Staff

PASTOR David J. Baldukas	Pastor Dave became Olivet’s Pastor in June, 1995. His primary responsibility: “To discern and follow the will of God for the mission and ministry of Olivet Beacon of Light Lutheran Church.” Pastor Dave has his Masters of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary and has completed coursework toward a Doctorate in Ministry from the University of Chicago. His undergraduate degree is in Religious Studies from Carthage College and he holds an associate degree from Gateway Technical College.  He enjoys cooking and anything outdoors.  His favorite books include The Bible, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer,  and Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala among many others. Favorite movies include: Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Star Wars, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Matrix, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and many others. Using three words to describe himself, Pastor Dave says “child of God.” He  has many favorite Bible verses. One in particular is 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. “It reminds me that God has done a new thing for me and in me—that I am a new person in Christ. It also reminds me that it is not my own doing but the work of God—”Grace” for me in Jesus Christ. Then the verse reminds me of the work and the ministry that God’s church needs to be about—the ministry of reconciliation!” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NLT: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And  He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back            to God!" Pastor Dave and his wife Lisa have three daughters: Amy, Sarah and Christa. The couple lives on French Island.
PASTORAL INTERN Luanne Sorenson	A member of Olivet since 1980, Luanne Sorenson is pursuing the ministry as a second career and began interning at Olivet in 2009. In addition to assisting with pastoral duties at church she visits the sick and those who are in nursing homes and are homebound. She also works with new members and helps develop communication materials. She has her Masters in Education from UW-La Crosse and undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Speech from UW-River Falls. Prior to coming on board as a Pastoral Assistant in 2007 she worked for 27 years at Gundersen Lutheran in marketing and patient relations where she also is an affiliate chaplain.  She currently is completing theology courses through LCMC’s (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ) “Beyond the River Academy.” Hobbies include walking, spending time with family, reading and scrapbooking. Asked to describe herself in three words, she said a “work in progress.” A favorite Bible verse is John 8:12 NLT where Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Among her favorite books are the Bible, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and favorite movies include It’s a Wonderful Life and Forrest Gump. Luanne and her husband Dennis have three grown sons: Sam, Corey and Jacob and four grandchildren: Elijah, Madeleine, Ethan and Nathanael. She and her husband live on French Island.
OFFICE COORDINATOR Alice Gerken	Alice Gerken has been the Office Coordinator at Olivet since 1998 and a member since grade school. In her position, Alice maintains the church database “Church Windows,” puts together the Monthly Beacon and ensures that things run smoothly amid a myriad of details essentially doing “whatever is needed.” Prior to working at Olivet, Alice was employed for over 26 years at Trane Company doing master scheduling and material planning for heating and air conditioning units and then spent time as a “stay-at-home” grandmother taking care of grandson Alan. Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Alice enjoys knitting and crocheting and reading books written by Christian author Lori Wick. Her favorite movies include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Pretty Woman. She and her husband, Frank, have been married for over 45 years, live on French Island and have a daughter, Amy and grandson Alan.
YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES Lynn Tully	“Nurturing students and families toward spiritual maturity,” best describes Lynn Tully’s role in Youth and Family Ministries at Olivet. Lynn has a Psychology degree from Luther College with minors in Religion and Education. She came to Olivet in July, 2010 and prior to that time worked for over 22 years in the roles of education, youth and family ministry in area Lutheran churches. She also worked in gift planning in Wisconsin for the ELCA Foundation. “I am still discovering where God will have me use my gifts and talents,”  said Lynn. Using three words to describe herself, she said, “A changed life.” Lynn and her husband, Rich, live in La Crosse. They have three children: Zachary, Rachel and Lydia. Lynn enjoys cooking with her husband and also enjoys baking pies, bars and desserts and traveling. Her favorite movie is one where you can’t predict what is going to happen as in Shawshank Redemption. Her favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH TEAM LEADER Kristi Perkins	Kristi Perkins, a student at UW-La Crosse, is the High School Youth Group leader at Olivet.  