Pam Avaux - Chaplain
Pam Avaux has been a member at Lutheran Church of Hope since 1999 and joined the staff in January of 2000. She has served as Spiritual Gifts Director, Membership Director, and Care Ministry Director and presently serves as a Chaplain.

She grew up in northeast Iowa and graduated from Denver High School in 1977. She obtained a BA in public relations, marketing and journalism from the University of Northern Iowa in 1981. She obtained her certification in volunteer management from Des Moines Area Community College in 1996 and pastoral care specialist certification from Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center in 2004. She has also completed Leadership Training Network’s Level I and II and Consultant’s training in Lay Mobilization and Stephen Ministry Leadership Training.

Her two dreams in life were to be a pastor and a pianist. She started playing piano by ear at age five and started taking lessons at age six. Pam taught private piano lessons for eleven years to stay home with her children. After years of volunteer service in the church and the community, she was called to Westminster Presbyterian Church as Coordinator of Lay Ministries and also coordinated communications for the church. At Grand View College, she served as Events and Volunteer Manager and then was called to Hope.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Cornerstone of Hope Orphanage in Nigeria, teaches water aerobics at the Urbandale Pool and plays piano at Von Maur and around the metro. She enjoys visiting tearooms, her "Teacups" small group of almost eight years and traveling.

Pam and her husband Mark live in Urbandale and have two grown children: Meredith and Thomas.