About Shawn Fenske
Incoming Senior Pastor
About Pastor Scott Snow
THE REVEREND SCOTT A. SNOW
Scott Allan Snow, the son of William and Myrna (Rasmussen) Snow was born on June 25, 1957 in Brookings, South Dakota. He graduated in 1975 from Watertown High School in Watertown, South Dakota. In May of 1979, he was awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Biblical Languages from Concordia College (now University), St. Paul, Minnesota. In May of 1983 he graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri receiving the Master of Divinity degree. He is presently pursing doctoral coursework in the field of “Christian Outreach.”
His first Call (in 1983) was to serve the Lord through St. Paul Lutheran Church and School of Rockford, Illinois where he remained for 15 years. Throughout his tenure at St. Paul, he filled the roles of Associate pastor, Sole pastor and Senior pastor.
In 1998 he received and accepted the Call to serve the Lord through the congregations of the West Region of the Northern Illinois District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. As a district executive, he served in the role of a Mission and Ministry Facilitator (Executive for Congregational Services). In addition to assisting parishes with resources, networking, mission planting and long range planning, he provided a “link” between the Northern Illinois District and the Synod in the areas of Missions and Stewardship.
Throughout his parish and district ministries, Pastor Snow has served the circuit, district, and the Synod in a variety of ways including Circuit Counselor, Chairman of the NID Circuit Counselors’ Conference, District Vice President (in both NID and the Kansas District) and as a Synodical Reconciler.
In July of 2005, he accepted the Lord’s Call to serve as the LCMS Director of Outreach and was tasked with working alongside LCMS districts across the country in order to implement Ablaze! in the United States. LCMS Ablaze! goals for the United States included reaching at least 50 million people with the gospel message, revitalizing 2000 existing LCMS congregations and starting 2000 new congregations. He concluded his service with the National Team of World Mission at the LCMS International Center on Monday, March 1, 2010. He was installed as the senior pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas on March 7, 2010.
When asked about his “passion,” Pastor Snow comments that he is “enthusiastic about assisting, encouraging, equipping and inspiring people to frequently and intentionally share their faith in Jesus with people who do not yet know Him as Lord and Savior!”
He married Debra (Happel) on September 1, 1990 and the couple has three grown children: Rebecca, Joshua, and Bethany. Rebecca is a graduate of Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska and is now a Called Lutheran School Teacher in Las Vegas, Nevada; Joshua is graduate of K-State University in Manhattan, Kansas and works in Kansas City; and Bethany is a graduate of Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas. She, too, is working in Kansas City.
About Pastor Ryan Ankersen
Pastor Ryan Ankersen is married to his wife Keri who teaches Fifth grade at our Christian day school. He is also blessed with three young girls who attend the day school as well. Born in raised in Nebraska, Ryan is no stranger to the Midwestern lifestyle. After attending Seminary at Concordia St. Louis, he started his first call as an associate pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Flemington NJ. After serving here for 4 years, Ryan and his family took a call to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fremont, NE. Ryan served as a pastor in Nebraska for 5 years before taking a recent call to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in October 2023.
Ryan is passionate about inspiring, equipping, and raising up the church to seek and to save the lost. Ryan likes to help people make the connection between life and faith so that they can better live out their faith in Christ and for Christ.
Ryan enjoys the outdoors, quality time with his wife and children, and performing live music.
About Karen Boettcher
Personal –
I am married to Ted, our church organist. We have been blessed with two daughters, a son-in-law and two grandchildren, who live in eastern Kansas. Many of our extended family live in Kansas and Nebraska.
Favorite Verse –
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith, you shall ask in prayer, you shall receive.” Matthew 21: 22
Education –
My degrees and advanced education includes: A.A. degree from St. John’s College, Winfield, Kansas; BS in Education from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska; Masters in Education from SIU, Carbondale, Illinois; Administrative Certification in Building Leadership from ESU, Emporia, Kansas; ESL endorsement form KSU, Manhattan, Kansas.
About Dennis Wantland
Dennis Wantland, the youngest of six, was born and raised in Oklahoma. He graduated from Owasso High School, 1985, and the University of Oklahoma, 1989 (go Sooners). His Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance was put to good use with a variety of entities in the IT, Finance, Service and Construction industries. Dennis was called to Wichita from North Carolina in January 2023. He brought his wealth of knowledge to Holy Cross Lutheran, as the Business Manager, on February 27, 2023.
