Leadership

Joel was baptized at Christ Lutheran in Overland Park, KS, and formed in Christian community at Mt. Olive in Rockford, IL (first communion in 2006); Concordia Nebraska (BA Language and Rhetoric, 2014); and Concordia in St. Louis (MDiv, 2018; STM, 2022). Ordained in 2018, he was first called to St. John in Park Rapids, MN, and called to St. Paul in 2022. He and his wife, Sarah, were married in 2016 and are joyful parents of four children who keep them on their toes. 

David P. Kottlowski is a retired second-career LCMS pastor.  He attended Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, serving his vicarage at Mason City and Ventura, Iowa.  He then served congregations in southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa.  Pastor Kottlowski is assisting Pastor Newton during St. Paul’s vacancy by preaching, pulpit supply, visiting member shut-ins, and otherwise as needed.  Pastor met his wife, Viviane, while serving as a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. They married after release from active duty. Viviane was born to an English father and Belgian mother; she speaks French, Dutch and English. Together they have two married children each with four children.  Pastor Kottlowski worked over 20 years in the business world before seminary, as a CPA with Price Waterhouse, as Director of Financial Accounting at IBP, Inc., among others. 

Kathy Olson has been the Office Manager and Secretary at St. Paul since June 2016. She grew up in a very small town in northwest Iowa and is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is the parent of three adult children and became a grandmother in 2023. Kathy has been an active member of St. Paul and LWML since 1997. Before coming to St. Paul she worked in an accounting office, in sales and marketing, as well as photography. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her children and grandson, reading, crossword puzzles, walking, and following the Cyclones (go State!).

Laura Nelson and her husband Zack recently relocated back to Iowa from Arizona, where Laura served as the Director of Children and Youth Ministries at Trinity Lutheran Church and School for over seven years. She is currently pursuing a Theological Studies (BA) and Director of Church Ministry (Level 3) degree at Concordia University Wisconsin. Zack is an Event Manager at Arizona State University, working mostly remote. Zack and Laura have a daughter, Abbi, who works as a Rehabilitation Counselor for Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and is married to Christian, a Midwest Regional Account Manager for Envirotech. Abbi and Christian live in Bondurant with their two children, Cooper and Brinley. Laura and Zack are thrilled to be back in Iowa, where they enjoy many precious moments with their grandkids and are close to family again. Laura's prior experience gives her a deep understanding of LCMS congregational and Christian education efforts, events, mission projects, and outreach opportunities for the youth, and she is excited to continue serving His children at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

If you'd like to know more about the congregation, please reach out to me.

Are you willing to help us count the weekly offerings, we'd love your help!

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Have a way of sharing Jesus with our community? I'd love to hear about it!

Want to help us pour into our Youth and share the love of Jesus with them?

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We're all about the little ones at St. Paul! If you'd like be a part of it, email me!