Hi everyone--I was called to be your Pastor at St. Mark's in March of 2007 and began as Pastor here on June 1, 2007.  I was ordained in 1987 and have served parishes in Lincoln, Nebraska; Park Forest, Illinois (far south suburban Chicago); Burbank, Illinois (southwest suburban Chicago) and Cambridge, Illinois (western Illinois).  God has been and continues to be good to me through the parishes and people I have served--each parish has taught me different things about ministry and has helped me grow consistently in pastoral skills.
At St. Mark's, I am the Pastor for the entire congregation.  I am responsible for leading Sunday worship services; preaching God's Word; doing Children's Sermon ministry; I am a co-teacher for our Sunday morning Adult Class; I visit with our Sunday School kids and teachers; I teach Confirmation for our 7th and 8th grade youth; I work with the various committees of our church and the Church Council; I visit our shut-ins monthly; make hospital calls when notified; teach a Thursday morning Bible Study; provide pre-Baptism and pre-Marriage counseling; and am always available for other counseling sessions by appointment. 
My family includes my husband, Pastor Fred Schmidt, who is currently serving as an Interim Pastor in the Central States Synod--and cats and dogs.  My Mom lives in Northwest Arkansas, as do my sister Linda, my brother Mike, his wife Bonnie and their sons Marcus and Mitch.  My youngest sister Julie lives in El Paso, Texas.
It is my privilege to be the Pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church!  This is an alive congregation and it is great to be here among you!  Thanks for visiting this portion of our website.
Blessings to you!
Pastor Kris Dietzen