Our Team - Beloved and Beyond

Beloved and Beyond Staff

Glen Elder

Executive Director, Founder

Glen and Laura have been doing ministry together for the better part of 30 years. Together with their family they saw God faithfully bless their efforts over 14 years in Christian Camp ministry for children and young adults who have special needs.

Laura Elder

Program Director, Founder

Kelsie Vier

Program Coordinator

I have had the privilege of serving in special needs ministry since 2019 when I became a summer staff counselor alongside the Elders. Watching the Lord use Beloved and Beyond to expand His Kingdom by reaching families, volunteers, and summer staff through sharing the loved of Jesus with our friends with disabilities has been miraculous to say the least. I am so grateful to serve this mission.

Dani Copa

Food Services Director

Having served in almost every capacity at camp in his 7 summers serving at camp with the Elders,
Dani “Gimli” Copa finally found his calling in the kitchen as our Food Service Manager. He’s worked at various restaurants, retreat centers and camps all over the country throughout his 8 years working in the food service industry, but all roads led to Beloved and Beyond. Having a passion for ministry, people, and food made his choice to come on full time at B&B and help begin our journey in Rosebud an easy one.

Logan Elder

Facilities Manager

As you can tell by my last name I have been part of camp for a while, I am beyond excited to be part of camp in a full time capacity and help this amazing ministry through facility maintenance. Over the past 10 years I have been on summer staff, zip line tour guide, pest control, lighting, and lastly an Area Manager for swim schools. My wife Hannah and our son Beckham are also very excited to be here at camp and experience this amazing place year round.

Rhonda Easley

Administrative Assistant

Serving as a cabin parent and being on staff at Beloved and Beyond is such a joy! It is amazing to see how God moves in the hearts of both campers and volunteers as they grow and learn more about being a follower of Jesus. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be part of all God has planned for this ministry!

Debbie Martin

Beyond Team Director

Jeff, myself, Ashley and Jessica have been part of camp with Jodi Ferguson and Glen and Laura Elder since 2008. Jessica as a camper, Ashley as a volunteer and Jeff and I thanks to resounding YES in 2017 from the three of them when we came together to discuss an idea Jeff and I had about a transition program. That program is now known as The BEyond Team. We have watched camp shape our daughters lives, for Jessica it was a place where she could be herself, be celebrated and most of all where she learned that Jesus loves her unconditionally even when she is mad or sad. A place where she now loves to work on BEyond Team and serve others just as she has been served all these years. For Ashley it was a place for her to be around others who had special needs siblings, a place that made her heart happy, a place that would help mold her into the incredible human she is now. Camp challenged Ashley and helped her learn to advocate for those who couldn't always advocate for themselves. She is a true advocate for these kiddos and their families as she is all grown up and works as a Behavior Specialist in the Dallas, TX area. Camp has definitely been a complete blessing in our lives and I am so grateful for Jodi for making it happen for my girls to come to camp so, so many years ago and to Laura who helped me actually leave the parking lot that day at drop off. Our family is so excited to lead the BEyond Team and help our BEyonders learn valuable job and life skills in a safe and nurturing environment.

Hailey Elder

Executive Administrative Assistant?

Beloved and Beyond Board of Directors

Glen and Laura Elder

Executive Director, Program Director

Jodi Ferguson

Board Member

"Our family has been in ministry to those with different kinds of abilities for 18 years and what a wonderful and life-changing ride it has been! We feel most at home doing & supporting Camp ministry and feel God's leading, once again, to start a new Camp AND to step out in faith to explore new avenues for the adult ministry. We're excited to see all that God is going to do!"
--Jodi, Matthew, Mary Beth & Anna Ferguson

Steve Davenport

Board Member, President

We were introduced to this unique special community through the involvement of our sons Blake and Matthew. In 2014 our son Blake was asked by a friend to come volunteer with her at a camp for kids with special needs. The experience was life changing and set our entire family on a course we had never thought about. Blake’s enthusiasm was contagious and ended up with brother Matthew also catching fire a year later. Believing God orchestrated our collision with the Elder and Ferguson families and their ministry to families with special needs we feel called to partner with them in God’s next big plan Beloved ministries.

