February 13, 2023
Dear Family Shield Friend,
I want to introduce you to the Family Shield Ministries Board of Directors. The following information is from our website:
Kay L. Meyer, President and Host
Kay Meyer is the founder and president of Family Shield Ministries and host of the Family Shield radio program and podcast. She is a popular author and speaker on prayer, family life, spiritual growth, and evangelism, and has authored articles, books, and other Christian publications including: Witnessing--A Lifestyle (FSM 2008), Balance-Christ Filled Living (LWML, 2017), Mission Field on Our Doorstep: Jehovah's Witnesses (FSM 2019), Portals of Prayer, Teacher's Interaction, My Devotions, Life in the Sandwich Generation (CPH, 1994), Teaching Your Children Christian Values (CPH, 1995), Concordia Pulpit Children's Devotions, and The Adventures of Billie and Annie: Baby Bison (TLM Publishing, 2003). Meyer has an undergraduate degree in early childhood and elementary education and a Masters of Arts in Media Communications from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri. She has been married to Tjaden Meyer for over 45 years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. Their two sons are now with the Lord. The Meyer's are members of Concordia Lutheran Church in Kirkwood, Missouri. Meyer was featured in Cambridge Who's Who.
Rev. Mark Frith, Chairman
Rev. Mark Frith is the “Champions For Liberty” Network Director for the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty (LCRL), a ministry of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Frith served for five years with Lutheran Church Extension Fund as Vice President for Ministry Support, with Lutheran Hour Ministries, in the Kansas District as facilitator for missions and stewardship and was a parish pastor for 17 years. Mark is married to Leigh, and they have two grown children and live in St. Louis.
Mark was elected as chairman of Family Shield Ministries Board of Directors in 2020.
Curtiss A. Wittbracht, Treasurer
Curtiss is retired from Lutheran Hour Ministries where he was the chief financial officer, a position he has held since December 2007. He also served as treasurer of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation. Prior to joining Lutheran Hour Ministries in March 1990, Wittbracht was a manager of securities and real estate accounting at General American Life Insurance Company in St. Louis, Missouri. He was also an internal control administrator at General American Life and a senior financial analyst at Horace Mann Educators Corporation in Springfield, Illinois. Wittbracht earned a C.P.A. certificate from the state of Illinois in 1975 and a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He was presented a Master FLMI Certificate from Life Office Management Association and has served as president of the St. Louis chapter of the Insurance Accounting & Systems Association. His area of expertise is nonprofit financial management and taxation. He has also served as president of the St. Louis Civil War Roundtable. Wittbracht and his wife, Linda, reside in Waterloo, Illinois, and they attend Immanual Lutheran Church in Waterloo. They have five grandchildren.
Rev. Alex Schrader
Rev. Alex Schrader serves as Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Olivette, Missouri, where his areas of emphasis are in family, youth, and outreach ministry. He completed his pastoral degree (Master of Divinity) in May of 2019. He also has a Master of Sacred Theology (STM) with a major in Exegetical Theology from Concordia Seminary St. Louis (2021). Schrader has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Concordia University Ann Arbor (2000) and has served as Director of Music in a variety of settings, most recently at Epiphany Lutheran Church in St. Louis, MO. Schrader established a recording studio and has served as sound technician and producer in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri, and composer of two albums of his own.
Before beginning his graduate studies toward a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree, he spent over 18 years in the Internet technology field, as a small business owner where he produced over 250 audio recording projects, designed and hosted over 150 web sites and web applications. He also served as Webmaster for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and as technology consultant and software developer for a variety of companies, including Ford Motor Company, American Express Incentive Services, AT&T, Ralston Purina, MasterCard, Centene, and New Balance, among others.
Schrader was involved with the starting of Christ in the City (Crave Coffeehouse), an LCMS plant church on the campus of St. Louis University. He participates in various music ensembles in the St. Louis area, providing support on lead guitar, bass guitar, euphonium, trombone, and vocals. Schrader currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Vicki, who is a nonprofit fundraising specialist. They have three children, Sophia, Erik, and Leo.
Rev. Mark Femmel
Mark has been a pastor since 2006 and currently serves as the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Maryland Heights, the northwest area of St. Louis, Missouri. He is from a family of teachers, earned a math teaching degree, and then earned a Master’s Degree of Divinity through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Because Mark is passionate about sharing the great news that God is on mission to reach the world, he also earned a Master’s Degree of Sacred Theology, specializing in the Historical Jesus, essentially helping people discover that the Gospels are accurate biographies of Jesus who has come to set us free and to lead us home.
