The Zone Gathering

Sarah Owen has been leading small groups for seven years. And most of that time was spent patiently leading women’s groups. Give her a standing ovation!

Sarah is skilled at Bible Study, works as a legislative director on Capitol Hill, owns a great movie collection (though most, unfortunately, are on VHS), knows lots of Broadway songs, and loves football. That’s my kinda person. She has been an incredible role model for many women at NCC, and she has played an instrumental role in helping people love and learn to study God’s Word. She’s also one of the most organized people I have ever met. Many of you probably know Sarah from check-in at our leadership retreats and summits.

Today, we caught up with Sarah to talk about life, ministry, and her love for the Indianapolis Colts.

How long have you attended NCC? What brought you to NCC?
I first heard about NCC when I was participating in the American Studies Program in the Fall of 1996. When I moved back to D.C. in 1997, I was attending a different church until one very rainy Sunday morning in October. I left my house in the Takoma Park area and got soaked walking to the metro to catch the train to Capitol Hill…I honestly thought about going home and skipping church completely, but I was going to meet a friend after lunch to see the “Star Wars” exhibit at the Air and Space Museum so I felt guilty about skipping church and braving the rain for that. When I got to Union Station, I didn’t feel like walking the nine blocks to the other church, so I remembered that there was a church meeting in the movie theaters and decided to visit. I have been going to NCC ever since, for nearly 8.5 years.

Tell us a little about the small groups that you lead and how that experience has impacted you.
I attended the first-ever NCC small group for a while, until Marilyn (Mitchell) Tardibono and Amy Womack started a women’s inductive Bible study on the book of 2 Timothy. Ginger (Simon) Mickelson and I hosted that group at our home on the Hill, and it was a great group of women (Leslie and Christy Adams both participated - although they probably regret it, given that their car was stolen one night!). When Marilyn and Amy moved away the following year, Ginger and I took over leadership duties. I led women’s small groups from May 1999 until December 2003. I joined the Zone Leader team in 2004 and since then, I haven’t really led a small group, save the inductive study on “Covenant” I did last fall (which ended up being all women…I must have a reputation). I really love teaching and studying and doing life together - I have been very fortunate to meet and form relationships with amazing people at NCC, including some of the most gifted and godly women I have ever met. They have encouraged and inspired me in so many ways.

Where can you be found on Sunday mornings?
Union Station, usually the 9:30 am service.

When did you start following Christ and what have been some of the spiritual turning points in your life?
I began following Christ when I was about 8 years old - my friend Matt and I accepted Jesus into our hearts during our church’s first-ever Good News Club. The teacher (Lula Zimmerman) was talking about David being pursued by Saul - I just remember that I did not want to be like Saul! I grew up attending Park United Brethren Church and have been active in church activities/ministry all my life (choir, teaching Sunday school, helping in the nursery, youth group). I am very blessed to have been brought up in a Christian home by godly parents, so I pretty much took my faith for granted throughout my young life.

I attended a Christian college (Taylor University) but despite being surrounded by amazing Christians, I didn’t really have any spiritual breakthroughs until a romantic relationship ended the spring of my sophomore year. I was upset and confused and it was that summer that I realized that I could pour my heart out to God (read: get angry) and ultimately find comfort in Him. During my time at NCC, my spiritual turning points have revolved around small groups, particularly in leading ones where I felt totally alone and questioned whether I was cut out for leadership. Participation in small groups and stepping into leadership also have given me an incredible opportunity to explore and practice my spiritual gifts and to be challenged and encouraged by other members of our community. Through those relationships, I have had several meaningful spiritual moments through the confession of sin and experience of being encouraged and prayed for by godly women. God also took me through a time of renewal last spring when I was doing a personal inductive Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount. I love that our spiritual lives are unpredictable but that God orders our footsteps and knows where, when and how He is guiding us!

Tell us a little about your background.
I was born on December 14 (I will let you guess the year!) in Decatur, Indiana, to Larry and Diane (Betz) Owen. Because I was born jaundiced, I was put under a special blue light so my parents always refer to me as their “blue light special” baby (calling all K-Mart shoppers…). I am the firstborn of three kids - I have a younger sister (Julie) and brother (Mark). We lived in Decatur until I was 8, then moved to Bluffton, Indiana, where I lived until I went to college and eventually moved to D.C. We grew up (and my parents still live) in the house my Grandpa Betz built when my Mom was in high school. My Dad serves as the Wells County Highway Engineer and owns his own land surveying business, and my Mom teaches visually impaired students in six different school districts. They both work incredibly hard! Julie is a second grade teacher in North Carolina and will be married this summer, so our family will expand to include my future brother-in-law, Duane. Mark is finishing up his degree and working for my Dad and another company.

