Pastor Steve's LONG HAIR is FINALLY gone!
After growing his hair for the past 3 years, Pastor Steve had 12 inches of his hair cut off on Sunday Sept. 8 following the church service. He donated it to Children With Hair Loss.
Pastor Steve Benson's Story
Pastor Steve has not always been Pastor Steve. And has not always been in Brainerd.
Born in Chicago in 1969, all of his sports alliances tie back to his childhood there. Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls and of course the White Sox (NOT THE CUBS!!!)
Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, where he graduated high school in 1987, his faith grew while attending Lutheran elementary schools. 3 years at St. John’s in Roselle and 3 years at St. Peter in Schaumburg. Steve learned and loved singing, drama and all sports (but learned to HATE running. Ok maybe hate is too strong of a word. In fact, it’s not really the runny that he hated, it was more that no matter how fast and hard he ran, usually he would lose races to cute little old ladies with walkers. How slow was he? If he would run behind a push mower he would have to restart at the beginning before he was done. Grass grows faster than he could run.
He quickly (pun intended) changed his focus from sports to music and drama. Although he didn’t give up his dream about being on the field. During his Sophomore year he tried out for cheerleading. Of course, he didn’t make it, he was (and still is) very unathletic. But that didn’t stop him. His Senior year he was the school mascot. He didn’t have to be fast or very athletic, he just needed to enjoy being in front of people and there he thrived.
Through high school he remained very active in his church youth group. He even went on some youth ministry trips to different places around the country by himself. He loved the Lord and he loved to see people smile.
He attended Concordia College in River Forest, IL for one year. Where he made the Dean’s List… Academic Probation. It’s a list, and it came from the Dean. 😊
Steve loved to learn, but when it came to reading… Well let’s just say that he could run faster than he could read. So after 1 year of college an opportunity to be a part of a traveling musical ministry team came up. And he signed up as fast as he could.
Steve traveled for a year with a team from Lutheran Youth Encounter, “Common Bread.” LYE was based in Minneapolis, MN. Common Bread traveled the East Coast of the United States from Main to Miami. Living in a van with his teammates 6 people in all who for the most part had never met before. A girl from Iowa, a girl from Minnesota, a girl from Maryland, a guy from Ohio, a guy from Maryland and Steve a guy from Chicago. Each day they would drive to another church in another town and would put on a concert. Each night they would stay in strangers’ homes (Host Families from the churches). It was an amazing year. It started to hone some of his skills, not so much musically, Steve’s strengths were in relational ministry.
After that year Steve spent the following summer working at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club camp Chisago City, MN. That summer was followed by a year living in Orlando, FL doing youth ministry for the Florida/Georgia District of the LCMS.
At the completion of that year, he moved back home to Schaumburg to start going back to school. He attended Harper Community College in Palatine, IL for a year. The year he was a student there he was also a volunteer youth director at a church in Streamwood, IL. During that year he took his youth to a youth event hosted by LYE. There he met a beautiful girl and became very smitten with her. Liz lived in Rockford, IL. He decided that he would have to finish up school quicker so he could do what he truly wanted to do in life. “Marry Liz!” He needed a job, he needed a career, he needed money for a ring. So he transferred to Aurora University in Aurora, IL. To study social work. During that year of education he was being taught things that greatly conflicted with his faith. While at the same time other things pointed out the areas of pain in people's lives. He was learning to fix those problems with programs, but his faith kept telling him that the only way to fix problems was with the Word of God, bringing Love and Forgiveness.
During the spring trimester, of that year Steve received a phone call from a church that he had done some work while he was living in Orlando. Faith Lutheran Church in Merritt Island, FL offered him the full time position of “Youth Director and Assistant to the Pastor.” So Steve did what anyone who was as completely double focused as him would do. (double focused on serving the Lord and marrying Liz) Steve sold some of his baseball cards, bought a ring, quit school (AGAIN) and moved back to Florida. Liz quickly followed. So He could become single minded, serving the Lord with Liz by his side.
They were married in Oct. of 1992 and served at Faith from June of ‘92 until Dec. of ’95 (Liz taught in the preschool). Steve finished his first degree at Brevard Community College in Cocoa, FL. An AA degree. After 4 colleges, and 6 years he finally received a 2-year degree. While in Florida, Steve was offered an opportunity to serve the LCMS church body by helping out with the National Youth Gathering, starting in New Orleans in 1992. In ’95 Steve received a part-time job offer at Zion Lutheran Church in Hopkins, MN to serve as youth director. The goal was to go back to school and finish a DCE degree. But for some reason Steve’s plans and the Lord’s plans were VERY DIFFERENT!!! After a year and a half at Zion, Steve took a fulltime job at an arts & crafts warehouse, and also taught religion at the Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN for 4 months.
