My name is Morgan Baumbach. I’m from Farmington, Minnesota and going into my third year of college. I absolutely love Augsburg because of its location. It’s right down in the heart of the Twin Cities, and I love being a part of it all! I also love Augsburg because of its choice of Majors!! I was able to transfer and then double Major and Minor in my two dream Majors/Careers: Theatrical Design and Technology AND Theology and Public Leadership, with a Youth Studies Minor. When I graduate, I want to tour with a band/music group or theatre production nationally and internationally and travel the world. Then once I settle down I want to go into youth ministry. Last summer I worked at Camp Wapo as a Camp Counselor and absolutely loved it. I am SO excited to be able to be a mentor at AYTI this summer and bring a little bit of that camp feel to the big city!!
Hi! My name is Grace Porter and I am from Eden Prairie, MN and a first year here at Augsburg University. I am majoring in Theology and Public Leadership with a concentration in Youth Studies and a minor in Music. My favorite thing about Augsburg is the people-I have created so many new relationships I know I will value for a long time! When I graduate, I want to work with kids in the church, and hopefully direct a youth choir as well. I attended AYTI a few years ago and it was one of the best weeks of my life! I grew so much in faith and friendships and had so many wonderful experiences that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. Attending the program is also one of the big reasons I chose to attend Augsburg, and I love it here just as much as I thought I would!
My name is Mallory Harris. I’m from the south side of Chicago. I am a junior at Augsburg, majoring in communication studies. My future goals include being a director of photography and a motivational speaker. My favorite thing about being an Auggie is the commitment and foundation built on helping others. I’m excited to engage with students and get to be a part of something larger than myself.
This week, we hear from Mason Mennenga, an Innovation Coach at the Riverside Innovation Hub. Mason shares his understanding of the Public Church Framework and how this approach changes the way faith communities experience their own community and the local neighborhood.
“A religious experience is not simply another experience, but rather a reconfiguration of the way in which one experiences.” — Peter Rollins
Public Church1 is not another program, ministry, or outreach in which we hope for churches to add to their already-too-long list of programs, ministries, and outreaches. For far too long, churches have resorted to adding a food pantry, a sexy new Instagram account, or the latest curriculum to their Sunday school programming to engender upon people the need to have a religious experience within their walls. However, perhaps — and just bear with me — it is churches who need a religious experience: to be born again. It is the telos of Public Church to do just that — to reconfigure the way in which a church experiences its own congregation and local community. A church oriented to encountering their neighbor might just discover places of mutual transformation–places, people, and experiences that breath new life into itself and its adjacent communities alike.
Steph, a congregant and Innovation team member from one of the churches I coach through the Public Church Framework, recently had what one may describe as a religious experience. This church had a month-long adult and youth class leading participants through conversations reflecting on why they are Christian and why they participate in church. At the first session of this class, Steph and I were at a small table with other congregants. During a discussion around the table, several of these congregants voiced concerns about the number of young adults leaving the Church. While our tablemates’ anxieties were undeniably real, it seemed to Steph and I that there is more to the cultural trend of young adults leaving the Church than met our tablemates’ eyes. Nonetheless, Steph and I remained quiet and simply listened to them. After the session, Steph approached me and told me that if it was not for what she was learning by participating in the Public Church Framework, she would have perfunctorily went along with what our tablemates were saying. Without a doubt, many other people would do the same.
Accompaniment, the first part of the Public Church Framework, invites people to listen to the neighbor. In this case, Steph and her church’s innovation team listened to young adults. Steph spent time listening to her young adult coworkers and read resources on the engagement of young adults with the Church. She even picked up a copy of Phyllis Tickle’s The Age of the Spirit to learn more about the theological changes in our culture. All of this work of accompaniment was focused on listening to her neighbors and seeking further understanding of the cultural milieu in which her neighbors live.
Photos of Foss Chapel in mid-winter versus early summer illustrate how experiences vary depending on different lens we use to see the world.
Because of her work with the Public Church framework — listening with young adults and learning about the rapidly changing culture in which they live — Steph gained the lens to better understand the complexity of young people leaving organized religion and more faithful responses to such a shift. Her experiences of accompaniment, provided Steph with a lens that opened her up to a religious experience that did not resort to a better catechesis or a catchy new program but a wholly new way in which she experienced young people and their reasons for engaging, or not engaging, with the Church. Steph and the rest of her church’s innovation team have learned the shift of young adults leaving the church is complex, such as different ways young adults relate to religious affiliation and problematic theologies that are no longer relevant. They are also recognizing that young adults, like most everyone, prefer to be encountered uniquely as a person and not as a demographic label or a problem to be solved.
