October 4, 2021 Dear People of Beautiful Savior,
God is doing great things through Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. We give thanks for the following two people who have joined our staff to help grow the mission and ministries of Beautiful Savior. You may or may not know one or both of them. Either way, I encourage you to welcome them with the abundant Beautiful Savior hospitality for which we are known.
Thank you for joining with me in welcoming these two people in their new roles with Beautiful Savior. It is a delight to see how we not only survived but continue to thrive as a congregation through the pandemic. We give thanks to God that we are blessed with ingenuity and courage as we lean into being spiritual entrepreneurs who boldly seize what God has waiting for us on each new horizon.
Thankfully, in Christ’s Service,
The Rev. Dr. Niklaus C. Schillack
Senior Pastor
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Interim Student Ministries Coordinator
You may also recognize “Mr. Wade,” as he and his family have been members of Beautiful Savior since 2015. He is a contributing member of the Sunday School T.O.T.S. Program as well as an active worship usher. Mr. Wade is very excited about his new role as Interim Student Ministries Coordinator and looks forward to assisting the growth of our youth as they dive into Pre-Catechism, Catechism, and other activities. The hotel industry brought him to Michigan in 2006 when he oversaw Marketing/Advertising for the Hyatt Corporation. The move made him a long-term Michigander, since here he met his wife, Jennifer, and they currently reside in Rochester Hills. They have two active kids in the congregation, Giorgiana (9), who is learning acoustic guitar and Bradley (7), who loves video games and playing outside with friends. Mr. Wade loves basketball, reading, and room escape games. He feels very blessed about serving in his new role with BSLC and is excited to make deeper relationships with the congregation.
Rev. Dr. Philip Hemke
Pastor for Care Ministries
Pastor Hemke recently became Pastor Emeritus of Beautiful Savior. He was our Senior Pastor from 1989 to 2008. He also served as a mission developer in Niagara Falls, Canada, as well as Senior Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Florissant, Missouri. Pastor Hemke was Director of Church Relations for Samaritas (Lutheran Social Service of Michigan) from 2008 to 2016. He has an earned Doctorate in the field of Stewardship. Pastor Hemke is married to Joan, who taught first grade and was also Director of the Beautiful Savior Early Learning Center for 11 years. The Hemke family have three married children and nine grandchildren. Pastor Hemke walks, bike rides, golfs, does extensive reading, and enjoys cooking. Together with Joan, they assist with the nine grandkids. As he says, “Life is a blessing.” Pastor Hemke’s mission is: “To make Jesus known.”
August 27, 2021 Dear People of Beautiful Savior,
As we wiggle our way out of the pandemic, we continue to give thanks to God for the growing mission and ministries of Beautiful Savior. We also give thanks for the three new staff members of our congregation. Some of these names may be familiar, or some not so familiar, but I’ll introduce or reintroduce them to you as I encourage you to welcome them with the abundant Beautiful Savior hospitality for which we are known.
Thank you for joining with me in welcoming these three people in their new roles with Beautiful Savior. It is a delight to see how we not only survived but continue to thrive as a congregation through the pandemic. We give thanks to God that we are blessed with ingenuity and courage as we lean into being spiritual entrepreneurs who boldly seize what God has waiting for us on each new horizon.
Thankfully, in Christ’s Service,
The Rev. Dr. Niklaus C. Schillack
Senior Pastor
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Office Manager
Helen Blicharz is our new Office Manager. She has a master’s degree in Human Resources from University of Alabama. Prior to coming to Beautiful Savior, she was a Family Service Advisor for the Archdiocese of Detroit, where she helped families with cemetery planning at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Southfield, MI. She also was an interior designer at Kurtis Kitchen and Bath, where she was awarded “Designer of the Year.” Helen’s first love has always been math, and her first career after graduate school was as an algebra teacher with the Detroit Public School System. She is happily married to her husband, John, and they have three children: Sydney who is 25, Giovanni who is 20, and Elijah who is 14, not forgetting, of course, their adorable one-year-old beagle, Bingo. Helen also loves to volunteer her time with seniors at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, doing art and music therapy. She enjoys traveling, drawing, and solving algebra equations for fun.
Interim Children’s Ministries Coordinator
“Greetings boys and girls, and children at heart!”
Ms. Karyn is so glad to be a part of the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church family, which she has called home since 2010. She also holds a position at Ford Motor Company (Dearborn Stamping) where she is a Utility Tag and Joint Compound Inspector, making the all-aluminum F-150. Additionally, she works with the Royal Oak School District, Churchill Education Center, where she loves to teach and interact with students as the GED Administrator. Karyn holds an associate degree in Applied Science (Education) from Oakland Community College, a bachelor’s degree (Family and Consumer Studies, Education) from Madonna University, and a Certificate of Completion (Addiction Studies and Counseling) also from Madonna. She will soon complete a master’s degree in Management from Madonna University. Karyn was bestowed the honor of being named “Who’s Who Among Best College Students (2010)” while attending Madonna University. Her hobbies include traveling, dancing, and playing card and board games; she even plays both party-style and duplicate bridge. Karyn is delighted to be a part of BSLC and looks forward to the path that God has ordered her steps to accomplish while in the position as Interim Children’s Ministries Coordinator.
Director, Beautiful Savior Early Learning Center
Many Beautiful Savior people already know her as Ms. Kelli. Kelli worked with the Beautiful Savior Early Learning Center (BSELC) from 2004 until the pandemic pause in 2020. She was already growing into the role of director under the guidance of Dawn, our previous director, who is consulting with us as the BSELC resumes its ministry. Quite a few Beautiful Savior children who went through the center, as well as their families, already know her for her professionalism, care for the children, and deep faith. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Rochester College (now Rochester University). She is a member of New Covenant Church in Auburn Hills. Kelli grew up in Shelby Township and still resides there with her family. She has been married for almost 17 years and has 2 kids: Allison who is 15 and Zachary who is 12. As a family, they love to hike, kayak, and spend time outdoors.