Deacon Nominees

Acts 6:1-7 is the passage often cited for the beginning of the office of deacon in the early Christian church. Though the seven who were elected were not specifically called “deacons” in the technical sense, they nonetheless functioned as deacons. The office of deacon probably grew out of this experience.

There are primarily three reasons for the selection of deacons in the Acts 6 passage. These men were asked to meet a need that would directly serve the apostles so that they would be able to “give full attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (verse 4). The second reason these men were chosen to serve was so that they could literally distribute and serve food to widows in the congregation. Finally they were utilized to bring peace (shalom) between frustrated groups within the church.

So based on the story deacons:

1. Served the Apostles
2. Served the widows (some of the most vulnerable in the church)
3. Brought peace In general this is your role as a deacon.

Deacons serve the leadership of the church as they shepherd us all. They are actively involved in bringing peace and harmony within the congregation. In doing these three things, they help the church to live out its mission.

Below are the deacon nominations for 2024: 

Greg Lewis

My name is Greg Lewis and I have been a member of SSBC since 2018. I’m married to my best friend, Alanna, and we have our first child, Wyatt James, due February 19th! Previously, I’ve served at the welcome desk as well as DNOW weekends and TRAC camps. I currently serve in the Student Ministry, teaching 7th & 8th grade boys on Sunday nights and serve on the occasional Wednesday evening as well. I enjoy spending time with these boys as they make the transition into becoming men and love to come alongside them. My family is immensely blessed by SSBC and so thankful that the Lord has placed us here. I’m honored to be nominated as a deacon at SSBC and strive to reflect Christ and be kingdom minded in all I do.

Jason & Lylan Nobles

Hello, we are Jason and Lylyan Nobles. We are both Aggies and have been married for 25 years. We have 2 kids, Trenton and Ashlyn, who are both attending Texas A&M. Jason was born and raised in Tyler but left after graduating high school. The Lord brought us back to Tyler 11 years ago.  We have been attending South Spring for 5 years. Jason serves on the usher team and Lylyan is leading a prayer group on Wednesday night. Lylyan also serves with the nonprofit ETX Connection whose mission is to connect local college students to local Christian churches/ organizations, Christian students and ultimately Christ. We are looking forward to continuing to serve the Lord at SSBC.

Jason Carlile

I have been married to my wonderful wife, Jennifer, for almost 27 years.  We have raised three children by whom we are very blessed – Jaelynn, Jake and Jolie.  We added a fourth blessing to the family when our oldest daughter, Jaelynn, married Matthew Musser in 2022.  We love him and are so grateful that he has joined our crew.  We have been attending South Spring for about seven years, serving in various roles, but student ministry has been where most of our time is spent.  Jennifer is naturally a “mom” to so many and we just love being around students, hoping that we can share the love of Christ well.  We are so thankful for how South Spring has ministered to our family and encouraged us in so many ways. 

Mike Lusk

My beautiful wife Cathy and I have been married for 42 years.  We have 3 children and 2 grandchildren.  I am a retired law enforcement professional with 37 years of service.  We have been members of SSBC for approximately 2 ½ years.  I serve on the hospitality / information team and golf cart team. Cathy & I hope to continue to serve on the kitchen team when she recovers from a recent knee surgery.  We also volunteer with the Royal Family Kids Camp.  In addition, I help transport food for the Noonday food pantry when needed and I volunteer with Texas Baptist Men disaster relief team.  Cathy and I like to travel the U.S. with our 5th wheel travel trailer enjoying God’s creation along the way.

Staci Barham

My name is Staci Barham.  I’ve been married to my husband, Craig, for 25 years and our honeymoon was enroute to our first Air Force assignment.  Craig retired after 21 years in the Air Force and I loved being a military wife! We have 4 amazing children, Thomas, Andrew, Ellie and Jordan.  I started homeschooling them when we were based in England and we’ve never looked back.  We moved to Tyler in 2019 and joined South Spring soon after.  I’m on the board with HEAT (Home Education Athletic Teams), I’m a certified foster babysitter, I help with the Fostering Collective and I participated in RFKC (Royal Family Kids Camp) for the first time this past summer. At South Spring I serve in the preschool and grade school areas in hospitality.. I’ve been a part of Serve Week with the youth for the past 3 years and I usually find other ways to sneak in and help when I can! Being a military family, hospitality was so important as we were having to look for a new church with every assignment.  I love welcoming new folks to South Spring and helping make them feel at home!