Dennis married the love of his life, Karen Elizabeth (Steely) Wantland, on August 18, 1990. They are the proud parents of three children: Trevor Stewart 1/98, Sidney Danielle 6/00, and Riley Ann Wantland 12/05. Trevor received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics from East Carolina University (ECU) and his Master’s degree in Business Analytics from Temple University. Sidney received her undergraduate in Bio-Process Engineering from ECU. Riley is currently attending High School.
When Dennis is not working as the Business Manager for Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School he enjoys family, fellowship, mentoring, sports, and food. At the top of his list of interests — worship and being of service.
About Phyllis Clark
7Accounting Associate
About Brian Amey
Brian Amey is passionate about the discipleship and faith development of students in high school and college. After growing up at Holy Cross, Brian went to Concordia University in Nebraska and majored in Theology/DCE ministry. His wife Pam is also a DCE and works along side him at Holy Cross and they have been blessed with three children, Rachel, David, and Nicole.
About Pamela Amey
Pam is the Middle School Youth Minister. Pam is married to Brian, the Director of Student Ministries at Holy Cross, and they have been married for 19+ years and have 3 children. Pam grew up in rural, eastern Idaho where, as a teenager, she fell in love with Jesus and His amazing grace, the Spanish language and any outdoor activities/exercise she could get involved with. Pam earned her DCE degree from Concordia University, Nebraska.
About Melissa Green
Melissa is the Business Secretary and has been at Holy Cross for 3 years.
Melissa has been married to David for 13 years.
She received her degree in Business Administration while working in banking for 15 years.
Melissa’s hometown is Winfield, KS and currently lives in Derby, KS.
About Lisa Wagner
Lisa grew up in Minneapolis, Kansas and has been married to Rick for over thirty years. Their children are both alumni of Holy Cross. Lisa worked in the school kitchen for three years before taking on the position in the Church Office. Lisa likes cats.
About Christine Tuck
Christine E. Tuck
Christine was born to Marlow and Linda Schaefer on September 18, 1969 at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. The family moved to Wichita in 1970 and Christine attended Holy Cross Lutheran School for three years before the family moved to Leavenworth, KS. She attended St. Paul Lutheran School, graduating in 1984. She attended Leavenworth High School and graduated in 1988. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology from the University of Kansas in 1992. Christine worked in the medical and pharmaceutical research fields in Lawrence, KS and Kansas City, KS from 1992 to 2000.
On September 23, 2000 Christine married Martin Tuck and relocated to Wichita, KS. Martin and Christine joined the family of faith at Holy Cross in 2001 and have been members ever since. Martin and Christine have two daughters, Elizabeth (2002) and Amanda (2005), who both attended Holy Cross Lutheran school from preschool through eighth grade. Both also attended Trinity Academy.
After many years as a stay-at-home mom, Christine reentered the work force as the Holy Cross School Library Assistant in 2013. Then in February 2019, she accepted the position of Parish Secretary. She enjoys working at Holy Cross and serving her fellow church members in this position.
About Christina Dunleavy
Christina has been an active member of Holy Cross for almost 10yrs, and began her role as Administrative Assistant for the school the summer of 2022. She earned her degree in business & marketing from Creighton University. Christina and her husband (Aidan) of 15+ years have three boys who currently attend Holy Cross. She enjoys singing, traveling, watching her boys play 500 sports, and making memories with her friends and family.
About Sara Schubert
Sara and her husband, Joe moved to Wichita from Austin, Texas and became members of Holy Cross in 2014. They have 2 children, Will & Evie, both of whom attend Holy Cross School. After actively volunteering at both the church & school, Sara felt called to accept the role of our part-time Outreach Coordinator. In addition to serving Holy Cross by helping coordinate outreach projects Sara also manages the church & school social media pages, creates marketing materials and helps maintain the church & school websites. Sara is a proud graduate of The University of Texas (Hook’em!), loves to spend time with her family, craft, and play golf.
