Photo: Jon Roanhaus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nicole and Grant Woodley have been co-pastors of First Lutheran Church in Clarion since January 2015, splitting the work evenly.
They preach every other week and together put in 45 to 50 hours. On Mondays they plan the week together, and on Tuesdays they meet with church secretary Lori Frink. Every year they take a short retreat in the days before Thanksgiving. Grant said they look back at what worked, keep it, improve what could be better and think about where the church is going.
Their volunteer work goes beyond the church. Grant started a term on the Wright County Extension Council in January 2016. The couple have also been foster parents for 10 years. Nicole said about 17 children have stayed with them, from two days to six months.
Kim Sanders writes for Clarion News Online.