Erica Pagliaro
Pastor of Youth Ministry
Erica began attending Legacy with her family in April 2016, and was first called into the position of children’s ministry director in October of that same year. She quickly developed a knack for writing Spirit-led VBS curriculum, and in May 2021, after completing a year-long program with the Kidmin Academy, Erica was honored by Legacy and ordained as "Pastor" over the ministry. Just one year later, she took on a dual role as pastor over the youth ministry and fulfilled her heart's desire to work with teens. In May 2025, Erica stepped out of her role in the children's ministry to focus all of her time on youth.
Erica was responsible for the re-branding of both our children's and youth ministries as the Legacy WORLD CHANGERS Children's Ministry and WORLD CHANGERS Youth Ministry, respectively, out of a vision to truly teach the next generation how to impact the world around them for Jesus. She also uniquely correlates her role as youth pastor with her work as a personal trainer through a motto she uses with her fitness clientele: Last Round, Best Round. "Even though people going into the last round of a workout know the exercises and the proper form to use to avoid injury, their body is spent by this point of the session," she says. "I get to remind them that its also at it's warmest and most ready to perform; and when their mind tells their body, I can do this, they almost always surpass what they did in previous rounds."
"Our youth are in their Last Round, too... last round of being adolescents in church, in school, and in life. I and are ministry volunteers have taught them the exercises (i.e. bible lessons) for years. We have taught them how to perform without injury and hear from Holy Spirit. And now we're pushing them to make this last round as youth their best round... to dig deep within themselves, hear and know what the Father says about them, and walk in the fullness of their training to surpass all expectations the world tries to speak over them. It is a true privilege to watch them soar and change the world."
Erica and her husband, Matthew, have two beautiful daughters, Lluvia and Tahlia. They are originally from New York, but decided to move down to New Braunfels and become Texans in 2015. Along with being a personal trainer, Erica is also a group fitness instructor and homeschool mom. She enjoys dancing, baking, crafting, reading, and exploring.