Meet the Carpenters!

Meet Pastor Kaler

Kaler's story begins in the small farm community of Carrollton Missouri (4,000 people, county seat). His parents, Tom and Nancy, owned and operated a true "mom & pop" business called "Carpenter Nursery Landscaping and Greenhouse." Kaler and his sister Roxanna were raised helping the small company, and Kaler's experience left a good impression on him about hard work and the importance of striving for the betterment of the community. In High School Kaler was in several activities: he was president of Key Club--which left a big impression about civic responsibility, and started a Bible Club that met every morning for devotions and prayer; but music was his favorite, where he played the alto saxophone and continues to play it in church to this day.
Church was always apart of Kaler's life. Up until the age of 11 he was raised in a nearby newly-started Charismatic church called "Victory Christian Fellowship." From 11-14 his family spent time in the Presbyterian church, and then a new independent Evangelical church. In Jr. High Kaler's family landed in the local Assemblies of God church where he felt called to go into ministry at a summer camp in 1999. This led him to attend Central Bible College in Springfield MO where he met his wife Laura. Unbeknown to both of them until years later, Kaler and Laura both attended the same summer camp as teenagers.
In Bible College Kaler was active with an evangelism team that ministered to new army recruits, played his saxophone on a worship band, and wrote humor columns for the school newspaper. But it was at a Springfield church called "Timbercreek Community Church" where Kaler spent most of his time, attending for 5 years and participating in an internship program that lasted 3.5 years, in which time he helped Timbercreek plant a new church called "Timbercreek West."
During the summers Kaler would go back to Carrollton and lead a summer youth ministry at his home church. In 2005 Kaler saw the need for a more permanent youth ministry in his home town (no professional youth ministers in a county of 10,000 people) so he moved back to start a youth group and called it "3rd Place Youth Group." When the group began there were only 2 teenagers and within a year there were over 30 in regular attendance, most of whom had never been to church before.
It was during this time in Carrollton that Kaler married his girlfriend Laura, who had moved to Carrollton to help with the youth ministry. In 2007 Kaler and Laura felt that it was time to move on to Senior Pastoring and left the youth ministry to look for a new church to lead. It was during this search for open ministry positions that Kaler and Laura felt the Lord pointing them in a more specific direction: church planting. Kaler and Laura had a new mission from God, but did not have a specific place to start a new church yet. So in order to prepare for this venture the couple moved to Washington Missouri to be a part of First Assembly of God Church, pastored by Laura's brother, Rev. Paul Scheperle. After living in Washington for 1.5 years, the Lord gave them direction to plant in Oneonta New York, and they are greatly anticipating this completely new chapter in their lives.

Kaler's hobbies include: All things Nintendo, movies (both watching and making them)--actually he likes anything involving a flashing screen, board games & ultimate board games, taking care of his classic truck, playing his saxophone, and making new friends.

Meet Pastor Laura

Laura Scheperle grew up in Missouri's capitol, Jefferson City. She too grew up in church, as a kid her family attended the Lutheran Church, but the most life-changing decision for the Scheperle family is when her parents Gary and Brenda switched to the Assemblies of God church. It was a church that challenged it's people in holiness and offered vibrant worship; and consequently, Laura and two of her brothers (Paul and Steve) felt called to full-time vocational ministry and all 3 Scheperle siblings pursued that goal at Central Bible College in Springfield Mo. Laura's 3rd brother Bill is an engineer at Missouri University and helps her Dad Gary on the family farm with the help of 4 beautiful kids.
In High School Laura was a music whiz. Playing her trombone all the way to the Missouri All-State band 2 years in a row, it probably helped a little that Brenda her mom was a music teacher. Like Kaler, Laura also started a Bible club at her High School called "Youth Alive," where they had devotions and planned evangelistic events. Most of Laura's time as a teenager was spent with her church youth group where she made strong friends that she still keeps in contact with.
At Central Bible College she continued to pursue her two passions: youth ministry and music. In 2004 she graduated with a bachelor degree in each field of study. While at CBC Laura spent 3 years on a traveling school music team called "Heartsong" and was the president of the group her last year. She also learned new instruments: guitar and keyboard, and learned how to direct a choir. In her last year at CBC she began to date Kaler, this happened after a 2 year friendship blossomed through a fan club she started for the Christian rock band "Five Iron Frenzy."
After graduating, Laura moved to Radcliff Kentucky to Youth Pastor at a Korean-American church. Laura spent a year working with Korean-American teenagers, but as things got serious with Kaler she moved to Carrollton Missouri to help him with his youth group. Laura was a key part of the growth of 3rd Place Youth Group, relating well to the teenage girls, and teaching several young people how to play instruments. Laura also started an all-church choir and directed 3 holiday cantatas. During this time Laura married Kaler in July of 2006 at her old church in Jefferson City.
In 2007 Laura left the Carrollton church with Kaler and moved to Washington Missouri to help her brother Paul at his church. At First Assembly of God, Washington MO, she has been active playing guitar on the worship team, leading a youth worship band, and leading a new small group for young adults. Currently, Laura is saying her goodbyes to her Missouri friends and family and preparing for the move of faith to start a new church in Oneonta New York with her husband Kaler. She looks forward to taking day trips and visiting New York City.

Laura's hobbies include: song writing and recording, being with her hubbie Kaler, watching movies, cooking, shopping, and hanging out with friends and family.