Senior Pastor Caitlin Trussell

Born in Boston, raised in Pasadena, married a Nebraskan, and now in Denver for the past 20 years, Pastor Caitlin Trussell has covered a lot of ground literally as well as professionally, personally, and theologically. She was a Registered Nurse for 16 years, working in hospitals with families caring for children with cancer and then managing home hospice teams of RNs, Chaplains, Social Workers, and CNAs who supported families caring for dying loved ones at home. During that time, she received a Master’s in Nursing from UCLA as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Pediatric Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Pain Management. She moved to Colorado and married Rob in 1995. Their family soon grew to include their two children.

Baptized through the Roman Catholic Church while living with her first father, then baptized again through the fundamentalist Christian tradition of her step-father, Pastor Caitlin spent about ten years as a religious refugee wondering if there was a place to hang her theological hat. When their children were born, Rob’s unscathed Lutheran memories, and Pastor Caitlin’s fond memories of older church ladies, drew the Trussells into a neighborhood Lutheran church.

Pastor Caitlin was captured by God’s love that is constant as we struggle with our flaws, doubt, and despair; and as we delight in life earnestly, ironically, and irreverently. The pastor there invited her to preach which instigated Rob and their congregation’s encouragement of her to become a pastor. By 2011, she completed her Master of Divinity degree at Iliff School of Theology which includes concurrent coursework at Luther Seminary.

The two-year wait for a congregational call found her speaking and teaching at church retreats; leading funerals and weddings by referral; and preaching for various Metro Denver congregations including New Beginnings Church within the walls of the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility which she is still doing intermittently.

A pastor of Augustana since February 2013, Pastor Caitlin preaches, teaches, and leads worship in addition to providing pastoral care and congregational leadership. She is grateful that God bestows grace in and through flawed people called the church and is grateful to be both a recipient and preacher of this grace with Augustana Lutheran Church – a group of people who live into this grace together by tethering into a rich worship tradition and free to figure out what it means to be people of faith in this place and time.

Contact Pastor Caitlin at 303-388-4678 ext. 115. You can also visit her website: http://caitlintrussell.org/.

Pastor Michael Tassler

Pastor Michael Tassler serves as one of Augustana’s pastors, where faith, creativity, and community meet in surprising and life-giving ways. His areas of ministry include worship, pastoral care, confirmation, adult education and formation, and communications – places where he listens, teaches, creates, and helps people see how faith connects with real life.

Michael finds deep joy in walking with people through the full rhythm of faith — from the joy of baptism to the questions that surface in the middle of life’s messier moments. Whether through conversation, prayer, or shared laughter, he believes the church is at its best when it helps people recognize God’s presence in the everyday and discover grace that is both grounding and freeing.Before coming to Denver, Michael served congregations in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs. Each community deepened his love for the local church and his conviction that faith and belonging can transform lives.

Outside of ministry, Michael is the proud father of three young adult children who continue to inspire and delight him. A lifelong lover of music – once a trumpet player and always moved by a good melody – he also enjoys hiking and exploring with his spouse May and their dog, Porter, who’s always eager to come along. He finds renewal in sketching creative ideas, discovering new coffee shops, and playing his daily suite of New York Times games: Wordle, Connections, Strands, and the Mini.

Michael welcomes conversation about life, faith, and the many ways grace takes shape in the world. He’s always glad to connect – whether over coffee, a question, or a story waiting to be shared.

Contact Pastor Michael at 303-388-4678 ext.105 or by email.