Pastor Bob Kirchmann
My name is Bob Kirchman and I have been a pastor for thirty-eight years. I have been here at Eksjo Lutheran since July 1, 2024. I like Eksjo for many reasons but I really like the mix of people: There are members who are new to the area and members whose families have been here for generations.
There are households ranging from super traditional to newer ways of people being together.
There are long-time married couples and never marrieds. There are newlyweds who are in their 70’s, and twenty-year marrieds in their early forties. There are marrieds without children and singles with children.
Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, talks about Jesus bringing very different people together to form a community where God will be. I believe Eksjo is an example of what Paul is talking about.
I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin and attended the U.W.-Madison (the Badgers) and went to Wartburg Seminary to become a pastor. I liked school, but I discovered early on that I enjoyed working with people. Prior to becoming a pastor, I was a full-time volunteer working in a shelter for homeless men, and later was a house-parent working with people with special needs. I met my wife, Bonnie, during my intern year in Prairie du Chien, Wi. and we have three grown children, and two grand-children. I enjoy reading, playing chess, sports, outside yard work, and spending time with my family.
God Bless You.
Pastor Bob
Youth Director Cole Wixo
Hello Friends,
My name is Cole Wixo, and I was hired as Eksjo’s Youth Director in August of 2024. I have an amazing wife (Liz), and three fantastic kids (Lydia, Molly, and August), and I could not do this job without their help and support.
Prior to becoming involved with the youth in our church, I was a secondary education teacher at Lake Park Audubon. I taught Social Studies and Construction Careers from 2010-2020. Prior to teaching I was a carpenter and continued to build houses in the summers during my tenure at LPA. In 2020, I stepped away from education and went back into the carpentry field full-time. I love working with wood and building things with my hands. However, there was a human connection piece that was missing, and I began to find myself wanting to work with kids again. When the youth position opened at Eksjo, I felt like it was an opportunity for me to take my teaching skills to a different venue. God granted my wish, and I have had an amazing time sharing my faith with students and working with the youth in our church and community ever since.
From the months of September-May we have confirmation every Wednesday evening at Eksjo. We have a meal before followed by an hour class where we learn more about the love that God has for all of us. We like to do 2-3 events every month that range from service projects to fun fellowship. We try to make many of our events open to all students in the area, because we want them all to know that we care about them whether they attend our church or not. We also have a great partnership with three other Lutheran churches in our area and get together as a larger Youth Group once per month to engage in exciting service projects and enjoyable events such as: winter tubing, bowling, food drives, pickleball and volleyball tournaments, church lock-in’s, game and movie nights, community carpentry projects, fall pumpkin carving contests, gingerbread nativity scene building, attend concerts, do mission work, Friday morning Bible study, and much more.
One of the things that I am most proud of is that so many of our students have wanted to become even more involved than just attending confirmation and youth events. They wanted to take a more active role in planning and facilitating the things that we do as a youth group, so they have formed an ELF Council (Eksjo Leaders by Faith). These students plan youth led worship services, help with Sunday school, schedule youth friendly events and service projects. They are a wonderful group of student leaders.
All the above can be summarized in saying that we have an amazing group of young people who care about their neighbors, love Jesus and do their best to follow in His footsteps. I so am excited to be part of this growing program and cannot wait to see the impact these students have on their church and community!
Office Administrator Dawn Moore
Many times you have heard or read this: please send Dawn pictures, or make sure Dawn gets your information on time. You want to schedule a baptism or wedding? Call Dawn. However, many of you have not had the pleasure of meeting Dawn, our Lamp administrative assistant. She is a hard worker, organized and efficient. So much of her job relies on everyone getting information to her in a timely manner. Also, she has to keep Pastor on task – not an easy job! Thank you very much Dawn.
Meet Dawn
I was born to Allen and Shirley Thronson in Ada, MN. I was baptized and confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church, Ada and graduated from Ada Junior – Senior High School.
Being raised in a Christian household, church attendance and activities were very important. If I did not go to church or Sunday School (which was K-12 grade), I was not able to do anything on a Sunday afternoon. Wednesdays were also a church day, and school activities could not be scheduled.
Dale and I are coming up on 36 years of marriage; we were married in Ada in May 1989. We have two children, Amanda and Justin, and a dog, Jadyn.
Dale works in Ulen at West Central as their Safety Director.
Amanda got married to Eric in 2020 and they live in Duluth, with their dogs, Willa and Phoebe.
Justin got married to Carlie in October 2023 and in September 2024 made us very proud grandparents to a little girl, Aubrie. They in Barnesville with their dog, Mildred.
When Dale and I were first married, we moved around A LOT- living in Delano, Watertown, Brainerd, Devils Lake (ND), and Hawley. We currently live SW of Detroit Lakes on Pearl Lake.
I have worked as a waitress, an Avon lady, at a telephone company, gas company, credit bureau, bank, dental office, health clinic, and I have been the Office Administrator at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and for LAMP.
My hobbies are collecting MN state flower items (Pink Ladyslipper), crocheting, embroidery, baking, walking, 2 of my favorite things are going out to eat and to just sit and look at God’s beautiful creations (lakes, mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, etc.).
When we moved to Hawley in 1996, we joined Hawley Lutheran Church. (Pastor Randy Whitehead was Ass’t Pastor at that time). In 2004 we moved to Pearl Lake and joined St Peter’s Lutheran Church. Pastor Roy Noel was the pastor at that time, and we remain members there.
One of my faith stories started in 2016; it was a very hard year for us. During one of the storms in July, our house was struck by lightning. Dale and I were in Bemidji at a wedding, watching the radar. Around the time of the strike, I said a prayer to keep our house safe. I know God heard because the lightning caused a fire in four places, but there wasn’t enough air in those spots to keep the fires burning; the firefighters said the house should have burnt down with the damage that was caused. A month later my brother, Kelly, was killed in a motorcycle accident. That has been one of the hardest things to go through in my life.
During the next few months, other trying things happened to us (not as tragic, but hard to deal with nonetheless). Then, in January 2017, Amanda was robbed at gunpoint by two guys in her garage in Duluth. They took her personal items but did not physically harm her (SO thankful!). On her way back inside to her apartment afterwards, Amanda felt her Uncle Kelly’s presence with her as her guardian angel. Kelly and God protected our daughter!
It has been said that cardinals are a sign from loved ones in heaven. Several years after Kelly had passed, on his birthday, a male cardinal came and sat on one of my bird feeders, just long enough for me to get a picture, and for him to tell me he is ok. 🙂
I love the life I live; I have a great husband, two beautiful children, a beautiful granddaughter and faith, health, friends, family, and a job I truly enjoy. I have met some great people from Eksjo and Augustana. I like meeting the faces of the names I put in weekly bulletins and monthly newsletters. So feel free to stop in and say “hi”.
My prayer is for peace, love, and kindness in the world. God Bless! Dawn