Meet our Staff...
Here to Guide You
Rev. Ernie Hinojosa, Senior Pastor
Email:
ernie@rejoicelutheran.org
For Rev. Ernie Hinojosa, his love for the Lord and passion for spreading God’s word has led him all over North America, and fortunately for us, to Rejoice where he has served as our senior pastor since August, 2013.
Before arriving at Rejoice, Pastor Ernie served on the church-wide staff of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as Director for Evangelical Mission deployed to the North Carolina synod. Before being sent to North Carolina, Ernie served as lead pastor/church planter for Camino Real Christian Fellowship (ELCA) as well as associate pastor of MacArthur Park Lutheran Church – both in San Antonio, Texas. Ernie is a frequent speaker and resource person in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and evangelical outreach.
A father of three young adult children, our favorite senior pastor in the world is happily married to his wife Jana. He is a graduate of Texas State University where he earned his degree in marketing, and holds a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Seminary in the Southwest.
Aaron and Katrina Colwick,
Directors of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
Aaron Colwick, A/V Director
Email:
aaron@rejoicelutheran.org
katrina@rejoicelutheran.org
Aaron and Katrina have been serving the Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana Synod since 2006, either as Adult Advisors for the Lutheran Youth Organization, working at Lutheran churches across the metroplex, living at Briarwood, or as members of the Christian band “Scattered Seeds”! They have a daughter (Ember) and two dogs (Ridley and Toby).
Aaron grew up here in the Metroplex, having lived in Rockwall, Dallas, Tarrant, & Denton county. He enjoys playing softball, smoking meat and cooking, watching movies, and dabbling in most things geeky and nerdy! He’s a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, and knows that THIS YEAR they are winning the Super Bowl!
Katrina was born in Fort Worth, grew up in New Mexico, and moved back here to Southlake, TX, for her high school years. Katrina has two degrees from TCU, and a Masters in Counseling from SMU, although she considers herself a Horned Frog first and foremost. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; Gottman Level 1 Therapist; and a Play Therapist. She currently has her own practice in Grapevine, Colwick Counseling. She enjoys hiking and singing, and spending time with family and friends.
Josalyn Penner, Church Office Administrator
Email:
josalyn@rejoicelutheran.org
Josalyn grew up in White Deer, TX. A small farming town in the TX Panhandle near Amarillo. She graduated with 36 people in her class. She even worked on a farm in high school (drove a tractor and all kinds of things). She grew up in a small Methodist Church, and she’s glad she did. That means even more to her now that she’s older. She has had the same best friend since she was three years old.
She attended Stephen F. Austin State University and earned a degree in Rehabilitation Services.
She has been married to her husband, Chris, for 18 years and has two sons, Vincent and Zion. Vincent enjoys taking music theater classes and enjoys performing in the shows. He also likes to take swim lessons. Zion is an athlete and loves running track the most.
She really enjoys cooking and flower gardening. She also likes to volunteer at her sons’ schools and at her church. She is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan and loves watching football!
Rick Watts, Choir Director
Email:
rick.watts@mail.com
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Rick discovered a passion for church music at a young age. In pursuit of this, he earned a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. He then moved to Texas, where he earned a Master of Music in Church Music from Baylor University in Waco, along with a Master of Divinity from Truett Theological Seminary, also in Waco. During his time at Baylor, he also served as a music minister in a rural Baptist church.
Rick is excited to continue to glorify God through music at Rejoice Lutheran. When he's not at Rejoice, Rick serves as a healthcare chaplain. Rick is married to his wife, Paige, who is a music therapist. They have two daughters. He enjoys spending time with family, watching baseball and NASCAR, and playing board games.
Katya Chernaya-Oh, Accompanist
Email:
ekaterinachernayaol@gmail.com
If you have ever attended service at Rejoice, chances are you were moved by the beautiful music that rings through the church. At the piano, where you can find Katya Chernaya-Oh, is where much of our heavenly sound comes from. Katya has been the accompanist at Rejoice since April of 2009.
To say her resume is impressive would be an understatement. Katya is a world-class pianist who has earned awards and recognition for her work both in Russia and in the United States, in addition to competitions in both California and Wyoming. She is also an accomplished educator who has taught students at the University of North Texas, University of Wyoming, and Saratov State Conservatory in Russia.
Katya earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from the University of North Texas and received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Saratov State Conservatory.
Kim Thomas, Bookkeeper
Email:
kim.thomas52@verizon.net
Kim is a native Texan…born in Austin and raised in Houston. After receiving her BBA in Finance from the University of Texas, she moved to Dallas to work for a small CPA firm. After 10 years at the firm, she started staying home with her 2 young children, while starting her own accounting & bookkeeping business, and adding another child. That business has continued to grow to include 3 employees and many small businesses (including Rejoice).
Kim and her family joined Rejoice in 1997. Her children (Michael, Sarah & Will) grew up at Rejoice and are out on their own. Even though her nest is empty, Kim enjoys taking care of her clients but also loves to spoil her 2 granddaughters, visit wineries, walk, read and travel.
Sharon Carlson, Nursery Caretaker
sharoncarlson13@gmail.com
My name is Miss Sharon and I would like to welcome you to the Child Center of Rejoice Lutheran Church . I will be aiding your child every Sunday morning while their parents/guardians attend service. This will be my third year at Rejoice Lutheran Church, and I look forward to every Sunday morning with the children . I have 21 years of experience working with toddler aged children. I am a certified Montessori Guide and completed my Montessori Certification from Montessori Development Center in Irving, Texas.
I have lived in the Flower Mound/Lewisville area for 22 years. I have been married for 12 years to my best friend, Jared, who currently works at Buzz Balls as a CIP operator. I have two beautiful daughters, my oldest daughter Cortney is a Vet Tech in Flower Mound and graduated from the University Of Kansas. My younger daughter Kaiti is a Assistant Interior Designer in Grapevine. She graduated from Fort Hays State University which is also in Kansas. I have two dogs and two cats.