In the winter of 1998 Steve & Liz became pregnant. After much prayer and deliberation, they decided to move back to Rockford, IL to let Grandparents spoil the child. As well as with the goal of going back to school to finish a Lay Ministry degree… But again the Lord’s plans were VERY DIFFERENT. They lived with Liz’s mom & dad for a year, that’s where they were when David was born. Steve was working at Menards. The following year they bought their first house. A cute 2 bedroom little place, on the day of closing they found out that they were expecting another child. Steve left Menards and started working at Johnstone Supply a heating and air conditioning supply warehouse. It was there at Johnstone that the Lord brought Steve back full circle. In the fall of 2001, a coworker came up to Steve one day, looked at him kind of funny and said, “You’ll fit!” “Excuse Me?” Steve said. Again she said, “You’ll fit.” Then she went on to explain that her family was season ticket holders for the Rockford Lightning CBA Basketball team. And just before opening day they lost their mascot. Steve would fit the costume.
So he went to the office for an interview, which consisted of putting on the uniform. And it fit. Steve and his growing family enjoyed 4 seasons with the Lightning, and in 2002 when the Rockford Riverhawks baseball team started they asked Steve to be their mascot as well. Steve said “no” at first, but after the first season they came back and begged him to be their mascot. And His love for being in front of people and making them smile was too much. He joined the Riverhawks for the 2003 & 2004 seasons. Winning the championship in 2004. On the night that the Riverhawks won the playoff game to go into the championship or 3rd and final child was born.
2004 was a great year. Not only did the Riverhawks win the championship, and Jon was born, but Steve graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor's Degree of General Studies. After 17 years and 5+ colleges Steve finally graduated and was ready to move on for his Masters of Divinity. A degree that he had wanted since the time he was little Steve. Leading worship in the basement of his parents’ house as a 6-year-old. Wearing his bathrobe backwards and toilet paper for a stole. He was always supposed to be a pastor, but he ran too it as fast as he could.
In 2005 the Benson family packed up or sold all of their earthly belongings, put the house on the market, and in a step of faith left Rockford to attend the seminary in St. Louis. 2 years of on campus education followed by one amazing year at Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN for vicarage (internship). Then back to St. Louis for the final year. Seminary graduation and first Call placement took place in the spring of 2009, when Steve finally finished a 4 year education in 4 years and accepted his first Call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pacific Beach, CA for the purpose of starting a church in the hill country of San Diego in a town called Alpine. Lift High the Cross was the name of the church plant. It was an amazing growing time for Steve, Liz and the kids. There were a number of great friendships started there as well as being a part of the Lord’s work in Southern California. After almost 3 years in SoCal, the Lord led the people of Zion Lutheran Church in Brainerd to call Steve as their pastor. And that is where he has been since April 1, 2012. The question has often been asked since Pastor Steve was installed on April Fool’s Day, who was the fool? Steve and family for leaving SoCal in March for Minnesota, or the Members of Zion for Calling him? The jury is still out.
Many things have happened in the 8+ years that Steve has been the pastor at Zion. Steve has continued his role with the national youth gathering, serving with Liz in 2013, 2016 & 2019. David and Lydia were able to attend 2016 as participants, Lydia and Jon attended in 2019 while David played an important role as “StageHand” during the stadium events at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
David was in 6th grade when we moved to Brainerd, he finished middle school and high school in Brainerd. He attended Concordia University Wisconsin for his first year and is now studying at NDSU (North Dakota State University) currently pursuing a degree in elementary education, with emphasis on coaching with an interest in sports management. He is still loves and is active in baseball, currently leading NDSU’s club baseball team and had an internship with the Fargo Redhawks for the summer of 2020.
Lydia was in 5th grade when we moved to Brainerd, she also made her way through middle school and high school in Brainerd. She was crowned Miss Jr. Teen Minnesota 2016, in the Miss United States Pageant. She graduated from Brainerd High School in 2019. She has spent many of her summer weeks at LIC (Lutheran Island Camp) in Henning Minnesota. She loves outdoor ministry. The summer of 2019 she spent at LIC as a summer camp counselor. She spent a year as a student at CLC (Central Lakes College), working through her general ed. classes and saving money, while trying to figure out exactly what God’s plan for her life is. COVID19 changed her education plans for now. For the summer of 2020 she worked at Lutherhoma Lutheran Camp in Oklahoma.
Jonathan, our youngest (not smallest), was finishing 1st grade when we moved to Brainerd. He attended Baxter Elementary and Forestview Middle School and is now attending Brainerd High School. He is a 2 sport high school athlete, if the teams are ever able to play again. Jon plays baseball and basketball. He has had much success in both over the years, and is waiting for school sports to restart.
