The Rev. Tyler Rasmussen

The Rev. Tyler Rasmussen became the pastor of Mt Zion Lutheran Church in January of 2020.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance on the Organ, 2007 Iowa State University (minor in Computer Science)

Master of Divinity, 2012 Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago

Biography

Pastor Tyler grew up in rural Iowa in a home that was built by his great-great-grandfather. His work and passions before his call to ordained ministry included serving as an organist at churches and working as a webmaster. While at Iowa State, he became a member of Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity.

Ministry has taken Pastor Tyler all over the place, including being a seminarian in Chicago, camp counselor at Lutheran Lakeside in Iowa, intern at Christ Lutheran in Dallas, and pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and now pastor at Mt Zion Lutheran in Wauwatosa.

Pastor Tyler believes faith is something that permeates every part of life, and he loves how faith challenges him all the time. "I have never experienced anything like Christ that regularly challenges my life and the way I live but also never judges me and instead embraces me in love. I think people call it 'inspiration', but I call it the grace of Christ."

Passions for Ministry

The Easter Vigil: The best worship service of the year every year!

Faith Formation: This is the question for every age group: How do we form people of faith? How do we raise up believers? Stories, sponsors, practice, and prayer, right?

Repentance, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation: So much more than “I’m sorry. It’s OK.” *Hug* This is at the heart of the Gospel, and we should know how to do it.

Scripture and Music by Heart: A professor once told me “when it comes down to it, the only Bible you have is the one that’s in your heart”. We are always learning faith, but the only faith we carry with us is the faith that’s written on our hearts. Whether it’s scripture or songs, the parts we have memorized are the parts that will shape us.

Favorite Bible Stories

Rebekah: The most awesome woman in the Old Testament

Noah & Sisters: The first advocates for women’s rights

The Rich Man and Lazarus: The one that challenges me

The Sheep and the Goats: Image of baptismal living

Pick Up Your Cross: The one that will challenge everyone

What brings you joy in your free time?

Being social. I really love hanging out with small groups of people and having engaging conversation. Or running around with children, like my nieces and nephews, and having a whole lot of fun lost in the world of joy. I'm not much of a large crowded area person, but deeply enjoying the presence of a few people is wonderful.

Board games! No, not your basic ones. Agricola, Ticket to Ride, Catan, Super Motherload, Killer Bunnies, Snake Oil, and so much more. Video games can be good too, but board games are so much more social.

Poliltics and Justice. This stuff matters, and I enjoy it. It is a challenge staying in conversation with people of other views, but this is what it means to live in a democracy. And I must speak up for justice, because if not me, who?

Genealogy. My family has lived in one small area of Iowa for so long that I have thousands of relatives that have lived within a two county area! My mom and I work together to document our family history, and I really enjoy the times when I encounter a puzzle that no one else has found the answer for. It's so much fun to discover what no one else knows.