Melanie grew up in Freeport, Illinois. As a child of 5 years old, she placed her faith in Christ and ask Him to be her Savior during a Vacation Bible School. That year, she received a Children’s Bible Story book for Christmas and remembers gathering neighborhood kids together so she could read it to them because she wanted to be a missionary! Although her parents did not attend church, she was able to get a ride through her church’s bus ministry and remained a “bus kid” all through high school. Although, by then, she was serving as a helper with the younger kids.
Blessed to have some amazing mentors in her church who discipled her, Melanie’s heart for missions grew. The desire to teach and mentor children and teens in the same way others had done for her also grew. She started teaching in her church’s children’s ministry when she was in Jr. high and has continued to serve in youth and children’s ministry in some form from that point forward (both as a volunteer and vocationally).
Melanie attended Faith Baptist Bible College in their Missions program with an emphasis on Christian Education and Youth Counseling. Although her plan was to move overseas as a Missionary, God had other plans. Instead, she moved to Rockford in 1994 and has called this home ever since. She attends Stonebridge Church and is active in their music, prayer and children’s ministries.
She has traveled on 60+ trips to 14 different countries for children’s outreach and to equip & encourage children’s ministry leaders. She is especially drawn to Latin America where the people of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala hold a special place in her heart. Over the past 20+ years, she has served full-time in church/non-profit ministries and is excited to see how God can use her experience here at Rock House Kids! Melanie came to RHK in March 2021 and is serving as our Marketing Coordinator. She has a passion to share how God is working at RHK and uses her creative skills to do just that through our social media platforms, emails, marketing projects and writing requests for various grant funding proposals, as needed.