From Kindergartener to Called: How One School Shaped a Life of Faith
A feature on the Rev. Kristen Koch, alumna of Atonement Lutheran School, Florissant, Missouri
Some stories take decades to tell. Rev. Kristen Koch’s begins in August of 1973, when she was baptized at the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Florissant, Missouri. It winds through a childhood spent in classrooms and pews, a season of missionary work in Tanzania, years of seminary, and more than two decades of ordained ministry. Today, as Director for Evangelical Mission for the Central States Synod — serving all of Missouri and Kansas — Kristen’s story is still unfolding. And it all began at an ELCA School with a big mission.
Kristen’s first memory of Atonement Lutheran School says everything about the kind of place it was.
“My first memory of Atonement Lutheran School is getting in trouble as a Kindergartener,” she recalls with a smile. Because her older brother was already a student there, Kristen had visited enough times to feel completely at home. So one day after lunch, she simply walked upstairs and back to her classroom — all by herself. When her teacher caught up with her in the hallway, Kristen’s explanation was matter-of-fact: she already knew her way around and didn’t need help.
“So clearly, I felt at home at Atonement School from the very beginning.”
That sense of belonging — of being known, welcomed, and safe — would prove to be the foundation for everything that followed.
About Atonement Lutheran School
Atonement Lutheran School is a Pre-K through 8th-grade school in Florissant, Missouri, and a proud member of the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA). They have been nurturing faith and learning for over 70 years with a dedicated faculty and a warm, Christ-centered community. Atonement is committed to growing the whole child — academically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Kristen attended Atonement from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, was confirmed there, and remained an active part of the community through high school and college — serving as a reader, assisting minister, choir member, handbell choir member, and even as a summer intern. Looking back now, she can trace a through-line from those early school days to her life’s calling.
“Being a student at Atonement invited me to shape my day around scripture and prayer. That’s not anything I was aware of at the time, but now I can see how the rituals of prayer before lunch, weekly chapel, and devotions in class all modeled for me a particular rhythm which incorporated God’s presence into my daily life.”
It wasn’t just the daily rituals. The story of the Reformation, told and retold each year, left its mark too.
“I think telling and retelling the story of the Reformation each year helped me to become more aware of the importance of grace — that we cannot earn God’s love, rather God gives it freely to all.”
After seminary and a season serving as a volunteer missionary in Tanzania, East Africa — supported throughout by her Atonement community — Kristen was ordained into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in June of 2003 — fittingly, at the Lutheran Church of the Atonement itself. After several years serving in parish ministry, she eventually answered a call back to where it all began, joining Atonement as Associate Pastor for three years.
“Growing up, my church/school family at Atonement was central to my daily activities. In those communities, I was supported and encouraged. At the same time, I also challenged ideas and traditions. I made connections and built relationships with people of all generations. When I returned as an associate pastor, I was excited to be a part of offering that same kind of love and support to new students and families as they joined the community.”
In 2026, after 22 years of parish ministry, Kristen answered a new call — one that multiplies her impact far beyond a single congregation. As Director for Evangelical Mission for the Central States Synod, she now works across all of Missouri and Kansas, partnering with congregations on evangelism, congregational vitality, and the planting of new churches.
Her Hope for the Children of Atonement
When asked what she hopes for the students walking Atonement’s halls today, Kristen’s answer is both simple and profound:
“My hope is that each student at Atonement Lutheran School will experience the love of God, feel the support of the school community, and be empowered and encouraged to live into their full potential as God’s beloved child.”
That is the promise of a Lutheran education. And it is a promise worth investing in.
Rev. Kristen Koch’s journey — from curious kindergartener to synod leader — is a testament to what happens when a school plants seeds of faith, community, and grace in a child’s life. The fruit of that investment can last a lifetime and reach farther than anyone could have imagined.
Your gift to ELEA helps ensure that students in Lutheran schools across our region have the same opportunity Kristen had: a Christ-centered education that shapes not just their minds, but their calling.