Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Copeland.
Hi Emma, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Motherhood and ministry have always been heavy on my heart from a young age. Growing up I never really knew what I wanted to do, until I was about 16 years old and I heard the Lord pretty clearly call me into ministry. Obviously I didn’t know what all that would intel and how I would get there at the time. To make a long story short I was about to leave for Australia to join a missions organization after I graduated high school, my heart was set. The spring of my senior year was when Covid hit and the world shut down. I ended staying with my parents and working full time at Chick-fil-a as a manager with no clear direction on what was next. It was honestly a difficult time in my life, I felt like my dreams were snatched from my hands. Shortly after that my boyfriend at the time, David and I became more serious and decided that we didn’t want to wait any longer to get married. So we got married fairly young at 20 and 21 years old despite a lot of peoples wishes (they are happy for us now ahaha). We got pregnant during our first year of marriage and welcomed our first baby, a boy, at 21 and 22 years old in 2023. Then in 2024 we got the privilege to step into the role of youth pastors at our home church, Valley Rise Church in Tomball as we simultaneously prepared to welcome our second child that August. It was a journey and we are still learning more and more everyday. We could not have done it without our Pastors Christian and Alex and the Lord guiding our steps.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I’ve come to realize that’s life for everyone at points. We were navigating a lot of new things all at once. We were young and newly married, new parents, and then pastors. Working at a church plant comes with its own challenges, we didn’t walk into a huge youth group that had a whole team built already. We had a relatively small group of teens and a few volunteers, we also had no idea what we were doing. But we trusted the Lord and His call on our lives and kept showing up and trying our best. Looking at our youth group now compared to then and our dream team now as well, I know the Lord was working in it all along. Even though no, we are not a mega student ministry yet, the growth in and through us with the Lord leading is undeniable.
Motherhood has come with its struggles as well. I know something most moms feel is trying to balance it all. Being a good wife, a good mom, and working on your passions, some days it feels impossible. There were seasons I backed up and was home with my newborns more than at church with David leading students. That wasn’t always easy for me, I longed to be there but I knew I was needed most in my home, my first ministry area. There were also seasons of mourning, this past spring I experienced a miscarriage and it changed my view on nearly everything. Grief hits different when you’re missing someone you never met, imagining memories you never got to make together. I felt the presence of the Lord the heaviest I ever had in my whole life during that season, I was holding heartbreak and joy at the same time. I knew the Lord would use my pain for a purpose and I’m glad I get to share my story and connect with other mothers who have experienced that same loss. My message to them is the Lord sees you and wants to comfort you in this season of brokenness, there is hope!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve touched on this a little already but along with my husband we serve as the Youth Pastors at our church. It is such a joy to be around so many unique students and to prayerfully have a positive impact on their lives. We get to hear so many different stories from students and what their lives are like at home. Some come from a normal healthy environment and others from really harsh backgrounds. My goal is to always make them feel loved and seen despite whatever they may be going home too after. We pray for and cheer on our students, we are their biggest fans. I can’t wait to see what all the Lord will do in their lives and what all they will accomplish.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: theemmacopeland
