As people join the common life of our community, we invite all people to consider the gifts and talents they have to strengthen and sustain our church family. There are many avenues for involvement in various ministry teams. Take a look and consider how you might give of yourself to the ministries at Land of the Sky UCC. We hope that people will choose ministries that match their gifts with their passions.
Our Leadership. At Land of the Sky UCC, our ministry takes place in teams that model shared power in leadership. The ministries of Land of the Sky UCC are carried out by the Leadership Team and the ministry teams who work on behalf of the community and report to the Leadership Team. The team includes liaisons to various other ministry teams.
Leadership Team:
The leadership team meets the 3rd Monday of each month to discuss the needs of the church, evaluate finances, and cultivate the future vision of the church. The Leadership Team consists of two co-facilitators and a variety of leadership liaisons connected to the ministries of the church. Future team members are chosen by the current team based on needed gifts and an aim for diversity of voices from across the community. Members are confirmed at the Annual Congregational through a Blessing of the Leadership.
Our 2026 Leadership Team includes:
LK KB - Co-Facilitator
Pamela WH - Co-Facilitator
Jesse D - Co-Facilitator-Elect
Shawna B - Ministry Support
Beverly W - Community Life Liaison
Becky R - Spiritual Formation Liaison
David D - Finance Liaison
Hector S - Justice Team Liaison
Cindy BF - Care Team Liaison
To contact the Leadership Team, you may email them at: serve@landoftheskychurch.org
Staff
Rev. SarA Wilcox, Pastor (she/her)
Co-founder of Land of the Sky United Church of Christ in 2009, Sara now serves as its sole pastor as they navigate the teen years of congregational life and work to live more justly, love more abundantly and walk more humbly in the ways of Jesus. She is servant-hearted, justice-minded, a receiver and giver of grace, rooted in a growth mindset, a connector of dots, and a navigator of obstacles. She believes deeply in the power of relationship and collaboration as a means to change the church and the world.
Sara attended Chicago Theological Seminary where she came to see God’s preference for those on the margins. In her pastoral work, she serves in the wider community as a member of Faith for Justice, committed to provoking justice for black and brown-bodied people, and Faith Communities Organizing for Sanctuary, an interfaith and ecumenical group gathered to work in partnership with our immigrant neighbors.
She has served in pastoral leadership in a variety of church families, served as a chaplain to patients and their families at Mission Hospital, assisted families in the midst of decisions about organ donation, and served as the Director of New Church Initiatives for the Center for Progressive Renewal, now Convergence. She is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation and is completing her certification for the Blueprint of We. You can read her blueprint here.
She lives in Asheville, NC with her spouse Jeff and their daughters Anna and Ella. She is an 8 on the Enneagram with a 7 wing. She enjoys books that offer new ideas, going for a run or playing pickleball, and eating at many of the amazing Asheville food offerings. You may find her watching Netflix, trying to transcend the many tabs open in her head at any given time, or trying to help the person who is wrong on the internet. Sigh.
REV. LaShauna Austria, MINISTER OF BECOMING + BELONGING (She/Her)
As an ordained minister, LaShauna looks for ways to engage faith communities in anti-racism work. LaShauna serves as the Minister of Becoming and Belonging with the Land of the Sky, United Church of Christ, in Asheville, NC. In her work as the Minister of Becoming and Belonging, she preaches, leads reading groups and other groups online, and provides leadership for our Racial Justice and Reparations subgroup. Her work focuses on fostering a sense of community and personal growth within the congregation, emphasizing the idea that individuals can both "become" more fully themselves while simultaneously feeling a strong sense of "belonging" within the church community; this often includes initiatives related to inclusion, social justice, and personal development. Rev. LaShauna is the founder of Seeds of Change Consulting and Kindred Seedlings Farm. She plants seeds across the nation and world and blooms goodness everywhere. In collaboration with the Culture Mill Lab, located in Saxapahaw NC, a vision was cast to reclaim the experience of multiracial fellowship and community action. Through this collaboration, Barn Church was born. Barn Church is a time for close community, food, lifting the voices of people of color, celebrating diversity across identities, and immersing whole selves into the beauty of creative arts.
co-Minister of Music
Ryan (They/them)
Life should be a journey meant to teach and mold us into the best that we can be; mine has been just that.
