AARON WINKELMAN
Pastor Aaron Winkelman joined the staff at Pilgrim in 2023 and has been in pastoral ministry since 2005.
Pastor is married to his wonderful wife Laura and together they are parents to eight kids: Ethan, Rebekah, Gabriel, Charis, Alex, Micaiah, Mae, and Nevaeh. He says that he can only keep up with their busy schedules thanks to Laura’s exceptional organizational skills and a color-coded Google calendar.
In any spare time Pastor Winkelman enjoys Wisconsin sports (especially Packers football), hiking, cooking, dining out, sampling craft beer, and living room karaoke competitions with his wife Laura. Card, dice, and board games are also popular activities with the family.
He gives all glory to God for mentors in his early life and faithful friends who have seen him through life’s difficulties and partnered with him in ministry. Pastor and Laura are thrilled to be at Pilgrim and are eager to connect with the church family and those in the community who need Jesus. He would love to meet you!
KEVIN KLUG
Hello, my name is Kevin Klug, and I serve as the Principal at Pilgrim Lutheran School. I have lived in Wisconsin most of my life. I graduated from Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills and attended Martin Luther College, graduating in 1999. I have three credits to go in a Master’s of Education program in Leadership. I’m in my sixth year at Pilgrim and my twenty-seventh year of teaching. I currently teach some departmentalized classes in the upper grades, and my favorite subject to teach is literature.
My wife Gretchen and I have been married for 29 years, and we have two children. Gretchen is a registered nurse who works with cancer patients. Our son Jacob is a pastor at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our daughter Madelynn and her husband, Connor, are both in graduate school.
In my spare time, I enjoy fishing and hiking in our beautiful state. I also enjoy playing softball and volleyball. My wife and I enjoy spending time with our extended family and traveling.
DAVID PORTH
Mr. Porth has served Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, since 2014 and currently serves as Staff Minister. In this role, he oversees worship support and planning, communications and engagement, evangelism and outreach, and pastoral assistance.
Mr. Porth holds an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Martin Luther College and a master’s degree in church music from Concordia University Wisconsin. His passion for music and education has also led him to serve as an adjunct professor of organ at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Mr. Porth is happily married to his wife, Liz, and has two amazing kids Michael and Jameson, who both attend Pilgrim. In his spare time he enjoys cooking and traveling.
JOSH HIGGINS
Josh Higgins joins our faculty for the 2026-27 school year as our seventh and eighth grade teacher. He graduated from Martin Luther College with a double major in Elementary Education and Secondary Mathematics.
He was born and raised in Watertown, Wisconsin. Josh and his wife, Sarah are blessed with a one and a half year old daughter, Elliana.
He is an avid sports fan, and loves to cheer on all Wisconsin sports! He also enjoys participating in different sports including soccer (which I played for 4 years at MLC), basketball, golf, baseball, and track. Besides watching or being involved in sports, I enjoy playing card games, playing board games, going for walks, and spending time with family in my free time.
JENNY RAASCH
Mrs. Raasch is Pilgrim’s Homeroom Teacher for grades 5-6, and she also teaches departmentalized Science, Art & PE for grades 5-8. She grew up in Grove Heights, MN and has lived there, California, Florida and now in Wisconsin.
Mrs. Raasch attended St. Croix Lutheran High School and graduated from Doctor Martin Luther College. She has taught all grades from 3 year-old Preschool through Grade 8 everywhere she has lived. 2025-26 is Mrs. Raasch’s 20th year of teaching, and her 12th year at Pilgrim! Her favorite subjects to teach are Science and Religion.
Mrs. Raasch is married to Joel and they have two brilliant adult children, Joseph and Anna. Mrs. Raasch often cares for her ‘grand-pets’ Moose the dog and Mickey the snake. In her spare time she enjoys reading, playing piano, tending to houseplants, watching the kids sports and spending time with family.
AMY KUSKE
Mrs. Kuske is Pilgrim’s Teacher for grades 3-4. She grew up in Woodville, Wisconsin and has always lived in Wisconsin except for heading to school in Minnesota.
Mrs. Kuske attended Baldwin-Woodville High School and graduated from Doctor Martin Luther College. She has completed Graduate work at UW-Whitewater and Wisconsin Lutheran College. 2025-26 is Mrs. Kuske’s 40th year of teaching, and her 12th year at Pilgrim! Her favorite subjects to teach are Art and Science.
Mrs. Kuske is married to Pete and they have been blessed with three adult children [Tyler, Caleb & Alison], a daughter in law, a son in law, and three granddaughters. Mrs. Kuske loves to spend time with her family, her dog Brindley and in her spare time she enjoys reading, swimming, and going on walks.
ALYSSA SCHWARTZ
Alyssa Schwartz joins the Pilgrim faculty this year as third grade teacher. She grew up at Pilgrim, graduating from 8th grade and attending church here for 20 years before marrying Joel, a fellow graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran College and attending church in Milwaukee, WI. She praises God for his good timing, allowing her to spend more time in the hallways and classrooms of Pilgrim during the 2026 school year as our 3rd Grade teacher. Joel and Alyssa have four children. Nathan (12), Vivian (7), Nora (5) and Lauren (3) will all be attending Pilgrim in the coming school year.
As a teacher for 10 years and a stay-at-home mom for the past 5 years, Alyssa has had a chance to learn about kids of many ages. She also has been blessed to build wonderful relationships with families while hosting GEMS, a moms Bible study group, and participating in worship and volunteer events at both the church and school. One of her favorite things is singing about Jesus, so if you walk past her classroom, stop by and join in! Jesus loves Math and ELA!
JESSICA WENDLAND
Mrs. Wendland is Pilgrim’s second grade teacher and serves as the assistant volleyball coach for the B and C teams. She grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and later moved to Tomah, WI.
Mrs Wendland attended Luther High School and graduated from Martin Luther College. The 2025–2026 school year marks her first year of teaching! Her favorite subjects to teach are Social Studies, God’s Word, and Physical Education.
She is Married to Nate Wendland, and they were married in December of 2025. In her free time, Mrs. Wendland enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing pickleball.
JODI MURPHY
Mrs. Murphy is Pilgrim’s Teacher for grade 1. She grew up in Menasha, Wisconsin and has lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Mrs. Murphy attended Fox Valley Lutheran High School and graduated from Doctor Martin Luther College. She has a wide variety of teaching experience ranging from PreK-grade 4 and was also the Resource Coordinator and Math Specialist in the Brillion Public Schools. 2025-26 is Mrs. Murphy’s 30th year of teaching, and her 14th year at Pilgrim! Her favorite subjects to teach are ALL of them, especially the Word of God.
Mrs. Murphy is married to Mark and they have one adult son, Joshua. Mrs. Murphy says “It is a privilege to be able to assist my students in growing in their faith and in the knowledge of the world around them. Being able to infuse the love of Jesus into everything we do is such a blessing.” In her spare time she loves a variety of outdoor recreational activities, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and spending time with family and friends.
REBECCA ILES
