Meet our Staff
- Jump to a person!
- Eric Helms
- Mark Davis
- Carrie Thompson
- Eric Bruton
- Vern Donoho
- Corey Thompson
- Andrew Willoughby
- Katy Davis
- Jenni Wright
- Josh Wright
- Kelly Helms
At Graceland, we believe that real people are called to step forward and lead the body of Christ. So we have asked random questions to those serving at Graceland to help you get to know them better.
Eric Helms – Campus Pastor
What is one book that has impacted you?
Of course I could not pick just one: The Bible, Emerging Church by Dan Kimball, Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus, New Kind of Christian by Brian McLauren, 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, and The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Hawaii. Or definitely somewhere tropical.
What are you passionate about now, that you didn’t even consider a few years ago?
Graceland & all the people connected to it, Little League Baseball with my son Parker and Facebook.
If you could have lunch with any famous person, who would it be?
Again, there’s just no way to pick only one: Mark Driscol, a leading emerging pastor; Bono of U2, to be up close with such a passionate person; and Bill Gates, to see if he would pick up the tab.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A professional soccer player, obedient to God, and happy.
Mark Davis – Worship Leader
What is your favorite snack?
Warm chocolate chip cookies.
If you could have lunch with any famous person in the world, who would it be?
This is a hard one! I think it would be Jason Upton.
What inspires you?
The thing that inspires me most is watching God work in the small things in peoples lives. A lot of times people say, “If I could see a major miracle…”, but to know the God of the universe cares enough about the small things in our lives to work in them means so much to me.
What is playing on your iPod right now?
Hillsong’s United Live — Look To You
What is one goal you have for the next year?
I really want to see the people of Graceland experience the presence of God in a very powerful way through worship. I don’t want us to be bound by agenda or mechanics, but to allow God to do what He wills in our worship services.
What is your day job?
I work for a company that provides HR/Payroll services to other companies. I manage a team of people that manage relationships with our clients.
Carrie Thompson – Early Childhood Development
What was your biggest accomplishment?
Giving birth to two wonderful children who make their parents so proud!
What is your favorite way to spend the day?
I love spending all day at home teaching my children, ideally one where they learn something new and the day goes smoothly and we all can have dinner together and spend time playing a game or something before bedtime. That is a “regular” favorite day for me. Oh, and to make it an even better it would be a day we could watch a new episode of The Office after the kids are in bed.
If you could have lunch with any famous person in the world, who would it be?
I really don’t know. It’s a tie between Corey who plays acoustic guitar for The Graceland Band, or the girl who does the voice for The Little Mermaid. (I am really not being sarcastic….I would like to meet the behind the scenes people who are famous but no one knows who they are)
What’s your biggest indulgence?
Baking and eating an embarrassing large amount of whatever it is I baked. EMBARRASSINGLY LARGE AMOUNTS!
What is your favorite movie/actor?
I really like any of the movies based on Jane Austen books, the most recent Pride and Prejudice was a favorite of mine, but it is a very difficult thing to pick ONE movie. I can’t answer favorite actor/actress without totally disappointing Corey, so I won’t even try.
What is your definition of a retreat?
Getting away from chores and early mornings. If those things are allowed then I can have a retreat anywhere.
Eric Bruton – Student Small Group Leader
What is your definition of a retreat?
Well, a church retreat screams youth camp; whether it is to a beach or the mountains for skiing. I’ve been on a lot of them so that’s why I say that. On the other hand retreat also means a trip to the beach just to lay on it and sleep! Is anything else so soothing?!
What are you reading right now?
First of all, the Bible. After that, it is Erwin McManus’ “The Barbarian Way”. It talks about how Christianity has become domesticated and civilized. It’s a really great book.
What is playing on your iPod right now?
A lot of Coldplay, but Christian and Country find their way on their a lot too. And really my iPod plays non-stop in my car. I’m not a big fan of the radio.
What was your biggest accomplishment?
I guess I would have to say when I got third in state my senior year in wrestling. Wrestling is one on one so all you have to praise or blame is yourself.
What brought you to Graceland?
First of all, the people. Once I was here I fell in love with how it is so Biblical. I really felt like i could be used here, and now I am in charge of the Middle School youth. It’s really great.
What is something that you feel isn’t taught enough in most Churches.
the importance of the Bible. Daily devotion of time and study. The Bible is not just stories, it is God-breathed, it is His will. We all wonder what is God’s will for us, and we want Him to show us what He wants us to do. The thing is that 95% of all your questions can be found in the Bible. The word of God needs to become enough for us, and not all the bells and whistles that the Church today sometimes creates.
Vern Donoho – Technical Director
What do you do here at Graceland?
Run sound for services, maintain the audio/visual equipment, try to keep the musicians happy, and generally get in the way.
What is your favorite way to spend the day?
Working on something, anything. As long as it requires activity. I virtually can not sit down.
If you were given an extra hour in a day, what would you do with it?
I am not convinced anyone would do anything any differently than we are already doing. Everyone makes time for, and does what they want to do. The only thing that changes are our expectations, like the same actions we repeatedly take are going to achieve different results. I would love to say that I would spend it with God. But would I? Or would I sinfully do what I do? If I had an hour, would I recognize it as a gift from God? Would I recognize it any differently than the gift he has already given me? Or would I look back, over a lifetime, and still say there were times I missed your voice – times I missed your call – times my will was more important than your will so would I do anything at all with an extra hour? Or have I?
What was your most recent purchase?
A windshield for my motorcycle and pizza.
What is your day job?
Sales – Technical Service Support for Predictive Maintenance Program Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
Corey Thompson – Lead Worshipper
What brought you to Graceland?
