Christ the Life Lutheran Church & School
Our Staff
Pastor Christopher Bushre was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to a military father (Air Force) and a mother who was a lifelong Registered Nurse, now retired. He also lived in Denver, CO, and St. Louis, MO, growing up, but considers the Detroit, MI, area his hometown.
Pastor Bushre attended college at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree and double major in Biology and Religious Studies, in 1998. He also met his wife, Julie, while attending there. He then attended seminary at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, graduating with a Master of Divinity in 2003. He served as Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lyons, Nebraska, for five years, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Geneseo, Illinois, for ten years, before being called to Christ the Life.
Pastor Bushre and Julie have been married for 24 years and have three children: son, Aidan, 22, daughter, Allison, 20, and son, Declan, 15.
In his spare time, Pastor Bushre plays the drums and guitar a bit, enjoys reading, watching football, and is an avid griller - Charcoal only! Never gas! :)
I was born in Springfield, OH, and raised in Troy, OH. I graduated from Troy High School in 1995, and attended Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI. I graduated from Concordia in April of 2000 with a BA in Elementary Education, Music Education with my Lutheran Teacher Diploma. I began my educational ministry career in St. Charles, MO in January of 2000. In June of 2011, I graduated from Western Governors’ University with a Master’s Degree in Education, Biological Sciences, grades 5-12.
I have been blessed to serve all age levels in the classroom from kindergarten through seniors in high school – and now I am adding preschool. I love working with children, and love seeing them learn through exploring and hands on activities. However, MOST of all I LOVE watching children grow in their faith life through God’s word and singing His praises. That is a joy that we are blessed to experience in a Lutheran Christian school.
I am excited to be part of the CTL team, working with our staff and supporting the work we do together. I have been Called to serve as Administrator and Preschool Teacher, so you will see me in the office, in the classroom, and helping out, wherever I can, in the STEAM Lab. One of my favorite things about Christ the Life is our Nature Center and trails! I'll continue to work at expanding and enriching the learning that is happening out there.
And, yes, Pastor Bushre is my husband. We met in college and were married in September of 2001. We have 3 children: Aidan (7/31/03), Allison (10/14/05), and Declan (10/20/10).
Ms. Colleen Duero
STEAM Lab Teacher
Colleen originally joined the Christ the Life team in 2013 when she worked part time in various teaching roles. As the program grew, we were blessed to bring her on as our full time Lead STEAM Lab Teacher starting in 2020. Colleen’s dedication to teaching our little ones and her love for God’s creation make her a huge asset to CTL.
Colleen enjoys spending time with her family and friends including her bird (Birdie), cat (Kittie), and tortoise (Pickles). Her free time is usually spent enjoying the outdoors.
Mrs. Suzie Prittie
Preschool Teacher
I joined the Christ the Life team in September of 2021 as a substitute teacher/teacher's assistant. With my youngest child off to kindergarten, I was eager to get back into the education world. My daughter attended preschool at CTL, where I fell in love with the close-knit community, nature-based curriculum and beautiful property. I knew working here would be a great fit and it would continue to grow my love for working with children. I am passionate about the idea that each child learns in different ways, and I love how the Christ the Life preschool program offers a multitude of ways for children to grow their faith, knowledge, imagination, social skills, and love of nature. It is incredibly rewarding.
I grew up in the Waukesha area all of my life. I graduated from Kettle Moraine High School and attended college at UW-Whitewater, where I earned a bachelors degree in Elementary Education with a Child Psychology minor. I currently live in Waukesha with my husband Bryan and two daughters, Hailey and Jordyn. In my free time, I enjoying baking with my daughters, getting lost in a good book, watching Packers games, and going for family walks with our dog.
Miss Nikayla Schaefer
Preschool & STEAM Lab Assistant Teacher
I was born and raised in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and really enjoy the outdoors. One of the biggest reasons I chose to work at CTL was because of all the outdoor space and time they have. It is wonderful that these kids get the opportunity to have so much space to run around and explore the outdoors. I am currently enrolled at Waldorf University in Iowa in their online program for Criminal Justice. Along with that I spend most of my free time with family and my animals at home. I am a huge animal lover and will take in any stray that I come across. I enjoy working at CTL, as it feels like another family away from home.
Miss Kaylei Horning
STEAM Lab Assistant Teacher
I’m currently working toward my bachelor’s degree in K–9 Education at Mount Mary University and love being able to apply what I’m learning to teach and support amazing children every day. I also enjoy learning something new each day, which keeps me inspired and growing as an educator. What I enjoy most is helping kids grow in a caring and supportive environment. I feel lucky to be part of a community where I can make a positive difference in children’s early learning journey.
In my free time I love to travel, and spend time with my family and pets. I have a cat named Dorothea and a dog named Dacia who mean the world to me! I also love anything to do with arts and crafts, so a tradition I started in my family is making holiday and birthday cards from scratch!
Mrs. Amy Harrell
STEAM Lab Assistant Teacher
As a stay at home mom I stumbled across Christ the Life Church & Early Childhood Center by chance and really fell in love with their nature based approach and Christ centered learning. My previous experience is working with at-risk teenage girls but after having my son I really felt a calling towards working with younger kids. My Bachelors degree in Enviornmental Science also pairs well with the nature-based learning at CTL. I love being a mom and I am grateful to learn and grow every day at Christ the Life.
Miss Abby Cortes
STEAM Lab Assistant Teacher
I am currently a senior at Waukesha North High School and really excited to start my journey at UW-Stout in the fall of 2026, where I plan to major in Early Childhood Education. I love watching children grow and learn, finding joy in how their development also inspires my own growth. In my free time I love to read a good book, spending time growing my faith and hanging out with my friends and family.
Mrs. Van Allen joined the team at Christ the Life in August 2019. She brings with her 17 years of experience in early childhood – both in teaching and administrative roles. In fact, her first teaching position was at Christ the Life in 2002! She now enjoys working ‘behind the scenes’ to keep things running smoothly for both the church and early childhood programs.
Becki earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from UW-Milwaukee and more recently completed the Early Childhood Administrator Credential. She currently lives in Waukesha with her husband, Jeff, and their dog, Dexter. Together, they enjoy fishing, boating, and gardening.