Installation Service at St. John's Lutheran Church, Lake City, MN

Here is the installation service at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church from Sunday, July 12, 2026.

Pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake City, Minnesota

This is the biography which was included in the bulletin for my installation on Sunday, July 12.  The preacher for the day was my classmate and brother-in-law, Rev. Daniel Schmidt.

Pastor Schroeder’s Biography

            Thomas E. Schroeder (Come on!  His parents didn’t name him “Pastor”!) was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on November 28, 1967 to Earl and Mary Ellen Schroeder.  Shortly thereafter, he was reborn of water and the word at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sheboygan.  He was raised in Sheboygan and attended grade school at Calvary.  He attended Manitowoc Lutheran High School.  His pre-ministerial training was at Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin.  (Northwestern has since been amalgamated with Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota under the name of Martin Luther College.)  Upon graduation from Northwestern in 1990, he attended Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin, serving a vicar year at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jenera, Ohio.

            In 1992, he married Laura Schmidt of Noblesville, Indiana.  Laura spent a number of years as a stay-at-home-Mom, and also spent many years teaching in Lutheran schools, specifically St. Peter’s in Plymouth, MI and St. Paul’s in Livonia, MI.  Laura and Pastor Schroeder have been blessed with six children—Faith (Milwaukee, WI), Nathanael (Bluffton, IN and to be married to Sarah Gigli in April 2027), Andrew (Shelby Twp., MI), Caleb (Saginaw, MI; married to Caitlin, who is expecting Pastor and Laura’s first grandchild in August), Philip (Lake City, MI—yeah, that’s right, there’s one in Michigan), and Peter (who will be attending Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw for his senior year).  Pastor and Laura were anticipating a seventh child, but he was stillborn.  Isaac Christopher awaits the resurrection at Glen Eden Cemetery in Livonia, MI.

From left to right: Pastor, Laura, Nathanael, Sarah, Faith, Philip, Peter, Andrew, Caitlin, Caleb

            After graduation from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1994, Pastor Schroeder was assigned to be an instructor at West Lutheran High School (currently located in Plymouth, Minnesota).  He taught religion and Latin and served as Recruitment Preacher / Director.

            After two years there, he opted to be reassigned through the Seminary to be a parish pastor.  In 1996, he, Laura and, at the time, two children moved to Novi, Michigan where he was installed as the pastor at Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Pastor Schroeder served at Good Shepherd for thirty years. 

            Pastor Schroeder has a blog—www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com—mainly for posting sermons.  He also occasionally posts other items such as family events, “Local Tourist” postings, things that he finds amusing, or pastoral concerns.  Please note: If you search for Pastor Schroeder’s Facebook page, you will find it.  However, that particular Facebook page belongs to the pastor of Good Shepherd, Novi.  An attempt was made to change the name to something generic, but Facebook was not having it.  If you request Pastor Schroeder as a friend on that Facebook page, it will not be acted upon.  The account will fade and later be adopted by the next pastor at Good Shepherd.

            Pastor and Laura Schroeder like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and … oh, wait, wrong reference.  Pastor and Laura Schroeder enjoy camping, reading, taking walks, playing cards and board games, and exploring the area they live in.  Both have sung in choirs.  They are loyal Green Bay Packer fans (your groan here), but they are not obnoxious about it. 

            Pastor and Laura are eager to get to know the members of St. John’s and the community of Lake City.  Pastor Schroeder desires to be a faithful pastor to you.  He seeks your prayers and support so that he can fulfill his vow to be faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.  By exalting and proclaiming Christ, he hopes to show you the Savior to whom you can flee for comfort, hope, and peace.

Today's Earworm -- Billy Joel: Sleeping with the Television on

This earworm is a little obscure.  I think I can blame Peter for this one.  Peter's Spotify playlist includes a lot of Billy Joel, and he will play it in the car when we are out and about.  Suffice it to say, Peter does not have this song on his playlist. 

One of the drawbacks (if you want to call it that) of the modern method of collecting the work of music artists is that you select individual songs.  I bought the full album and ended up listening to all of it.  Of course, the majority of songs on these albums did not get any airplay on the radio.  You had to discover them for yourself.  Such is the case with "Sleeping with the Television on" from Glass Houses.

