Our Story
The idea of WorshipWell was born from real-time ministry at Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis. We love what the Narrative Lectionary offers worshipping communities AND we love series-based preaching. We believe this approach helps people wrap their minds and lives around the biblical story in fresh and compelling ways and helps them grow deeper in faith as they apply scripture to everyday life.
Our team brings decades of ministry experience from dozens of communities and contexts to our work. As we busily crafted worship week after week, we started to think about how pastors and churches are usually spread too thin on time and resources. Especially these days, it seems so difficult to gather the creative energy it takes to do this work well. At Nokomis Heights, God has assembled just the right team to collaborate in this creative process – and we want share it with you.
We’re people who geek out on all forms of worship. We believe worship can be a space where all people are safe and celebrated; where we faithfully lift one another and God’s world in prayer; where we are deeply drawn into God’s living Word; and where our song is at the same time communal and profoundly personal.
We hope and pray these resources will lighten your load as a planner or musician or preacher or pastor. And even more, we hope they will allow room for the Spirit to move and breathe in your communities. Leaders, we are with you. And you are doing great. Take a deep breath – we’ve got your back.
Kristen Capel
Kristen Capel is a mother, spouse, artist, musician, writer, and pastor. She grew up in Iowa, went to college in Iowa (Wartburg College), and attended seminary in Iowa (Wartburg Seminary). Weirdly, she doesn’t live in Iowa now. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her husband (Dan, a civil engineer and Sufjan Stevens fan) and two creative and independent children (Lia and Annika). Kristen has served three fabulous ELCA churches, currently serving as Lead Pastor at Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. She keeps busy with her part-time gigs as a Generosity Consultant and Freelance Writer, and loves to cook, bake, and go on long hikes with friends. (Also travel. She loves to travel, but as of late forgotten what that feels like).
Marc Olson
Marc Olson is an author, editor, teacher, and dad. He has worked as a pastor, garbage collector, manager of a family homeless shelter, and undertaker’s assistant. In addition to working on a number of curriculum projects for children, youth and adults, Marc has written four kids’ books with Beaming Books, including the award-winning The World Jesus Knew: A Curious Kid’s Guide to Life in the First Century. Currently, Marc works at Hazelden Publishing where he is the editor of consumer books. He has degrees from Pacific Lutheran University and Luther Seminary and lives with Sara in St. Paul.
Sara Birkeland
Sara Birkeland has been a teacher and professional musician for almost 30 years. Her degrees from St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary prepared her for work as a church musician, singer, conductor, theologian, and writer. She has taught in trauma-informed early education classrooms, focusing on equity, restorative practice, and closing education gaps, and she truly believes three deep breaths can help change the world. When she’s not teaching or singing (and sometimes even when she is), Sara is watching a daughter, two sons and two stepsons grow into amazing people: one high school senior, two college students, one arborist, and one carpenter. Sara lives with Marc in St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood.
Holly Welch
Holly Welch has been a graphic designer and artist forever. She went to graduate school to be a theater critic, but realized she needed to change course when she spent more time designing pretend brochures for theaters than reviewing their plays. Holly has written small group resources for a church and worked as a graphic designer for the Guthrie Theater, the DNR, St. Olaf College and many freelance clients. She loves to paint, and every color is her favorite one. Holly lives in Minneapolis with her family, including two teenagers, a crazy dog and a mild-mannered tortoise.