Staff – Desert Skies United Methodist Church

Rev. Candace Lansberry

Senior Pastor

Lent. Spring. I love this season where new life unfolds, new insights come, and the world just warms up and explodes with color and activity and joy. Lent is that time of preparation where we open our hearts and minds to seeing the world in new ways as we study and reflect on God, God’s world, and our place in it as followers of Jesus Christ. It readies us for the joy of the Resurrection at Easter, where we celebrate who and whose we are. Welcome to the journey!

Reverend Doctor Candace Lansberry is the Senior Pastor at Desert Skies United Methodist Church. She came to the church in 2015 excited about the possibilities for growth and ministry in the northeast part of Tucson. That excitement is fueled by the belief that vital mainline churches are an important part of reaching people of all ages who have been turned off by more extreme expressions of Christianity. The Desert Skies congregation is a vital, service-oriented congregation ready to take on the challenging task of reaching new people for Christ in new ways… and that is Rev. Candace’s passion as well.

Rev. Candace most recently served as a District Superintendent in the North District of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference (Las Vegas area) and prior to that planted two new United Methodist Churches, one in Mesa/Queen Creek and one in Las Vegas. She earned her Master of Divinity Degree at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California where she received the President’s Award for Academic Excellent and her Doctor of Ministry at Drew Theological Seminar in Madison, New Jersey. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University in Theater and Cinematic Arts.

Candace has been married to Mark, also a United Methodist pastor, for 30 years. They have three daughters and five grandchildren.

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Rev. Matthew Colby

Associate Pastor

As we enter these holidays, I am uplifted by the themes of gratefulness for God’s love and provision, the birth of our Savior and even the idea that with a new year (and really everyday) there can be new beginnings because of the Holy Spirit’s leading. We celebrate the “light” that has come to us and no darkness has or can overcome it. We also find hope and encouragement by living this out through community, friendship and engagement.

Whatever age and stage in life you are, come find others who want to journey together in the Lord at Desert Skies. Whether it be through connection, service, sharing and discipleship let us follow our purpose found in Christ.

On a personal level, I love my family and time spent together traveling and experiencing new things together. My wife, Cathy, enjoys singing and music. My son, Andrew, is enjoying his first year at Pima College, being a scout leader and part of the U of A campus ministry group. My daughter, Christiana, is very involved in her school academia and leadership. She is also quite the artist especially when it comes to drawing dragons and is very involved in scouting as well.

I look forward to meeting you and discovering what God has in store for us in 2018!

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Tammy Concienne

Administrative Assistant

The holiday season is upon us, Thanksgiving will come and go, and with Christmas just around the corner, it’s the time of year where we can get lost in the hustle and bustle of it all and feel like the “Grinch, who stole Christmas”. Each year our lists become longer with our holiday to-do’s, and we can easily forget to take the time to unwrap ourselves in a joyful Christmas.

Awwww…but then, as Christmas falls softly upon the world, we feel the chill in the air, we take a look around, and the beauty of our Christmas season comes to life and we are reminded of all the most important things in our lives…our FAITH, our family, and our friends.

Christmas is a time of celebration! A time to celebrate out of gratitude for the birth of our Savior! A time to fill our home with the special gifts of Christmas…peace, hope and love. Love in our hearts for all, and hope for our world to feel God’s promise, presence and peace. The best present one can hope for this year, is the gift of God!

May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note. May you remember blissful moments and happy memories celebrated in the past, may the New Year give you another chance to relive them and create new ones and make way for a fresh and bright New Year!

Let your heart be light!

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Dr. Alex “Doc” Shawn

For Dr. Shawn, music is his passion, which extends into his life as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, composer, singer, instrumentalist, and pianist. His conducting experience and abilities encompass choral, orchestral, and wind band literature, with a strong emphasis on interpretation of the music and a keen focus in bringing the music “alive” for his audiences.

Dr. Shawn earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Alaska; a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Calgary, Canada; and Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Arizona.

For several years “Doc” combined his talent as a performer and a touring artist for the Artist in Schools Residency Program in Alberta and established a successful musical theatreprogram throughout Western Canada and Alaska. After several years of traveling, he began teaching as a music specialist for the Calgary Board of Education. During this period of time he was also the Conductor and Artistic Director of the Savridi Singers, Calgary’s Premier Women’s Choir, as well as a festival adjudicator, guest conductor, and clinician for choirs and bands in and around Western Canada.

In 2006, he was offered a position to teach at the prestigious St. Gregory College Preparatory School in Tucson, Arizona. After seven years of teaching in the private sector, he transferred to the Tucson Unified School District for four years for the opportunity to teach the more under-privileged children in southwest Arizona.

After twenty-five years in the education field, “Doc”, retired from teaching and presently works as the Director of Music and Congregational Care at Desert Skies United Methodist Church in Tucson, Arizona. In June 2019, Dr. Shawn and his choir will be traveling to New York City to perform in Carnegie Hall.

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Scott Jones

“Easter people, raise your voices…” , the opening admonition of the famous hymn by William M. James, is for many Christians as comfortable and predictable a part of the celebration of Easter as baskets full of goodies, coloring eggs, or a traditional feast with family and friends. Less comfortable and predictable is the challenge to live our lives as “Easter people” – to embrace the transformative reality of the resurrection, the empty tomb, our sins forgiven. Proclaiming these truths contained within the hymns and liturgy on Easter Sunday reflects an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality that we are called to embody as we live out our everyday lives amidst the often frenetic, technologically driven pace of the second decade of the 21st century, fraught with deterrents and distractions from without and within that challenge our faith. To live out the joy and power of the resurrection as Christ-followers, as a community of faith, we are called to share the great Good News of the resurrection in how we live our lives each day, reflecting the love and forgiveness of Christ in our thoughts, words and actions. In this way, we authentically live our lives as “Easter people”, and in so doing, proclaim the Gospel.

Scott Jones, Music / Worship Leader at our Vail campus, grew up in Gloucester, MA, where he began his musical studies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, and a Master of Music Education from Boston University. Prior to joining the staff at Desert Skies, Scott served as Organist / Choir Director at the United Methodist Church in Ipswich, MA, and as Praise Band Director at Christ Church United Methodist here in Tucson, where he and his family have resided for the past ten years.

Verna Mazur

Nursery

Ms. Verna or Grandma Verna, as I’m known in the nursery. In 2016 I was lucky to join the little ones in the nursery on Wednesday evenings, and Sunday mornings. I was looking for part-time work and came across this job by dropping off my grandchildren at ACES. I was handed a fax, came right over and applied. Lucky me!

I so love the kids! They are growing so fast. We’ve gone from diaper and bottle to them leaving me for higher grades. They still stop by to see me. We rock, watch movies, play games, listen to music and tell each other how our week has gone.

I bring gold fish and Teddy Grahams. We do stickers, paint the girls nails, (Miss Katie, Clare and Emma). Weather permitted, we go to the playground. All in all, I LOVE MY KIDS!

Barbara Gutierrez

Custodian

We welcome Barbara Gutierrez, our new custodian, to the staff at Desert Skies. She and her children, Ali, Valeria, Leo and Azul can be seen frequently around the church . . . be sure to say Hi! Or Hola! as the three youngest have just moved here from Mexico! Barbara is passionate about our church . . . and keeping it looking great for the glory of God.

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Rev. Candace Lansberry

Rev. Matthew Colby

Tammy Concienne

Dr. Alex “Doc” Shawn

Scott Jones

Verna Mazur

Barbara Gutierrez

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