Jean Marinus is Director of Children's Ministries and Nursery Coordinator at Northwest Hills United Methodist Church. She started as the assistant to the director in 1998 and became the full time director in January 2000. Before coming on staff Jean was a lay volunteer teaching both adult and children's classes, communion steward, chair of education, and active in the singles program. Her first job out of high school "many" years ago was the assistant to the director of Christian education at the Methodist church in Rochester, Minnesota. Moving to Austin in the 80's she began a search for a new church and when visiting Northwest Hills in 1990, it took attending only twice to feel that this was home.
Jean was commissioned by the Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church in January of 2000 as a Parish Christian Educator. She is trained in Godly Play, is a Stephen Minister, serves on the District Council of Ministries, teaches workshops both district & conference wide on such subjects as: Godly Play, Chapel, and Music in the classroom. In 2002 Jean started a Mother's Day Out program to enhance the full time preschool, My Friend's House.
She has lived in New York, Minnesota, and Colorado before moving to Texas. Jean has attended Rochester Jr. College, Colorado University, Austin Community College and Concordia. She holds a degree in Business Management. Jean retired from the Bell system after a 25 year career in communications.
Jean's main interest is music. She sang with Sweet Adeline's for 20 years, in fact it was singing that brought her to Austin. She participates in the church choir whenever possible and was a member of a gospel quartet for more than 7 years.
