Meet Our Team

Jesse grew up on the southeast side of Indianapolis. He has been married to Danita for more than 15 years, and they have three children: Jameson, Jenevieve, and Jefferson.

Jesse graduated from IUPUI – Indianapolis in 2012 and received his Masters in Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in May 2020. He served as associate pastor at a church on the southside of Indianapolis and senior pastor at Cicero UMC before being appointed to Emmanuel in July 2023.

In his free time, when he's not running his kids to various activities, you will most likely find Jesse with a fishing pole in hand. Whether on a boat or a kayak, wading through the river, or fishing from shore, he finds peace and tranquility in God’s creation while hiking, walking, and fishing.

Jesse is a firm believer in the Methodist theology that has been developed out of the preaching and teachings of John Wesley. He believes that we grow spiritually when we are intentional in our worship, our study, and our service. Small groups are a key component to learning, supporting, being held accountable, and loving!

Joshua was raised in Nashville, Indiana right outside Bloomington. He attended Word of Life Bible Institute then Davis Bible College where he received a Bachelors in Christian Counseling. He then went on to receive a Bachelors in Chaplaincy from CLI and a Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Ohio Christian University.

He has served as a chaplain in a variety of positions including work with inmates, homeless, law enforcement, and most recently served as chaplain and counselor for inpatient facilities serving adolescents experiencing mental or behavioral health issues.

Joshua is married to his wife Alyssa and has 2 kids. Grayson is 18 and headed to college and Layla is 16. They have lived and served in the Indianapolis area for the last 7 years.

In his free time, Joshua enjoys outdoor adventures like hiking, camping, kayaking, and rock climbing, and enjoys introducing new people and youth to outdoor activities.

He is passionate about bringing the love and embrace of Christ to the youth in the community and strives to teach Biblical concepts in a relatable way. He is active with many mental health and suicide awareness organizations and has a big heart for serving the community in whatever way he can. He strives to integrate Biblical teachings, community service, and self-esteem in the youth program.

A native of Pennsylvania, Annette has attended Emmanuel since 2008. She is married to Travis, and they have four children: Landon, Abigaile, Sebastian, and Molly, as well as two pups: Auggie and Kirby.

Annette began working with children at 12 years old as an assistant dance instructor at the studio where she studied ballet, tap, and jazz. She graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Elementary Education. She has worked in public schools, preschools, dance studios, summer camps, VBS and PTOs, and anywhere else she could help make a difference in a child’s life.

Annette’s hobbies include reading, gardening, lake life, watching her children at all of their activities, and painting. She has been blessed with artistic skills, allowing her to paint murals, canvas, props, and more - but her favorite canvas is a child's face!

Annette excels in getting to know individuals and helping them make connections. She finds joy in making people happy, and especially delights in our littlest ones. She values the opportunity to teach them how to be good, kind, and loving in the way of Jesus.

Raised in a pastor’s home, Kyler has lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee, and graduated from high school in North Carolina. He completed his B.A. in Music at The Master’s University in southern California and his M.A. in Music at Fresno State University.

Kyler has served as an associate pastor and church music director in churches in California, Illinois, and Indiana. He also served a seven-year term as Executive Vice President at Slavic Gospel Association from 2003-2010. He has been in the real estate industry since 2014.

He is recently married to his wife Amy, and between them they have 7 children (3 married), ranging from ages 15 to 28.

Kyler’s passion in church music is to see people of all ages joining voices and instruments together, with meaningful expressions of faith, hope, trust, and truth, whether the song was written yesterday or 400 years ago.

Ashley was born and raised in Central Illinois. After graduating high school she attended Parkland College, where she also played softball. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and loved SIUC so much she obtained 2 more degrees from there, a Master of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching.

Ashley has served as a K-12 teacher in Illinois, Tennessee, and across the country as a virtual teacher. She has a deep love for sport, thus coaching volleyball and softball became a passion for her while obtaining her degrees and while teaching in a brick-and-mortar school.

Ashley is married to John and they have three children: Greyson, Camdyn, and Sawyer, as well as 2 dogs: Ace and Ozzie. Her hobbies include working out, reading, playing/watching any sport that contains a ball, random artistic/craft endeavors, cooking, and spending time with her family. She has a deep passion for education and lifelong learning.

Emily was born in Charlottesville, Indiana. She has lived in Marion and Indianapolis, before moving to Noblesville. She met her husband Evan at Emmanuel, and they were married here in 2015. They have one son Nathan and a baby on the way.

Emily earned a B.A. in Piano and Church Music from Indiana Wesleyan University. She went on to earn her M.M. in Piano Pedagogy from Butler University.

In her spare time, she enjoys camping and spending time with her family.

Emily started playing piano and keyboard in church when she was 14 years old. She has accompanied choirs while in college, at Noblesville High School and West Middle School, and here at Emmanuel.

She finds it rewarding to see how all of the parts of a production come together after hours of rehearsals, and finds joy in sharing it with an audience or congregation.

Laura was born and raised in Morton, Illinois, a small town near Peoria. After receiving a chemistry degree from the University of Illinois, she worked for Merck, a pharmaceutical company in West Point, PA. She currently drives a school bus (#60) for Noblesville Schools.

She is married to Brian, and they have three children: Alan, Andrew (recently married to Jerilyn), and Julia.

Laura’s hobbies include reading, biking, walking, singing, gardening, and learning all things new. Lately this has involved figuring out how many of the technical aspects of Sunday morning production are supposed to work. The tech booth is truly her happy place (and the room with the green screen is a close second).