A desire to get back into “working” in the church as opposed to just holding a bench or chair down. I felt that there was an opportunity to use my talents (as craptacular as they may be) to help out the cause. Plus, I was the only person who had any type of musical ability (again, underwhelming) at the beginning.
What is something new that you’ve learned in the Bible that surprised you?
Ok, this is going to sound dumb, but I thought that Song of Solomon was either a book in the Catholic version of the Bible or that it was made up. I don’t think I have ever heard a sermon reference it and I guess I have never studied in that book ever. I kind of study particular books at a time and must have missed that one somehow…
If you were given an extra hour in a day, what would you do with it?
Spend more time with my kids. They really are the coolest thing to ever happen to me and I feel like all of our time together is rushed.
What’s your day job?
North American Sales Manager for Larrivee Guitars.
What was your first step in getting involved at Graceland?
Our first 6 months at Liberty Square we just wanted to be fed. We were kind burned out from being spread thin at our last church where we ran children’s church and I ran sound and lighting. We started asking how we could be involved around the time that graceland was conceived and it all just kind of fell into place.
What in life are you looking forward to most right now?
Growing old with my wife and watching my kids grow.
Andrew Willoughby – Lead Worshipper
What brought you to Graceland?
Knowing the Davis family, and Katy told us we better “come up there with her” or else!
What made you stay?
Actually feeling the presence of the Lord every time we came. From the worship to Eric’s delightfully insightful teachings of the word of god. (very cool)
What is one goal you have for the next year?
To get everyone that works with me to at least try out Graceland one time (and hopefully stay).
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A pro skater.
What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I have a big problem with going around making pictures on the wall straight or putting the silverware in order in the drawers etc. It’s a daily habit.
What is your most memorable moment?
My beautiful daughter Devar Rose being born (and my beautiful wife getting through it!)
What do you do here at Graceland?
I try to keep up with the wonderful musicians that let me play bass and boogie down with the Graceland crew.
Katy Davis – Lead Worshipper
What is your favorite movie?
Dances with Wolves.
What is your biggest indulgence?
Brusters on late summer nights!
What is one goal that you have for the next year?
I want to ride 65 miles on my road bide at one time.
If you could have lunch with any famous person in the world, who would it be?
Joyce Meyer
What is your biggest challenge?
Balancing a home, 2 kids and a job while maintaining sanity! Also, always finding a better book to read than whatever I have just finished!
What do you look for in a close friend.
I look for a person who has similar interests; wanting to grow closer to God, who has a sense of humor and likes to spend time with each other’s families!
Jenni Charity – Drama Director
What is your biggest challenge?
What is your biggest challenge?
Right now just going to school, working, and being pregnant is a big challenge for me. It is always a struggle for me to stay focused on what is truly important, making time to read my Bible and pray daily, instead of getting distracted by the bustle of everything around me.
What’s your day job?
I am a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Redmond Hospital in Rome Georgia.
What are you passionate about now, that you didn’t even consider a few years ago?
Well, a few years ago having a baby was something I was not anywhere near ready for. Now I realize that starting a family is a blessing as well as a huge responsibility and I pray constantly that God would equip us for this new challenge.
What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you?
I am obsessed with Broadway musicals, know all the words to a bunch of them, and am even naming my daughter after a character from a musical. I am a total musical nerd and proud of it.
What was your greatest childhood ambition?
I always wanted to be a fiction writer; novels, plays, anything like that.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
Sleep! Right now, I feel like I could sleep anytime and all the time. Sad though it is, at this point going to sleep is probably my favorite time of day.
Josh Wright – Drama Director
What are you looking forward to most right now?
The birth of my daughter.
What are you reading right now?
Just finished “The Pearl” by Steinbreck, obviously the Bible, “The Case for the Real Jesus”, “1776″, “The Art of War” Sun Tzu, “Labyrinth”.
What is your day job?
Accountant for Chattahoochee Technical College.
What is something you feel isn’t taught enough in most churches?
Where to start? This is not really something that is a teaching thing–but I think churches do not spend enough time telling people to think and read the Bible for themselves; and therefore have their own reasons for their beliefs. It seems as if most pastors are content to tell people what they should believe, instead of challenging them to understand themselves the reasons for their beliefs. In America, it seems as if pastors have turned back the hands of time to the Middle Ages; when no one could read Latin except the priests of the Catholic Church–and therefore had no idea what was actually written in the Bible. The difference is that people have the Bible, and can read it for themselves; however pastors keep telling people “Yeah, but people are taking that out of context.” when someone disagrees with what they say. We waste so much time on stupid things, that we miss the big picture–loving people.
What is your favorite way to spend the day?
Waking up early, but knowing that I have no responsibilities today. No one is depending on me to do anything; I don’t have to go to work, work at the house, work at the church, nothing… complete freedom.
What is your earliest memory?
Being on a horse with my oldest brother, and that horse kicking my other brother in the chest–almost killing him. He stopped breathing, and turned blue; but I remember my mother praying and praying until he started breathing again.
Kelly Helms – Promotional Director
What do you look for in a close friend?
My close friends are those who share my secrets with only me!
What is your most memorable moment?
I have 3 that share the top spot…getting saved at 13, getting married to Eric at 23, giving birth to Parker at 32.
What was your most recent purchase?
Vitamin Water & a Sunday paper (I’m a nerdy coupon cutter!)
What is your definition of a retreat?
Getting out of town to rest & relax…not having to be on a tight schedule
What’s your day job?
I am a secretary at The Church at Liberty Square 3 days a week & a wife & mom all the time!
What is your earliest memory?
I was 2 years old (39 years ago!) & I got a paper doll birthday card. I remember trying to be patient while my mom punched out the people & clothes.
