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Ministry Team Biographies
Rev. Dr. Dale Beck, Interim Senior Pastor
Dale Beck, with his wife Peggy, have made their home in Estes Park after serving United Methodist Churches in central Illinois for over thirty years, nearly half of those years on the campuses of Eastern Illinois University and Illinois State University. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, the Iliff School of Theology in Denver and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston Illinois where he received his doctorate.
Since retirement he has served an Interim Ministry position at Brighton United Methodist Church before the appointment to Hope United Methodist Church.
Peggy is a retired teacher whose experience ranges from second grade, kindergarten to preschool, where in Bloomington, Illinois she directed a program for students from Japan, Republic of the Congo, Mexico, India, and Venezuela. She is a native of Wisconsin.
Their daughter Sarah graduated in May, 2011 from Christian School of Theology in Indianapolis and is receiving an appointment to serve a federated American Baptist-United Methodist congregation in Hamilton, Montana in July. Their son Paul was married in August and moved to Boulder where his wife is pursuing her doctorate at CU.
Dale fell in love with the mountains when leading youth back packing trips in the Colorado wilderness. His particular interests are in biblical studies, teaching, preaching, and retreat leadership. He is a veteran of numerous mission trips in the U.S., Haiti and Mexico. He was a founder of a homeless shelter in Charleston, Illinois and served on the boards of domestic violence shelters in Charleston and Kankakee, Illinois and is now on the board of the Estes Valley Salud Foundation.
Rev. Stephanie L. Price, Associate Pastor
Stephanie Price was appointed by the Bishop to serve at Hope United Methodist Church in July of 2010. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from The University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Divinty from The Iliff School of Theology.
Before arriving at Hope, Stephanie served at Evergreen United Methodist Church as their Assistant Minister responsible for communications, adult education and small groups, and youth ministries.
Stephanie felt her call to ministry at an early age but has committed her life to serving in the parish setting for the unique opportunity that provides her to develop authentic relationships with a diverse group of people. In addition to the relational aspect of ministry, Stephanie also has a passion for writing, reading, and mission work. Stephanie sees life's greatest blessings in her role as a mother to her three year old daughter, Fiona, and as a wife to her husband, John.
Rev. Debra Juarez, Minister with Youth and their Families
Rev. Debra has served Hope UMC for the past nine years as Minister With Youth and Their Families. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Metropolitan State College and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Colorado. In her previous life she worked in banking, public accounting, and the telecommunications industry. That all changed when she received her call to ministry with youth. She has a Masters in Special Ministries (Education) from Iliff School of Theology and has been working in Youth Ministries as a volunteer and staff for over twenty years. She was ordained a Deacon in the United Methodist Church in 2002.
Debra served at St. Luke’s UMC before coming to Hope. She lives in Littleton with her daughter who is a sophomore at Columbine High School and active in Hope’s youth ministries. Debra enjoys hiking and skiing Colorado’s mountains and has a not so secret addiction to books. Her vision of youth ministry is a church where youth and adults work together to explore their faith, discover their gifts and serve God.
Kate Stapleton, Director of Children's Ministries
Kate Stapleton is originally from Wisconsin and has lived in Colorado since January of 2006. Kate has a degree in Math and Secondary Education from Carroll College in Waukesha, WI. Her husband, Arnie, is a sportswriter for Associated Press and they have 3 daughters.
Kate loves working with the children of Hope as they begin their lifelong spiritual journeys. Her vision for the children's program at Hope is to help kids know, grow, and show God’s love through both classroom and outside of church activities.
Robert Larson, Director of Music Ministries
Robert Larson has been working at Hope United Methodist Church for the la st five years. He received his BA in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Luther College in Decorah, IA where he was a featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah for three years and sang with the famous Nordic Choir under the direction of Weston Noble. After teaching in both public and private schools, Robert lived for two years as a singer in Berlin Germany. For three years, Robert lived in Honolulu, HI where he was the bass soloist/section leader at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral, and was the “interim music director” for Central Union Church (United Church of Christ) where he conducted the children’s/youth choirs as well as the handbell choirs. Robert also sang for two seasons with the Hawaii Opera Theatre (HOT) in their Educational Outreach program, traveling to local elementary schools and performing “mini-operas”. During this time, he also performed in various theatre projects and was cast as the “nosebleed” tenor Jinx in the Hawaiian premier of the off-Broadway hit, Forever Plaid, in Waikiki.
After moving back to Denver, Robert spent four years as bass soloist/section leader at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, performed in various musical theatre projects, and was music director for such shows as Bye, Bye Birdie, Seussical the Musical, Bat Boy, Honk! and South Pacific. Robert also spent four years as co-director of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir, in which he led Denver’s only choir program dedicated to boys with changing voices. He currently sings with the local community choir Kantorei, directed by his father, Richard Larson, which has performed in Avery Fisher Hall (Lincoln Center), Carnegie Hall, and in 2008 was invited by the Vatican to sing for High Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. This year, they are one of only five community choirs invited to sing for the National American Choral Directors Association convention in Chicago, IL.
Having graduated with honors from Cherry Creek High School, Robert feels right at home at Hope United Methodist Church. Being back in his old stomping grounds, he enjoys the new friends he’s made at Hope, and loves making music in the glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At Hope, Robert welcomes people of all ages and talents to participate in our wonderful music program. Soli deo gloria.
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