Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and find out about the staff of Peace Lutheran Church.
Pastor – Rev. Daniel Vojta M.Div. LMFT
I assume that you are reading this section because you want to know a little bit more about who I am and what I hold dear.
Let me begin by letting you know that Jesus Christ is important, I am not. Jesus Christ is the one you need to know if you want to know peace in this life and the next.
In the end I am just a sinner who depends on the mercy of God. I am also a person who is convinced that what the Bible teaches about the person and work of Jesus Christ is true. So in my preaching, teaching, and interpersonal interactions I can come across as very confident. However, my confidence is not based on who I am or what I am able to accomplish but rather my confidence grows from what the Holy Spirit is doing through the word of God and the sacraments, as the apostle Paul said:
So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." Romans 1:15-17 [show]Romans 1:15-17
[15]So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
[16]For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [17]For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,(1) as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."(2) (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [1:17] Or 'beginning and ending in faith'
2. [1:17] Or 'The one who by faith is righteous shall live'
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant… 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 [show]2 Corinthians 3:4-6
[4]Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. [5]Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, [6]who has made us competent(1) to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [3:6] Or 'sufficient'
As a Christian who is also a husband and a father, I am also committed to making my household to be my top priority mission field. My wife Gail and I have worked very hard to remind each other, and our children, that we are on this earth to worship God and serve others in Jesus’ name — I believe this is a clear teaching of Scripture and reflects God’s will for every Christian but it is an especially important priority for every spouse and parent. Matthew 22:36-40 [show]Matthew 22:36-40
[36]"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" [37]And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. [38]This is the great and first commandment. [39]And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40]On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (ESV), Ephesians 2:1-10 [show]Ephesians 2:1-10
[2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body(1) and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But(2) God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [2:3] Greek 'flesh'
2. [2:4] Or 'And'
, Ephesians 5:25-33 [show]Ephesians 5:25-33
[25]Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, [26]that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, [27]so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.(1) [28]In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29]For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, [30]because we are members of his body. [31]"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." [32]This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. [33]However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [5:27] Or 'holy and blameless'
, Ephesians 6:1-4, 1 [show]Ephesians 6:1-4
[6:1]Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2]"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3]"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." [4]Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)
Ephesians 6:1
[6:1]Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (ESV) Timothy 3:1-13 [show]1 Timothy 3:1-13
[3:1]The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. [2]Therefore an overseer(1) must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,(2) sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, [3]not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. [4]He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, [5]for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? [6]He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. [7]Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
[8]Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued,(3) not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. [9]They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. [10]And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. [11]Their wives likewise must(4) be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. [12]Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. [13]For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [3:2] Or 'bishop'; Greek 'episkopos'; a similar term occurs in verse 1
2. [3:2] Or 'a man of one woman'; also verse 12
3. [3:8] Or 'devious in speech'
4. [3:11] Or 'Wives, likewise, must', or 'Women, likewise, must'
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I have been the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church since 1999 after serving two congregations in rural Iowa for eight years. I grew up in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City and I spent summers with my father in Los Angeles. I went to college at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota where I met my wife Gail who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. After college I graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. I have also continued my graduate studies at Iowa State University and the Family Therapy Training Institute/Aurora Family Service of Milwaukee. Somewhere in the middle of all that I also served as a flight medic (E4) in the Army National Guard/Reserve and in the Navy Reserve Chaplain Corps(O3).
The entire Vojta family has been involved with the ministry of Love, Inc. where I have served on the board of directors since 2004. My wife Dr. Gail Vojta teaches Chemistry at Carroll University in Waukesha. Gail also teaches Sunday School, and volunteers with the Love Inc meal program. Gail and I have two sons, David who is a student at Gateway Technical College, and Joel who is an 9th grader at Burlington High School. Together we like to travel, read, and laugh.
I am also an EMT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. I do some short term counseling with couples, families that are having concerns about their kids, and occasionally with men who struggle with issues of stress or anger. My preference is to work with people who are poor or uninsured. I will be glad to meet with any couple or family for pastoral care or crisis intervention but my policy is to refer most people to one of the several excellent psychotherapists in this area (several of whom are also Christians).
You can see photos of the Vojta Family by clicking HERE.
You can call Pastor Vojta at home 262-763-3915, at work 262-763-5024, or on his mobile phone 262-510-3915.
You can check in with Pastor Dan on Facebook or see what he is reading at Goodreads.
Church Musician – Kerry Hart Bieneman M.M.
Kerry has been our church musician/choir director since 2003. Kerry received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music and her Master’s degree in voice performance from Northwestern University in June 2005. Kerry is a vocal coach and accompanist throughout southeastern Wisconsin and at Northwestern University. She also works professionally as a singer and pianist with opera companies in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. She has been an active participant and staff member with the Kids from Wisconsin program since her high school days. Kerry resides in Burlington with her husband, Matthew, daughter, Rachel, and son Adam.
Office Manager – Shelly Mutter
Shelly has been our office manager at Peace since 2000. Shelly is a member at Cross Lutheran Church and teaches physical education and health at Dyer Intermediate School. She is married to Bob and together they have two children, Shawnee and Aaron.
Church Maintenance – Jim Ratieke
Jim has been maintaining the building and grounds of Peace since 2004. During the day and most weekends he is a warehouse supervisor at Love Inc and runs a sports memorabilia company. He the father of Lani Jean.