Thanks to Peter's Billy Joel kick, this song has been running around in my mind for a few days.  But I'm not upset about it.

A side note: The song begins with the conclusion of the Star Spangled Banner followed by the static of a station that has ended its signal for the night.  I am old enough to remember when television stations signed off for the night, follow by about six hours of static and a test pattern.  Younger people will be thoroughly confused by this, as well as Billy Joel's reference to the white noise coming from a television left on all night.

Ah!  Nostalgia!

As a bonus, here is a bootlegged live version of the song.  Some poor soul had one of the most unfortunate obstructed view seats in the arena.

Things that make me go ARRRRGGGGHHHH -- Troubles with moving

The moving van departed with many of our earthly belongings on Tuesday, June 16.  I had to stick around until Thursday, June 18 because of an immunotherapy treatment.  This was just as well, as we still had some clean up to do on Wednesday.

After some last minute packing, sweeping, and double-checking, we left on Thursday afternoon to begin our trek to Lake City.  We had planned on getting past Chicago, which seemed like a very achievable goal.  (Did you hear God snickering when we made that goal?)

About 90 minutes down the road, the dashboard of our Honda Pilot noted that the transmission was overheating.  ARRRRGGGGHHHH!  We stopped at a rest area to check under the hood.  We saw some steam coming from the engine and fluid spattered across the engine.  We had just had the oil changed that morning, and we were hoping that the oil filter had not been put on correctly.  That would have been an easy-enough repair, but it would not account for the transmission alert. 

We found a Honda dealer on the west side of Kalamazoo, Zeigler Honda.  We got it there shortly before they closed, meaning the inspection would not take place until Friday.  We camped that night at Fort Custer StatePark, between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.  If you consult a map, you will note that this is well short of Chicago.  ARRRRGGGGHHHH!

The next morning, we were informed that repairs and a new transmission would amount to $16,000.  ARRRRGGGGHHHH!  I don’t know if God laughed or not, but we kind of did—a laugh of absurdity and despair.  Sometimes an ARRRRGGGGHHHH! just isn’t enough.  We had too much packed to simply shove it all in our Flagstaff Microlite and abandon the Honda Pilot.  We ended up getting a new (to us) car.  Apparently, it was driven by a little old couple who put precious few miles on it.  A win for us!

Then came the financing.  We were asked, “What’s your address?”  That is normally a simple question.  Our response: “The one we just left, or the one we are moving to?”  Follow up: Where will the car be located?  Answer: In Minnesota.  Follow up: Do you have proof of residency there?  Answer: We haven’t even moved in yet!  ARRRRGGGGHHHH!  We got to enjoy a similar routine at the DMV in Red Wing.

After some comical back and forth (and by this time, how could it not be comical?), Ali Kabil from Zeigler Honda managed to get the work done.  Then he had the car, which had just arrived on the lot the previous day, detailed.  Then he had it done again so that he found it satisfactory.  Then he had the oil changed.  We finally left Kalamazoo about 5:00 PM EST. 

We drove around Chicago (mercifully easy) and crawled through Milwaukee due to construction—ARRRRGGGGHHHH!—and pushed on through Wisconsin as the night fell upon us.  We grabbed a short 4-hour sleep at a parking lot near Tomah, Wisconsin which was referred to us by Laura’s brother, David.  The parking lot was for a business which belonged to a shirt-tail relative of his.  We never met his relative since we were up and out of the parking lot by 5:30 AM CST. 

We rolled into Lake City about 20 minutes before our moving van.  We prayed fervently for a swift completion of their duties.  Once they moved on, we settled in for a long, glorious nap.

And that’s how we got to Lake City, Minnesota—one ARRRRGGGGHHHH after another.

Moving out of Michigan -- What I Will Miss

What I will miss about Novi 

A number of years ago, I attended the farewell dinner for a pastor who was leaving the area.  I had asked him, “What will you miss about your city?  And you can’t say ‘the people.’’  That’s too easy and too obvious.  It is for me, too.

So, what will I miss about living in Novi and in Michigan in general?

I will miss Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford.  We had a membership there for years, including the all-you-can-ride package.  So, in addition, I will miss the Model-T rides we took as often as we could.

I will miss going to Frankenmuth, walking through Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, and having a large German meal at the Bavarian Inn.  Sauerbraten was my meal of choice, along with a mandatory side order of Bavarian red cabbage.  Those meals did not happen often, but they were always glorious!

