A Word from the Pastors
June 27, 2009
Dear Fellow Disciples at Our Savior’s,
On Sunday, July 12th our congregation voted to enter into an internship agreement with Luther Seminary in St. Paul to offer our youth and education director, Kathy Ulland-Klinkner, a pastoral internship in youth and family ministry. I, along with the church council, believe that this experience will greatly benefit Our Savior’s and Kathy as she completes these final steps in preparing for ordained ministry.
This opportunity will bring about a number of changes here at Our Savior’s. As an intern, Kathy’s role in our congregation’s ministry will shift into a different mode of operating. Kathy will still be involved in much of the youth and education ministry of Our Savior’s, but she will also take on more traditional pastoral roles in terms of worship leadership, preaching, pastoral care, and teaching. Additionally, Kathy’s ministry here will also be that of a learner. In a conversation Kathy and I had the other day, she said that she will be a “sponge” soaking in the lessons that both pastors and the congregation has to offer. The paragraph below is a description of the role of an intern in the congregation. This description comes from the Internship Handbook of Luther Seminary.
“An intern is expected to participate in the various
dimensions of ministry as one who is learning what it means to be and to function as a pastor. Attention is to be given to the development of a pastoral identity as well as to the acquisition or refinement of pastoral skills. Regular participation in the life of the congregation/agency in the roles of preacher, worship leader, teacher and pastoral visitor should be possible. Experience in the areas of counseling, administration, and outreach ministry should be facilitated. As a student, the intern should have opportunity for study and reflection as well, both alone and with the supervisor.”
Intern Kathy’s internship began July 15th and will continue until May. In partnership with Luther Seminary, I will be serving as Intern Kathy’s internship supervisor, with the guidance of Pastor Steve McKinley who is Luther Seminary’s Contextual Education Field Coordinator for our synod. In the next few weeks, Intern Kathy, the internship committee, and I will develop a Learning Service Agreement which will serve as a roadmap for her internship and a lay internship committee will be selected to walk with Intern Kathy during this year. If you have any questions or concerns about this internship please feel free to contact either Intern Kathy or myself.
Internship can and should be a learning and growth process for both the congregation and the intern. It is my prayer that as we learn and grow together, Our Savior’s and Intern Kathy will share and receive gifts which build up the body of Christ for the sake of sharing the good news of Jesus here at Our Savior’s and throughout the world. Thank you for partnering with Intern Kathy as she serves Our Savior’s and the Gospel this year.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Todd
Disciples Are Learners First
June 27, 2009
Disciples Are Learners First.
“Disciples mature through basic training — a time for learning the essentials. Jesus is an available and transparent leader. Before disciples can know who they are, they need to know who he is. Only then are they equipped to understand his mission, purpose, methods and expectations.” Rev. John F. Bradosky, author of Growing Disciples
Dear Discipleship Diary,
In these times, it seems that people are growing less comfortable with the Bible and what God has to say to us in the Scriptures. Many hear the call to follow Jesus, and respond with good intentions and great excitement. However, I wonder if sometimes we step out on the journey of discipleship with us some good basic training, and the training manual of faith-The Bible.
As followers of Jesus, one of the first things we are invited to do is to learn about who is Jesus and what he has done and what he calls us to do as his disciples. The best way to engage his commands to is to understand them by opening the scriptures together. We are called to learn before we can really step into the next phase of discipleship which is to minister.
So I believe on of the more important things we can do as disciples is to open the scriptures, and to open them together. If we read the Bible, solely on our own we will gain wisdom and insight, but such wisdom and insight may only be receive through one lens of understanding. However, if we open the scripture together, in a small group, as a family around the kitchen table, or in a Bible study, then we are given the opportunity to understand the scripture from a variety of perspectives.
It is my prayer, Discipleship Diary, that my fellow follower of Jesus would join me and others in opening the Word and join in the conversation.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Todd
