Dave Nelson
Lead and Teaching Pastor
Family: Dave and his wife, Rindy, started GLC in 2009. They have three kids.
Fun Fact: Dave and Rindy have lived in 7 different cities and in 12 apartments/homes in their 24 years of marriage.
Guilty Pleasure: Peanut M&Ms
Big Dream: Shooting a 12+ point buck
Fun Fact: Dave and Rindy have lived in 7 different cities and in 12 apartments/homes in their 24 years of marriage.
Guilty Pleasure: Peanut M&Ms
Big Dream: Shooting a 12+ point buck
James Nelson
Children's Ministry Pastor
Family: James and his wife, Kimi, have a blended family with seven children.
Fun Fact: James loves camping with his family and eating spicy foods. And, he speaks Spanish!
Guilty Pleasure: Ghost pepper beef jerky
Big Dream: Doing mission work in foreign countries
Fun Fact: James loves camping with his family and eating spicy foods. And, he speaks Spanish!
Guilty Pleasure: Ghost pepper beef jerky
Big Dream: Doing mission work in foreign countries
Liesel Gruener
Finance & Operations Director
Family: Liesel and her husband, Doug, have three adult children whom they have moved out of the house with varying degrees of success.
Fun fact: She's a huge K-Pop concert fan.
Guilty Pleasure: Chocolate creamer with a splash of coffee
Big Dream: Traveling around the world in 90 days
Fun fact: She's a huge K-Pop concert fan.
Guilty Pleasure: Chocolate creamer with a splash of coffee
Big Dream: Traveling around the world in 90 days
CARson Brauer
Communications Director
Family: Carson has a sister who is nine years older than him and a brother who is thirteen years older than him, but Carson's parents PROMISE that he wasn't an "oops." He's not so sure he believes them.
Fun Fact: Carson backpacked through 12 countries in three months!
Guilty Pleasure: Pizza, unless it has vegetables on it
Big dream: To write, produce and direct a short film
Fun Fact: Carson backpacked through 12 countries in three months!
Guilty Pleasure: Pizza, unless it has vegetables on it
Big dream: To write, produce and direct a short film
Lawrence Kirby
Teaching Pastor*
Family: Married 15 years to his best friend. Together, they have 3 children, a wonderful daughter in-law, and 3 grandchildren.
Fun Fact: In another life he’s a full-time personal stylist. He’s also a dope DJ! (only in his head)
Guilty Pleasure: Buying sneakers
Big dream: Seeing local churches move together in unity
Fun Fact: In another life he’s a full-time personal stylist. He’s also a dope DJ! (only in his head)
Guilty Pleasure: Buying sneakers
Big dream: Seeing local churches move together in unity
*Kirby is the lead pastor of Acts Church in Kenosha, but speaks at Great Lakes Church 8-10 times a year.
Doug Labelle
Pastor of Staff Culture
Family: Doug and his wife Kris have four adult children and six grandchildren.
Fun Fact: He grew up as the middle child in a family of 5.
Guilty Pleasure: Dark chocolate and nuts OR scrolling TikTok
Big dream: Learn a new language in an emersion program
Fun Fact: He grew up as the middle child in a family of 5.
Guilty Pleasure: Dark chocolate and nuts OR scrolling TikTok
Big dream: Learn a new language in an emersion program
Brit Newman
Student Ministries & Groups
Family: Brit's best friend is her mom, Cheri, who also attends Great Lakes Church. Her dad, Bob, and stepmom, Sandy, live in Nashville, Tennessee. She has two older brothers, Billy who lives in Salt Lake City and Seth who lives in southern Illinois. She recently got married to her childhood best friend, Garrett.
Fun fact: Brit was on Oprah twice, talking about "helping kids cope with divorce."
Guilty Pleasure: Pepperoni Pizza from Luisa's in Salem, Wisconsin
Big Dream: Speaking at the Global Leadership Summit
Fun fact: Brit was on Oprah twice, talking about "helping kids cope with divorce."
Guilty Pleasure: Pepperoni Pizza from Luisa's in Salem, Wisconsin
Big Dream: Speaking at the Global Leadership Summit
Ashley Gavin
Campus Experience Director
Family: Ashley and her husband, Andrew, have three children — Peyton, Wyatt and Quinn.
Fun Fact: She's the baby of seven & has 23 nieces and nephews!
Guilty Pleasure: A Dairy Queen chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard with extra cookie dough
Big Dream: Lots of babies, lots of beaches, and lots of love! (How blessed am I to have achieved this already?!)
Fun Fact: She's the baby of seven & has 23 nieces and nephews!
Guilty Pleasure: A Dairy Queen chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard with extra cookie dough
Big Dream: Lots of babies, lots of beaches, and lots of love! (How blessed am I to have achieved this already?!)
Rex Hamilton
Campus Pastor
Family: Rex and his wife, Christalle, contributed to global over-population by having four great kids. They are Midwest transplants from Seattle.
Fun Fact: Rex spent time in his 20s as a volunteer firefighter and Washington State EMT.
Guilty Pleasure: Really big bowls of cereal
Big Dream: To be a chaplain for a Major League Baseball team (Milwaukee Brewers — Have you listened to any of those voicemails?)
Fun Fact: Rex spent time in his 20s as a volunteer firefighter and Washington State EMT.
Guilty Pleasure: Really big bowls of cereal
Big Dream: To be a chaplain for a Major League Baseball team (Milwaukee Brewers — Have you listened to any of those voicemails?)
Tyler Clapsaddle
Students Pastor
Family: Married to truly my better half, Christen.
Fun Fact: My first jobs were working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.
Guilty Pleasure: Anything sweet. It’s bad.
Big Dream: Retire in a big city
Fun Fact: My first jobs were working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.
Guilty Pleasure: Anything sweet. It’s bad.
Big Dream: Retire in a big city
Christalle Hamilton
Campus Experience Director
Family: Married for 20 years to that Racine Campus pastor guy. Proud mom to three boys and a girl.
Fun Fact: First job was at an amusement/water park.
Guilty Pleasure: Reruns of "Friends" episodes and a good chocolate milkshake
Big Dream: More, more, and more travel
Fun Fact: First job was at an amusement/water park.
Guilty Pleasure: Reruns of "Friends" episodes and a good chocolate milkshake
Big Dream: More, more, and more travel
Melissa Langner
Racine Campus Kids Director
Family: Mother to two awesome kids, ages 18 and 11.
Fun Fact: She has an extensive collection of Mary Poppins memorabilia that she has been adding to since 1998.
Guilty Pleasure: Oreo Dream Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Ask anyone who knows her, she talks about it like its her child!
Big Dream: To adopt more children
Fun Fact: She has an extensive collection of Mary Poppins memorabilia that she has been adding to since 1998.
Guilty Pleasure: Oreo Dream Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Ask anyone who knows her, she talks about it like its her child!
Big Dream: To adopt more children