About Justin Cox
Justin has been with Holy Cross since 2019. He is married to Amanda. His Daughter, Katie, attended Holy Cross School. Justin is dedicated to serving others along with serving the church and school. Justin has worked for over 20+ years in Information Technology and Programming. Justin loves to get outdoors any chance he can, some of his favorite activities are Camping, biking, motorcycles, and landscaping/farming. Justin likes birds in general.
About Jen Myers
Family:
My husband, David, and I are blessed with four active young children. We are also blessed to have both sets of grandparents very active in our family!
Education:
I graduated from Concordia Seward, Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in May, 2003. I first served in Redeemer Lutheran’s three year old class the school year of 2003-2004. In the fall of 2004, I took a call to Trinity Lutheran in Greeley, Colorado. I taught 4th-8th grades reading, English and music. I graduated with my master’s in Early Childhood Education in 2007 from Concordia. I opened Trinity Lutheran’s preschool in the fall of 2008. I taught and directed preschool in the morning and taught 1st-3rd grades in the afternoon. In the fall of 2011 I took a call to Holy Cross here in Wichita. I have been blessed to be the preschool director and teach summer camps since then.
Goals:
- I feel blessed to give and receive grace as a member of the body of Christ. My mission is to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus where I am planted.
- I strive to make sure we have a welcoming, nurturing, safe, environment that shares Jesus with our students, their families, and the staff here at Holy Cross.
- I seek ways to help students, their families and my staff thrive and succeed. This is done by making sure staff is trained and supported. I host four family events for the early childhood classes per year to educate and foster fellowship. I also have a parent resource library in my office. I am an advocate of authentic relationships in a busy world.
- I pursue curriculum that facilitates spiritual, physical, cognitive, social/emotional and creative experiences that are developmentally appropriate of each child.
Hobbies:
I try to find balance between a busy home and work schedule, dream about hiking in the mountains, sing in praise band, train for the next running race, quilt, can fruits, explore with making healthy food taste yummy, ponder what silence might sound like, attempt to instill respect, love and responsibility into four little beings that we have been entrusted with and strive to keep Christ the center of our family.
About Tara Hackett
About Bailey Thode
Preschool Teacher
About Lisa Bittle
Lisa Bittle – PreK teacher at Holy Cross since 2015. Before that Mrs. Bittle taught for 8 years at Valley Center Preschool and followed by 14 years at Eastminster Preschool. She earned a Masters of Education (with an emphasis in early childhood) from WSU. She has been married to her husband Leland for 30+ years and has one adult daughter who was educated at Holy Cross. Favorite Bible verse: Look to the Lord and His strength; Seek His face always.Psalm 105:415
About Audrey Kloke
Family –
Husband David Kloke, kids AbbyLane (7th), Juniper (5th), Nicholas (Jr Kdg), Roberta (Grandma)
Favorite Verse –
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4
Education –
Holy Cross Alumni
Attended WSU, Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Early Childhood Education
Accomplishments –
Graduated Cum Laude
Professional Goals –
At this time it’s nice to be getting back to teaching and children.
Hobbies –
I craft all sorts of things including crochet bead ropes and some silversmithing. I love reading and cooking.
About Molly-Ann Wells
Miss Wells began serving at Holy Cross at the start of the 2021 school year. Prior to Holy Cross, Miss Wells taught first grade for seven years at Lutheran Schools in Nevada and Colorado. She graduated from Concordia University Nebraska with a degree in elementary education. Her favorite Bible verse is Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.17
About Peggy Drew
Mrs. Drew teaches 1st grade. Prior to teaching at Holy Cross, Mrs. Drew taught at Wichita Collegiate School for 26 years. She also taught at a public school in the Los Angeles area. Mrs. Drew holds a Master’s Degree from Friends University. Her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts is from Wichita State University and her teaching credential is from California State Polytechnic, Pomona. Mrs. Drew, her husband, her daughter, and her grandson are all members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
About Ammie Maltz
1st Grade Teacher
About Rebekah Heck
About Amy Goltl
About Stephanie Lear
Stephanie Lear teaches 3rd grade ELA and science. She has been a classroom teacher since 2019 and specializes in dyslexia as a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She obtained her Bach of Edu degree from Friends University. Prior to her current career in education, Stephanie held various nursing jobs. Rex and Stephanie have been married 20+ years and have two teenage sons. Her favorite verse is Joshua 1:9 …Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
About Gwen Thomas
Gwen is a graduate of Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. She has taught in Lutheran schools in Milwaukee as well as in Wichita. Currently she teaches fourth grade. Her past experiences at Holy Cross include directing a children’s choir and children’s bell choirs and serving as Director of Music. She was honored to be named the Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Learning Center for Health in Halstead in 2014 and received the Golden Apple Award in 2016.
