About Me
I love helping people discover their God-given strengths and how to use those in the Kingdom. I believe when people are empowered to use their gifts to bring healing to this world they honor God, and bring joy to themselves.
With over twenty years of ministry leadership experience, I know God grows our leadership and character simultaneously. I enjoy helping people be attentive to God’s movement in their lives by providing practical tools through teaching, trainings, and coaching.
I'm Christine and I love God & People
One of my earliest leadership moments was at thirteen years old. My dad put his arm around me and said, “No one will ever ask you about your GPA in the “real world”. But they will notice how you care for people. Keep loving people and you’ll do great.”
I believe my father saw leadership gifts in me before I did. I didn’t see myself as a leader when I was young. Perhaps I was a good friend, a good student, and a great party thrower! But not a leader. Lack of confidence, nobody looked like me as a leader, and my fear of failure were just a few contributing factors to this narrative. As I matured, I discovered God in my life, and surrounded myself with some good mentors.
I’ve learned that leadership looks different in various seasons and we all have gifts to contribute. I do know that God is delighted to work through each of us. He has good works for us to do, and he loves us dearly. I enjoy helping people find this for themselves and see their lives change as a result.
I graduated from Butler University with a degree in elementary education. I taught fifth grade for a couple of years in Indianapolis, before I went into full time ministry with InterVarsity.
I’m a teacher at heart and have a passion for teaching others about the Lord Jesus Christ through Scripture. I enjoy teaching from Scripture as I speak at conferences, train leaders, and mentor people. I love building relationships with the people I serve alongside, too. As we work together and use our collective gifts for the Kingdom, great things can happen.
I enjoy pastoring and caring for people. I earned a M.A. in Counseling Ministries from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2007. This degree, along with ministry and life experiences, have cultivated much wisdom and empathy in me. Investing in someone’s life, helping them remove obstacles to know more of Christ’s love, and seeing a more abundant life form is incredibly rewarding to me.
Christine & Kurt
Our story is not a traditional one. I wanted to be a wife and mother and wrestled with God many times over his “slowness” in making this happen. While I had dated over the years, I never got married and wondered what God was up to. This didn’t fit my plan, and I’m a woman who loves a plan.
I believe that if we are open, God will guide us on the paths set before us, which are different for each one of us. The Lord used my path of singleness for many things in my life, not least of which was to grow my identity in Christ and my intimacy with Him. Many blessings and marvelous gifts came from this season.
At forty-two years old I married Kurt Wagoner on a beach in Florida. We live in Indianapolis, Indiana and enjoy spending time with friends, family, and tinkering with house projects from time to time.
God’s timing may have seemed slow to me, but I know see it as perfect for me, and for us. God provided me with a tremendous gift in my husband, that I did not earn nor deserve. I’m grateful for his partnership and I love how we cheer each other on to be more of who God is calling us to become. Through selfless love, vulnerability, and leaning into grace, God continues to shape who I am through this path of marriage.
Christine & InterVarsity
As a college sophomore at Butler University, God gave me an invitation to lead a bible study in my sorority, and I emphatically said no. Little did I know that this no would turn into a yes and become one of the most important decisions I made.
I learned that I love facilitating discussions, my heart longed for people to know Jesus, I became passionate about studying Scripture, and my life transformed through Christ as I lead this study.
Fueled with a desire to see college students transformed by Jesus, I joined InterVarsity Staff in 1998. I served at Purdue University with GreekIV, a ministry focused specifically for fraternity and sorority students. What I did then, and what IV Campus Ministry Staff still do, is help students grow in their relationship with Jesus, mobilize them to share God’s love in word and deed, empower students to bring renewal to the campus, and change the world. It is a privilege to have a front row seat into this journey with students and Christ.
In 2007 I transitioned into managing, coaching, and developing InterVarsity Staff. I first started with GreekIV, and then in 2010 transitioned to Divisional Director of the State of Indiana. In 2018 I accepted my current role as Associate Regional Director, overseeing all undergraduate ministry in Indiana and Illinois. I’ve led several
national leadership trainings, including a cohort for women advancing to senior leadership.
I have discovered that no matter where God places me, I will find a way to help others know more about Jesus, discover their gifts, and empower them to use these strengths for the healing of this world. When we discover that we truly are God’s masterpieces, created in Christ Jesus, we find freedom to do the good things he planned for us long ago (Ephesians 2:10). And this brings joy not only to others, but to our own hearts, too.