Just a few facts about Bluffton - it is known as the “Parlor City,” presumably because of how clean and beautiful it is. It is a town of around 10,000 people, situated on the “bluff” of the Wabash River. It is known for the large clinic and its annual Free Street Fair, which attracts people from all over Indiana and western Ohio. I attended Bluffton High School (Go Tigers!) where I was a band geek, although being a percussionist commanded a certain level of respect. I played xylophone in marching band, piano in jazz band, and pretty much any type of drum or random instrument in concert and pep bands (although to this day, I still cannot play a drumset…too little coordination. I do, however, play a mean tympani). In addition to band, I was active in drama club, show choir, tennis, newspaper, and student government during my high school years. I knew almost everyone in my high school - there were only about 450 students in grades 9-12 and about 110 in my graduating class.

After high school, I went to Taylor University, where I majored in political science and minored in pre-law and English literature. When I moved to D.C., I attended the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University, finishing up my MA in 1999. I have worked on the Hill my entire time in D.C.

What is your favorite Scripture passage?
This is a really difficult question, because there are so many. I really love the gospel of John and the entire book of 2 Timothy, but my favorite verses are from Isaiah: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).

What are your favorite books?
I am a big Harry Potter fan, and I also love to read anything by Alison Weir (she writes British history…I particularly love her stuff on the Tudors). My favorite all-time book (and movie) is Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell). I absolutely devour anything written by my best friend, Samantha Clements (not yet published, but she is an amazing writer!). As far as Christian writers, you cannot beat C.S. Lewis. Everything he writes is excellent! Other favorite writers include Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, David Baldacci, John Grisham, and Jane Green.

What are your favorite movies?
Gone With the Wind, The Usual Suspects, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Philadelphia Story (ok, actually, anything with Jimmy Stewart) Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Lord of the Rings (trilogy), the Harry Potter movies, and of course, Hoosiers (actually, I love sports movies generally - they are so inspiring). I also love TV dramas, particularly Veronica Mars, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lost.

What is your favorite fast food?
Taco Bell or Arby’s (which is hard to find out here!)

What is something that most people at NCC would not know about you?
I have an interesting connection to Heather Gonzales (a fellow Zone Leader and Hoosier). Her dad, Paul Hirschy, married my parents and performed my baby dedication. Most people also don’t know how much I love sports (despite my glaring lack of personal athletic ability) - during the football season, I spend Sunday afternoons at home or at the Ugly Mug watching the Indianapolis Colts, and I usually end up watching ESPN or visiting its website at least once a day.

Tell us a little about your day job. What is your dream job?
I am the Legislative Director for a Member of Congress, which basically means that I manage the legislative staff, write and edit mail, prepare my boss for votes on various issues (budget, tax, labor, environment, immigration, financial services, etc.), and try to come up with new initiatives. Of course, my boss is retiring at the end of this term, so come January, I will need a new job! (Please be praying for me…)

There are so many dream jobs! If I had the talent, I would love to be an actress/singer (Broadway). I also would love to own my own business (where I offer organizational skills/services to people who need them) and write a book someday.

Who is your hero? (besides Jesus or any other member of the Trinity)
My family, without a doubt, and particularly my parents. They are both so hardworking and have sacrificed so much for my brother, sister and me. They are extremely generous and always there for me…even now as an “adult,” I rely on Mom and Dad so much for their wisdom, support and amazing love.

What do you do in your free time?
Read, watch movies/TV, hang out with friends, sleep

In NCC: THE MOVIE who would play you? Who would play Pastor Mark?
Knowing my luck, I would probably be played by someone with frizzy hair who is loud and likes to talk (e.g., Kathy Griffin pre-makeover). If I were doing the casting, however, I would want to be played by someone like Brittany Murphy or Joan Cusack. Pastor Mark would be played by Jason Segel (”Freaks and Geeks,” “How I Met Your Mother”), and Pastor Joel would be played by Jake Busey.

What is your favorite Pastor Markism?
“Praise God and pass the popcorn!” or “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 9th, 2006 at 8:46 am and is filed under Spotlights, Zone Leaders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.