05/05/2026
Read about Nate Laesch, one of our very own!
Meet Nathan Laesch, a senior at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), preparing to serve as a Lutheran school music teacher.
Nathan grew up in St. Louis in a pastor’s family, surrounded by parents who loved the Church and pointed him to Christ. “My dad is a pastor,” he said. “And my mom, she’s always been a really strong force in the Lutheran faith.”
From his time in Lutheran grade school through Lutheran High School North, he was constantly shaped by teachers and church workers who wove faith and music together.
Music itself took root early. Nathan started piano lessons in third grade and picked up trumpet in fifth grade, playing often in church and singing in choirs through high school and college. Along the way, his grandma quietly encouraged him to keep going. She “practiced with us and drove us to be better than we were the day before, every single time,” helping him see that music is “a really important part of the world and of God’s creation.”
When Nathan first arrived at CUW, he planned on elementary education, then explored pre‑seminary and secondary education. Through prayerful conversations with his parents and mentoring from music faculty like Dr. Alexa Doebele and Dr. Louis Menchaca, he realized God had given him a particular gift.
Now, as a student teacher at Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Illinois, Nathan is discovering the joy of building relationships with students in the classroom and rehearsal room, sharing both his love for Christ and his love for music. After graduation, he’ll begin a master’s degree in instrumental conducting at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with the goal of serving in a Lutheran high school and helping the next generation use their musical gifts to praise God.
Join us in praying for Nathan and all those preparing to serve Christ’s Church. Leave a comment below to share a word of encouragement for future church workers.