Cherie Ruffino

Board Member

Being the mother of a special needs child has truly been a gift from God. I thank him daily for seeing something so special in me and Louie to bless us with our Chloe. I am the proud mother of a camper and camp volunteer who are always inviting others to join in the camp fun! Camp has been a life changing experience and has educated all of us, especially me because it taught me to trust. It taught me to trust in others to care for Chloe in ways I would have never experienced in life if she had not been a camper in the care of Glen and Laura Elder. This one experience has since opened up endless opportunities not only for me but my family as well. Today, our family is involved with special needs ministries to offer Faith, Hope and Love not only to Chloe but to all families. I am delighted to be a part of this new journey with Beloved and Beyond and serving not only for our God but the families who are in need of a ministry. I feel so blessed to work beside the founders, Glen and Laura Elder, they have exceptional leadership skills and a love for each individual camper which is witnessed by all. It is my privilege to serve and welcome all to Beloved and Beyond.

Shelly Nalbone

Board Member

I met the Elders in 2018, when I brought a group of nursing students to camp for their pediatric clinical rotation. I had no idea how much I would be impacted by not only camp, but also by Glen and Laura. Throughout my nursing career, I have worked with children, teens, and families with special needs, but I never had a deep understanding of just how amazing these kids and their families are until I went to camp. In each and every camp experience, the love of Christ was evident and it was so beautiful. GOD blessed me by leading me to serve at camp and I am changed forever. My daughter, Taylor, also served as summer staff and she has grown tremendously in her faith because of the amazing camp culture that the Elders created.
Glen and Laura always say that camp change lives and it truly does! I am honored to serve on the Board of Beloved & Beyond and I can’t wait to see where GOD leads this ministry.
Shelly Nalbone

Daniel Williams

Board Member

Special needs parents struggle to find places of safety and acceptance for their children. So, when we do find others who love all kids as Christ loves, unconditionally and wholeheartedly, as fearfully and wonderfully made children of the King, we take notice. Beloved and Beyond is such a people. God is doing great things in families and for the kingdom through this simple team. And where’s He’s at work the Williams family is compelled and humbled to join the effort to witness His handiwork.

Grady Ables

Board Member

Tami and I have known the Elders for over 25 years and have seen how their work in Christian Camp ministry has been a marvelous blessing for so many families. We are honored for the opportunity to be part of the next chapter, Beloved and Beyond, and excited about what God has in store for this ministry.

ADVISORY BOARD

Name – Previous and Current Experience:

Les Beassie – 13 yrs in camp ministry(2 in special needs camping), founder of local ministry to children from difficult circumstances, 23 years United States Navy retired name Captain.

Denise Briley – Special Needs Ministry Pioneer in Greater Houston for 38+ yrs, speaker, author, Parent of 4 children, two have different abilities.

Jonathan Chang (Youth Pastor, Cabin Dad) and Jennifer Chang (Former Life Skills Teacher, Cabin Mom)

Blake Davenport – Camp Staff, Camp Leadership, Banquet Network Church Coach

LouAnn Davenport – Wife of Steve (board president) Cabin Mom, Recruiter, Advocate

Joe and Robin Davis – Camp Supporters, Business Advisors, Friends of Camp

Hailey Elder – Sibling of 2 campers, Camp Staff, Camp Leadership, Camp Admin, Communications Coordinator at Journey School

John and Meagan Hawthorn – Camp Leadership, Special Education, Behavioral Specialist, District Life Skills Coach at Cy-Fair

Maura Johnson – Volunteer Camp Parent, Camp Recruiting, 2 yrs working with Capernaum YL

Dr. Garret and Paige Jones – Summer Staff, Camp Leadership, Special Education Teacher, Camper Parents, Doctor of Osteopathy

Susan Laukoter – LPC, Cabin Mom, Recruiter, YL Leader

Mark and Bailey Klentzman – Leadership in 2006, DJ (including camp dances for many years!), Recreational Therapist

Jeff and Debbie Martin – Camper Parent, Next Step Program leaders

Gwendolyn Mitchell -MA, LMFT-A, Therapist, New Season Counseling

Louis Ruffino – Camper and Counselor Parent

Robin Rettie – M.Ed., Educational Consultant, Founder of Lighthouse Learning Resources and Senso-science

Mallory Seidel – Camp Staff, Leadership, Capernaum Young Life Leader, Special Education Teacher

Cynthia Stielow – Community Volunteer

John and Olivia Steinhauser – Camp Staff, RN

Noel Storey – Camp Staff, Camp Leadership, Camp Admin

Paul and Cyndy Teas – Founders of Camp Barnabas in Missouri.

Chloe Weaver – Camp RN, Camp Leadership, Camp Staff – Camp Beloved Medical Advisor

Matthew and Sydney Weeks – Camp Staff, Camp Leadership, Program Coordinator Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley