Last
week our church hosted a Jr/Sr High boys’ basketball camp which was coached by
Assistant Coach Don Schellenberg from West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster,
California. Coach Schellenberg spoke at our Wednesday evening service, and one
of the things that caught my attention in his message was his deep gratefulness
for his wife, Tammy. I think he called her “his hero.” He spoke of her devotion
to their family and to the Lord, and mentioned that she has a close walk
with Christ AND works full-time for WCBC in the admissions office. She is a Proverbs 31 woman to her husband! I immediately
thought her story would be so encouraging to share, and Tammy graciously agreed
to an email interview. I think you will be encouraged as I am by the way the
Lord has led in their lives and used them in unique ways as they have followed
Him. I am privileged to share her thoughts with you here.
Tammy,
could you please share a little of your personal story?
Tammy:
I was raised in a Christian family and accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour at
the age of 5. After high school I really didn't know what I wanted to do with
my life, worked as a secretary, and then was introduced to my husband through
Christian friends on a blind date. We were married in December 1981 and had our
first son in December 1982. After the birth of our second son, with the need to
purchase a home, we moved to the Antelope Valley in 1986. We attended a local
Baptist church, and our children attended the Christian school. Once our
children began school I chose to go back to college and earned my RN. Over the
years we would have kind people knock on our door occasionally and invite us to
Lancaster Baptist Church, but we were already members of a church. During a
season of our lives when we weren't attending church regularly and even then we
would go on Saturday night so as to not interfere with our sons’ ice hockey
involvement, we once again got invited to Lancaster Baptist Church. This time
my younger son Justin and I decided to go since my husband and Chris were gone
that Sunday morning and we didn't have anything to do until they got home. This
was Open House Sunday in May of 1994, and we have been attending faithfully
ever since. Once Don and Chris attended LBC with us we realized ice hockey had
to go. My husband had his own business and he was asked to join the staff about
14 years ago as the grounds keeper (of our beautiful campus, I might add) and
11 years ago I was offered a position in the college offices. Our children are
grown and married and now live in San Diego, we have added six beautiful
grandchildren, and we are coming up on our 22nd year at Lancaster Baptist
Church.
Please
share with us about your position in Admissions at WCBC, your typical work day,
and what you like best about it.
Tammy:
I serve in the admissions office at West Coast Baptist College. My job is to
reach out to those who have applied to come to the college, follow-up with them
regarding the application process, make sure we are on target for the semester
they have applied for, and encourage them (and their parents) along the way. My
day is filled with the processing of the applications and other necessary
paperwork in the application process, along with a lot of personal contact with
the students and their parents and at times their pastors. Everything that
concerns a new student coming to West Coast comes across my desk, from the
processing of I-20's for our international students to the awarding of
scholarships. The admissions department is the clearinghouse for student
contact information for the whole student body and keeping tabs on who is
returning each semester. I also get to be involved in banquets and other
student activities.
Can
you share any practical advice or tips about how you balance home & family
with work & ministry?
Tammy:
Balancing home and family with work and ministry has certainly evolved over the
years. I wasn't working at the college until my children were both out of high
school; however, I did work as an RN at our local hospital during their school
years and we also have always been very involved in the ministry at Lancaster
Baptist Church prior to working here. I have always felt that my role as wife
and mom is #1 - no one can fill that role to my husband and children, and they
always were and are my priority. We have been able to do a lot of blending of
family and ministry as my husband and I have had the privilege of serving in
the youth ministry at Lancaster Baptist Church almost from the beginning,
before my children were even old enough to be in the youth group. My husband
also coached many of the teams they played on—baseball, football and
basketball—during their junior and senior high years, which again allowed us to
blend ministry with family. Today we are "empty-nesters", but my
husband is still my priority. I try to always have dinner on the table for him
by 6:00 (just so that he knows he is really, really important to me and I know
that he is going to be really, really hungry after working all day) and consult
with him on any and all "extra-curricular" activities I have a desire
to do or am asked to do.
Could
you share any special hobby and why it is important to you?
Tammy:
My hobbies would be reading and running and I feel so privileged that I can
enjoy both of these activities. I love to read books on just how to be a better
Christian; how to love God more, serve Him more. I love biographies of
missionaries and also read biographies of people who have made a difference in
the course of history. I do enjoy organizational "how-to's" and Christian
books on leadership. The running was sort of an accident. I had read the book
"Experiencing God" by Blackaby. And in it he talked about taking a
walk while you talked to God to lessen the distraction of whatever was next on
the list of "must-do's". So, I started walking and praying.
Eventually I began alternating my walking and jogging - just for the fun of it.
And, well, as they say, the rest is history.
Do
you have a favorite book to recommend?
Tammy: With reading as a hobby, I don't
know that I could recommend one book.:-) I love EM Bounds, Andrew Murray, and
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. I have the privilege of being a part of the
"proofing" team for Striving Together Publications, a ministry of
Lancaster Baptist Church, and I enjoy all of the books I get to read by an
assortment of authors. I honestly do still read through the Chronicles of
Narnia every few summers as well.
One
of the greatest blessings is the gift of encouragement and example that others' testimonies
have been to me. I hope you agree and enjoyed the interview! The way the Lord
has faithfully led this family and is using them in the lives of young people
(and no doubt countless others) is inspiring. It is so true that God is able to use our
talents and abilities for His Glory. Truly, “A man’s gift maketh room for him…”
~Prov. 18:16
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