Welcome from Pastor Kristin: A New Season at Life of Life

Hello Lord of Life community!

My name is Pastor Kristin Vander Ploeg, and I am excited to be your interim pastor. I wanted to share a little bit about me, as I look forward to learning more about you in the coming weeks.

I have served as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for the past 15 years, in both congregational ministry and Air Force chaplaincy. I recently retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve after a 20+ year career, mostly as a chaplain, both active duty and reserve. I have felt God now calling me into transitional ministry, and I am honored to journey with you in this season.

Transition has always been a big part of my life, growing up in an Air Force family and making a few moves as a child before settling in North Dakota, which is where I call home. I then joined the Air Force myself by attending the U.S. Air Force Academy, with ambitions to become a NASA engineer, before God called me into ministry. After a brief assignment in New Mexico, I attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, where I earned my Master of Divinity and became an ordained pastor and chaplain. I served a congregation in Wisconsin before spending the next ten years as an active duty Air Force chaplain, living in Texas (twice!), Germany, DC, Ohio, and two deployments to Turkey and Qatar. I transitioned back to the reserves three years ago when I moved to Michigan, and I served with two congregations in Southeast Michigan before coming to Lord of Life.

I currently live in the Brighton area with my husband, and I enjoy being outdoors, often on a hike or run in our local parks. I also love traveling and working in our yard (when the weather is nice!)

I look forward to meeting you, and learning more about each of you, as we explore together how God is leading Lord of Life into the future.

Blessings,

Pastor Kristin

Messages for January 2026

• January 4, 2026 - (Matthew 3:1-12) At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning.
  

• January 11, 2026 – (Matthew 3:13-17) Before Jesus begins his ministry, he is baptized by John, touched by the Spirit, and identified publicly as God’s child.
  

• January 18, 2026 – (John 1:29-42) John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus initiates a chain of testimony as his disciples begin to share with others what they have found.
  

• January 25, 2026 – (Matthew 4:12-23) Jesus begins his public ministry shortly after John the Baptist is imprisoned by Herod. He proclaims the nearness of God’s reign and calls four fishermen to be his first disciples.