Church Staff

Reverend Will Zant, Pastor

A native of Jackson, Georgia, Reverend Will Zant is the Pastor of North Springs United Methodist Church and in his first appointment through the North Georgia Conference of United Methodists as Pastor in Charge at North Springs. Rev. Zant is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Duke Divinity School. He has served in several churches, most recently as the Director of Discipleship at Athens First UMC.

Will is married to Blair, also a united methodist pastor, who is currently serving the Sardis United Methodist Church in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. Rev. Zant brings a tremendous enthusiasm for world missions and sharing the good news of the triune God creatively through service and mission within the Sandy Springs, North Springs, and Morgan Falls neighborhoods he serves. North Springs UMC is delighted to have such spiritual vitality, kindness, and pastoral integrity present in its senior Pastor. You may contact Will by email: will.zant@northspringsumc.org or telephone: 770-396-0844.

Rachel Hockman, Administrative Assistant

Rachel comes to us from LaGrange, GA, where she recently graduated from LaGrange College with a Religion Degree (concentration in Church Leadership). While in LaGrange, Rachel served as the Minister to Children and Youth at the First United Methodist Church of Pine Mountain. She is currently a member of St. James UMC, where her husband, Trey Hockman, serves as the Youth Minister. Rachel enjoys attending St. James and being involved with the Youth and Children's ministries.

Andy Williams, Business Administrator

Born in the San Francisco bay area and bred in Lynchburg, Virginia, Andy Williams has lived in Sandy Springs since 2000. A graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS degree in business (accounting), Andy has worked in public accounting and finance for a fortune 50 company. Prior to coming to North Springs UMC in 2001, he was consulting in various state agencies around the country. As the business administrator, Andy strives to balance the concepts and best practices from the secular world with the compassionate work of God – which may often appear to be in conflict. A professed work-a-holic, when Andy is away from the office he enjoys doing anything with his hands that gives him the liberty of turning off the brain. He is also active within the Brazilian community of Sandy Springs.

Jon Smalling, Youth Director

Jon Smalling has worked with youth and young adults in metro Atlanta for the last six years. He comes to North Springs with a desire to share the saving grace of Jesus Christ with the youth of Sandy Springs. He loves spending time with youth on retreat, lock-ins, and weekly studies. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional sales from Kennesaw State University. He and his wife, Ashlyn, live in Kennesaw and they have one son, Owen born in May of 2009.

Michelle Gray, Director of Preschool

Michelle Gray has worked with various ministries at NSUMC for 14 years; most recently with children's ministries. Michelle has served as Director of the North Springs UMC Preschool for 3 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Grades Education. She has worked in a variety of administrative and educational positions since coming to Atlanta in 1994. Michelle has been married to her husband, David, for 18 years and they have one son, Matthew.

Donna Fallis, Music Director

Donna Fallis received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education degrees from Georgia State University. She performed in chorus and solo roles with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus for over ten years, participating in numerous recordings and performances of masterworks under the direction of the late Robert Shaw. In addition to her extensive participation in community choral activities, Donna has worked for a number of years as a Fulton County Music Educator, teaching at all levels in the public school system from kindergarten through high school. She is currently serving as the Choral Music Director/General Music Teacher at Hopewell Middle School in Alpharetta. Prior to joining North Springs, Donna served as Director of Music Ministries at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Norcross, Georgia from 1990-1993. She has been on staff at North Springs since 1994 is devoted to making the Music Ministry of North Springs UMC a place for all of us to honor and praise God with all of our gifts and talents.

Marianne Barbour, Organist/Pianist

Marianne was born and raised in Maryland, the oldest of three children. Being part of a musical family, she began taking piano lessons at age 5 and continued through college; organ lessons began as a teenager and she often substituted at her home church, as well as surrounding churches in the area. She attended the Universities of Maryland and Tennessee as a music / organ major. Prior to becoming the full-time organist at North Springs in 2002, she held positions of Organist / Pianist in Knoxville, Tennessee and Freehold, New Jersey. Marianne has two sons - Jimmy, who lives in Knoxville, TN and Justin, who currently serves in the United States Marine Corps; she is also the proud grandmother of her first grandson, Jaxon. In addition to her music, she enjoys playing bridge, reading and hiking.

Pete Madison, Custodian

Pete has served North Springs for 7 years and keeps our facilities spotless. Adored by the children in the pre-school who high-five him with shouts of "Mr. Pete", Pete loves getting to know the children as well as our church members. He is married to his wife Barbara, has two children, Jamond an accountant, and Andre a student at Kennesaw State Univeristy. When he is away from the church, Pete enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren, Jaliel, Journey and Jaycee.

10 Steps to Prayer

1. Find a comfortable place where you won't be interrupted. Read several chapters of one of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

2. Close your eyes: give thanks for three things. Move toward God and away from self-sufficiency.

3. Ask God to bless and help three other people who you believe may need God's help today. Move toward others and away from self-centeredness.

4. Ask God to forgive your sins and mistakes as you confess them; ask God to give you the strength to forgive.

5. Ask God to help one other person that you find hard to like. Ask for insight into that person's problems and how you may allow God's love to flow through you.

6. Ask to be sensitive today toward the needs of one person with whom you may share God's love by word and deed.

7. Ask for insight into your own personal problems.

8. Ask for help in achieving your personal goals.

9. Ask God to tell you the most important thing you need to do

today in order to “seek first His kingdom.”

10. Listen for three minutes for what God may say to you.

Close with the Lord's Prayer