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  2. Category: Christensen Center for Vocation

Public Ministry in a Pandemic

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by Jeremy Myers

By most measures, it was a typical Wednesday morning commute. Coffee in the cupholder, slow traffic, radio tuned to NPR, brain wandering and wondering if it is ready for the day. But this day was not a normal day. Local government officials were beginning to encourage us to practice social distancing, diligent hand-washing, and no face-touching. It was the third Wednesday of Lent and I was rehearsing my sermon for that evening in my head. My colleague and I had been invited to preach a 5-week Lenten sermon series on the Public Church at a local church. I was in the middle of a thought – reminding myself NOT to crack any inappropriate jokes about the pandemic during the sermon – when I noticed a crowd gathered on the overpass.

older man sits alone in the pews of a church

The Saint Paul Federation of Educators (St. Paul Public School’s teachers’ union) had just begun their strike and they were demonstrating on every overpass that crossed Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 in Saint Paul. I honked to show my support as I drove under the bridge. Then it hit me. These teachers are beginning their necessary strike which will require public demonstrations.

How will they do this while honoring the call to social distancing? We will be preaching tonight, encouraging a congregation to move into their neighborhood as a public church. How will they do this while honoring the call to social distancing? It has been two months since that not-at-all-normal morning commute, and I think I have some things to say about how we live as a Public Church in a pandemic.

Continue reading “Public Ministry in a Pandemic” →

Introducing Kristina Fruge

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Headshot photo of Kristina Fruge
Kristina Frugé

Kristina Frugé has worked in community and congregational contexts for over 20 years. She spent 12 years as a ministry leader in St. Louis Park, MN working as a CYF Ministry Director and Faith Community Partnership Organizer. For the past 6 years, she has worked with learning communities of local congregations as the Program Manager of the Riverside Innovation Hub at Augsburg University. She also  supports other ministry related initiatives at Augsburg in her other role as Managing Director of the Christensen Center for Vocation. She has served as a trainer with Church Innovations supporting the missional imagination of congregations. 

In all of these roles Kristina is a relationship-centered leader, utilizing skills of theological imagination, congregational and community facilitation, creative problem solving, and deep listening for the collective wisdom present in community. She has her MA from Luther Seminary in Congregational Mission and Leadership and graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead with a double major in Religion and Social Work. Her early introduction to ministry goes all the way back to being a high school confirmation guide at her home church in East Bethel, MN and four memorable summers working at Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp!

She believes deeply in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that thrives when we invest in meaningful, mutual relationships. She is certain God gets really excited when these relationships get organized as a community with a shared-heart for the mutual flourishing of the neighborhood because when this happens, anything is possible.  Her oldest of three kids, coined her vocational calling when he was a 5-year old telling her, “Mom, you work for love.” This orientation has continued to shape all she commits her time, energy and imagination to. 

Working for love continues to be central in Kristina’s other vocational callings with her family, friends and neighbors. She and her husband Nick have three kids, ages 16, 12, and 8 and a crazy but cuddly Vizsla named Smidge, who they love to go on adventures with – big and small, indoors and out, local and far away (when they can!) They treasure their many relationships in their Longfellow community of South Minneapolis where they have lived for over 20 years.  They make a good effort to spend time with friends and neighbors walking, eating good food, playing and experiencing the connection they share to their place.  

Introducing Program Director, Jeremy Myers

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headshot of Jeremy Myers
Photo of Jeremy Myers, Program Director

Jeremy has been a member of the Religion department at Augsburg University since 2006 with specific responsibilities for facilitating the University’s Theology and Public Leadership degree program, the Youth Studies minor, and the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute. He is a rostered Deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). You can learn more about his views on ministry with youth and young adults at his blog, or by reading his book Liberating Youth from Adolescence.

Jeremy has served in the field of ministry with youth and young adults professionally since 1997. He loves working with those in this chapter of life and equally loves helping faith communities become more engaged in their lives.

He believes young people today are not longing for anything different than previous generations. But the culture in which they experience these longings has grown increasingly complex and the gap between our young adults and congregations is greater than it has ever been. This gap has appeared as congregations have failed to move into this complex culture with their young people. Jeremy is certain congregations can learn and implement practices that move them into this complex public square where their young adults are seeking to navigate life and faith.

 

 

 

Interfaith Student Reflection by Joseph Kempf ’16

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Joseph Kempf, Class of 2016

joe-kempf
Joseph Kempf Class of 2016

“(And Jesus Said) You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” Matthew 5:13

You are…a people of faith. You are…a city on a hill. You are…the Salt of the Earth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls his followers salt, of all things! Don’t get me wrong, salt is delicious and needed. But we could be something great! We could be legends, we could be a mountain, instead Jesus charges us with salt. While there are numerous interpretations of what exactly is meant by being the Salt of the Earth, I personally hold this verse in the Gospel of Matthew to indicate how followers of Jesus should engage in the world. I am going to do this with a little bit of Chemistry.

