Council

Council

Peace is governed by a church council comprised of nine elected members of the congregation who serve three-year terms and Pastor Mark Nelson and Pastor Joe Orner. The Church Council meets monthly on the third Tuesday of the month.


Adam Tschida
Vice President

Adam and his wife Angela have been members of Peace Lutheran Church since 2012. Adam grew up on a family farm in Pierz, Minnesota. After high school Adam attended the University of Minnesota Duluth where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology.  He would later earn a MA degree from St. Mary’s University in public safety administration. Adam is a sergeant with the Apple Valley Police Department and the commander of the South Metro SWAT Team. Adam loves spending time outdoors with his family.  From lending a hand on his parent’s farm to enjoying a campfire at the cabin, Adam cherishes his time outside. Both he and his wife Angela have passed along this love for the outdoors to their two children, Addison and Wyatt. Annual trips to the Boundary Waters have quickly become some of the Tschida’s favorite memories. 

Jason Rich
Treasurer

Jason is serving his first term as a Peace council member, after joining the church in 2008.  He has been a resident of Bloomington since 1998, after relocating from Hawaii with his wife, Holly.  Jason has committed his adult life to public service, first serving in the Army as a military advisor in Asia and Africa, and most recently as a Bloomington volunteer firefighter since 2001. For his 'day job',  Jason works for Amazon Web Services as a sales and marketing leader.  He  and his wife, Holly, have two adult children - Payton and Kelsey, and two children attending Bloomington Jefferson High School – Adam and Avery.  They also have one granddaughter, Savannah, who attends Sunday school at Peace.  Jason and his family really enjoy the community feeling at Peace.  Between mission trips, teaching Sunday school, and just socializing with members on Sunday morning, they have thoroughly enjoyed their time at Peace!

Dave Thoen
Secretary

Dave is starting his 2nd stint on the Peace Council, having served as Treasurer and Secretary in the past.  Dave and his wife Denise of over 33 years, have been members for over 28 years and were drawn to the great Sunday messages at the time (which have continued over the years) as well as the many friends they have from Peace.  Dave and Denise have 2 sons, Reese, married to Sara, living in Crystal, and working in the IT world, and Riley, just finishing his 3rd year in a science PhD program at the University of Georgia.  Dave recently retired from corporate life, having spent his last 28 years at a consulting firm as a health actuary (one of the best moves of his life)!  Dave's hobbies include community service (which now exists once again), spending more time with family, working on numerous home projects, and a dedication to good health and fitness.  

Josh Braband
Member

Josh has been attending Peace since moving to the Twin Cities in 2014. He was drawn in by the vibrant music ministry that has led to him singing in the Peace Choir ever since. Growing up Josh enjoyed attending bible camp at Green Lake Bible Camp and singing in the Minnesota All State Lutheran Choir. So much so that in college he worked as a counselor at GLBC for one summer and MASLC for 4 summers. Josh has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Minnesota State University Mankato and a M.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota and now works in new product development and design. In his free time Josh enjoys a wide variety of hobbies from mountain biking and hiking to woodworking and glassblowing. 

Andrew Loeffler
Member

Thanks to the welcoming community, engaging worship services and shared values Andy Loeffler, his wife Katie and daughters Stella and Margot have been members at Peace since early 2020. He has enjoyed participating in CYF events, playing on Peace’s softball team and is looking forward to serving on the church council.  Andy grew up in Caledonia, MN and graduated from Winona State University. He has spent much of his career in Marketing and Client Services roles, most recently working in sales and operations for a global nutrition ingredients supplier based in Eden Prairie. In his free time Andy enjoys going on adventures with his family, shuffling kids between activities, playing golf and catching the occasional concert. Andy is grateful for Peace’s community, fellowship and opportunities to grow!

Holly Long
Member

Holly’s husband, Dave, brought Holly to Peace the summer of 2016. Pastor Mark's sermon was on Abraham Lincoln. She immediately wanted to return the following Sunday to hear the rest of the series. Dave joined Peace the following fall. It took Holly a little longer to join, and she joined in 2022 with her sister, Joanne. She joined the Altar Guild even before joining the church and has enjoyed the fellowship from the other AG members. She also has been a part of the evening Bible Study for the last few years. Holly feels right at home at Peace and has a true feeling of belonging. Holly is a retired teacher who taught for over 20 years. She has 3 grown children, all married, and 3 grandchildren (so far). She looks forward to serving the wonderful Peace community.

Cindy Olson
Member

Coming Soon

Emily Sidhom
Member

Emily Sidhom, her husband Sam, and their children Max and Stella have been members of Peace Lutheran Church since 2016.  She is passionate about supporting children as they build their relationships with Christ and has long taught Sunday School and volunteered with summer VBS programs throughout her adult life.  Emily grew up in Glenwood, Minnesota and has been in the Twin Cities area since beginning college.  She and her family live in West Bloomington and spend their summers at their cabin ‘up north’ near Rush Lake, MN.  Emily has worked in planning and operations within the advertising and marketing industry for the past 17 years -- most recently at Target corporate where she has been for the last 5 ½ years.  In between work and running the kids around to their activities, Emily enjoys gardening, DIY home projects, and relaxing outdoors. 

Kara Stender
Member

Kara and her husband Aaron have been members of Peace since 2015.  Kara was immediately drawn to the welcoming atmosphere at Peace.  She has taught Sunday School for many years.  Kara grew up in Apple Valley, MN.  She attended the University of Minnesota and obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing.  Kara and Aaron have two children, Grace and August.  Kara enjoys spending time with her family and friends, visiting local breweries, cooking, camping, and working on home renovations.