Since graduating from CUAA, student loan debt and the financial cost of raising two children have caused the couple to make some hard decisions about their careers and callings over the past decade. But Jackie and PJ both agree that the firm foundation of their relationship is grounded in a mutual drive to serve in Lutheran outreach and ministry.
Now over a decade into their relationship, Jackie and PJ both work at Christ The King Lutheran Church and School in Southgate. And in 2023, a home loan from Church Extension Fund allowed them to buy a new house for themselves and their two boys. The competitive rates offered by CEF in the harsh post-COVID housing market have given the Brooks the new gift of living only feet away from their place of work.
In the words of Jackie, “I am constantly in awe of all the ways God has opened doors for us to do His work at Christ The King. And CEF is a recent part of how we’re continually blessed.”
Tight Purse Strings
When Jackie and PJ graduated from CUAA, they had every intention of moving to St. Louis together so PJ could begin his seminary studies. But money was tight for the young couple, and PJ eventually decided to work in project management at Comau, an auto design company, to help them start on a stronger financial footing.
“I used to joke that PJ’s job at Comau supported my ministry because I was able to buy the things I needed for my classroom,” says Jackie. “It didn’t matter how much money I made working as a teacher since PJ’s income allowed us to take such good care of our church family and our family at home.”
During this time, Jackie served as a kindergarten teacher and then a third-grade teacher at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Royal Oak. But when the Brooks’ chose to move their family to work and worship at Christ The King Lutheran Church and School in Southgate, PJ began to again feel the pull toward pastoral leadership. Jackie began her role as a kindergarten teacher at Christ The King, a classroom position she’d always hoped for, but PJ desired more meaning out of his career than what he was getting at Comau.
Over the past year and a half, PJ has made the shift from the corporate world to serving as a vicar at Christ The King. He does this work while also participating in his church’s music ministry and working toward his Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) certification from Concordia Seminary St. Louis. In PJ’s words, “I needed to do something more fulfilling during my daily work hours. Sure, I bring home half the pay I did before, but my gifts just weren’t being used completely as a corporate project manager.”
Then in June 2023, in the midst of this great life transition, PJ told Jackie he’d found the perfect house for their family. “We weren’t even looking to move!” says Jackie.
Hope in a Home
To say the least, Jackie was shocked when PJ called her with the news of his discovery. “He noticed the for-sale sign when he was driving around, and he called me immediately. Between the two of us, PJ is the dreamer. I feel like I have to be the naysayer of all his big plans, even though God usually challenges my skepticism. So when he told me he already had an appointment to walk through the home that day, I felt like I should at least go with him.”
The open house revealed a great interior layout, but also a home that needed a lot of work. Jackie still wasn’t convinced, but PJ felt the home had a huge selling feature that couldn’t be overlooked: the property’s backyard opened up to Christ The King’s parking lot. “With my increased workload in the SMP program, I knew this house would help protect our family time,” says PJ. “I could give my time to the ministry I loved and still be home for dinner with my family every night.”
So PJ talked to CEF about getting approved for a home loan. Thanks to the Summer of Savings program going on at the time, the Brooks’ were approved for an interest rate that was half of the market rate. Their loan officer even worked around their travel schedule to guarantee PJ could make it to a weeklong seminary class in St. Louis during the offer timeline.
Even though the home had several better offers on the table, Jackie and PJ continued to be awed by God’s hand in the process. “The sellers chose us because they saw our connections to Christ The King. As people of faith, that set us apart in their minds. So, we ended up getting the same interest rate we were paying on our previous house.
“Basically, we were able to upgrade our house for much less money than we originally paid for our previous property. All of that was thanks to CEF!” says Jackie.
The Meaning of Ministry
Even though Jackie and PJ both grew up worshiping at Lutheran congregations with their families, neither of them had heard of CEF’s church worker housing program before they began this latest home loan process.
“I’d heard of CEF before, but neither I nor any of the called workers at Christ The King knew that they offered actual mortgage financing for church workers.” says PJ. “Not only did they cut through the red tape of the approval process in our family’s latest home purchase, they helped ease some of our money stress. CEF also helped remind Jackie and me that Christ The King is exactly where He wants us to be.”
To Jackie, this care for others is exactly what ministry is all about: “Our boys are five years old and seven years old. One of the things we tried to instill in them when we talk about ministry and what that is, is that we are called to live a life where we are serving God in everything that we do. PJ and I do this through our service at Christ The King. But I also believe we minister to others by the way we act and support each other. That’s why PJ could see his work at Comau as a ministry for such a long time. Even in a secular setting, he could still enhance God’s light through his interactions with others.
“And that’s why it’s such a big deal for CEF to empower church workers through their financial services. The ease of their church worker home loan program means we now get to be God’s hands and feet in a home that daily meets our family’s needs.”
Gifts in Action
Since moving into their new house, Jackie and PJ have opened the doors of their home for families at Christ The King. “We make sure that the children of Christ The King’s faculty and staff know they’re welcome at our place whenever their parents have to stay late for work,” says Jackie. “It means they can relax at the end of the day without their parents feeling like their kids are in the way.”
It also means PJ can continue his work as a vicar and Jackie can serve as a classroom teacher while starting a new ministry outreach together as a couple. Their Family Connections ministry focuses on equipping young parents to talk about faith in their home: “We help them answer questions like, how do you minister to your family? How do you do family devotions? How do you pray with your kids? How do you have tough conversations with relatives about your faith? It’s something we’re both really passionate about,” says Jackie.
Some of the other blessings of their new family home may feel small, but they’ve made a big impact on the Brooks’ daily lives: “Our boys also attend Christ The King School, so we get to walk to church and school every day as a family. If any of us forget something at home, it’s a quick walk across the parking lot to grab it. And PJ was right—we still get so much time as a family.”
“We all have God-given gifts to contribute to the people around us. That’s ministry in action,” says PJ. “Thanks to CEF, our new home allows us to continue serving the community at Christ The King in beautiful and unexpected ways.”