Eric Spake
Sioux City
Summary
Compassionate leader with extensive experience in fostering community and resolving conflicts. Expertise in communicating with a variety of people and raising their performance, committed to nurturing relationships, and providing support in high-pressure situations.
At the end of the day, it would be so much better if Jesus showed up and did it himself. But I believe that he as gifted me, and prepared me.
And I believe it's your job to decide if this is what he's calling me to at this time and place.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Night Traffic Manager
K&B Transportation
South Sioux City, NE
12.2004 - Current
- Directed traffic flow operations, working with a team to work towards 99 percent on time deliveries.
- Managed logistics coordination, ensuring compliance with transportation regulations and DOT laws.
- Responded to driver complaints and problems, including problems that interrupted their duties.
- More than two decades of experience in communication, management, and the opportunity to love people who can be difficult, different, and even defiant.
Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Akron, IA
10.2025 - 02.2026
- Emphasized making the Bible accessible to all people in every form of communication, especially Sunday morning messages.
- Oversaw worship services, ensuring a meaningful experience for attendees through thoughtful planning.
- Provided pastoral care
- Worked with key congregation leaders to effectively deal both existing long term and new conflicts
- Collaborated with church leadership to develop strategic initiatives aligned with mission goals.
Teacher
Siouxland Christian School
Sioux City, Iowa
10.2019 - 05.2021
- Developed and implemented engaging lesson plans.
- Fostered a positive classroom environment that encouraged student participation and collaboration.
- Emphasized individual learning needs, attempting to meet students where they were at, engage them in learning, and raise them up.
- Used literature and language to open conversation with students about Jesus, and encourage them to take the next step closer in their relationship with Him
Pastor
Multiple Churches
Traer, IA; Sioux City, IA, Eau Claire, WI
11.1995 - 11.2004
- Provided pastoral care through counseling, support groups, and individualized attention to congregants.
- Managed church operations, including budgeting, resource allocation, and facility maintenance efforts.
- Provided spiritual care through visitation, counseling, and prayer.
- Delivered engaging sermons that fostered community engagement and spiritual growth.
- Officiated special services such as weddings, funerals, baptisms, and nursing home services.
- Fostered a welcoming environment for newcomers by creating an inclusive culture within the church community.
- Helped to create welcoming environment for visitors and encouraged congregation to offer support.
- Strengthened relationships between families by initiating regular events and workshops catered to their needs.
Education
Master of Science - Master of Divinity-Biblical Studies/Communication
Luther Seminary
St. Paul, MN05-1998
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Wartburg College
Waverly, IA12-1989
Skills
- The ability to see people as people and problems as problems
- The ability to understand what motivates an individual
- The ability to treat communication as a 100-0 proposition, where the communicator is responsible for not just what is communicated, but when, how, and why
- The ability to encourage in ways that are specific and real
- The ability to have difficult conversations
- The ability to maintain standards while caring about people
- The ability, above all, to remember that my primary mission is to love people, wherever I go
Timeline
Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
10.2025 - 02.2026
Teacher
Siouxland Christian School
10.2019 - 05.2021
Night Traffic Manager
K&B Transportation
12.2004 - Current
Pastor
Multiple Churches
11.1995 - 11.2004
Master of Science - Master of Divinity-Biblical Studies/Communication
Luther Seminary
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Wartburg College