Karen felt called to be in a teaching ministry since she could remember.  She began by attending Concordia College, River Forest (now: Concordia University, Chicago) and obtaining her degree in elementary education with concentrations in music and psychology.  She taught in Janesville, MN for two years, and then took a call to teach at Divine Redeemer in Hartland, WI.  It was there that she met and married her best friend, Jeff.  Karen's career of full-time Lutheran school teaching lasted a total of five years, as two days after their first anniversary God blessed them with their first daughter, and 21 months later their second daughter was born. 

Karen knew that she still wanted to be in the teaching ministry, but in a part-time role while raising her daughters.  She switched to teaching music & directing choirs in the school.  She also began a Women's Bible study in 1991, which eventually grew into more opportunities for teaching and ministering to women.  By 2002, she realized that her new calling was a teaching ministry solely to women, and she officially began as the Director of Women's Ministry at Divine Redeemer.

Karen's daughters, Rachel and Sarah, are now teenagers.  Rachel is at Hope College in Holland, MI and Sarah is at Lake Country Lutheran High School.  Jeff and Karen enjoy watching their girls' sports and music activities.  When Jeff and Karen are not leading a praise team, you might even catch them on an area lake trying to land the big one!

Karen's passion is to help women to personalize their faith.  She has a transparent teaching style which reaches women of all ages and backgrounds.  She is privileged to serve the women of her church as well as others in her occasional role as a conference and retreat speaker.