Worship is the Most Important Thing We Do!
“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.”    Martin Luther
 
Pastor Phil Hohulin
was ordained in 1999 and is a rostered minister in the NALC.  He holds a BA (Cedarville University, Cedarville, Ohio), MDiv (Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida), and a DMin in Missional Leadership (Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur Georgia).  He has served congregations in Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio.  Additionally, he has completed 2000 hours of Clinical Pastoral Education.  He enjoys studying the word in the original biblical languages and sharing these insights in sermons and bible studies at Grace.  In addition to pastoral ministry, he has served as a chaplain, grief counselor, and director of bereavement services for local hospice organizations.  Two of the guiding principles in his ministry at Grace are: “The Word does the Work,” and “Worship is the most important thing we do.
 

Pastor Phil will quickly tell you that second only to his relationship with Jesus, his greatest joy is found in being a husband to the love of his life, his wife Julie,  being a dad to his two adult sons, and being a newly minted grandfather. Phil and Julie were married at Grace in the summer of 2019.  Pastor Phil is greatly appreciative of her support and heartfelt contribution to his ministry at Grace.  He enjoys traveling for education, enjoyment, and mission, having visited the vast majority of the 50 states, mostly camping with his sons at National Parks during their younger years. He also has traveled to 15 foreign countries. In his “spare time,” Pastor Phil enjoys reading, playing guitar, and golfing (poorly). 

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”.  Ephesians 3:20
 
Administrative Assistant Brenda Crawford, is always a pleasant servant of Christ.  She and her husband Todd, daughter Maylea (May-Leah), and stepson Jordan, live near New Lebanon.  Her stepson Garrett and wife Kelsey live close by.  Brenda’s household is completed by two dogs, a cat, and an 18-year-old frog.  She keeps busy, nights and weekends, working on their landscaping business, plant marker business, and financial/life coaching.  She likes to bake, sew, craft, and do home improvement projects. Brenda’s love of the Lord has blossomed over the years and she has enjoyed serving in the church as a ministry and praise leader, deacon, and organizer of several projects. Brenda is so thankful for the opportunity to serve this congregation and community. Please stop in and say hello!  Brenda can be contacted at 937-859-3941 or you may email her at admin@gracelutheranwc.org 
 
Website Administrator/Editor Gary Petticrew is always eager to post the news and events happening at Grace.  He and wife Nita are residents of Miamisburg and life long Lutherans.  Both have a love of history and are retired members of the Miamisburg Historical Society where Nita served as the Archivist and Gary as the Curator.  Gary’s career was as a computer systems analyst and automated manufacturing control designer.  After retirement he  served another 10 years as Germantown’s Valley View High School’s IT coordinator.  Their family has always been important to them having survived the challenges and joys of  raising 5 children, four boys and a girl.  They are now are blessed with 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.  Gary can be contacted at 937-866-1285 or you may email him at gaccesslp@woh.rr.com.
Choir Director and Pianist  Dr. Samee Griffith-Mood

Dr. Samee Griffith received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, her Master of Music degree in piano performance and collaborative piano from Bowling Green State University, and her Bachelor of Music in piano performance from Wright State University, where she graduated summa cum laude. An experienced instructor, Samee has taught piano for more than twenty five years, including at the Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point, North Carolina. Her students regularly place in the top tier of competitors in state level piano competitions and festivals. She is a licensed Musikgarten instructor, an international early-childhood music and movement program.

In addition to being choir director at Grace, Samee owns Star City Music Studios in Miamisburg and hosts A Little Night Music and weekends on Discover Classical
FM 88.1/89.9/89.1.

Her honors include: the Musikgarten Exemplary Award in (2023), the Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award (2012), First Place in the Undergraduate Division at the Marjorie Peatee Art Song Competition (2004), the MTNA Star Award (2002), and the Musikgarten Exemplary Award (2023). Samee lives in West Carrollton with husband, Aaron Mood, and their five children.

Organist and Pianist Aaron Mood received his Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Bachelor of the Arts degree in music from Allegheny College, where he graduated magna cum laude. He is the recipient of the Edith Mead Osbourne Memorial Prize for distinguished pianism, the Frederick Marantz Memorial Prize in recognition of marked talent with the piano, and the Mary Elizabeth King Brown Teaching Excellence Award.

In addition to being organist and pianist at Grace, Aaron hosts Opera House and Sunday midday on Discover Classical FM 88.1/89.9/89.1 and owns Star City Music Studios in Miamisburg. previous positions include Staff Accompanist at both Wright State University and Winston-Salem State University, Adjunct Instructorof Theory and Music Appreciation at Guilford Technical Community College, and Associate Master Teacher at the Music Academy of North Carolina. He has participated in master classes with Anna Maria Trenchi de Botazzi and Jon Nakamatsu.
Aaron lives in West Carrollton with his wife, Samee Griffith Mood, and their five children.

Violinist Bill Slusser lives in Kettering Ohio and has been a member of the Dayton Philharmonic orchestra for the last 27 years. Before coming to Dayton, Bill served in the US Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Air Force Symphony, String Orchestra, and Strolling Strings. He was privileged to be director and superintendent of the strings. During his Air Force career he performed at White House state dinners for five administrations, President Ford through President Clinton. The strings toured all of the states, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and South American, entertaining our troops and supporting US protocol events. Bill earned a Bachelor of Music from Baldwin Wallace College and Masters of Music from the Catholic University of America (DC). Church music has always been a part of his life, playing in church orchestras, directing choirs and orchestras, and in solo performances.

 

Videographer Bryant Marker is from West Alexandria, Ohio where he graduated from Twin Valley South.  Bryant is owner and CEO of Marker Builds in Kettering and COO of Canaan Contractors of Dayton.   He worked at Grace with Pastor Phil during COVID-19 to make worship services available online. He is excited to be on staff to live stream worship services.

Andrew Sikma’s Piano Rendition of  The Goodness of God/Good is so Good