Recently, Crystal Connor, the Early Childhood Director at Trinity Lutheran Preschool in Redding, California, was baptized along with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and 10-month-old grandson by Pastor Brian Cummins at Trinity Lutheran Church in Redding. Crystal Connor has been the Early Childhood Education Director at Trinity since May 2020. Her journey is unique and inspiring.
Crystal Connor was born in Salinas, California, but has lived in Redding over 50 years, since she was a toddler. After raising three boys in Redding, Crystal went back to school, first to Shasta College, and then National University, receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2015. For 15 years, she worked for the YMCA as a teacher and director in preschools wherever she was needed. In 2020, she stopped working to enroll in a Masters program at Capell University, eventually graduating in 2022 with a Masters in Health and Human Services – something that has become very handy working with preschool families. After a short time, Crystal decided she wanted to get back to working with children. A notice popped up that there was a ECE Director position open at Trinity Lutheran Preschool and she applied. After two intense interviews, she was offered the job. She took more time than normal to decide, but once she started Crystal says she knew this is where she belonged.
Crystal had not belonged to any particular church before. After being at Trinity for a while, Crystal felt very at home and started talking to Pastor Brian Cummins about baptism. She states that she would ask him a lot of questions, and he was always so patient and down to earth in answering them. As she was wondering about getting baptized, she discovered that her husband Jonathan had been thinking about it for a long time. Now with their first grandchild recently born, it seemed like the right time to include him as well. As the extended family talked about it, both her son (the father of the baby) and daughter-in-law also wanted to be baptized! So, on September 22, 2024, Cystal along with her husband Jonathan, son Kenny, daughter-in-law Georgie, and grandson, Damon, were all baptized during the Sunday service at Trinity. Crystal was overwhelmed that the members of the church were so excited and so supportive of her family as this baptismal journey was completed. She is so grateful to Pastor Brian Cummins for his patience and always being there, not just for her and her family, but how he is always so supportive and available to the preschool staff, a staff that now includes her daughter-in-law, Georgie.
This shows how a church and school can transform the lives of its staff members as they join the church’s ministry. It also shows what a blessing someone like Crystal can be – not only in the incredible job she has done as Director – but also the example and joy she brings to a congregation in the far northern reaches of California!
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