Born in a small rural town in Northwest Iowa, I began my journey in a simple way. I was taught love and kindness, the importance of hard work and dedication, and the importance of family (biological OR chosen) above all else. Being true to myself and discovering my true nature, growing up in a Lutheran Church was not necessarily easy, but I learned a great deal that would eventually serve as the foundation of my life in ministry. I have felt a call to music ministry from a very young age. It has played a pivotal role in both my life and faith journeys. It has been the cornerstone through all my growth and change.
Life has not been without its struggles. Questioning my resolve in the Christian church, addiction, failed endeavors and relationships have all been part of my story, but the one truth that has carried me through and connected me to the universe has been my ministry in music. Music can soothe a wounded soul, comfort a tortured mind, and heal a broken heart.
Being a part of a faith community that builds upon a foundation of extravagant welcome and inclusivity is incredibly important to me. I have grown and changed through the Lutheran Church, the Metropolitan Community Church, and have found a home within the United Church of Christ. I believe that God is still speaking to all people and calls us to ask questions, challenge the status quo, and to be open to the message that all people are welcome within the community of the Spirit.
operations manager Autumn (she/her)
I feel beyond blessed to have landed and rooted in a place like Land of the Sky, a job which for me has unfolded into a deeper calling toward community ministry. My work is rooted in relationship and I take great joy and satisfaction in serving a progressive faith community that works for love, healing, justice, and liberation in a world on fire. I believe that art is medicine for both the creator and receiver, and am deeply consoled that it is also an infinitely renewable resource in an age of scarcity. Outside of work I am usually spending time with friends and family, adventuring in nature, singing, reading, writing, enjoying art, or contemplating the mysteries.
Building Caretaker Andy (he/Him)
Though a Hoosier by birth, Andy Ford has lived in the Mountain South since 2005. He comes to Land of Sky UCC from Windhorse Zen Center north of Asheville. He is a student of Roshi Sunya Kjolhede and is a semi-monastic resident on staff there. When he's not cleaning baseboards, you may find him playing piano, cooking, or weightlifting. Andy is excited about serving alongside LOS UCC by keeping the facilities clean so LOS UCC can focus on living justly, loving abundantly, and walking humbly.
Minister for Kids Spiritual Engagement
Becky (she/her)
Hi! My family and I have been Threshold Partners at LOS over the past several years and I am excited to be stepping into a new role in this season of my life and the life of LOS.
I have a BA in English and MA in Theology. I previously worked in full-time ministry to middle school, high school, and college students; in the non-profit realm running volunteer events in supermax prisons and writing and developing a correspondence-based curriculum for people who are incarcerated; and as a Circle of Security Parenting program facilitator.
As the mother of three young children (ages 2, 5, and 7), I am excited to help kids at LOS recognize the sacred in all things. I am passionate about exposing children to a worldview that embraces wonder, mystery, imagination, intuition, love, and kindness.
Kids Programming Coordinator
Ana (She/Her)
Hi, my name is Ana Sparkman and I have had the absolute joy of living in Asheville for the last 23 years. I am originally from Atlanta, GA. I always wanted to live somewhere that would allow me to spend more time in the woods and in 2003 I made the leap. I landed on Vermont Avenue in West Asheville and have been here ever since. A few years after my children were born I found LOS and fell in love with the community here. Tragedy struck in 2015 when both my husband and father were diagnosed with terminal cancers. LOS was totally there for my family, supporting us in so many beautiful ways. My dad passed away in 2015 and we lost my husband in 2021. The last several years have been a whirlwind of cancer, Covid, and navigating single parenting amidst grief. When I saw the Children’s Ministry Coordinator position open at LOS I felt like it was meant for me. I have been an early childhood educator with Asheville City Schools for the past 11 years. I currently teach Pre-K at Lucy S Herring Elementary, where I support children ages 3-5 in an inclusive classroom. I have a Degree in Early Childhood Education from WCU. In my daily work in the public school classroom I serve students from all backgrounds and I love supporting families as they navigate the challenges and joys of growing up. I am looking forward to serving the LOS Community as we continue to grow together.
Would you like to learn more about the story of LOS? Read about our beginnings here.