Church and Preschool Staff
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Dave has served as Salem's interim pastor since 2021. His greatest joys in ministry are preaching and sharing God’s Word with individuals and families in a personal manner. He also serves as the pastor at Christ the Lord in Cottage Grove, MN.
God has blessed Dave and his wife Rachel with three children: Gabrielle (10), Asher (8), and Anna (4). Dave loves living in the Twin Cities area and enjoys going to Wild hockey games, plays at the Guthrie, playing board games with the kids, and walking tours.
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As a teacher I believe…
- Every child is a gift from God.
- Every child should hear the good news of Jesus—He is our Savior from sin and death.
- Every child has a desire to learn.
- All children are unique in the way they learn and interact with the environment around them.
- Education must be meaningful.
- Integration of subjects and technology is important for learning.
- In teaching to the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
I am a Minnesota native growing up on a dairy farm with my three other siblings. I met my future husband while attending high school at Luther Preparatory School. We were married in the summer of 2000 and have lived in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Minnesota. He is currently serves as pastor at Salem Lutheran in Stillwater. We have four wonderful children of our own who are all teenagers now.
I graduated from Martin Luther College in 2001 with a degree in Elementary Education. Since then I have found my passion for early childhood education. I have taught preschool since my graduation, with a few years off to raise my children. I was also a director of a learning center for three years before coming to Salem Lutheran in Woodbury.
I enjoy crocheting, sewing, reading & scrapbooking. I also enjoy being outdoors hiking, running and camping. My students quickly learn that my favorite color is purple. Most of all I love spending time with my family. They do grow up fast.
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Nikki has served as Salem’s Half-Day Preschool Teacher since 2020. Nikki loves working with the children at Salem Preschool. She enjoys helping children conquer new things and teaching them about how much Jesus loves them.
Nikki is married to her husband, Tim, and they have three children, Sophia, Benjamin, and Samuel. In her free time, Nikki enjoys spending time with her family, sewing and making crafts, playing board games, and swimming.
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Larissa helps to keep Salem's mission moving forward by managing key functions and administrative duties.
Over the years Larissa has had a variety of experiences working with children in school settings. She started working as an aide in the preschool at Salem in 2020. She enjoys getting to know all the children’s fun personalities and listening to them sing praises to Jesus.
Larissa and her husband Adam have been blessed with three children, Evan (12), Natalie (10), and Jase (7). During her free time Larissa enjoys time outside, reading and being the “Mom Bus” for all her children’s extra activities.