About Keri Ankersen
5th Grade Teacher
About Jacob Kelly
Jacob teaches math and science to our middle school students. Jacob left the Wichita Police Department in 2008 to pursue a career in education. After completing his degree from Southwestern College he worked as a special education teacher for USD 261 in Haysville Ks. In 2012 God called Jacob here to Holy Cross where he has been ever since. Jacob and his wife Marcie have been married for 21 years and have three sons, Cal, Kyle and Christopher. His favorite bible verse is Isaiah 40:28.25
About Amy Ruppert
7th Grade home room teacher.
About Gregg Wolgast
Gregg Wolgast serves as the Middle School Social Studies and Physical education teacher and also as the Athletic Director for the school. He has been a teacher and coach for over 40 years He has a Bachelor of Science degree in social studies education from Kansas State University and a Master’s Degree from Wichita State University in Athletic Administration. He and his wife Marcia have been married for more than 30 years and they have three children, Katie, Matthew, and Anna.
About Lyn Burger
Lyn Burger is the resource teacher.
About Tracie Reida
Tracie Reida teaches 3rd grade (Religion, Math, and Social Studies) and Computer/Technology for grades Jr. Kindergarten through 8th grade. Tracie has been teaching at Holy Cross since 1996. Her and her husband of 25+ years have two adult children who are Holy Cross Alumni. She earned her Bachelors of Education from Wichita State University and her Masters in Instructional Technology from Fort Hays State University. She also enjoys being a part of the bell choir and adult choir at Holy Cross.
About Jennifer Williams
Librarian
About Hannah Trussell
Art Director
About Morgan Dunst
Morgan teaches Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade choral and general music at Holy Cross. She is a new graduate of Concordia University-Wisconsin and this is her first year teaching. She is happy to have begun at a wonderful place like Holy Cross. Morgan joined HCL in 2021 as member of the school staff and a congregational member. She is a part of the adult choir at HCL and participates in service by singing and playing violin. Her favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 12:2. Hometown: Bonduel, WI
About Riley Jarabek
Band Teacher
About Virgie Essien
Assistant Cook
About Kelli Lindebak
Kelli is the Head Cook and has worked at HCL since 2018. She and her husband, Brian, have been married for 20+ years and they have 2 daughters. Their family joined HCL in 2016. Prior to working at HCL, Kelli worked as a cook in the Andover Public school district for 4 years. She attended Kansas State University and is an avid Wildcat fan. Kelli’s favorite bible verse is Isaiah 41:10
About Vicki Olivarez
Vicki grew up at Holy Cross. Her mom, Pam, was the Church Secretary for over 25 years! Vicki has been married to Severo since 1997. Their boys: Ro and Michael are Holy Cross Lutheran School, Alumni. Vicki enjoys spending time with her family, going to the lake, fishing, gardening, and running around the yard with their American Bulldog, Oscar. Vicki has been the Property Manager since 2016. Vicki likes ducks.
About Dwayne Green
Custodian
About Jeremy Roach
Custodian
About Clinton Sprague
Weekend Custodian
About Tim Kloth
Custodian
About April Kientz
Custodian
About Kate Bosch
Latchkey Director
About Ted Boettcher
Classroom Assistant
About Rebecca Stoner
Classroom Assistant
About Katie Nelson
Katie Nelson graduated from Concordia University – Nebraska in 2006. Mrs. Nelson is married to Dustin, and they have 4 children: Declan, Ksana, Cambria, and Carter. Mrs. Nelson is originally from Colorado and enjoyed her Student Teaching experience in Brisbane, Australia. She has many favorite hymns and Bible verses, including Zephaniah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”
About Jamee Shomberg
Classroom Assistant
About Lisa Ochs
About Sarah Lewallen
About Cindy Deutsch
Student Guidance Teacher