Peter Castles
Peter Castles has been pastor of Cedar Park First UMC since June, 2010. He served as pastor of three other Austin-area United Methodist churches before coming to Cedar Park. Peter and his wife Pam, who is a Wesley Nurse in Austin, have two daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson.
Interesting tidbits about Peter:
- Dream vacation: Traveling through Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
- What’s your regular order at Starbucks: tall Caffe Latte (in fact, at one point the church youth group called me “Pastor Latte”)
- Favorite movie: King of Hearts
- Life motto: Love is all you need.
- Favorite scripture: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
- Previous jobs: Youth minister (right out of college) and after that, a commercial architect in Houston, Texas for 17 years
- Music that moves me: Anything Jodi Blount plays on Sunday
- Favorite book: The Bible (duh!)
- In my spare time I . . . read a lot; also, my wife and I enjoy watching any good British TV show mystery
- Least favorite food: For some reason, I’m not all that crazy about sweet potatoes
- What makes you laugh: Church people can be pretty hilarious a lot of the time.
- What’s weird about you: I can act like a complete goof-ball sometimes
- Least favorite thing to do: I absolutely hate cleaning out the cat litter box!
- Least known thing about you: My father, my wife, both our daughters, and I are or will be graduates of the University of Texas at Austin (Hook’em!)
Jodi Blount
Jodi Blount has an amazing heart both for music and for children. She has been the church’s pianist and choir director since 2000, and she was the founding director of A Child’s Haven, the church’s Mother’s Day Out program. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. After serving as director of A Child’s Haven for seven years, Jodi now teaches piano and music at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin.
GiGi Heermans
Hello! I am incredibly blessed and honored to serve as the Youth Director here at Cedar Park First United Methodist Church. Raised in the Methodist Church by my wonderful parents, I knew firsthand the lifelong impact a strong faith community could have. I prayed for that same faith foundation to help guide me in raising my amazing children—Jett, Jozi, and my German exchange student son, Moritz—and provide opportunities for them to create impactful memories. God beautifully paved my way to CPFUMC, providing exactly what I needed and so much more! He provided a local church family of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and grandparents who immediately wrapped us in their arms with love and protection. My heart knew I had found a safe home for my family. This year also marks my 25th year at Leander High School, a milestone that reflects how deeply I have rooted myself here in the Leander and Cedar Park community. I have dedicated my life and career to guiding, mentoring, and cheering on the next generation, both in the school system and in our church family. At LHS, I live and breathe school pride and spirit. Whether I am teaching in the classroom, coaching any sport, dancing, or driving a school bus for a campus group, my passion is showing up for kids. In the classroom, my goal is always to create a spark that leads students into pathways where they can make a lasting, positive impact. Because this church was the answer to my own prayers as a parent, it is my deepest honor to walk alongside our youth, support them through life’s transitions, and help them discover God’s purpose for their lives by being an extension of the strong arms that continue to love and protect me and my family. I hope to demonstrate to our students how being a “F.R.O.G.” (Fully Rely on God) can bring a positive jump and a joyful hop to a person’s life. I look forward to connecting with your family and welcoming your students into our Be Light Youth Family!
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