Test Driving Theology

Hello friends!

I have been looking forward to writing this one.

I am delighted to share that Nolan Schuette has accepted our invitation to serve as Trinity’s Director of Operations. Nolan joins us after a thorough search process, and I want to thank the members of our search team for their care and prayers along the way. From our first conversation, it was clear that Nolan brings not only the skills this position requires, but a genuine heart for mission-driven work and for this community.

What the Director of Operations does

This is a new title for a role that has been essential to Trinity for a long time. The Director of Operations is responsible for the smooth day-to-day operation of the congregation and works closely with me to carry out Trinity’s mission, vision, and strategic plans.

Practically, that means Nolan will lead and supervise our administrative, communications, properties, and hospitality staff. He will prepare and administer the congregation’s budget and oversee our accounting functions, working alongside Barb Howell, our Director of Finance. He will work with our properties team to care for our buildings and grounds, our technology, and the scheduling of a facility that is busy nearly every day of the week. He will serve as the primary staff liaison to our personnel, finance, and properties commissions, and he will be one of Trinity’s primary points of contact with schools, nonprofits, and other community partners.

It is a wide-ranging position. Very little of it happens in front of the congregation, and almost all of it makes ministry possible.

Meet Nolan

Nolan was born and raised right here in Owatonna, and he has always enjoyed being involved in the community and building lasting relationships with the people around him. He graduated from Owatonna High School in 2011, where he sang in Concert Choir and with the Carolers, and then attended the University of St. Thomas, earning a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship.

For several years, Nolan owned and operated a local DJ business, which gave him the chance to be part of countless celebrations and special moments for families throughout our community. In 2020, he married his wife, Rudi (Alcorn) Schuette, and they are blessed with a wonderful son, Roman, who is now four years old. Outside of work, Nolan enjoys tackling DIY projects, golfing with friends, and spending time outdoors with his family.

Professionally, Nolan has built leadership experience across the retail industry, most recently as General Manager at Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota, where he led two store locations and stepped in to oversee others when they lacked a manager. He has hired and trained new leaders, built tools his colleagues across the organization still use, and learned, as he puts it, that anything is possible with proper training, clear expectations, and professional support. He has also given his time to YoungLife, Relay for Life, and a long list of other local organizations and events.

Working in a nonprofit environment, Nolan says, gave him a deeper appreciation for the impact of mission-driven work and helped him recognize how meaningful it is to be part of something bigger than himself. That experience solidified his desire to pursue work rooted in purpose, service, and community. He is thrilled to join the Trinity team, and he looks forward to getting to know you and serving alongside you.

With gratitude for Tanyia

Nolan steps into this role because Tanyia Greseth is retiring at the beginning of the year, and I will not pretend that part is easy. Tanyia has served this congregation faithfully for many years. She has known where everything is and how everything works, and she has carried far more of Trinity on her shoulders than most of us will ever know. We will have more to say, and more to thank her for, as her retirement draws closer.

For now, I am grateful that Nolan will begin before Tanyia finishes. That overlap is a gift. It gives them time to work side by side, and it gives Trinity the steadiness of a thoughtful handoff rather than a hard stop.

Looking ahead

Nolan told me he is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Trinity’s mission: “Through Jesus’ love, we welcome, connect, learn and serve.”  

I love that he named those four words, because they are exactly what this job is. Welcoming the family who walks in the door and is not sure where to go. Connecting the staff and the commissions and the volunteers who make this place run. Learning a congregation of more than four thousand people, one name at a time. Serving in a hundred quiet ways that nobody applauds.

So please introduce yourself. Nolan is coming home to a church in his own hometown, and I cannot wait to see what God does through him here.

Thanks be to God.

Pastor Todd