SED Worker Care Team
In the Fall of 2016 President Denninger launched the SED Worker Care Team, a group of SED professionals, made up of ordained, commissioned, and lay workers, whose task it is to promote the health and care of church workers and their families in the Southeastern District.
The areas of responsibility for the SED Worker Care Team include:
- Identifying, developing and recommending to the President and congregations policies advocating and promoting a sense of wholeness and well-being for workers and their families.
- Analyzing the needs of professional workers and their families.
- Engaging professional workers to consider the high moral and ethical standards necessary in their daily lives and in performance of their duties.
- Assisting congregations and professional workers in the activity of evaluating mutual ministry.
- Assisting the President, District Staff and Circuit Visitors in referring workers to professional help in times of crisis.
- Partnering with parallel groups and adapting helpful insights and discoveries toward the continuing improvement of quality care for workers.
For additional information on the SED Worker Care Team, please email the team at SED Care team. Follow the Worker Care Team on Facebook
Other Useful Links:
- Taxes and Ministers – A synodical resource of tax issues for ordained and commissioned workers. You may need to scroll down the page to reach the link
- Coach Advance – Personal coaching for enriching your walk with God.
- Doxology – The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel, which offers advanced study retreats for strengthening pastors.
- Grace Place – Retreats, wellness weekends, and workshops for pastors, church workers and their spouses.
- Shepherd’s Canyon – 8 day retreats for individual, couple, and group Christian counseling for all professional church workers and their families.
- Ministry Sabbatical Resources – Planning, policy development, and research on why sabbaticals are helpful to ministers and ministries.
The SED Worker Care Team Members
Stacey Crosson
“My name is Stacey Tasler Crosson. I am a commissioned minister in the LCMS and I currently serve as the Clinical Director for Safe Harbor Christian Counseling of Northern Virginia. I have served over 25 years in Word and Service ministry as a Director of Christian Education, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Family Life Educator, and military spouse. I have been blessed with a loving husband and two amazing daughters. I’m leading the SED Worker Care Team because I have a passion to inspire and empower church workers to live more abundant lives that reflect health, courage, vulnerability, and trust.”
Stephanie Guelzow
Stephanie has been an elementary teaching for 24 years in Lutheran Schools. In addition to working in the classroom, she also enjoys working with middle school students to produce an annual musical. Some of Stephanie’s other hobbies include stage managing with the community theater, card making and reading. She also enjoys spending time with her feline friend Penelope.
Kevin Martin
Pastor Kevin Martin has served six Lutheran congregations, beginning in 1986 as a field-worker in Trumbull, Connecticut, and vicarages in Arlington, Massachusetts and Belleville, Illinois. He has been pastor of congregations in Pembroke, Ontario and Akron, Ohio. Since 2000, he has served as pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Raleigh. Pastor Martin is a lifelong (confessional!) Lutheran (even though) he holds degrees from Valparaiso, Yale, and Concordia Seminary St. Louis. He and his wife Bonnie have been (happily) married since 1988, and have two (awesome!) adult children, Bethany and Christopher. Bonnie is an elementary school teacher. The Martin family enjoy music festivals, travel, golf, and swimming. They are also avid readers and movie-goers.
Ann Teske
“I’m Lenore (Ann) Teske. I was invited to join the Southeastern District Worker Care Team because of my role as a change agent in healthcare administration and my interest in leadership, innovation, mentoring and program development.”
Jack Meehan
Senior Pastor, St. John’s, Alexandria, VA
Mezmur Zemichael
Minister of Outreach, Prince of Peace, Springfield, VA
Holly Brasso
Redeemer Lutheran Church, Parkton, MD
Shawn Massel
Shawn is an LCMS Director of Christian Education serving at First Lutheran Church in Huntingtown, Maryland.