Robbie Ytterberg, Senior Pastor & Head of Staff, – [email protected] 
Sure, as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff, Robbie does the things you’d expect a pastor to do. He preaches. He prays with and for us. He visits with us. He goes to a whole lot of meetings. He also gets to dream with us about God’s future plans and work to ensure that the gospel of Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything we do. He loves getting to be with individuals, teams, and the congregation as God moves to bring clarity, transformation, healing, and joy! Speaking of those dreams and moments of clarity, Robbie is excited to see how God is going to stretch our church and challenge us as we move out into our neighborhoods and community with the hope of Jesus Christ and for the love of our neighbors. In that vein, God has humbled and inspired Robbie through the people of PCTR. He is blown away by the steady faithfulness of so many over the years and the risks that others are taking to joyfully and obediently follow Jesus and share Him with others. If you’ve been listening to Robbie’s sermons, you probably know a lot about his quirks and interests, but you may not realize that he’s harboring a wealth of worthless trivia and movie quotes that may pop into a conversation at random times. Keep an ear open for one of those gems to drop the next time you see him.
Christian Johnson, Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Community Outreach – [email protected]
As Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Community Outreach, Christian may be found heading out for a pastoral visit, collaborating with Deacons on a service project, or prepping a team for a short-term missions trip. He finds every day an adventure when trying to follow Jesus’ lead! Christian is our “solar-powered” pastor. When he needs to recharge, he heads out into God’s creation because it helps quiet the hustle and bustle enough to hear the guiding voice of Jesus. You can catch a glimpse of that calming experience through the photographs he takes on his regular walks and adventures. Christian has been excited to see the growing appetite for discipleship here at PCTR and he’s looking forward to how transformed lives will bear fruit as we engage our community and the world.
Dr. Josh Melson, Director of Music Ministries – [email protected]
Music is a big part of the life and ministry of our church and it’s why we’re grateful to have Josh on staff as Director of Traditional Worship. He’s not only a gifted musician and vocalist but also a talented teacher who helps our Sanctuary Choir and Chancel Handbell Choir cultivate their musical gifts. Josh plays the organ and piano in worship, works closely with the pastors and other music staff to plan and lead worship, and oversees the Ocean Classic Concert Series. He is also a Toms River Regional School District teacher. During the school day, you’ll find him teaching chorus classes or working with the school musical cast at Intermediate East and High School East. You’ll find Josh around the church on Thursday evenings when he’s here with our choirs and on Sundays in worship. When you see him, ask him anything you ever wanted to know about worship (He’s got this doctorate in worship studies, after all. Go ahead and try to stump him!) or what it was like to play Christmas carols on the piano in the White House! (Yes, you read that right.)
Lori Clark, Director of Children and Family Ministry – [email protected]
As Director of Children and Family Ministry, Lori works along with the Children’s Commission to plan and facilitate Church School, Mid-week KidMin, family events, and ministries such as Vacation Bible School. Lori brings a wealth of experience to the job. After graduating from Eastern University with a BA in Elementary & Special Education, she worked as a Director of Children’s Ministries at her hometown church in Lancaster, PA. It was there that she discovered she loves to encourage others in the gifts God has given them. Lori has also taught within the public school system, first as a kindergarten teacher and then as a 6th-grade teacher in the middle school setting. Speaking of Lancaster, did you know Lori grew up on a dairy farm? She says that’s where her imagination blossomed as she roamed the rolling hills playing freely, Of course, moving to the Jersey Shore didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for strolling! Lori has a goal to someday walking to church (only 3 miles from home) and hopes to someday take a walking vacation to another state!
Pat Grill, Director of Adult Discipleship – [email protected]
When your job involves connecting people to the gospel message and to one another, you often have the opportunity to witness the Holy Spirit at work in others as they experience Holy “Ah-ha” moments. That may be one of Pat’s favorite parts of her job. As our Director of Adult Discipleship, she gets to develop and encourage leaders, provide resources for studies, and coordinate the logistics for the various study groups and retreats aimed at helping adults grow in their faith. It’s a role that has continued to influence her own faith journey as she learns from those she studies with and those she works alongside. Before joining our staff, Pat shared her gifts with us in volunteer roles that included Elder, youth leader, and VBS volunteer. During those years, she was also a teacher in the Toms River School District. Today you’ll find her reading Biblical scholars, sharing her love of Christ, and picking some impressive Fantasy Football teams. Yes, Pat’s an avid Fantasy Football player. If you’re looking for tips on your roster, she may be someone to chat with!
Kate Grill, Director of Contemporary Music & Media Specialist – [email protected]
As Director of Contemporary Worship & Media Specialist, Kate directs and leads the music for our contemporary worship services. She also creates video content, worship slides, PCTR merchandise, and coordinates our volunteer Production Crew (those are the folks you see each week at worship in the sound booth running the livestream and A/V!) Kate works with our youth ministry and kids’ ministry to incorporate music opportunities for students, too! When Kate isn’t singing, writing music and screenplays, or creating media components, she’s spending time with her husband TJ (you’ll see him in worship playing the electric guitar!) If you see her around the halls of PCTR, you can always try to stump her with Taylor Swift and Disney World trivia. And, if you’re looking for a new Netflix series or a great place to go thrifting? Ask her. She’s got some thoughts on both.
Lori Tomenchok, Special Needs Ministry Coordinator – [email protected]
Lori is a NJ Licensed teacher as well as a Child Development Specialist/Therapist for the New Jersey Early Intervention program. She’s been working in the field of education for the past 40 years with children in every grade and age group beginning with infants through young adults. As our Special Needs Ministry Coordinator, Lori excited about future opportunities to expand our program offerings to meet the needs of all age groups and families. She is also mom to 4 adult daughters, as well as 6-year-old grandson and 3-year-old daughter. She enjoys spending time with her family and making new memories together with them. She also enjoys being a lifelong learner! Fun fact, Lori is currently working on a PhD in Nutrition and Natural Healing!
Karin Gargone, Music Associate – [email protected]
If you’ve been to our Traditional Worship services, you’ve heard a sample of Karin’s musical gifts on the organ. As our part-time Music Associate, Karin leads our Women’s Ensemble and is involved with preparing music for traditional worship and staying in contact with members of the PCTR music ministry and the broader community. She recently retired after full-time music teaching and chairing the music department at Ocean County College. Did you know, however, that Karin once had career plans outside of music? Before she was introduced to the pipe organ, she wanted to be a geologist. As fun as that might have been, we’re glad she met the organ so we could be blessed by her talent in worship! As she recently shared, God is at work “when my music-making helps draw people together and closer to God in a way that transcends the music itself.”
Office Staff
Communications Coordinator: Sandra Potts ([email protected])
Financial Administrator: Colleen Kugler ([email protected])
Administrative Professional: Tracy Pantiliano ([email protected])
Building and Grounds Supervisor: Frank Pasquarello ([email protected])
Westminster Nursery School
Director: Michele Zaragoza ([email protected])
Treasurer: Elizabeth Thomson
The Session and Board of Trustees
Moderator of Session: Rev. Robbie Ytterberg
President, Board of Trustees: Adam Koeppen
Clerk of Session/Secretary, Board of Trustees: Dan Raisch
Vice President, Board of Trustees: Julie Armbruster
Treasurer: David Shipman