Our Staff

  Pastor Sharon Smith has been  ordained for 33 years, having served five churches in Michigan and Wisconsin. She seeks God’s kingdom in  everyday life, taking note of people’s stories, their hard faith questions, and witnessing the ways in which God’s grace is abundant.

 A former middle school misfit, she is passionate about including all people in God’s community, even the ones that don’t quite seem to fit, maybe especially them. 

She received her undergraduate degree from Hope College and holds  two master’s degrees, from Trinity Lutheran Seminary (theology) and the  University of Michigan-Flint (English language and literature). When she’s not  preaching, writing, teaching, or running, she’s likely taking notes in the margins  of a book or discussing theology with her old classmates from seminary. 

She  has five grown children, and she lives with her husband and two rescue dogs who  provide endless entertainment and lots of motivation to walk. Her two dogs have  heard many sermons before anyone else, although their feedback only  involved tail wags and requests for snacks. 

Kaylee has been part of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church family since she was seven years old. After high school, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and went on to spend 15 years working in cardiology. During that time, she also led Bible studies and created fellowship opportunities for young adults in the church and wider community.

Kaylee has always felt called to care for others and help people develop strong connections to their faith. That calling led her to join the staff at St. Paul’s as the Director of Youth and Family Ministry. She is passionate about meeting children and families where they are, so they can explore their faith, build strong relationships, grow into confident leaders, and have fun.   Working alongside the youth of St. Paul’s brings her immense joy, as she helps them deepen their relationship with Jesus and make a positive impact on the world by sharing God’s good news of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Kaylee and her husband have two high schoolers who keep their calendar full of activities and events. In her free time when Kaylee is not working with the youth, you would find her enjoying her family, running/working out, spending time with friends, or relaxing and drinking a great cup of coffee.