The Staff at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church
Pastor: Mark Vance
Associate Pastor: Mike Zurek
Pastor Mike was born in Thousand Oaks, California and raised in Reno, Nevada. He earned his Bachelor Degree in Religion from California Lutheran University in 2001; and his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2008.
During seminary Pastor Mike took an extra year to complete a hospital residency as a chaplain at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Height, IL. He served his internship year at Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL.
Pastor Mike has been married to his wife, Gail, since 2001. Gail is the Area Director for the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Indiana. He and Gail have a two young sons.
Pastor Mike enjoys watching and playing (at least trying to play!) all kinds of sports. He has recently picked up a golf club for the first time in a long time and is ready to get back into it. He also enjoys spending time with his family and traveling back to the West Coast to visit with his extended family.
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Director of Worship and the Arts: Robert Benne
Bob comes to us from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Chicago Heights, where he has been Organist and Music Director for the last 17 years. He was also a teacher in that congregation’s parochial school and has now retired from teaching to devote full-time to his passion for church music.
Prior to going to St. Paul’s, Bob taught parochial school and was Music Director at three other Lutheran congregations.
Bob’s wife, Carlene, is Music Director at Faith Lutheran Church in Homewood. The couple lives in Lansing and has three married daughters and eight grandchildren.. |
Childrens Ministry Director: Carlene Benne
Carlene is a retired parochial school teacher. She served congregations in Lansing, Chicago, and Chicago Heights. She is also a musician and has served four Lutheran churches as music directors. She has 34 years of experience with children.
Carlene's true passion is church work especially bringing the Word to children.
She also loves to travel, read, cook, and spend time with her husband Bob, their children and grandchildren.
Administrative Assistant: Kate Knoerzer
Kate was born and raised in Kankakee, Illinois. A graduate of Culver
Girls Academy, Kate has a business degree from Calumet College. She
worked for her husband’s family owned business for 17 years before joining
our staff on a full time basis. She and her husband, Paul were the Indiana
SBA small businesspersons of the year in 2002. |
Clerical Assistant: Susan Neilson
Sue was raised in Harvey, Illinois. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Eastern Illinois University and her Master's Degree from Purdue. She taught children in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades for 33 years in Harvey and Wauconda, Illinois. Sue retired from teaching in 2004.
Her part-time position as Clerical Assistant at Holy Shepherd Church reminds her of some of her past teaching duties, without the homework.
Sue has an adult son and two grandchildren. She enjoys movies, reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. |
Custodian: Janet Bates
Janet was born and raised in Harvey, Illinois. When she was a teen,
her family moved to Indiana, and she graduated from Lake Central
High School. |