Currently in the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program, she has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish.  On campus, she is involved in Campus Crusade for Christ and the Student Occupational Therapy Association. Kristi grew up in Baraboo, WI and has an older sister, Becky, and an older brother, Aaron. When she has spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, being outside (when it isn’t freezing!), scrapbooking, watching movies and spending time with God. Among her favorite movies are: The Blind Side, Remember the Titans and Despicable Me.  Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence, and the pleasures of living with You forever.” Her favorite book is  Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers as well as books by Jodi Picoult. Using three words to describe herself, she says, “honest, dedicated, friendly.” High School youth interested in contacting Kristi can reach her via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 608-434-6647.
OFFICE SUPPORT Joel Fisher	Joel Fisher joined the team at Olivet in June, 2010. In his Office Support role Joel, among other things, prepares worship Power Points, weekly bulletins, the Weekly Beacon newsletter and updates Facebook. Joel has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies-Interpersonal emphasis from UW-La Crosse and has a Master’s Degree in Religion with a Worship Studies emphasis from Liberty University. Joel has been participating on worship teams since age 18 and has worked in customer service in restaurants and banks. He enjoys singing, playing guitar, biking, running, hiking and taking road trips. His favorite Bible verse is Galatians 5:13: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.  But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.  Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Among his favorite books are the Bible, Desiring God by John Piper and Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning with favorite movies including The Goonies, The Chronicles of Narnia and Braveheart. Using three words to describe himself: authentic, goofy and compassionate. Joel and his wife Ashley live in Onalaska.
SAT 530PM MUSIC TEAM LEADER Emma Blank	As the Music Team Leader for Saturday night services, Emma Blank selects the music, sings and plays guitar for this “Blended Worship” service. She describes her role as “sharing the word of God through song.” Emma is a life-long member of Olivet. Music has always been a very important part of her life and she said she is humbled to be able to share her musical gifts with the Olivet congregation.  Asked to describe herself in three words, she says, “child of God.”  Her favorite bible verse is John 11:35 “Jesus Wept.” because “it makes me understand the ‘humanness’ of Jesus Christ.” Favorite books include Eric by Doris Lund and anything from Dr. Seuss. Favorite movies include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Elf.” Emma and Rod have been married for over 20 years and live in Hokah, MN. They have three adult children: Ryan, Kyle and Carmen. Emma enjoys camping, reading and gardening.
SUNDAY 8 AM MUSIC TEAM LEADER Doris Schwingle	Doris Schwingle is the Music Team Leader for the Sunday morning “Classic” worship at 8 am. She selects the music, plays the organ and keyboard and also directs the choir. Her favorite Bible verse: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Doris has been at Olivet since 2007 when she and her husband, John, moved to the area after she retired from teaching in Maine. She has double majors in Education and Psychology/Sociology and taught for nine years at the elementary level and then language arts for 25 years at the middle school level. Among her favorite books are: Of Mice and Men by Steinbech and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Favorite movies include Gone with the Wind, Sound of Music and Camelot. She enjoys reading, walking, cooking, singing, shopping and education. She and her husband John live on French Island. They have three adult children: Stacey, Susan and John and two granddaughters: Emma and Madison.

SUN 10AM MUSIC TEAM LEADER Toni Groshek

Toni Groshek is the Music Team Leader for the Celebration Worship at 10 am on Sunday mornings. Both a vocalist and a pianist, Toni has a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and has been a freelance musician for over 20 years. She joined the Olivet team in October 2011 and prior to that played piano and sang for funerals and weddings at Olivet. Her favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 43:18-19: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Her favorite book is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and her favorite movie: Sense & Sensibility. She enjoys drinking good coffee and when asked for three words to describe herself, she says, “Must have chocolate.” Toni and her husband, Dale, have two children. Her family lives in La Crosse.