Tell us about yourself: My name is Kris Carr. I am been a member of Bethany for over 30 years. I am married to Tim and we have two adult children, Michael and Ryan, who live and work in the Denver area. Tim and I moved to the Denver area shortly after graduate school. We love living here!

Tim and I each have a brother and a sister. Tim’s mom lives in Denver in a Senior Living Community.

I am a CPA and have a small accounting practice. Bookkeeping as well as tax planning and tax preparation are my areas of interest. I am looking at reducing my workload so Tim and I can begin our retirement years. I am originally from Oklahoma and we return there often to be with family and friends. Our favorite spot is Kauai, Hawaii and hope to spend most of the month of February there in the future.

Tell us about what you do on your day off: I have learned that I am a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. In other words, I love to do a lot of different things, but I don’t do any of them especially well!

You will see me around Bethany a lot. I have been a lifelong volunteer and have worn many hats as a Bethany member. Currently I service as the Hospitality Co-Chair on Ministry Council. It is a joy to share my passion with the people of Bethany. Being with my Lois Circle friends on the second Tuesday of the month is such a special time. I try to get to Pastor Nate’s great yoga class as often as possible.

In all my activities, I love being with Tim and my friends. The best are outdoor activities. I ski in the winter, play golf in the summer and Tim and I have recently picked up Pickleball. Five years ago I started playing bridge and made the most wonderful friends. We meet weekly to laugh and sometimes play bridge, outside if possible! Working in my garden is both fulfilling and is my quiet time. Tim and I have beautiful backyard and enjoy hosting social events and being on the back patio with family and friends. I love to entertain at home!

I round out my days with an occasional book club meeting and a sorority alum gathering (which I often share with several Bethany ladies). There are 24 states that I have never visited so I need to retire to I can start exploring!

Tell us the story of how you came to Bethany: I grew up in the Episcopal church and Tim was raised Lutheran. When Tim and I first moved to Denver, we lived near Bethany. After checking out several Episcopal churches in the area I decided to see how Lutherans worship. Lutheran worship is very similar to the Episcopal Church worship so I felt right at home at Bethany. I saw the announcement in the bulletin for MOPS (now The MomCo) and was excited to join! Several years later, Michael was born and I joined MOPS and made lifelong friends. Bethany really felt like home.

Tell us about your faith journey: I was born and raised in the Episcopal church. It was part of life. My uncle was an Episcopal priest so we always had the church and sacraments as part of our family. I grew up in Oklahoma where the Episcopal church was not big. When I was young I was a bit jealous of my Baptist and Methodist friends as they had large youth groups and fun activities. There were three of us in my confirmation class. In looking for a church as an adult, I wanted a big, vibrant church! So here I am at Bethany!

Many here at Bethany have a similar story, Rit Vogel asked me to teach Sunday School. She and Joni Grundman were huge faith formers for me. I loved learning Bible stories through the eyes of a child and their lesson plans made it so easy and enjoyable to teach. The family camps Joni planned at Rainbow Trail were very special times for our family.

I would never wish this on anyone, but the death of my 18 year old nephew changed my faith forever. I learned to “let go” because I realized that I was not in control. As I have continued to “let go and let God” life has been much less stressful. I have learned that my faith and prayer life can lift me from despair. In sermons I often hear the message to slow down, enjoy life, be free, love one another and be thankful for the beauty around us. That is the faith life I try to live.

Tell us about your favorite experience or opportunity you’ve had at Bethany: After 30 years, it is difficult to have a favorite. We have been blessed with a family Baptism and two Confirmations. I have always loved the Faith Milestones here. The graduation recognition is one of my favorites. It is always powerful to me, not only when my children graduated but when we celebrate the graduation of all the great Bethany kids.

At Bethany we have the opportunity to learn about the wonderful non-profit work going on in our community and the world. Our experience at Bethany led Tim and me to volunteer and financially support Metro Caring and Habitat for Humanity.

A truly faith filled experience came on a long ago Sunday of Labor Day weekend. That year Bethany was doing a blessing of the hands. At that time, motherhood was challenging and I was very moved to have my hands blessed to help me to carry on in the tough task of motherhood.

Many of my favorite times were witnessing the involvement of our children. Both participated in the choirs, went on youth trips and camped at RTLC. Christmas Eve is always special. A favorite memory is the year I attended the late service with Tim’s dad. Now Tim and I enjoy serving in Hospitality. Tim helps me on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings and he assists with the Tuesday Senior Lunch. Serving in this way is my current favorite thing!

Tell us about how you are growing in your connection with God these days: Although I love worshiping in our beautiful sanctuary, I see God outside. As I move closer to retirement, I love having the time to work in the garden. I catch myself singing “Lord Let My Heart Be Good Soil”. Every time I drive west on Arapahoe and see the fabulous Rocky Mountains, I feel more in touch with the Creator. And being on Kauai, one can’t help but be filled with awe at God’s work while watching waves crash and the sunset over the ocean.

I also grow in my connection with God through connection with other people. Loving and supporting one another is what it is all about.

Bethany is actively looking at social justice issues and I think that is what I am wrestling with now. What needs to be done and how can I help? Jesus has taught us so much about loving our neighbor. I pray for guidance to put that into action.

Want more stories? Listen to Kris’ podcast here!