgrounds to connect and better understand each other. And it is a reminder to focus on Christ and share the message of salvation with others.