Church Staff

	Staff Member	Contact
	Senior Interim Pastor: Pastor Richard "Kip" Smith Pastor Richard K. Smith, known better as "Pastor Kip", was born and raised in Southgate, Michigan. He attended Concordia Jr. College in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Concordia Sr. College in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. It was at the Sr. College that he met his wife, Lora. Originally from Mishawka, Indiana, she was going to school at IPFW to become a nurse. Pastor Kip then went to St. Louis for his seminary training. He and Lora were married after his first year at the seminary. They Vicared in Crossville, Tennessee. Pastor's first call was to a dual parish in Southern Illinois, where he served for 3 years while doing graduate work at the St. Louis Seminary. They then took a call to the First Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, where they served for 7 1/2 years. The Lord then led them back to Ft. Wayne, where Pastor Kip served as the Sr. Pastor of Suburban Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School for over 16 years before coming to Peace Lutheran here in Grand Island. Pastor and Lora have two grown daughters, Kristen and Kimberly. They remain in Ft. Wayne, both working and going to school.
	Associate Pastor: Rev. Mike Reiners Pastor Reiners started in the ministry in 1988, and has served at Peace since June of 2001. In 2004, he earned a Master's Degree in Family Life Ministry from Concordia University, Seward. Some of his duties at Peace include overseeing the Peace Core home Bible study groups, along with helping to follow up on visitors and get new members involved at Peace. Pastor Reiners is a Nebraska native, married and the father of two children.
	Dir. of Youth Ministry: Mr. Carl Eliason Carl came to Peace in July of 2007 and serves in the areas of junior and senior high youth. He grew up in Rapid City, SD, used to sing in opera and musical theater, and has previous youth ministry experience at churches in Elk River, MN, and Wichita, KS. He has a BA in K-12 Music and Theater Arts from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN; a Master of Music-Vocal Performance from Wichita State University; and a Master of Parish Education, a Master of Science-Family Life Ministry, and DCE Specialist Certification from Concordia University, Seward, NE. Besides serving along side teenagers in ministry, Carl enjoys woodworking, computers, writing, reading, sports, and spending time with his wife Joan and two children.
	Dir. of Childrens Ministry: Mrs. Sherri Probasco Sherri has served at Peace since March of 2001. Before that she was a preschool teacher for 8 years. Some of Sherri's duties include overseeing Sunday school and Vacation Bible school. Sherri can be found in the office on Tuesday and Thursday and can be reached at home anytime. Sherri grew up in Seward, Nebraska, graduated from Chadron State College and is married with two small children.
	Director of Music Ministry: Mr. Tetsuya Sugita Tetsuya has served at Peace since July of 2004. He graduated from Concordia University, Irvine (CUI) in 1994 with a Music Major in Organ Performance and continued to study organ as a post graduate at California State University, Fullerton. He completed a colloquy at CUI in 2004. He supervises Peace Music Ministry and plays the organ and keyboard for worship services and directs the senior choir and song teams. Tetsuya was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan. He moved to Southern California in 1990 and served at Zion Lutheran Church in Anaheim and lived there until he moved to Nebraska.
	Preschool Director: Mrs. Beverly Wildauer Bev has served at Peace since October, 1982. She graduated from Concordia University, Seward NE in 1973 with an Elementary Degree and Lutheran Teacher's Diploma. Her first call was to teach sixth grade at St. John's Lutheran in Stuttgart AK. At the end of the school term she married her husband Byron, and moved to Michigan. While living in Farmingron Hills MI, Bev spent one semester teaching fourth grade at St. Paul's Lutheran before moving back to Nebraska in 1977. In 1996, Bev received her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University, Seward. During the 2001-2 school year, she completed the Early Childhood Care and Management Training Program through the Early Childgood Training Center in Omaha. Bev and her husband are the parents of five children, two of whom are married -Kirsten, Nathan, Sondra/Benjamin, Megan (deceased), and Brant/Katie. Ben and Sondra have two children, Josiah and Gideon.
	Trinity Lutheran School - Grade 2 Sandy Schenk Sandy Schenck, along with her parents and three sisters, grew up and farmed near St. Libory, NE. She graduated from St. Paul High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Concordia College in Seward, NE. She currently teaches second grade for us at Trinity Lutheran School. She and her husband, Jerry, have two grown daughters and four grandchildren. Sandy enjoys spending time with family, especially grandchildren, and gardening.
	Trinity Lutheran School - Grade 3 Tami Chandler Tami Chandler teaches third grade at Trinity Lutheran School. She grew up in Grand Island and graduated from Grand Island Senior High. She continued her bachelor’s degree at Concordia University in Seward, NE in education. She and her husband, Steve, have three children at home; Kayla, Stephanie and Andrew. Mrs. Chandler’s hobbies include music, her children’s activities and flower gardening.