About Us

Meet your facilitators

WHAT'S UP!

Rod Arters

Rod grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, but has made the South his home for the last 15 years. Husband to Elle, and dad of three children and four step children, Rod is a graduate of Eastern University in St. Davids, PA. Rod double majored in Health & Physical Education and Youth Ministry and has over 25 years of full-time ministry experience under his belt, serving 3 previous churches in numerous capacities; students, young adults, and missions. He currently serves Huntersville United Methodist Church as their Associate Pastor, overseeing Congregational Care & Sports Ministries. When he is not working or hanging out with his family, he is an avid pickleball player.

HEY Y'ALL!

Elle Renee Arters

Elle, a co-founder of Core Matters Creative Center, is a soulful systems thinker with a creative wild side—part coach, part course architect, part storytelling alchemist. She doesn’t just talk about growth — she designs experiences that walk people through it. With one hand in the world of emotional wellness and the other in the land of sticky notes, metaphors, and mood boards, she turns big ideas into grounded, heart-forward tools and paragraphs that actually help people change.

She believes transformation happens when we get honest, get aligned, and start living from that weird, wonderful spark inside us. She’s not just here to help people grow—she’s here to help people grow on purpose.

Basically? She makes healing feel human, growth feel doable, and self-discovery feel a little like magic.

You can also find her personal page full of creative content on Facebook here. She is also the wife of Rod, and mom to four, step-mom to three, and fur-mom to one.

NICE TO MEET YOU!

Stephanie J. Gren, MA, LCMHC-A

Stephanie is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and co-founder of Core Matters Creative Center, and owner of Core Matters Counseling. The younger of the two sisters, she blends evidence-based therapy with strategic coaching to help clients and professionals move through anxiety, burnout, and major life transitions with clarity and confidence. Known for her warm, thoughtful approach and practical insight, Stephanie believes meaningful change starts at the core — and works best when it fits real life. Whether she’s guiding clients in session or leading workshops, she brings both clinical depth and approachable energy to every conversation.

If you're a North Carolina resident interested in licensed therapy with Stephanie, please visit Core Matters Counseling.

What Clients Are Saying About Us...

"Elle Renee Arters has consistently been an encouragement, a reminder of truth, and an empathetic ally to women going through the floods and fires of abusive relationships. She offers her hard earned wisdom with the credibility of someone who has walked through her own hellish [circumstances] and come out the other side, full of hope and new life, deeper understanding. And I've never even met her in person; all of this, she has given through Facebook posts!" Carol Allred

"Steph is amazing, she creates a safe space to share, and is the first counselor I actually look forward to seeing!" Jane S

"Elle, PLEASE keep writing. If this type of spot on truth was available to me years ago, I would have seen that I was not crazy, contentious, etc. and all the other lies I was led to believe. I would like to believe that it would not have taken me 28 years to see through the fog of deceit and manipulation and the wounds to my children and myself could have been greatly minimized. Thank you for your courage to speak truth and light into darkness... all the women are not free and need the light you provide to point their way out of darkness." Tammy Gallow

"Elle gives all of us help in valuing what others dismissed - our feelings, our thoughts, our very selves." HeidiLynne H Hart

"Please continue to write and use this platform! Your voice/posts have helped me so much. Especially when it comes to understanding and not feeling alone or crazy. Thank you!!! <3 Please keep sharing!!" Allyson Turpen Farris

"(Elle), I may be the only male voice saying this here, but please please please keep doing what you do. Both the church and the wider community need your kind of wisdom and advocacy. It's invaluable. I often repost/re-use your material in other "church" contexts. Please just keep doing what you're doing." Mike H.