Citylight is excited to announce our new West Serving Team Director! Rosie Pinkerman joins Citylight Church and brings with her an extensive background and a love for God and His Church.
When Rosie was eight, God used a sweet bilingual Sunday school teacher and a flannel board of characters and images to share His gospel. In that small church that met in a trailer in Tampa, Florida, Rosie saw and heard about Jesus, the angel with the sword, the progression to the cross and the lake of fire. She knew she wanted to not only be with Jesus forever but serve Him.
“I wanted to live for Jesus and be with Him in Heaven,” Rosie shared. “As a child I was captivated by Jesus and the reality of eternal punishment. Jesus came to save us and rescued us from that separation from Him. I gave my life to Him in that trailer. In college my faith became my own. Through the campus ministry I was involved in, worship teams, retreats where my faith deepened, studying the Bible, and in relationship with other believers made my faith grow. The solitude and personal time with the Lord were great but there was a big transformation in me when I was in community. I learned from others as I walked alongside them in life.”
After graduating from college, Rosie worked in the corporate world. Not long into her corporate job, she was invited to a silent retreat in the mountains of North Georgia. There Rosie encountered the Lord in a tangible way. She transitioned into vocational ministry shortly after.
“The leaders there invested in me and spoke life into me,” Rosie described. “It was there that I knew the skills and abilities God gave me were meant to build the kingdom of God. I thought I could do that in my corporate job. But God showed me a new path. A few months later I was working at Campus Crusade for Christ. My first day there on staff, I met my husband, Justin. I saw God’s sweet way to confirm for me that I was on the right track. Justin has been with me throughout my whole ministry journey and has been a partner with me in every way. I love the balance we have with one another.”
At Cru, Rosie learned leadership and discipleship and grew in her love for God’s people. A few years later, she joined her church’s staff team as their Women’s Group Director and then into kid’s ministry at another church. After that, and a few out of state moves for Justin’s doctoral program, Rosie was hired by a church in Virginia.
“When we moved to Virginia, I joined a church’s ministry as a director of their host teams and campus leadership team,” Rosie explained. “I learned accountability and stewardship in ministry and continued to grow in my relationship with God. A few years later, Justin got a call and was hired to work with Nebraska Governor Rickett’s team. Justin has roots in Nebraska. He grew up in Stromsburg so Nebraska is home. We’ve had fun in Nebraska. We have a great blend of Spanish and Swedish heritage in our family. It has made family reunions a lot of fun.”
In Lincoln, Rosie and Justin, and their two kids, Olivia (6th grade) and Torrance (2nd grade), settled into their new home and joined a local church. Rosie joined the staff team and has served there the last seven years. She has appreciated her time there and loved her church family.
“I felt the Lord pressing me to do something new,” Rosie described with a smile. “I had leaders I admired and who believed in me and affirmed me, but I heard about Citylight and believed in the mission. It drew me to Citylight Omaha. I prayed and knew it was time.
As Rosie and her family get acquainted with Citylight, a new job and a new season, it has presented an opportunity for Rosie to reflect. Last summer her church went through Psalm 23 and God showed Rosie more about who He is and where her identity is found.
“I am learning God’s place as the shepherd of my life,” Rosie described the impact of Psalm 23 on her life right now. “I’ve been reminded that He is leading us by quiet waters, and He is with us. No matter what I am walking through, He is with me. I’m learning about His rod and staff and how they lead me. The picture of Jesus in Psalm 23 as my shepherd was huge. I am a natural born leader and so often it is hard to follow. Jesus reminded me that He is the great shepherd and tends the flock, which I am a part of. He’s given me an opportunity to be a shepherdess under Him in people’s lives. What a privilege that has been and how He wants to use me. But also, as a follower of Him. It has given me a sense of deep peace. I don’t have to have the answers for everything, nor do I have to be present when I think I need to be there. His presence is constant and never changing. His ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He has given me a sense of peace ... A deep shalom.”
If you are on a serving team currently, Rosie is looking forward to meeting you. If you are not yet serving, Rosie invites you to serve alongside her and the church:
“My hope is that people know there are opportunities to invest in the eternal work here at Citylight through serving. Everyone is given gifts and talents and abilities and there is an opportunity to steward those for the good of the body of Christ and beyond. Jesus wants us to do both what is comfortable and what stretches us. He wants us to grow. Serving is an opportunity to do this. My hope is that all members and serving teams would feel that. That they know that God is using them and stretching them, and I can help serve them and together.”
There’s a place for you at Citylight >>> Join a Serving Team. https://citylightomaha.org/serve/