In the Christian tradition, we have a name for such a religious experience: born again. To be born again was never intended to be a switching of one’s experience from one or no religious tradition to another another but a conversion of how one experiences the world. Public Church, penultimately, attempts to provide a framework for churches to be a born-again in the way they experience their own congregation and local community. Therefore, allow your church to be born again through the learning framework of Public Church — not to lead your church into another program, ministry, or outreach but to fracture the way in which your church experiences your own congregation and local community. It begins with listening, one neighbor at a time. It continues through leaning into the curiosities that emerge, being willing to set aside old assumptions, and allowing God to invite new life that can mutually transform church and its surrounding communities alike.
1 Public Church is not another program, ministry, or outreach, but rather simply a framework by which churches can cultivate a reconfiguration of culture within their congregations to be more attentive and more faithfully responsive to their local communities.
Hello! My name is Lizzy Hoversten, and I am from Viroqua, Wisconsin. I just finished my first year at Augsburg University, studying Management with a minor in Communication Studies.
At Augsburg I have enjoyed finding myself in new settings and getting to know new people. There are a number of paths I could pursue, and I have very specific hopes for my Management degree, but if those do not pan out I will hopefully go to law school. I am incredibly enthusiastic for this summer’s AYTI theme of Stewarding Creation in our Neighborhoods: Science and Theology in Action. I will be taking a week break from working at a summer camp to come back to Augsburg and engage with youth who are passionate about theology and want to learn how we are called to be faithful stewards to our habitat.
My name is Ian Heseltine. I’m a second year at Augsburg University. I am majoring in Music, Media & Management with a minor in Religion. My hometown is Alexandria, MN, two hours west of Minneapolis. In the future I hope to be managing artists or their tours.
My favorite thing about Augsburg is how connected you are to your friends, faculty, staff, and administration. Our average class size is 16, so you really get to build a relationship with professors and in return they become invested in your education.
I’m so excited to be returning this summer to be an AYTI mentor again! Which is such an incredible and indescribable week that I believe all youth should experience! I can’t wait to have all of our 2019 AYTI students here at Augsburg to learn more about God, reflect on God, and serve their communities through God.
My name is Grace Koch Muchahary. I’m from India. I am a first year student at Augsburg University majoring in Sociology. I am really glad to be called an Auggie, and I love the surroundings over here. My favorite thing is the people who are really very good and help each other with every need. My future goals are to become a greater youth leader and a social worker as a missionary. I am really excited for the AYTI program, to meet new people, and get to learn many new things.
Beyond Privilege: Engaging Diversity, Inclusion and Equity
JULY 15-17, 2019 Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN
Each year, members of Lutheran colleges gather to explore the distinctive roles we play in higher education.
The theme this year is Beyond Privilege: Engaging Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. This year we will examine the intersection between privilege, inclusivity, and vocation.
The conference is open to everyone from ELCA colleges or universities, but institutions are encouraged to register participants who have a particular interest in or campus responsibility for advancing their institution’s vocation to engage and expand campus diversity and to further equity and inclusion for all. Each college or university is also urged to send a campus delegation, composed of a mix of administrators and faculty. The make-up of delegations, however, is the decision of each college or university. Students are welcomed—if appropriate—as members of a campus delegation, but each college/university will be responsible for the supervision of student participants.
REGISTRATION
ELCA colleges and universities are invited to send delegations of up to five persons at a subsidized rate of $150 per person. More information about registration was sent to school representatives through the ELCA. Contact Melinda Valverde at melinda.valverde@elca.org for more information or if your college or university has questions.
Registration is closed.
Registration questions may be also be directed to 612-330-1403 or voalc@augsburg.edu.
The Vocation of a Lutheran College conference is supported by the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities.
Hi! My name is Kali Kadelbach. I’m from Cloquet, Minnesota. I’m in my third year of college but first semester at Augsburg. I’m majoring in Theology and Public Leadership with a concentration in Youth Studies. My favorite thing about being an Auggie is the community we have around and within campus and the way that all students and staff come together to help each individual be successful and happy. My future goal is to work alongside others to share the Word of Christ through outdoor ministry and youth. I would like to be a leader in faith–not just in the United States but all over the World. I’m looking forward to getting to know all the students and to see the growth this week has within myself, other staff and students.
This week, we would like to share a blog post written by Cassie Dong, our Communication Coordinator. Cassie was inspired to write this after participating in the “Palm Friday” chapel at Augsburg University last Friday. This blog post illustrates the Interpretative work our faith communities are working on.
If you are looking for a straight answer, stop here; there is none. If you would be willing to dwell into your neighbors’ story, your story, and God’s story, then keep reading. It will be long, but it will all make sense at the end. After all, only when you weave these very different stories together can you find how God is calling us to show up in our community. Be patient for this work is slow and challenging.
Our Story: Are we feeling guilty with “being Christian”?
