KINDLE’s mission is to enhance the church by fostering and multiplying servant leaders.

KINDLE’s Core Values:

• Christ-Centered
  We are anchored in Jesus Christ and aspire to serve Him and His church in all that we do.
• Congregation-Based Ministry
  We affirm the congregation as the front line of ministry for the church and endeavor to enhance the ministry of congregations.
• DCE Ministry
  We value the spirit and character of DCE ministry that enhances the church in the development of servant leaders.
• Excellence
  We understand excellence as a dynamic of “being” as well as “doing” and seek to be a learning organization enabling innovative leadership development within the congregation.
• Leadership Legacy
  We are committed to ongoing processes that develop generations of Christ-like servant leaders.
• Personal Wellness
  We are committed to a lifestyle that models and encourages wellness in all aspects of life.
• Servant Leaders
  We value servant leaders who celebrate their baptismal identity, and offer themselves as living sacrifices to God on behalf of others in family, church and world.

Board of Directors
KINDLE’s Board of Directors is made up of people committed to its mission and core values. Each member is a certified Director of Christian Education and brings a rich variety of gifts to the institute.

President: Susan Steege
Sue serves as Director of Transformation Ministries at First Trinity Lutheran Church in Tonawanda, New York.

Vice President: David Rahberg
David Rahberg is a Director of Christian Education serving in Care ministries at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas.

Secretary/Treasurer: LeRoy Wilke
LeRoy is now retired, having served as Executive Director of the Board for District and Congregational Services, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, St. Louis, MO.

Other Board Members
Elvin Harms, Michele Karpenko, Melissa Christian Luepke, Les Schmidt

Members at Large
Richard Bimler, Mark Carter, Keith Loomans

Administrative Executive: Bill Karpenko
Bill is recently retired from Valparaiso University and now serves as the Administrative Executive for KINDLE.

Operations Coordinator: Diane Schuessler
Diane coordinates the KINDLE Learning Cycles and portions of KINDLE’s communication, marketing and fundraising efforts.