EXPERIENCE ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
 
 
 
 
 
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
 
 
 
SMALL GROUP FELLOWSHIP
 
 
 
 
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
 
OUTREACH AND MISSION OPPORTUNITIES
 
 
PHOTOS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
 
 
 
GREETINGS FROM PASTOR MARK BECKER

I am pleased to serve with the people of St. Paul Lutheran as we are shaped by the grace of Jesus Christ.  My passion is in preaching and teaching this freeing Gospel, and I believe that a community that is shaped by this grace is vital and healthy.  As God's people, we are on a journey together, and I suggest that two questions for this journey are:  "What is God doing?"  and "How can we be a part of that, here and now?"  Life in faith is an adventure that calls us to trust and to care for others along the way.

I have been a pastor at two congregations in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, serving for 12 years at Faith Lutheran in Coon Rapids and for 22 years at Lutheran Church of Peace in Maplewood, Minnesota.  I grew up in Charles City, Iowa, and graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa (with a BA in sociology) and from Wartburg Theological Seminary, in Dubuque, Iowa (Master of Divinity).  Continuing to learn and grow is important to me, and taking time to read, reflect, and pray keep me growing as a Christian and as a pastor.  My hope is that I can stay tuned to the ways that God is at work in my life and in the church I serve.

My wife, Judy, and I are the grateful parents of three adult children, all of whom are either working or studying out of state.  We currently live in Woodbury, and enjoy walking and biking as well as some of the cultural opportunities of the area.  An occasional concert, play at the Guthrie or movie are some of our favorite things to do.  I like to garden a bit, and enjoy most sports, particularly Twins baseball and Gopher basketball.  But, most of all, it is my joy and privilege to be in partnership with the people of God, seeking to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

I welcome any and all to give me a call (or email mbecker@stpaullc.org) or come in to talk about faith questions or concerns.  Life and faith (including doubts) are meant to be shared in the spirit of Grace. 

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PASTOR ROGER SCHWARTZ, OUR VISITATION PASTOR

Greetings!

I am Roger Schwartz, the senior visitation pastor here at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.  I’ve been serving this congregation since December 2001.  My wife, Jean, and I have been married 47 years and we reside in Little Canada.

We have three children. Lisa, our daughter, is vice president at Questar, a marketing research company.  She lives in Shoreview with husband Merrill and two children, Micah and Michaela.  Our oldest son, Brad, is a family practice physician in Sandpoint, ID where he lives with wife Patty and sons Ryan, Nathan and Ben.  Dan, our youngest son, lives in St. Paul where he operates a lawn maintenance service.

I retired in 1999 after 30 years of parish ministry in rural, city and suburban congregations.  My last call was to House of Prayer Lutheran church in Oakdale.  I served there 20 years.  After a year of travel and rest, I was blessed to become part of the staff of St. Paul Lutheran here in Stillwater.

My duties include calling on some 35 shut-in senior members monthly.  We encourage each other in the faith and share the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Once a month I meet with the Senior Advisory Committee where we strategize to serve the seniors of the church in many ways.  Some events are the Ageless Dinners on the first Sunday each month, as well as a senior communion luncheon each spring and fall.  I occasionally participate in  the Sunday worship services.

I am a 25 year veteran as a singer with the St. Paul Swedish Male Chorus. 

I’ve always had a love for foreign missions.  In 1992 I was privileged to make an Arctic ski trip into the Russian province of Chukotka where I conducted the first Lutheran worship service after the fall of the Soviet Union.

More recently my wife and I have made four trips to Iringa, Tanzania where we encourage the local congregations there.  Most recently, St. Paul Lutheran Church began a partnership with Mgama Parish in rural Iringa.  My wife, granddaughter, four ladies from St. Paul Lutheran and I visited the Pairsh in February 2008. 

Here at home we help African refugees and poverty families in the Twin Cities obtain adequate clothing and furnishings.  St. Paul’s members and friends have been of great help in this mission!

We also are part of an organization called St. Paul Water Partners which specializes in providing clean safe water for the villages of Iringa, TZ.  Thus far, we have completed 66 wells which serve some 30,000 persons and reduced greatly the water-borne diseases of the area.  The current goal is 100 wells by 2009.

My hobbies are travel, Canadian fishing, puttering at my cabin in the woods, and most recently, rock collecting with my grandkids.

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Our Intern Pastor, Andrew Lundborg

Hello! I’m Andrew Lundborg, and I’m excited to be serving St. Paul Lutheran as the Intern Pastor until the end of August 2009.  It is a privilege to partner in ministry with this congregation.  I’m 28 years old and grew up in Forest Lake, MN.  I graduated from St. Olaf College in 2002 with a BA in psychology and a minor in environmental studies.  I have worked as a Teen Center coordinator and a Psychiatric Associate in the Univ. of MN medical center’s psychiatric and chemical dependency units.  I completed clinical pastoral education at Fairview Ridges Medical Center in Burnsville, MN.  After this internship here at St. Paul Lutheran, I will have one more year of study at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN before completing a masters in divinity and being ordained in the ELCA.  My wife, Molly, and I live in Woodbury, MN.  My wife is an RN in labor and delivery.  I enjoy travel, outdoor activities, movies, and humor.  I’m passionate about social justice ministry, environmental ministry, pastoral care, public policy, and sharing the Good News of God’s forgiveness, grace, compassion, care, and love.

Mary
Our Organist / Pianist, Mary Dinesen
 OUR ORGANIST / PIANIST
 
 Hello!  I’m Mary Dinesen, and I am happy to serve as the organist/pianist at St. Paul Lutheran Church.  I began working here in May, 2007, after taking a bit of a hiatus while our children were young.    
 
I grew up on a farm near St. Ansgar, Iowa.  I began taking piano lessons at an early age, and started playing the organ regularly for church when I was in high school.  I hold a Master of Arts degree in Organ Performance from the University of Iowa, and received my Bachelor's degree at Concordia College, Seward, NE.  I have served as music director/organist in Sheboygan, WI; Arnold, MO; Minneapolis, and Woodbury, MN    For many years I have sung in the College of St. Catherine's Choral Society.  In the past few years I have been teaching a few piano students.   

My husband, Rick is employed by Land O‘Lakes in Arden Hills as a Senior Engineer in Research and Development.  We live in Woodbury and we are the parents of Isak and Joanna; both are in elementary school in Woodbury.
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