Staff
John March
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
John completed his MDiv from Gorrdon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2003. He worked as a college pastor in Boston, MA at a young church plant before moving back to the Twin Cities in 2006. He and his wife planted a Covenant Church, New City, in 2009. John was trained as a spiritual director through Selah, a ministry of Leadership Transformations from 2018-2020. In 2021, he left his role as Lead Pastor at New City to join the staff of Restoration Ministries.
Leanne Esch
DIRECTOR OF RETREATS
Leanne completed a two-year spiritual direction program through Shalem Institute in December of 2019. In March of 2023, she completed an 18 month program, “Transforming Communities: Leading Contemplative Groups and Retreats.” Prior to pursuing spiritual direction as a vocation, Leanne worked as a social worker and spiritual care coordinator for her church. Leanne enjoys camping, traveling, writing, eating yummy food, spending time on the river, and singing on the worship team at her church.
Board Of Directors
Restoration Ministries is incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and as such we are governed by a Board of Directors which is instrumental in safeguarding our legal requirements, ministry distinctive, and program development. The Board of Directors is involved in the oversight of our strategic decisions and alignment of ministry initiatives with our vision and mission. We are a praying board and each time we meet we gather around the presence of Christ to listen together. From this time of listening we discover and discern how God is leading us as a ministry.
Leanne Esch
Linda Gunderson
Linda Gunderson served as a missionary and church planter with her husband in the city of Rio de Janiero, Brazil for 20 years. Since 2010 she has served on the missionary care team for ReachGlobal in various capacities. Linda is a trained spiritual director and her great joy is to walk alongside people as they journey with Jesus.
John March
Kari Norman
Kari was born in Minnesota but raised in New England. In an unexpected turn, she met and married a man born in the same hospital one month later, whose father was led to the Lord by the same man that led her own father to Him. She and her husband, Matt, returned to Minnesota in 2004 and raised their family there. They have twin boys who attend the University of Notre Dame and a daughter in middle school, as well as a golden retriever named Happy.
Kari spent the early years of her career in finance and investments, then stayed home to raise her children. She has been active in her church and several Christ-centered non-profits. She has learned, over the years, that it’s less important that she “do” (achieve, accomplish, excel), than that she “be” (in the presence of the Lord who delights in her, endeavoring to be one in whom the fruits of the Spirit are evident). She appreciates that Restoration Ministries understands that people come to them for spiritual direction with problems to solve that are not always solvable. But that they journey with them in their questions and hardships, embodying the beautiful reality that the Lord does the same — and that the mystery of His presence, is “more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).