New Faces in Chaplaincy: December 2020

Chaplaincy and Care Ministry welcomes Mark Janowski and Sharon Segaar-King. Learn more about their work and ministry below!

Chaplain Mark Janowski

I am the Pastor of Discipleship and Youth at a CRC church in northwestern Indiana and have served as a Chaplain Candidate in the Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG) for the last four years. I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue serving in the MIARNG as a chaplain. It has certainly been a long road leading to this chapter in ministry! 

I grew up in a traditional RCA church in the suburbs of Chicago. I received a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011, worked for a few years in engineering, and then God called me into ministry. I moved to Haiti to serve as a missionary for a year before medical issues necessitated my return to the U.S. During that year, God opened my eyes to the complexities of contemporary international missions which drove me to seminary. During my final week in Haiti, God also connected me to a Texas Army National Guard chaplain who planted the seed of military ministry in my heart.

I received my M.Div. from Calvin Theological Seminary in 2019 and have been serving at my current church for the last year and a half. God brought my wife and I together while we were both in seminary and we now have two dogs who join us in our adventures! I am excited to see where God continues to lead me in this adventure of serving in both parish and military ministry!

Sharon Segaar-King

In my life, God has done immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine. I have seen His shaping of me in so many ways and He has used me for His purpose. My passion of loving God and people has remained consistent throughout my life, but it has taken many forms. In college, I majored in biology and psychology with pre-med courses. Then in seminary, first I received a Master of Missions degree and then this degree was later absorbed into my currently held degree of a Master of Divinity. Thus, I have always had a holistic approach to people biologically, psychologically and spiritually. Yet, it is God and my spirituality that has provided the greatest meaning and purpose in my life and this is my focus now.

Throughout my life I have had many challenges and blessings. I am married and have four children. I have had many ministry jobs including being a children’s choir director and worship song leader, Director of Education, Church and Leadership Developer in Haiti and more. Yet, I continue to follow these passions of loving God and people in my life. 

At this time God has been using me in the field of chaplaincy. I am currently pursuing my third unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) through Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and seeking employment as a chaplain. My favorite part of chaplaincy is listening to people and offering spiritual and emotional support. We will see where God leads me in this chapter of life!