Faces of Calvary: meet Stephanie and Michele

Stephanie Dickie

Describe yourself in five adjectives.

I came up with one adjective and asked my daughter for a few suggestions, so here are my five:

Fuzzy: Winter is coming, so you will find me wearing all things fuzzy. Apparently, this also refers to my frequently fuzzy brain, but we won’t dwell on that one.

Festive: This one might be for my love of decorating the house each season, the fun birthday parties I planned when the girls were younger, or my general love of gathering together with friends and family.

Reflective: I love to reflect on the Lord, His Word, and how He is always working in amazing ways.

Late: Ever since I went on a mission trip to Mexico and realized that not everyone in the world lives by the clock, I have found it challenging to be on time.

Compassionate: I love people, especially those who need a hug and someone to shed a few tears with.

Tell us about your family and how long you’ve been at Calvary.

I am married to Wayne, my husband of 23 years. Our anniversary is actually this month (October 21), which is also his birthday. We have two daughters. Justine is a senior and Kelsey is a junior in high school this year. I started attending Calvary when we got married. Wayne attended Calvary several years before that.

Share a core childhood memory and a bit about your younger years and places you’ve lived.

There is not much exciting about the places I have lived, as I was born right here in Rochester at St. Mary’s Hospital. I did leave Rochester, and ventured all the way to Winona for two years to attend college before moving back to Rochester to finish my nursing degree. When I think of my childhood, I just feel blessed by all the people who supported my parents and I while I was growing up. Both my parents had challenging disabilities, so they divorced when I was 5 years old. I feel like a village truly did help raise me. When I was born, Rochester had a population of about 54,000. Currently it is over 120,000, so I am always amazed by the vast housing developments that have replaced all the farmland I remember. Today the north Dairy Queen sits on the playground I used as a child.

If you had no limitations, what would you do with your life? 

I do dream about all the fun things I would love to do if I had no limitations. My most recent dream would be to build a house in our field that a single mom could live in for a couple years while she finished her education. I could support her by watching her kids while she was attending classes.

What are you most passionate about? 

I am most passionate about Jesus and people. The ministry I have been most enthusiastic about through the years is New Life Family Services.

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

My favorite outdoor activity is hiking, especially in the fall. I will forever treasure the memories I made with the girls during their early homeschool years when we would go explore nearby state parks and stop in a small town for ice cream or bakery treats. Another special memory for me was hiking the Grand Canyon with my uncle and few of his relatives to celebrate his 70th birthday in 1995.

What are your favorite holiday traditions?

I have worked every other holiday for 23 years, so traditions fluctuate in frequency. Attending Christmas Eve and Easter services as a family is always a blessing. I am so excited when I am not scheduled to work those. During Christmastime, I have enjoyed making each of the girls an Advent calendar that had a piece of chocolate and a note with some encouragement, Bible verse, or activity to do that day. Before my mom passed away, we would go to the assisted living facility she resided in on Christmas to pass out treats and Wayne would play the trumpet for the residents.

If you could live in any sitcom, which one would it be?

I watched way too much TV when I was a child, so once I acknowledged I was addicted to anything moving on a screen, I have chosen not to watch TV. I personally find living everyday life to be quite funny, so in a way, I do live in a sitcom with some very loveable characters.

 What do you appreciate about Calvary?

As I reflect on this question, I have so many emotions and memories flood my mind that I will try to give a few highlights. I appreciate the Biblically sound teaching and the opportunity for community throughout the years. Our girls have been blessed by the amazing children’s ministries like Sunday school, AWANA, VBS, Kids Choir, and youth group. I volunteered in those groups until they reached middle school. I want to give a big shout out to all the pastors for their support through the years. They all demonstrate a servant’s heart in the ways the Lord has gifted them. I am forever thankful for all the love and care this body of believers showed my mother as well. As a family we were also grateful to be a part of the Sunday morning community group, Household of Faith, for several years. I love that Calvary supports so many missionaries and that they give the youth the opportunity to do mission work. Our entire family went on the middle school mission trip several years ago, but most recently both girls went on the mission trip to the DR. I have been BEYOND blessed by the people at Calvary; I have developed some of my deepest friendships here. They are the kind of friends the pastor talks about that you can call in the middle of the night or have nonjudgmental conversations with; you are always there for each other. It is those friends who you text a quick note, or call and ask, “hey, can you pray for this?” They are the ones you walk through the greatest joys and challenges of life with, keeping the Lord in focus and praising Him in everything, even when it hurts.

Michele Nelson

Describe yourself in five adjectives.

Generous, outgoing, thoughtful, energetic, and adventurous.

Tell us about your family and how long you’ve been at Calvary.

My husband Tim and I have 4 children–Rae, Drew, Josiah, and Haley–and they all live in Minnesota. Our oldest daughter Rae is a firefighter, and our oldest son Drew is an attorney. Josiah is a nurse at St. Mary’s, and Haley, our youngest, is a business student at MSU Mankato.

We moved to Rochester in December 2005, after church planting in PA for 13 years. We expected to be in Rochester only 6 months, but we’ve been here ever since. Our family came to Calvary in 2009, and Tim joined the staff in as interim Executive Pastor in 2010, before becoming a permanent staff member.

Share a core childhood memory and a bit about your younger years and places you’ve lived.

I grew up in Rochester. My family owned Shakey’s Pizza and A&W in town, and as a kid I loved working in our restaurants (lots of dishwashing). My dad, Chuck Canfield, was a Rochester councilmember from 1986-95 and Mayor from 1995-2003.

My best childhood memories include youth sports, riding my bike everywhere, and only coming home when the streetlights came on. I also have so many cherished memories of playing golf with my dad.

If you had no limitations, what would you do with your life?

I would definitely be a racecar driver. Yep. Ask my husband.

But I have been fortunate to work for Delta Airlines for 13 years now. I’m involved with training staff and doing TDY (temporary duty) in other cities. I love that it gives me many opportunities to travel.

What are you most passionate about? 

My greatest ministry and life experience, without exception, is hosting the Children’s Heart Project’s (CHP) Mongolian families in our home. The long-term stays have impacted our family in many wonderful ways, especially during COVID. It has also been amazing traveling to Cayman and Mongolia to transport these families.

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

Golf…Golf connects me to memories of my childhood. Most of our kids have now taken up the sport, so this wonderful legacy continues. Although, I’ve played pickleball once now, and it’s pretty fun!

What is your favorite holiday tradition? 

We get together with family and eat too much, but my favorite part of most holidays is watching football.

Share one thing that you love to do that you get to do nearly every day.

Kiss my husband. Truly.

 What do you appreciate about Calvary, and where do you serve?

When we came to Calvary, we sensed an honest, prayerful spirit. We had come through some exhausting years in ministry and we were refreshed here. I serve as the coordinator for Welcome Ministries and as a host family for CHP. I’m involved in a small group and intermittently with Renovare.