Honorable mention on the German meal was Metzger’s in Ann Arbor.  Also very good.

I will miss going into downtown Detroit to enjoy some world-class architecture.  The Guardian Building and the Fisher Building are amazing.  I will miss the Detroit Institute of Arts.  I wish I could have gotten downtown more often to enjoy more of it.  We never did get to the restored train station or to the Book Tower.  We got to the Riverwalk a few times.  There were also many restaurants and pubs that would have been nice to get to, but time and money stood in the way.

I will miss attending concerts by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and productions at the Fisher and Fox Theaters. 

I will miss Mexican meals at Border Cantina (although, they closed a few months before we left).  I will miss Saturday morning breakfast at the Early Bird restaurant in Northville, only recently discovered by us.  I will miss Tim Hortons and Guernsey’s ice cream.

I will miss Meijer being only two miles down the road.  I will miss the dedication of the people at Firestone on Haggerty Road in Northville.  (When they know you by name when you walk in, is that bad or good?  At least they did not have my phone number memorized.)

I will miss the Michigan state parks.  I will miss Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and the Mackinac Bridge.  I will miss Laura’s and my recent end-of-summer trips to Port Huron where we watched Great Lakes freighters float under the Blue Water Bridge.

Although I will miss many things about Michigan, I am looking forward to discovering many things to love about Lake City and Minnesota.  Of course, it will be the people that I will learn to love the most.  And that is easy and obvious to say.

Update from Good Shepherd (June 18, 2026)

Greetings!

NOTE: This will be the final "Update from Good Shepherd" that will appear on this blog.

SUMMER SCHEDULE (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend)
Divine Service is Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School and Adult Bible Class will resume on Sunday, September 13.  

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

PASTORAL CARE
In case of emergencies such as a hospital stay, you may contact Rev. Paul Schaefer from St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Plymouth at (734) 658-5735.
Rev. em. Gregory Gibbons can be reached at (734) 968-3523.

OPEN FORUM / VOTERS’ MEETING
          We will have our summer Open Forum after church on Sunday, June 21. The Voters’ meeting will follow to ratify any actions that need to be made.
Points of discussion:
          · Review and vote on vacancy pastoral call
          · Review of potential property opportunities and related considerations.
          · Updates on the pastoral call process and our status.
          · Discussion on protentional stewardship events and opportunities for congregational involvement.

PRE-CALL MEETING WITH THE MICHIGAN DISTRICT PRESIDENT
          The pre-call meeting with Rev. Snowden Sims took place on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 PM.  Rev. em. Gregory Gibbons was called to fill in the preaching vacancy through the summer months.  Pastor Schaefer was called to be the vacancy pastor.  He will be on call for hospital visits.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from June 7, 2026: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, June 7, 2026

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (June)

>          The Smart TV has been delivered and will be installed to replace the projector and screen in the fellowship hall in the fairly near future.

>          We are hoping to have the chairs in the sanctuary reupholstered.  One estimate has been received at a cost of $450 per chair.  We are attaining a few other estimates before we begin this project.

>          We are receiving estimates to replace the flooring in the pastor’s office and in the bathrooms.

>          There have been a number of ideas proposed about the parsonage and needed repairs and maintenance.  A parsonage committee has been developed to spearhead these updates.  If you are interested in helping out or learning what plans are being made, speak to Ken Reisig and he will direct you to the members of the parsonage committee.

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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SUMMER SCHEDULE (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend)

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

A Pastor Looks At 30

A Pastor Looks at 30 (with a nod to Jimmy Buffet)

On July 14, 1996, I was installed as the pastor at GoodShepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Novi, Michigan.  Who knew that I would serve here as a pastor for thirty years?  There are unlimited memories from the past three decades.  Trying to detail them will be impossible.

July 14, 1996

As you can see from the photo on the right, we arrived with two children.  While here, God blessed us with five more, although the youngest of the five was stillborn.  Isaac is interred at Glen Eden Memorial Park in Livonia, awaiting the resurrection.

Our children were all blessed to receive a solid Christian education at St. Peter's Lutheran School in Plymouth and at St. Paul's Lutheran School in Livonia.  Good Shepherd members generously provided amazing assistance with tuition which made this education possible.  I had wondered if they would grow tired of this generous gift after a year or two, but they came through every year.  Our gratitude goes beyond words.