Liz has been an amazing support of the all the different ministries that Steve has been called too over the years. She has been a gift of God.
Born in Chicago in 1969, all of his sports alliances tie back to his childhood there. Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls and of course the White Sox (NOT THE CUBS!!!)
Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, where he graduated high school in 1987, his faith grew while attending Lutheran elementary schools. 3 years at St. John’s in Roselle and 3 years at St. Peter in Schaumburg. Steve learned and loved singing, drama and all sports (but learned to HATE running. Ok maybe hate is too strong of a word. In fact, it’s not really the runny that he hated, it was more that no matter how fast and hard he ran, usually he would lose races to cute little old ladies with walkers. How slow was he? If he would run behind a push mower he would have to restart at the beginning before he was done. Grass grows faster than he could run.
He quickly (pun intended) changed his focus from sports to music and drama. Although he didn’t give up his dream about being on the field. During his Sophomore year he tried out for cheerleading. Of course, he didn’t make it, he was (and still is) very unathletic. But that didn’t stop him. His Senior year he was the school mascot. He didn’t have to be fast or very athletic, he just needed to enjoy being in front of people and there he thrived.
Through high school he remained very active in his church youth group. He even went on some youth ministry trips to different places around the country by himself. He loved the Lord and he loved to see people smile.
He attended Concordia College in River Forest, IL for one year. Where he made the Dean’s List… Academic Probation. It’s a list, and it came from the Dean. 😊
Steve loved to learn, but when it came to reading… Well let’s just say that he could run faster than he could read. So after 1 year of college an opportunity to be a part of a traveling musical ministry team came up. And he signed up as fast as he could.
Steve traveled for a year with a team from Lutheran Youth Encounter, “Common Bread.” LYE was based in Minneapolis, MN. Common Bread traveled the East Coast of the United States from Main to Miami. Living in a van with his teammates 6 people in all who for the most part had never met before. A girl from Iowa, a girl from Minnesota, a girl from Maryland, a guy from Ohio, a guy from Maryland and Steve a guy from Chicago. Each day they would drive to another church in another town and would put on a concert. Each night they would stay in strangers’ homes (Host Families from the churches). It was an amazing year. It started to hone some of his skills, not so much musically, Steve’s strengths were in relational ministry.
After that year Steve spent the following summer working at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club camp Chisago City, MN. That summer was followed by a year living in Orlando, FL doing youth ministry for the Florida/Georgia District of the LCMS.
At the completion of that year, he moved back home to Schaumburg to start going back to school. He attended Harper Community College in Palatine, IL for a year. The year he was a student there he was also a volunteer youth director at a church in Streamwood, IL. During that year he took his youth to a youth event hosted by LYE. There he met a beautiful girl and became very smitten with her. Liz lived in Rockford, IL. He decided that he would have to finish up school quicker so he could do what he truly wanted to do in life. “Marry Liz!” He needed a job, he needed a career, he needed money for a ring. So he transferred to Aurora University in Aurora, IL. To study social work. During that year of education he was being taught things that greatly conflicted with his faith. While at the same time other things pointed out the areas of pain in people's lives. He was learning to fix those problems with programs, but his faith kept telling him that the only way to fix problems was with the Word of God, bringing Love and Forgiveness.
During the spring trimester, of that year Steve received a phone call from a church that he had done some work while he was living in Orlando. Faith Lutheran Church in Merritt Island, FL offered him the full time position of “Youth Director and Assistant to the Pastor.” So Steve did what anyone who was as completely double focused as him would do. (double focused on serving the Lord and marrying Liz) Steve sold some of his baseball cards, bought a ring, quit school (AGAIN) and moved back to Florida. Liz quickly followed. So He could become single minded, serving the Lord with Liz by his side.
They were married in Oct. of 1992 and served at Faith from June of ‘92 until Dec. of ’95 (Liz taught in the preschool). Steve finished his first degree at Brevard Community College in Cocoa, FL. An AA degree. After 4 colleges, and 6 years he finally received a 2-year degree. While in Florida, Steve was offered an opportunity to serve the LCMS church body by helping out with the National Youth Gathering, starting in New Orleans in 1992. In ’95 Steve received a part-time job offer at Zion Lutheran Church in Hopkins, MN to serve as youth director. The goal was to go back to school and finish a DCE degree. But for some reason Steve’s plans and the Lord’s plans were VERY DIFFERENT!!! After a year and a half at Zion, Steve took a fulltime job at an arts & crafts warehouse, and also taught religion at the Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN for 4 months.
