Rev. Carl Peterson
Pastor
Rev. Carl Peterson just joined our congregation on July 1, 2025. We will have an updated biography on him soon!
Carla VanBockel
Administrative Assistant
Carla joined us as Youth Director in 2017 but in 2021, she transitioned into the role of Administrative Assistant instead. Carla is a native of South Dakota but has lived in the valley since 2014. In 2000, she and her husband, David, were married and they have 2 daughters; Natalie and Alexa. The VanBockel’s love to spend time together as a family and particularly like to entertain their family that come to town from all over the country. In her free time, Carla loves to spend time with friends, swim, sing, and she is an avid reader, Ken Follett is her favorite author. She also loves to watch football, especially her Minnesota Vikings!
Jeanine WEST
Worship Director and Organist
Jeanine West was born in Hawaii into a musical family of church ministry leaders and educators. She thrived by attending big tent and open air evangelistic meetings and working alongside her missional parents as they labored to raise and nurture small congregations on Oahu.
Musically, Jeanine was inspired by attending university music faculty recitals, chamber music concerts, and pipe organ recitals. She learned to play the piano, violin, viola, organ, bass drum, cymbals, and handbells; joined choirs as a singer and accompanist, collaborated with community singers and instrumentalists, led as a worship leader, and chaired music committees. If you’d ask her what she loves about being a musician, she’d say “The beauty of being a musician includes countless hours of alone time doing what I love followed by invigorating collaboration with other musicians. It’s the best of both worlds!”
The Pacific Northwest was Jeanine’s second home for 46 years. As a parent, she worked to support her family at an international materials handling company for 41 years and thrived as a church musician on the weekends.
Upon retirement, Jeanine moved to be near family in Arizona, establishing a home in Goodyear in 2017. She joined a choir in Glendale where she
was appointed a section leader and enjoyed singing in the sanctuary and concert choirs and ringing handbells. In 2023 Jeanine stepped back from the Glendale choir leadership ministry and was hired to work as a church musician at CCUMC. When asked what her intentions were as a musician at CCUMC, she stated, “I’ll do music at CCUMC until God lets me know it is time to leave. Until then, I'm following God’s lead.”
Musically, Jeanine was inspired by attending university music faculty recitals, chamber music concerts, and pipe organ recitals. She learned to play the piano, violin, viola, organ, bass drum, cymbals, and handbells; joined choirs as a singer and accompanist, collaborated with community singers and instrumentalists, led as a worship leader, and chaired music committees. If you’d ask her what she loves about being a musician, she’d say “The beauty of being a musician includes countless hours of alone time doing what I love followed by invigorating collaboration with other musicians. It’s the best of both worlds!”
The Pacific Northwest was Jeanine’s second home for 46 years. As a parent, she worked to support her family at an international materials handling company for 41 years and thrived as a church musician on the weekends.
Upon retirement, Jeanine moved to be near family in Arizona, establishing a home in Goodyear in 2017. She joined a choir in Glendale where she
was appointed a section leader and enjoyed singing in the sanctuary and concert choirs and ringing handbells. In 2023 Jeanine stepped back from the Glendale choir leadership ministry and was hired to work as a church musician at CCUMC. When asked what her intentions were as a musician at CCUMC, she stated, “I’ll do music at CCUMC until God lets me know it is time to leave. Until then, I'm following God’s lead.”
VERN WEST
Worship Director
Vern comes from a long line of musicians, especially on his mother's side of the family. His mom's grandfather and great uncle were drummer boys during the Civil War. An uncle was a concert violinist and an aunt was a concert pianist. They all contributed to the music scene in Pella, Iowa in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Vern's dad played the French Horn; his mom played the piano; his older brother played the trumpet, and still does at the age of 83; his oldest sister played the piano, and still does at the age of 80; his middle sister played the clarinet, and still plays at the age of 79; his younger sister played the cello, flute and piano, and still plays the piano at the age of 68.
Vern started playing the cornet in 5th grade and played through his first year of college. During his senior year in high school, he discovered that he could sing. He also discovered that he had an interest in conducting. Occasionally, he conducted both the band and choir. During his first year of college, he sang in the choir and played in a trumpet trio. In 1967 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and conducted a group of "singing soldiers" for six months before being sent to Panama for his first duty station. While in Panama, he conducted a group of middle school aged kids at his church.
After his time in the Army, Vern attended a college near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was a music major. He sang in several groups, took voice lessons, was in several musicals and did a lot of conducting. In 1974, he became the choir director at the Hudsonville Congregational UCC. After one year there, he left the snow and the cold and moved to Arizona. He then joined the Scottsdale Congregational UCC where he was hired to be the choir director when the choir director at the time took a job on the Navajo reservation. He was the choir director there for seven years. At that time, the commander of the National Guard 108th Army Band, Steve Coffin, was the choir director here at CCUMC, and he invited Vern to do the narration for their Christmas Cantata in 1985. He was then invited back to play his trumpet in a small group to accompany the Easter Cantata in 1986. Vern joined the church shortly thereafter and when Steve left for Oregon, Vern was hired to replace him. He held that position until July of 2019 when he retired for health reasons. Since then, Vern has continued to be part of the worship team as a singer, worship leader and trumpet player and is excited to be on staff once again!
Vern started playing the cornet in 5th grade and played through his first year of college. During his senior year in high school, he discovered that he could sing. He also discovered that he had an interest in conducting. Occasionally, he conducted both the band and choir. During his first year of college, he sang in the choir and played in a trumpet trio. In 1967 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and conducted a group of "singing soldiers" for six months before being sent to Panama for his first duty station. While in Panama, he conducted a group of middle school aged kids at his church.
After his time in the Army, Vern attended a college near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was a music major. He sang in several groups, took voice lessons, was in several musicals and did a lot of conducting. In 1974, he became the choir director at the Hudsonville Congregational UCC. After one year there, he left the snow and the cold and moved to Arizona. He then joined the Scottsdale Congregational UCC where he was hired to be the choir director when the choir director at the time took a job on the Navajo reservation. He was the choir director there for seven years. At that time, the commander of the National Guard 108th Army Band, Steve Coffin, was the choir director here at CCUMC, and he invited Vern to do the narration for their Christmas Cantata in 1985. He was then invited back to play his trumpet in a small group to accompany the Easter Cantata in 1986. Vern joined the church shortly thereafter and when Steve left for Oregon, Vern was hired to replace him. He held that position until July of 2019 when he retired for health reasons. Since then, Vern has continued to be part of the worship team as a singer, worship leader and trumpet player and is excited to be on staff once again!