Sun Lakes United Methodist Church
Staff Members
Meet Our Staff Members
Sun Lakes United Methodist Church has a friendly and efficient staff who are here to make your day a little more pleasant. Meet our staff members below and be sure to come into our Administration Building during the week and say “hello.” We are very appreciative to all the many volunteers who donate their time to help various church projects run efficiently!
Pastoral Staff
Rev. Jennifer Lambert
Senior Pastor
Jennifer joined Sun Lakes United Methodist Church as Senior Pastor in July 2024. With a rich history of serving several United Methodist churches in the metro-Phoenix area, she also brings valuable experience from her years as a chaplain with Hospice of the Valley. Jennifer holds a certification in Conflict Transformation from Candler School of Theology. She has recently become certified as a YogaFaith Instructor and enjoys participating in local yoga classes. Additionally, she serves as a community representative for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Dignity Health. A second-generation Arizonan, Jennifer is the proud mother of two young adult daughters. In her free time, she loves reading, crafting, and spending time with her family. A beach enthusiast, Jennifer finds joy and relaxation by the ocean. She admires John Wesley for his forward thinking when he wrote, "Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?"
Polly J. Smith
COMMUNITY CARE ADVOCATE
Polly moved from Illinois to Arizona in 2001, and married Jerry Smith in 2005. She and Jerry have been residents of Chandler and Sun Lakes since then. She has one son and two granddaughters who live in Gilbert, Arizona. Polly has an extensive background in nursing and has been a Hospice of The Valley volunteer for 8 years. She is active in the Crystal Card Project which supports My Sisters Place, a local, permanent shelter for families affected by domestic violence.
COUNSELING MINISTRY
Mary Sievert
Counselor
Mary is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC). She has worked in the field of psychology in many different capacities until she retired in 2016. Mary loves helping others and was proud to join the Sun Lakes Counseling team in the spring of 2020. Mary also enjoys playing the piano, singing, and directing bells. She became involved with our SLUMC music in 2016. She and her husband Scott also love spending time with family.
MUSIC MINISTRY
Cris Evans
Music Director
Cris earned a teaching degree from ASU and taught in public schools for 21 years, retiring in 2010 from Hamilton High School. Cris is a published composer and also the Director of the Sun Lakes Chorale. She has been the Music Director at SLUMC since March, 1999. Her husband, Bart, shares her passion for all things musical and is the Choir Director at Mesa Community College. Cris and Bart have has three children and eight grandchildren.
Mary Sievert
Bell Choir Director, Choir Accompanist
Mary loves music and has been singing and playing piano her whole life! She started playing bells in high school and has been directing/playing bells ever since. Mary was a church pianist in Tempe for 25 years, and became involved with SLUMC music in 2016. As a licensed therapist, Mary’s “day job” has been in the field of psychology. In 2020, Mary joined our Sun Lakes Counseling team. She and her husband Scott love spending time with their three children and two grandchildren.
Jean Nelson
Pianist, Organist
Jean started her career as a high school business teacher in South Dakota. In 1979, she and her family moved to Nebraska, where she worked at First National Bank of Omaha for 30 years retiring as Vice President of the branch. She and her husband, Gary, have two sons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They moved to Arizona in 2015 to be near Jean's three sisters and one of her brothers. She feels blessed to have a close and caring family.
Caroline Brown
Organist, Choir Accompanist
Caroline joined the music ministry team in February of 2015. Prior to their winter move to Sun Lakes, she taught public school vocal music, had been a community choral director, and church musician serving as organist, director, and accompanist. She and her husband Bill have two children and five grandchildren all living in South Dakota. Their summer home is in Rapid City, South Dakota.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Lauren Jones
Office and Communications Administrator
Lauren was born and raised in Southern California and moved with her son, Connor who is 8, to Arizona. In the little spare time that she has, she enjoys the farm life with her son. She is experienced in customer service, security, and property management. She loves to travel to new places with her son where they both enjoy the time spent together with their 2 dogs, Bruce (Rottweiler) and Sarah (Great Pyrenees).
Deanna Betz
Finance and Database Administrator
Deanna was born and raised in the Monterey Bay area of California and moved to Arizona in 1999. She and her husband Brian have been married for 40 years. Deanna is experienced in accounting, payroll, and human resources. She holds a certification from the American Payroll Association. She enjoys reading, movie date nights with Brian, and her two Chihuahuas. She loves the Sun Lakes area and is very happy to be a part of SLUMC.
Jackie Young
Administrative Assistant
Jackie was born and raised in Danville, Illinois. She and her husband arrived in Arizona in 2000, where her husband came to work. They have two daughters, Stephani and Taylor who both live and work in Chicago. Jackie likes scrapbooking and water and snow skiing.
