Pastor Jason Lang

Jason is the Lead Pastor of Word of Life. He grew up in New York and New Jersey and has lived all across the U.S since then. He and his wife Heidi have been married for over 20 years and reside in Henderson, MN. They have 4 kids that were born in 4 different states, Beka, Doug, Cat, and Bri. They love to travel.

He has degrees from Philadelphia Biblical University and Lutheran Brethren Seminary. He speaks at youth camps and conferences around the U.S. because he loves connecting with people and sharing God's message of salvation through Jesus Christ. When Pastor J isn't drinking coffee and talking with someone, he can be found riding a bike, fly-fishing, skiing, hiking, or cooking for his friends and family.

Contact: pastorj@wordoflifemn.com

Pastor Nick Olson

Nick is the Campus Pastor for Word of Life - New Prague. He originally hails from Minot, ND and won’t hesitate to talk your ear off about what he considers “God’s Country.” Having spent over a decade in vocational youth ministry, Nick has a heart to connect teenagers and their families with the Good News of the Grace of God.

Nick has had opportunities to study in a number of settings including Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, SK, Free Lutheran Bible College in Plymouth, MN and has a B.S. in Psychology - Marriage & Family Counseling from University of Northwestern in St. Paul, MN. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity through Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, MN.

Nick and Brittany have been married for over 11 years and reside in New Prague, MN. They have 4 wildly energetic kids: Teddy, Tommy, Ellie, and Charlie. When there is some free time, he enjoys perfecting his barbecue skills, cheering on the Vikings and Twins, fly-fishing the waters of southern MN, pheasant hunting in Western ND, and watching movies from the 1970’s.

Contact: nick@wordoflifemn.com

RENAE KRAUSE

Renae is the Director of Building Blocks Christian Learning Center, a Christian-based daycare program for families in the Le Sueur / Henderson area. Building Blocks provides a nurturing, safe, and educational environment, and helps guide children into making the best choices for themselves, while helping them learn to share, communicate, and interact with others. Renae is married to Chad and they have 2 incredible daughters, Lauren and Maura and reside in Le Sueur.

Contact: renae@wordoflifemn.com

Sue Schwartz

Sue is the smiling voice you hear when calling Word of Life Church. She is the person who helps people get connected and generally helps us stay organized. Sue loves God and loves people and that's why she loves ministry with Word of Life. She grew up in the area and now lives just outside of Le Sueur with her husband, Brian.

Sue enjoys walking, swimming, biking, spending time at the lake, hanging out with their 5 kids, and riding with her husband, Brian, in the truck or tractor. She loves being part of the Word of Life family and feels blessed to share in spreading the gospel message.

Contact: sue@wordoflifemn.com

BEKA NADGWICK

Beka is the Youth & Worship Director of Word of Life. She grew up in ministry and must really like it, pursuing it vocationally after attending Bethel University for a BA in Music and interning in a local church. Laughing with the youth group and worshiping with others lights her up like a Christmas tree. After volunteering in youth ministry throughout her worship career, Rebekah has a passion for mentoring young musicians and creating safe spaces for young people in the community.

Beka met her husband Isaac at Inspiration Point. They got married in early 2020, brought home a Great Pyrenees puppy that summer, naming her Reid, and proceeded to treat her like a child. Some of her favorite things to do include checking out local coffee shops, writing music, taking her dog everywhere she goes, reading, tending to house plants, and playing video games with her husband.

Contact: beka@wordoflifemn.com

We are Missional.

God's mission was to save His people from themselves and the sin that infects them, so He sent His Son Jesus to save us by living a perfect life and giving His life in our place so that we may be forgiven.

We are Relational.

God created us to be in relationship with Him and each other. Our first relationship is with God, He loves us and gets to know us through Jesus. God moves us into relationship with the people we run into every day. Word of life is a bunch of people who Iive their life and faith together.

We are Intentional.

Life and faith don't happen by accident, we value doing things intentionally. Friends don't invite themselves over to our houses, we do. Conversations don't happen unless we open up. We are living our faith on purpose.

We are Sacrificial.

This is hard, but it's true, Jesus gave his life for us and calls us to live lives that give to others too. Everything we have is a gift from God and He gives us these gifts to share with the people around us. We share our time, talents and resources.

We value Law & Gospel.

God expresses Himself in both Law and Gospel. The Law is any time God says, "Do this, don't do that." The Gospel is "What God has done for us." We do not shy away from sharing God's Law that shows us our sin and guides our lives. And we love sharing the Gospel that proclaims God's love and forgiveness for us when our lives fall short of God's Law.

We are a part of a Global Church.

Word of Life Church is a member of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren Church, a network of churches around the world. Learn more at clba.org.