Faith Fellowship Assembly of God, Alexandria, VA
Staff & Leaders
-
Lauren Earlenbaugh
Youth and Children's PastorI grew up as a Pastor's kid in Maryland and Northern Virginia with the blessing of knowing Jesus from a very young age. I was called to ministry for the first time at Potomac Ministry Network's children's camp when I was 8 years old, and though the Lord had to call me multiples times at kids camps, youth camps, Wednesday night youth, Sundays, and individual prayer times, I finally let go of my own carefully crafted plan for my life to follow His even better plan. God's call took me to Evangel University in Springfield. Missouri where I met my tall and wonderful husband, Jack. I am so thankful for the perfect companion to my life of ministry. After college, I jumped right into youth pastoring at North Point Church in Springfield as the Springfield Campus Middle School Youth Pastor. North Point is also where I had my first exposure to being a part of the kids ministry team. Alongside that job, I was entrusted with the Middle School After School Program at the church's Dream Center. It was there I grew passion for seeing the unseen, compassion for helping the down trodded, and an ever present awareness that children and teenagers are in the most desperate need of feeling loved. My main mission. God's perfect plan sent me next to the National Youth Ministries department at the Assembly of God National Office. He knew I needed to learn. I was so blessed to work with amazing leaders, aid in curriculum writing, and steward the National Bible Quiz competition. However, after 2 years, I knew it was time to be working directly with students again so up we moved to a precious church in Middletown, Connecticut where I served as the Youth and Children's Pastor. I am now so thankful to have been led back to my hometown and my home church to continue serving Youth and Children at Faith Fellowship in Alexandria. My goal is to partner with parents to enable kids and youth to know God's love and serve him all their life. At every part of God's plan for me, I get to have my dream job. He is so good and faithful to me!
-
Kimberly Dawson
Worship PastorTwo of my favorite activites are studying the Bible with other women and leading people in worship. I have been married to Don since 1988. It has been a joy to minister together with him throughout our marriage. Our family includes two delightful adult daughters and their husbands. I love being their mom! Recently, we have been blessed with a grandson, and we are "all about that baby!" Grandparenting is definitely not overrated. My childhood was spent in Japan, California, Germany, Louisiana, and Virginia courtesy of the U.S. Air Force. I graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, MO with a Bachelor of Music Education degree (piano major). Throughout my years at Evangel, I had the opportunity to travel all over the country, ministering in churches with a choral group. I became a licensed minister affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1997. I currently teach choral music at a local public middle school. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Psalm 27, verse 4: "One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."
-
Donald Dawson
Senior PastorA well-known theologian was once asked what he had learned in all his years of theological study. He replied, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” It has been my thrill to know this love my whole life. My mom taught me about Jesus’ love when I was a little boy. Our lives were full of uncertainty after my father died when I was 22 months old, but one thing we never doubted was the love of God we experienced over and over again. It was because I knew Jesus loved me I went to Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, graduating with a BA in Bible. I accepted the call to be youth pastor at Fairfax Assembly of God (now Centrepointe Church). For 7 years I was blessed with one of the most fun jobs imaginable, sharing God’s love in creative, crazy ways and experiencing the passionate way students responded to Jesus’ love. It was during these youth pastoring days I was invited by friends to dinner in their home to meet a girl named Kimberly. Before long, the love God had already placed in my heart developed in a new way - the way of a man toward a young woman. The writer of Proverbs said this kind of love was too amazing for him to understand. And I have been enjoying the love of this amazing woman of God for more than 30 years now. After those 7 years, Kimberly and I felt God leading me back to school to work on a Master’s in Theological Studies. After completing my degree we accepted a call to pastor a church in Columbia, Maryland where we shared God’s love for another 7 years and welcomed our two beautiful daughters who are both now in the 20s and married. It has been one of the best things in my life to watch my two daughters discover God’s love and grow in it. In 2021, our family welcomed our first grandson! Some people say you won't be around me long without hearing about baby Dawson! Since 1999, Kimberly and I have been blessed to be able to share God’s love here in Alexandria, Virginia, with the people of Faith Fellowship and the surrounding community. My mission is to share the wonderful love of Jesus with as many people as I can. It would be my great joy to share that love with you.