Faces of Faith: Laura Black

We are excited to introduce you to Laura Black and her family in this week’s Faces of Faith! Laura is a member of our Chancel Choir and serves on staff as the ministry associate for children and music. She supports our Music, Youth, and Children Ministries and leads music for Bible and Music (BAM!), which returns in September. Get to know Laura!

Name: Laura Black

Family: My husband, Ned Slagle, and our daughters, Maddie and Olivia

Years at SMPC: We started coming to SMPC in 2024, and I joined the staff that fall.

What brought you and your family to SMPC? 

My family and I were looking for a church where we could grow in our faith and feel like we truly belonged—somewhere that reflected the love and welcome we believe God offers to everyone.  From the moment we walked through the doors, we felt a sense of belonging. We love that it is a place where our whole family can be involved, ask honest questions, and be part of a community that really tries to live out what it means to love God. The warmth of the people, the authenticity of worship, and the church’s openness to all kinds of families made it clear that we have found a spiritual home.

You’re not only a member of the Chancel Choir, but we are so happy that you joined the SMPC staff as ministry associate for music and children! How does being a part of the staff and the choir enrich your faith experience?

Joining the Chancel Choir and the SMPC staff has been such a blessing.  Singing with the Chancel Choir is one of the most meaningful ways I connect with my faith. Music has a way of expressing what words can’t always capture, and it often becomes a space where I feel God’s presence most clearly. The discipline of rehearsing and offering music each week also deepens my commitment to worship. It reminds me that faith is both a gift and a practice—something we receive and something we nurture.

Being the ministry associate of children and music has honestly grown my faith in ways I never expected. When I first stepped into this role, I knew I loved working with kids and music—but I didn’t realize just how much they would shape me spiritually. Kids have this amazing way of reminding you what faith is really about. They ask big questions without hesitation, they worship with joy,, and they don’t hold back.  I have found that working with and being around them keeps my own faith grounded and fresh.