In the winter of 1998 Steve & Liz became pregnant. After much prayer and deliberation, they decided to move back to Rockford, IL to let Grandparents spoil the child. As well as with the goal of going back to school to finish a Lay Ministry degree… But again the Lord’s plans were VERY DIFFERENT. They lived with Liz’s mom & dad for a year, that’s where they were when David was born. Steve was working at Menards. The following year they bought their first house. A cute 2 bedroom little place, on the day of closing they found out that they were expecting another child. Steve left Menards and started working at Johnstone Supply a heating and air conditioning supply warehouse. It was there at Johnstone that the Lord brought Steve back full circle. In the fall of 2001, a coworker came up to Steve one day, looked at him kind of funny and said, “You’ll fit!” “Excuse Me?” Steve said. Again she said, “You’ll fit.” Then she went on to explain that her family was season ticket holders for the Rockford Lightning CBA Basketball team. And just before opening day they lost their mascot. Steve would fit the costume.
So he went to the office for an interview, which consisted of putting on the uniform. And it fit. Steve and his growing family enjoyed 4 seasons with the Lightning, and in 2002 when the Rockford Riverhawks baseball team started they asked Steve to be their mascot as well. Steve said “no” at first, but after the first season they came back and begged him to be their mascot. And His love for being in front of people and making them smile was too much. He joined the Riverhawks for the 2003 & 2004 seasons. Winning the championship in 2004. On the night that the Riverhawks won the playoff game to go into the championship or 3rd and final child was born.
2004 was a great year. Not only did the Riverhawks win the championship, and Jon was born, but Steve graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor's Degree of General Studies. After 17 years and 5+ colleges Steve finally graduated and was ready to move on for his Masters of Divinity. A degree that he had wanted since the time he was little Steve. Leading worship in the basement of his parents’ house as a 6-year-old. Wearing his bathrobe backwards and toilet paper for a stole. He was always supposed to be a pastor, but he ran too it as fast as he could.
In 2005 the Benson family packed up or sold all of their earthly belongings, put the house on the market, and in a step of faith left Rockford to attend the seminary in St. Louis. 2 years of on campus education followed by one amazing year at Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN for vicarage (internship). Then back to St. Louis for the final year. Seminary graduation and first Call placement took place in the spring of 2009, when Steve finally finished a 4 year education in 4 years and accepted his first Call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pacific Beach, CA for the purpose of starting a church in the hill country of San Diego in a town called Alpine. Lift High the Cross was the name of the church plant. It was an amazing growing time for Steve, Liz and the kids. There were a number of great friendships started there as well as being a part of the Lord’s work in Southern California. After almost 3 years in SoCal, the Lord led the people of Zion Lutheran Church in Brainerd to call Steve as their pastor. And that is where he has been since April 1, 2012. The question has often been asked since Pastor Steve was installed on April Fool’s Day, who was the fool? Steve and family for leaving SoCal in March for Minnesota, or the Members of Zion for Calling him? The jury is still out.
Many things have happened in the 8+ years that Steve has been the pastor at Zion. Steve has continued his role with the national youth gathering, serving with Liz in 2013, 2016 & 2019. David and Lydia were able to attend 2016 as participants, Lydia and Jon attended in 2019 while David played an important role as “StageHand” during the stadium events at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
David was in 6th grade when we moved to Brainerd, he finished middle school and high school in Brainerd. He attended Concordia University Wisconsin for his first year and is now studying at NDSU (North Dakota State University) currently pursuing a degree in elementary education, with emphasis on coaching with an interest in sports management. He is still loves and is active in baseball, currently leading NDSU’s club baseball team and had an internship with the Fargo Redhawks for the summer of 2020.
Lydia was in 5th grade when we moved to Brainerd, she also made her way through middle school and high school in Brainerd. She was crowned Miss Jr. Teen Minnesota 2016, in the Miss United States Pageant. She graduated from Brainerd High School in 2019. She has spent many of her summer weeks at LIC (Lutheran Island Camp) in Henning Minnesota. She loves outdoor ministry. The summer of 2019 she spent at LIC as a summer camp counselor. She spent a year as a student at CLC (Central Lakes College), working through her general ed. classes and saving money, while trying to figure out exactly what God’s plan for her life is. COVID19 changed her education plans for now. For the summer of 2020 she worked at Lutherhoma Lutheran Camp in Oklahoma.
Jonathan, our youngest (not smallest), was finishing 1st grade when we moved to Brainerd. He attended Baxter Elementary and Forestview Middle School and is now attending Brainerd High School. He is a 2 sport high school athlete, if the teams are ever able to play again. Jon plays baseball and basketball. He has had much success in both over the years, and is waiting for school sports to restart.
Liz has been an amazing support of the all the different ministries that Steve has been called too over the years. She has been a gift of God.
From the Desk of Pastor Steve
|
|
     |