Who We Are

Site Administrator

I’m Karen Kogler, administrator of this site. My passion is enjoying God’s gifts and using them for his purposes. I’m convinced God’s kingdom will thrive as we, the church, help each other use our God-given gifts as we follow his call. That’s healthy church volunteerism. That’s equipping saints to serve.

I created this website to encourage and equip all gatherings of people who follow Jesus to be better stewards of their people’s time and talent. We can all equip each other to better serve Jesus.

This site contains my thoughts, tools I’ve created or found, and stories of what equipping looks like at various churches, including my own. The boxes to the right (topics, categories, search box, recent posts and archive) will help you explore the site. Use comments to share your thoughts, knowledge and experience.

I have served St. Peter Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois, as Director of Equipping since 2007. A lifelong member of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), I’ve enjoyed participating in many congregations as a volunteer and as professional staff and support staff. I’ve spoken on church volunteerism at a variety of conferences and at volunteer administrators network meetings; led online webinars for Wheat Ridge ministries and the LCMS Southeast District. I’ve written on church volunteerism for Lutheran Witness, e-Volunteerism; and written devotional material for Hope-Full Living and Portals of Prayer.

Background

  • Serving as Director of Equipping at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois
  • Earned a CVA, December 2010; earned renewal in 2015 and 2020. The CVA (Certified in Volunteer Administration) credential is the only international professional certification in the field of volunteer resources management.
  • M.A. in Theology, Concordia University, Irvine, CA; B.A. in Education, Concordia University, River Forest, IL.
  • Nine years, Director of Volunteer Ministries, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Southgate, Michigan
  • All three levels of training at Marlene Wilson’s Volunteer Management program at the Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
  • Began leading workshops and writing professionally while in Southgate.
  • Between the Southgate and Arlington Heights positions, I led (as a volunteer) an Equipping Volunteers for Ministry team in my home congregation, Christ Lutheran, Costa Mesa, while employed by the Center for U.S. Missions in Irvine.
  • Before beginning in church volunteerism in 1993, I served as parochial school teacher and church office administrative assistant
  • My husband is a retired church musician who served churches in Missouri, Michigan, California, and Illinois. We are blessed with two adult sons.