By Ashley Wiehe
Director of Communications

Each week, Worship Anew viewers can count on seeing one face above all others—one face that provides them a warm welcome and an introduction for that week’s pastor—Eric Kaschinske.

Since 2018, Eric has been the host for the Worship Anew programs. He followed the 25-year career of Don Luepke, who served as the host, beginning in 1992 when the program was called “Worship for Shut-Ins.”

For Eric, following in Don’s footsteps was natural because he had already been doing it for years. He first followed Don by student-teaching with him at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., then teaching in the same math department as him, then taking over as the math department chair, and then serving as the Barnabas Award organizer (a program at the high school that honors servant-hearted students), and finally, serving as
the host of Worship Anew.

“I taught with Don for many years, and it’s weird how often I’ve kind of followed some of the things that he’s doing,” Eric said. “Don just mentors and challenges in a unique way.”

Eric and his wife, Amy, live in Fort Wayne and have three children (Mason 23, Rhaya 21, and Landon 19).

He and his wife met as students at Concordia University-River Forest (now Concordia University-Chicago) where he was studying to be a teacher, and she was studying to be a nurse.

Neither were from Fort Wayne, even though they have now called the city their home for more than 28 years. They said it was great mentors, like Don and his wife, Ellen, that brought them to Indiana and shaped their decisions in college and beyond.

“(In starting college), I didn’t have any understanding of who I was or why I was ending up there, but you know fast forward 30 years, and you totally see the hand of the Holy Spirit in all of it,” Amy said of her time at Concordia.

“I’m very thankful for a lot of great mentors, especially in high school, but even some in college, that helped me to just listen and talk me through things,” Eric added. “Don being a big one of those.”

Eric began as host of Worship Anew after a suggestion from Don when he was retiring. After spending years building him up as a teacher, Don was ready to hand over a new role to him as host.

“It’s really many times overwhelming and humbling,” Eric said of being on Worship Anew. “There’s a lot of things that have impressed me or made a big impact on me, but one of them is that I just didn’t realize how many people are involved in the ministry.”

As a volunteer, Eric joined a team of volunteers that make the program possible week in and week out.

“It sort of blew me away the number of people that were involved in this,” he said of the volunteers, many of whom he has had connections with through his work for the Church.

“It’s like heaven on earth,” Amy added.

And as Don first guided and inspired him, Eric is now an inspiration to his own children through his work on the program.

“It’s super cool for our kids to see him doing Worship Anew,” Amy said. “He’s always been that pillar of faith in our family. … It’s humbling for me as his wife, and we’re all super proud of him.”

For Eric, service has become his life—serving in the classroom to countless students over the years, and for six years, serving as the host of Worship Anew.

“I have just come to appreciate not only the people at Worship Anew and all the support that I get, but just the people who view it,” Eric said.

Today, Eric still teaches math at Concordia Lutheran High School, and Amy serves as the director of congregational health at Concordia Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne–interestingly, a position that Don’s wife, Ellen, had previously served in.

“It’s sort of funny that (Eric) and I are in their roles, if you will. Yes, 2.0. We’re the Luepkes 2.0,” Amy said with a laugh.

Watch Eric Kaschinske on Worship Anew as he introduces the program and closes it out each week.