she/her/hers

Lauren has been in Portland for 4 years. Prior to this, she has lived in San Antonio, Texas and upstate New York. She’s been an elementary school teacher for 20 years, and currently trains teachers in reading instruction. She loves to travel and dreams of one day living abroad. Lauren also enjoys reading, hiking, theater, and organizing murder mystery dinner parties with friends.

“I appreciate the diversity of speakers and topics at Cascade. I am continually introduced to new ideas and expanding my view of the world.”

Originally from Central California, Lyndsy obtained her bachelor’s degree in Portland from Warner Pacific in Religion and Christian Ministry. She met her husband, Jonathan, in graduate school in Texas, and they have since lived in various parts of the country working in higher education. Not predicting a global pandemic, the Manz fam relocated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest in January 2020. She’s a mother of three kids, spanning kindergarten to 8th grade. Lyndsy enjoys taking strolls (not hikes) through nature with her kiddos and exploring all the area parks. They volunteer with Friends of Trees to help grow the urban canopy.

Kennedy (she/her) grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC. Though she spent most of her life saturated in charismatic Christian culture and ministry, in the summer of 2015 she found herself in Portland for a sabbatical seminary program focused on deconstructing some of the outdated ideas of evangelicalism. Though she returned to DC after the program, Portland left its mark and she relocated at the end of 2017.

Kennedy has spent a great deal of time working and volunteering with people-oriented organizations and nonprofits and has made a career working in Human Resources. She is passionate about making people - all people - feel seen, special, and valued. In her free time, you can find Kennedy hiking, reading, traveling to new places, and cheering on the Portland Thorns.

Josue grew up in the Texas hill country. He lived across NYC and Europe to study design and pursue a career in consumer goods. He currently works at Nike on product research & development. Josue often returns to his hometown and the fresh river where he was baptized. A decade ago, he couldn't have imagined the reset he sought in Portland would manifest into a relationship with Christ. What a gift it has been.

Josue is enthusiastic about mentorship. He volunteers for various non-profits focused on coaching kids from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to develop healthy relationships, creative mindsets and entrepreneurial skills. This endeavor, serving the underserved, has magnified his joy at the intersection of queer, Christian and Latinx identity. He also serves on kids ministry at Cascade as a Sunday school teacher, learning from other great mentors!

Josue and his partner, Jon, reside in NE Portland where they enjoy cooking, gardening and running.

“Cascade invites us to be present with ourselves and one another, seeking ways to grow and flourish as we navigate the Divine gift of faith and identity."

Chris was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, the middle child of parents who were ordained as Salvation Army pastors when he was very young. The family moved many times across the country throughout his life but before moving to the USA and marrying Anna, the greater Vancouver area in British Columbia was and remains "home." After attending film school in Vancouver, Chris began a career in animation, illustration, and web/graphic design… until fatherhood came along. It was then – taking on the role of full-time "stay-at-home dad" for his kids, and experiencing how men in such a role are still seen in the 21st century – that he found his real passion: smashing the patriarchy by advocating for dads who are the family's primary caregiver. He joined, and then served on the Board of Directors as President of, the National At-Home Dad Network, a nonprofit that serves, advocates for, and seeks to normalize such families. In his spare time, Chris taught himself the ukulele and how to cross-stitch, and he wrote, illustrated, and self-published an adorable children's book called "Sometimes You Need a Jellyfish." His Love Language is cooking delicious things for his friends and family, and he's a textbook Enneagram 9 who recharges by staying up way too late after everyone else is in bed.

Chris and his wife Anna live with their kids, Tucker and Coltrane, in southeast Portland, where, as a family they enjoy the food cart scene, camping in comfort, and protesting for social justice in dapper hats.

“There are so many things that drew us as a family to Cascade, but chief among them was how they value curiosity about big questions, without pretending that anyone has all of the answers. If I’m to err, let it be on the side of grace.”