I wanted to be scholarly and a little rebellious so I researched what Salt of the Earth even means. According to the Wikipedia page devoted to Matthew 5:13, it reads “Salt itself, Sodium Chloride, is extremely stable and cannot lose its flavor…(then some author notes) Jesus is ‘not giving a chemistry lesson’” I’m almost a little offended. Who are they to decide when chemistry stops. If there is one thing I learned at Augsburg…chemistry never stops. Since Jesus clearly was not teaching chemistry, I think I will step up to the plate so to speak.

Continue reading “Interfaith Student Reflection by Joseph Kempf ’16” →

Upcoming and Current Interfaith Scholars

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students from the interfaith program gather for a group photoOn April 23, several of the upcoming (2015-2016) Interfaith Scholars met with the current (2014-2015) Scholars. The current scholars shared highlights and advice for next year’s cohort. The Interfaith Scholars Program is co-led by Professor Matt Maruggi and Pastor Sonja Hagander.

All are welcome for the final project of this year’s scholars:

Interfaith Community Sending for Graduates.
Thursday, April 30
6:30pm, Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

Graduating students of all religious and non-religious identities are invited to an interfaith service celebrating your educational journey. This 45-minute service will be a special time of reflection and blessing.

Resources on Vocation: Blogs, Chapel Talks, and More! 2010-2014

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Bernhard M. Christensen

“Devoutly Would He Teach: The Legacy of Bernhard M. Christensen,” Gracia Grindal, ’65, professor of rhetoric at Luther Seminary, Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium keynote address on Oct. 2, 2010

Reflections on the 5 Lessons of Bernhard M. Christensen from the spring 2010 issue of Till & Keep journal.

Blog – The Progress of Pilgrimage

Martha E. Stortz, the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor in Religion and Vocation, has a blog with her colleagues about pilgrimage.

Continue reading “Resources on Vocation: Blogs, Chapel Talks, and More! 2010-2014” →

2014 ACYTI Journal

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The 2014 Augsburg College Youth Theology Institute (ACYTI) Journal has been published!

participants of the augsburg youth theology gather around a font posing for the camera
2014 ACYTI Participants

This year’s ACYTI was an intense week of friendship, classroom learning, worship, solitude, contemplation, discernment, and action on Augsburg’s urban campus for high school students from around the country interested in theology.

Students participated in hands on learning with classroom discussion both at Augsburg and sites throughout the Twin Cities. At the end of their week-long journey they reflected on what they took away from the week and wrote an essay.

This year’s theme was OMC! Christian Community in the Internet Age and focused on the impact of technology on the Christian Community. Take some time and read what current high school students are learning from Augsburg’s intellectual and diverse community experience!

Vocation as Path: Following the Questions

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Augsburg College hosted Seminary and Divinity School Day on October 28. This event allows regional college students to connect, reflect, and explore theological graduate study options with representatives from 18 top-notch seminaries and divinity schools.

Martha E. Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, gave the keynote address at the event.

Her message includes several Big Questions for reflection, and is available electronically – Vocation as Path: Following the Questions 

Welcome to Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Distinguished Fellow

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The Rev. Mark S. Hanson 

Distinguished Fellow in the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg College

headshot of Mark HansonAppointed as a Distinguished Fellow in Augsburg’s Christensen Center for Vocation, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson leads national and international initiatives to advance interfaith dialogue, inspire peacemaking, and support the College’s commitment to vocational discernment. In addition, he serves as a major gifts advisor for “Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.”

Prior to his current appointments, Hanson served as presiding bishop of the ELCA. He was elected to this position by the Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA in August 2001 and was reelected in 2007. In 2003, he was elected to serve, concurrently, as president of the Lutheran World Federation, a position he held until 2010.

Before being elected as ELCA presiding bishop, he served as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod (3H). He had been elected to serve a second term in Saint Paul earlier that same year. Prior to being elected synod bishop, he served as pastor of three Minnesota congregations: Prince of Glory Lutheran Church, Minneapolis; Edina (Minnesota) Community Lutheran Church; and University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis.  Continue reading “Welcome to Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Distinguished Fellow” →

Upcoming Christensen Symposium with Nadia Bolz-Weber

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Nadia Bolz Weber headshotWe have less than two weeks to go until the annual Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium with Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber: The spirituality of being a total screw-up.

The day will involve Nadia’s presentation from 10:00am-11:00am in Hoversten Chapel. It is free and open to the public!

Learn more about it through StepUP’s blog post about the Symposium.

Augsburg Students – is a career in ministry in your future?

Join us for a special Q&A session for Augsburg students with Nadia Bolz-Weber.

Wednesday, Oct. 1
3:30-4:30pm
Oren Gateway 113

Ask questions of Nadia such as, “What is your advice for those of us considering careers in ministry?” Bring your own questions and be ready for good conversation!