WHO WE ARE
God’s ministry and mission through Crosslake Lutheran is expressed through our mission statement of Gather, Grow, Go.
We are called to celebrate and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that all people may know Christ’s love for us, for the whole human race, and for the whole creation. To that end, we constantly lift up scripture passages like Ephesians 2:8-10 where we are reminded that “we are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, so that we do not boast about it.” – passages like John 3:16-17 which reminds us that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son” and “God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
This is the theology we celebrate and share, and you are most welcome any time to celebrate with us.
STAFF
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Pastor Kristin Oltmann has served as Senior Pastor at Crosslake Lutheran Church since 2016. She began her call here as Associate Pastor in 2014. It is her privilege and joy to live out her pastoral vows of “preaching and teaching God’s word, leading worship, providing pastoral care, speaking for justice, equipping for witness and service, and guiding in proclaiming God’s love through word and deed.” Pastor Kristin graduated from St. Olaf College with a Liberal Arts Degree majoring in Speech Communication. Her Masters of Divinity is from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. She also has a Spiritual Direction Certificate from Christos Center in Lino Lakes, MN. Before serving in Crosslake, Pastor Kristin served at First Lutheran in Brainerd for over ten years. She’s married to Tony, a Presbyterian pastor, and their son, Kyle is in middle school. She enjoys spending time outdoors enjoying all four seasons in the beautiful Brainerd Lakes Area, exploring and learning about other cultures (this started in college with traveling abroad), and diving into a good book with equally good coffee (and chocolate)!
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Brenda LaRock is the Office Manager for Crosslake Lutheran. She is the friendly voice on the phone or the smiling face you first see when you walk in the door or stop by the office. She takes care of all the day-to-day details to keep the church office running smoothly. She and her husband, Leon, have lived in the lakes area since 1995 and raised four daughters here. She loves spending time with her family, going to sporting events, reading, and enjoying the area lakes.
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Patricia Lundeen is the Music Ministry Director at Crosslake Lutheran. Her areas of ministry is “all things music:” worship organist/pianist Sunday morning and Wednesday evening; Adult Choir accompanist; Handbell Choir director; provide music for occasional services, such as funerals & weddings; and assist the pastors in worship planning. She likes to think of the entire assembled congregation as one large choir! Her desire is to: encourage worship participation with inspiring and creative music; present the highest quality music possible in praise of GOD; contribute to growth in faith through meaningful worship music; present the highest quality music possible in praise of GOD; and contribute to growth in faith through meaningful worship music. This includes: involving as many people as possible in our established music groups; encouraging individuals to use their musical talents as soloists, instrumentalists, or in ensembles. With over 50 years of experience as a church musician, my goal is to continue to grow in my understanding of how music reaches people and inspires love for God and one another.
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Kristi Morsch directs the Crosslake Lutheran Adult Choir. The choir meets for rehearsal on Wednesdays at 4:30pm in the church sanctuary. Everyone is welcome to join the choir for a special event, a church season, or forever! The choir sings anthems for worship in addition to leading the congregational singing. O Soli Deo Gloria! Kristi taught public school music (K-12), Early Childhood Family Education music, and directed children’s church choirs for over 30 years. She and her husband are blessed with 3 children and 7 grandchildren, all now living in the Brainerd lakes area!
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Tracy Nelson is the Bookkeeper for Crosslake Lutheran. This entails the churches finances. She has an accounting degree, a CPA Certificate, and her license to practice accounting.
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Item descriptionHello, my name is Clint Henning and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the youth and families of Crosslake Lutheran Church. Christie and I moved up to the area 5 years ago with our kids (Cooper, Piper and Sawyer) and felt at home and welcomed the first time we attended outdoor church. Crosslake Lutheran has been an important part of our family’s journey since that day.
Prior to moving, I worked for 11 years as a school psychologist in and around the Des Moines area in Iowa. I have also spent many years coaching youth baseball from ages 6 through high school. I have enjoyed supporting kids in many different roles and feel blessed to have the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing staff and families at Crosslake Lutheran to provide support for our youth as the walk through their faith journeys. I look forward to partnering with our church staff and families to continue to make this a place where our youth can find community with each other and grow their faith.
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Barb Hanson is the music coordinator for the Summer Outdoor Worship Services. Summer Worship begins just before Memorial Day and go through the Labor Day weekend. She selects music, gathers musicians, holds rehearsals and leads the Sunday morning services. Contact Barb if you would like to participate as one of the singers or instrumentalists. Barb has been active in church music all her life and retried from a career as a vocal music teacher at Rosemount High School.
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Gail Smith is the Parish Nurse at Crosslake Lutheran and works as the leader of the Health Ministry program which encompasses all mind, body, and spirit wellness promotion for church members and the community at large. Programs include wellness education, health information, referrals for health care, and health needs and food support. Gail leads teams including Befrienders, Home Communion, Angel Food, and visitation for homebound members. She currently works as an RN at the Minneapolis Heart Institute with almost 50 years of experience, especially in emergency nursing. She and her husband love to travel to their home on South Padre Island, Texas and spend time with family.
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Paulete Wilske is the Volunteer Coordinator for Crosslake Lutheran. She has lead several church members, known as the Trailblazer, to find volunteers for both indoor and outdoor services. It is a satisfying as well as challenging to find volunteers on any given Sunday. She is a retried nurse who moved with her husband of 54 years to this area around 5 years ago. They have two children and two granddaughters. She is very active in many areas of the church and enjoys that immensely. Her hobbies are quilting, crocheting, and reading. She enjoys being part of the Crosslake Lutheran family.
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