Hello! I'm Pastor Shannon. I was appointed as the pastor of First UMC of Excelsior Springs in November 2022. I am passionate about discipleship and seeing God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. I hold a Bachelor's in Youth and Family Ministry (MidAmerica Nazarene University), a Master of Arts in Christian Formation and Discipleship (Nazarene Theological Seminary), and a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology. 

I have been married to my high school sweetheart Randy since July 2009. We live in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, along with our dog, Jack. Since I grew up in St. Louis, I love to cheer on my favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. I also enjoy drinking coffee, reading good books, developing curriculum, and writing.

Hi! My name is Kaitlin Lusk. I was born and raised here in Excelsior Springs. I started as the Administrative Assistant here at FUMC at the beginning of October 2025. My boyfriend, Michael, and I have two beautiful daughters and two wild but wonderful dogs. I love reading, crafting, and volunteering in my free time. I am so excited to be here and look forward to meeting everyone at the church.

I took on the role as the Director of Treehouse Preschool in Summer 2022. This next year will be my 9th year with FUMC Treehouse Preschool, and I have taught 18 years of preschool. I think so much of this program and look forward to continuing the Treehouse tradition. I feel like preschool should be a positive and joyful experience for children. It is the first step of their education journey, and I'm honored to be a part of that. I live on a farm in Lawson with my husband, Frank, our four children, and my little dog named Ruby. 

I was excited to join the staff as the Assistant Director of Treehouse Preschool in August 2022. I have six years of experience teaching preschool. I grew up in Excelsior Springs and even attended Treehouse Preschool as a child! I have four kids and live in my dream home with my husband, Ethan. In my free time, I love to bake and work on my flower beds. I am passionate about children learning through play and preparing them for Kindergarden.