Mark became interested in Family Shield Ministries because it is a mission which is focused on leading God’s people into God’s Word to help them overcome their struggles and to help them help others overcome their struggles. To empower people to live in God’s Word wherever we are—through devotions, blogs, podcasts, and other digital ministry—is to empower people to walk with God, to hear truth, and to be set free. (John 8:31–32)
Mark currently also serves as a volunteer police chaplain for the St. Louis County Police Department, as a volunteer police chaplain for the Maryland Heights Police Department, and as a living witness to the good news of Jesus at his gym where he and his family enjoy working out and connecting with people.
Emily Davidson
Emily graduated with honors from Concordia University, Nebraska in 2009, earning an undergraduate degree in History and double minors in Theology and Literature. She then went on to complete her Juris Doctor degree at Valparaiso University School of Law in 2013.
Following law school, she accepted a position with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as a Manager of Legislative Services. In 2018, she had the opportunity to focus her practice on the areas of estate planning and elder law, and currently serves as a Senior Trust Officer within the Trust Administration department of a large bank.
Emily has held board member positions with various charities and organizations across the Midwest, including a pediatric therapy facility in Springfield, Missouri, and a current appointment on the leadership committee of the Omaha Bar Association.
Originally a native of Weston, Missouri, she now resides with her husband, Craig, in Omaha, Nebraska. They are members of St. Mark Lutheran Church and look forward to welcoming their first child in July.
Laura Langhoff Arndt
Laura graduated with an undergraduate degree in secondary education from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota and earned a Director of Christian Education (DCE) degree. Her Master’s Degree is also from Concordia, St. Paul. She was a teacher in middle school and high school math for 15 years before she founded The Carpenter’s Ministry Toolbox. It is a blog devoted to Christian Education Resources. She has also written numerous books available through SOLA Publishing. Some include: The Art of Teaching Confirmation, Leading Meaningful Adult Bible Classes, and God’s Gift at Baptism.
She is married to Kevin, who is a Lutheran pastor. Laura enjoys her eight, grown stepchildren she inherited when marrying Kevin.
Lauren Schultz
Lauren has worked in Ministry Solutions at Lutheran Church Extension Fund since 2018, supporting congregations throughout capital campaign processes. She has been a freelance copy editor since 2014, having worked for The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Pathfinder Church, and Eckhartz Press, among others. Lauren graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English from Texas Christian University.
Lauren lives in St. Louis, MO, where she enjoys serving at her lifelong church, Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, MO. She also loves to read and travel whenever possible.
We invite you to pray for our Board of Directors as they make wise decisions for the ministry.
Kay L. Meyer,
President & Host
Radio Programs, Podcast Topics, and Guests
with host, Kay L. Meyer, founder & president of Family Shield Ministries
Limping with God: Jacob & The Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship
February 7-13
Guest: Chad Bird
Five-Minute Bible Studies for Couples
February 14-21
Guest: Rev. Randy Hunter
Opening Your Church Doors to the Community
February 22-26
Guest: Rev. Terry Tieman
Ministering to the Grieving
February 27-March 6
Guest: Daniel Verkoeyen
Unveiling Grace
March 7-13
Guest: Lynn Wilder, author and ex-Mormon
Lent and Today's Families
March 13-20
Guests: Mark Sengele and Julie Baumler
Jesus Said WHAT?
March 20-27
Guest: Rev. Christopher Kennedy
Promised Rest: Finding Peace in God's Presence
March 27-April 3
Guest: Michelle Diercks
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Screen Kids
Guests: Gary Chapman & Arlene Pellicane
Family Shield Prayer Warriors!
FAMILY SHIELD PRAYER WARRIORS!
Family Shield supporters join together in prayer often. Do you know you can submit prayer request to us at www.familyshieldministries.com?
One prayer request we recently received was from Scott and his wife, Crystal. They requested prayer for Crystal's mother who is in Hospice. They are trying to share the law & gospel with her, but she shows no interest in their Christ-centered words. Please ask the Lord to soften her heart, to listen and understand the gospel message--that Jesus suffered and died for all her sins and offers her forgiven and everlasting life. Thanks for your prayers for the individuals and families we serve.