As a young leader, I am used to being vocal about my beliefs. I speak up for people who have been marginalized and have no voice. Yet, one of the most difficult things for me is to learn how to publicly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that speaks true to the communities that I serve. It is challenging to find the right balance between living out my faith in the public square and to be compassionate toward people who have experienced trauma and pain at the hand of the church. I am disheartened to see faith communities resistant to use “God’s language.” Many faith communities come forward to acknowledge mistakes the church has committed in its long history. However, instead of closely looking at and changing policies, systems, processes, and cultural norms of white supremacy, colonization, and toxic masculinity, many people respond by no longer talking about their Christian faith in public. Are there ways for us, as Christians, to declare that Christianity is a religion of love? Can we live out our faith and allow God’s stories and our stories to guide us in accompanying our neighbors?
God’s Story: Palm Sunday
To answer those questions above, let me first share with you one of God’s stories. I would make an assumption that many of us have read or heard of the story in Mark 11:1–11 in which people “spread branches they had cut in the fields.” They carried these palms as they followed Jesus entering Jerusalem while shouting praises to God. From this Biblical narrative, we have Palm Sunday—the Sunday before Easter when many churches celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem by carrying palm fronds.
Let’s stop here for a moment and ask a few questions. During church service on Palm Sunday, when being given those palm branches, what do you do with them? Do you wave them while entering the chapel? Do you hold on to them throughout the entire service? Bring them home when the service is done? Do you know what exactly do these palm branches represent?
Our neighbor’s Story: The March for Our Lives
I would need to tell you about my neighbor’s story in order to answer those questions above. In support of stronger gun violence prevention measures, on Saturday, March 24, 2018, the March for Our Lives took place in Washington D.C. where between 200,000 to 800,000 people participated. In other places in the country, thousands of people—many were high school students and young adults—marched onto the street with protest signs sending strong messages against gun violence and demanding for change. Among those protest signs, there were some palm branches: some were held high above the head; others were tied to protest signs. Yes, Saturday, March 24, 2018 was the day before Palm Sunday.
People worshiped during Palm Friday chapel at Augsburg University. Photo credit: Janice Dames
Weaving together our neighbors’ story, our story, and God’s Story
On April 12, during the “Palm Friday” chapel, Augsburg University’s associate pastor Justin Lind-Ayres told us about his experience participating in the 2018 March for Our Lives. He compared those palm branches with protest signs we have today. He shared, when people held onto the branches and followed Jesus into Jerusalem, they were marching with Jesus to demand for a change and to celebrate the good news of Jesus Christ. Similarly, people who were marching with palm branches at the March for Our Lives were also advocating for social justice while celebrating the incredible leadership of young people who organized and led this national demonstration. Moreover, these people were explicit about their identity. They sent out an important message: the Christian community is standing with the victims of the Parkland shooting and those young leaders who fight against gun violence.
I shared with you about our concerns as Christians, Mark 11:1–11, the sermon about Palm Sunday, and the presence of palm branches during the March for Our Lives because these stories teach us how to live out our faith. No, it is not enough to just listen to our neighbors, or to only understand our identity, or to only know God’s story. Faith communities must be able to weave together these three stories to discover: Who is God calling us to be? What is God calling us to do? How is God calling us to show up in this community? Instead of ambiguously saying “we are not that kind of church” or “we are not that kind of Christian,” we must be explicit about our identity and our values—with words and actions. How can we fix our mistakes and/or remove misunderstandings and assumptions that people may have about the church and our faith without actually showing up in the community and being clear about our true Christian values? I strongly believe, as faith communities, we are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to challenge the particular bad news in our neighborhood.Only when we show up in the neighborhood—with humility and compassion—can we understand the bad news and truly discern the good news in our specific context. This is how we live out our faith.
My name is Morgan Baumbach. I’m from Farmington, Minnesota and going into my third year of college. I absolutely love Augsburg because of its location. It’s right down in the heart of the Twin Cities, and I love being a part of it all! I also love Augsburg because of its choice of Majors!! I was able to transfer and then double Major and Minor in my two dream Majors/Careers: Theatrical Design and Technology AND Theology and Public Leadership, with a Youth Studies Minor. When I graduate, I want to tour with a band/music group or theatre production nationally and internationally and travel the world. Then once I settle down I want to go into youth ministry. Last summer I worked at Camp Wapo as a Camp Counselor and absolutely loved it. I am SO excited to be able to be a mentor at AYTI this summer and bring a little bit of that camp feel to the big city!!
My name is Mallory Harris. I’m from the south side of Chicago. I am a junior at Augsburg, majoring in communication studies. My future goals include being a director of photography and a motivational speaker. My favorite thing about being an Auggie is the commitment and foundation built on helping others. I’m excited to engage with students and get to be a part of something larger than myself.
Hello! My name is Lizzy Hoversten, and I am from Viroqua, Wisconsin. I just finished my first year at Augsburg University, studying Management with a minor in Communication Studies.
Hello!
