Meet Our Newest Team Members!
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We are delighted to introduce you to our newest Parkside Westside team members: Jeff and Karen Port, and Jared and Cristina Jolley.
Meet Jeff and Karen
Many of you may already know Jeff and Karen Port. They have been a part of Parkside Church Westside from the very beginning when Pastor Matt McAlvey asked if they would be take part in a new church plant on the westside of Cleveland. After serving many years at Parkside Church in Bainbridge, Jeff and Karen trusted in the Lord as He began to redirect their path to help continue to spread the gospel and they gladly accepted Matt's invitation.
The Lord has blessed both Jeff and Karen with teaching hearts. For more than 30 years, Jeff taught middle school English in Strongsville. He retired earlier this year which allowed him to take on a part-time position with the pastoral team at Parkside Westside. Karen, also a teacher by training, taught kindergarten and then transitioned to teaching God's Word to adult women through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) where she has taught for the last 27 years.
Jeff and Karen have a growing family that includes three adult children (and their spouses), two grandchildren, and one more grandbaby due in December. The Ports lived many years in Parma, but relocated a few years ago to Aurora to care for Karen’s mother, Carol.
Meet Jared and Cristina
We are also excited to welcome Jared and Cristina Jolley from Cross Point Church. Jared will be sharing his musical talents with us as the music coordinator at Parkside Westside.
Jared, Cristina, and their two boys, Lukas, 9, and Jacob, 7, have been faithfully attending and serving at Cross Point for the past six years. During the week, Jared works full-time in Elyria at his family’s mechanical business, E.M. Service, started by his grandfather over 100 years ago. Cristina is a counselor for the probation department of the Medina County Court of Common Pleas where she works with individuals to help rehabilitate them back into the community.
The Jolley’s passion for the Lord is tangible, encouraging, and humbling. Jared and Cristina first met at a Christian music festival in Atlanta. The Lord led them to start their lives together in Lakewood, Ohio, where they lived for more than 17 years. Last fall, they moved their family to Strongsville and love having a bit more space for their boys to explore and grow. The Jolley’s love to host and entertain while providing a safe place for kids to play and adults to connect. Despite the move, their hearts are still in Lakewood. They say it feels like “coming home” when they make the drive to church each Sunday.
Please join us in welcoming and praying for them during this exciting time of transition!