Easter 2026

We are also grateful that our children attended MichiganLutheran Seminary to further their Christian education there.  (Peter has one year to go.)  They have proven to remain faithful beyond their years at MLS and have settled in to Lutheran congregations in their new homes.  I am reminded of the words of the blessed apostle John who wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 4).  I don't feel like I have praised my children enough.  They are a true source of pride.

I would be remiss if I did not single out my dear wife, Laura, who has been a wonderful blessing as a wife, and particularly as a pastor's wife.  She has been an encourager, a sounding-board, an unofficial secretary, and stress-reliever for me.  I wish I could have been helpful to her at church as she had to manage, at one point, five children ages 7 and under.  A few times one of our children was able to escape her grasp and ran up to me during the service.  Unfortunately, I had to return the child to his or her mother and let the juggling continue.  As you can see in the photo above, she managed them well.  Their manners and integrity are to be credited to her.

While I could name so many people who have crossed our paths over these past thirty years, I am sure that I would regret failing to mention someone later.  Some have been here for my entire ministry.  Some for many years.  Some for only a short stay.  All were dear to me.  You entrusted me with your burdens, concerns, and fears.  You might have feared that I would think less of you by confiding in me with your struggles.  On the contrary, I prayed more for you out of a deep compassion for you.  You welcomed me into your homes.  You invited me to share in some of the most joyful and sorrowful moments of your life.  You willingly gave of your time, your money, your skills, and your devotion to God's kingdom, and you were glad to work with me in doing so.  What a blessing!  I prayed for each of you by name every week.

I was grateful that Good Shepherd was so receptive to efforts which enhanced the reverence of our Divine Services.  We now have holy communion every Sunday.  We have a processional crucifix (a gift from John & Amy Warner), used in the festival portion of the Church year.  We employed the Gospel procession for the high festivals (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost).  We welcomed chanting the liturgy.  We gained an appreciation for the Triduum in Holy Week.  We recently added a very ornate Gospel book (a gift from Mark & Carol Casmer) and chasubles (a gift from Pastor & Susan Gibbons) which help to hide the person of the pastor and to accentuate the office.  After all, the pastors may change, but the vestments will not.

I could not tell you how many baptisms, marriages, funerals, or confirmations I performed.  And I would not feel bad if people did not remember that I had performed any of these rites for them.  I want them to remember the divine promises that are everlasting.  That is what matters.

Something few people would know is that I taped a Bible verse to the pulpit.  It is intended only for the preacher to see.  It states, "Sir, we want to see Jesus" (John 12:21).  It reminds me of the duty of a pastor, and I pray that I have been faithful to that calling.  Before every sermon, I pray, "Send your Holy Spirit with this sermon so that it might be worth something to those who hear it."  I trust God has heard my prayer and blessed the sermons accordingly.

Thirty years have not been perfect.  While Good Shepherd's members may not know or remember my mistakes, there are many conversations or actions I wish that I could have back.  The pastor's daily prayer includes this petition: "Fill my heart with a passion for souls and with skillfulness to give unto each and every sheep or lamb entrusted to my care what is due unto it at the proper time. Give me at all times sound advice and just works; and wherever I overlook something or in the weakness of my flesh speak or act wrongly, do Thou set it aright, and help that no one may through me suffer harm to his soul."  I rely on the Lord's mercy and forgiveness for the wrongs I have done in making bad assumptions or in speaking or acting rashly.  I pray that God would still work out his purposes despite my flaws and failings.  And I am equally grateful that the people of Good Shepherd have patiently borne with my weaknesses.  I continue to pray to do better.

I have been overwhelmed by the attention, the gratitude, and the generosity (although not surprised by the generosity) of the people here as I am making my way to St. John's Lutheran Church in Lake City, MN.  It has been such a joy to serve at Good Shepherd.  The people here have been wonderful, and the people in the congregations in the area around us have been wonderfully supportive as well.

I had told a few people, "Only a stupid person would leave as the pastor of Good Shepherd in Novi."  Well, guilty, I guess.

God bless Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of Novi, Michigan.   And God bless St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lake City, Minnesota.  I look forward to more joys and blessings there.