THE BOARD

Doing the background stuff so you can play daily!

Shannon Guse

Chair
Shannon serves as the Church Administrator at Christ Presbyterian Church  in Tallahassee, FL and has been attending ARW for almost two decades! Having taught multiple classes and served on the 2022 ARW planning team, Shannon is excited to give back to the organization that continues to refresh and renew her each May! Shannon loves reading Young Adult novels, spending time outdoors, and cheering on her two, grown-ish children.

Lisa Kaufer

Vice Chair
Lisa Kaufer serves as a Licensed Godly Play Trainer and the Director of Faith Formation at the Presbyterian Church of Wyoming in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is passionate about cultivating relationships and spaces where people are invited to play, share stories, listen, learn, and grow together. Through her creative studio, The Muddy Fork, Lisa engages faith and community by designing handmade ceramic gifts and devotional resources.

Lisa Diedrick

Registrar
Lisa serves re:create as our administrative specialist, organizing and tracking our finances and databases and is the face of ARW as our registrar. She dabbles in numerous areas of ministry, including leading the occasional retreat or playology event.  Her current passions include tennis, traveling and spending time with her six grandchildren.

Carl Horton

Events
Carl has served the PC(USA) at all levels of the church, most recently overseeing the denomination’s Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.  He is a lifelong Presbyterian and is highly committed to equipping and strengthening leaders and members for impactful service and inspiring witness.  In his free time he is a backyard farmer, piano student, potter, sourdough baker and dog wrangler.

Roger Maness

Funding
Roger is a longtime recreation leader and is co-author of two books in the field of recreation. He began his experience by studying under some of the "giant oaks” of ARW. Roger brings loads of experience to the Board, having staffed the recreation and outreach ministries of three different churches along the way. On the Board, he currently serves as Chair of our FUNdraising Committee, a group of dedicated ARW enthusiasts who work behind the scenes to raise extra money to provide special scholarships and to help underwrite a portion of the real cost for each participant attending ARW.

Noelle Castin

First Timers and Networking
Noelle currently serves as the Director of Christian Education at the historic Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Alexandria, VA. Noelle and her husband, Mark, enjoy traveling and making memories with family and friends. In her spare time, she also loves reading (children’s literature and young adult fiction, in particular!), listening to podcasts, cooking, and practicing yoga.​

Kelly Fitzgerald

Marketing
Kelly is a Parish Associate at Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Her passion for bringing faith into homes led her to team up with fellow parent and pastor, Rev. Anne Russ, in a project called Beyond Sunday. Kelly also has a keen artistic eye, which she has found an outlet for through her experiences with ARW. As Marketing Chair, her goal is to connect and communicate all the exciting developments in worship, recreation, and the arts, both within and beyond the ARW community. 

Deb Davenport

Playology
Deb’s home church is Pioneer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solon, OH.  She is active serving the church through Christian Education and Youth Ministries. She also likes to add creative ideas to the worship services –ideas inspired by ARW. Deb currently works as a pharmacist. She spends her free time creating- with pens and brushes, bible journaling, woodworking, or basically any craft or medium. Deb loves the experience of ARW and is excited to coordinate Playology Events to bring a little bit of ARW and the art of play and creativity to churches around the country.

Carol Steele

Montreat Liaison
Carol is Vice President for Program at Montreat Conference Center. As a preschooler she attended Family Conferences at Montreat, and later roller skated in Lingle Hall on the campus of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Later still she had epic homesickness at summer camp but finally decided that while she didn't enjoy attending camp, working there as a college student was quite nice. Now she's married to her fellow camp counselor Dwight Christenbury and they have two children who (they hope) are aspiring campers.

William Pender

Treasurer
William served over 40 years in pastorates in NC, FL, SC, and TN, with a M.Div from Columbia Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Duke University.  In retirement, he and his wife Sheri live in Montreat, welcoming visits of children, grandchildren, family, and friends.  He enthusiastically embraces art, recreation, and worship (ARW) as healthy and faithful expressions of a life well-led.

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