In just a few short days we at St. Olaf Lutheran Church will be welcoming a new young couple into our midst.
A seminary student applied for an opening we had been posting on our website and employment sites for the ELCA Synod for quite some time. He was about to graduate from seminary and thought maybe Devils Lake, North Dakota would be a good place to begin his career as Youth Ministry Coordinator.
The process included the application then a visit to the community plus an interview with members of the executive committee of the Church Council. Finally, a small reception was held at Black Paws Brewing Company for the young couple to meet other members of the Council.
It didn’t take long for the Council to make a decision and an offer was extended to the applicant following a little negotiating about health insurance and so on.
The St. Olaf Congregation was told the good news, asking for their prayers that God would guide the process all along the way.
Then, we waited to hear what they decided regarding our offer.
Meanwhile he graduated from Seminary, they called and accepted St. Olaf’s offer, they found an apartment to rent just a few blocks from the church and they will be arriving very soon.
If you are a member of St. Olaf, or have been a member of St. Olaf in the past, we ask for your prayers for this young couple. In fact, if you are a person of faith living in this area, we ask you all to pray for this young couple coming here to live, work and serve our community.
During our most recent church service, Sunday, June 28, Pastor Lori Pankratz talked about our mission in this world. It made me think about all the people I have known and learned from through the years. I am grateful for each and every person who helped me along the way in my walk and am excited to see the community of St. Olaf grow in God’s love as we embrace this new addition to our family. Our new Youth Ministry Coordinator will begin his ministry at St. Olaf in early July and perhaps he and his wife will allow me to interview them and introduce them to all of you. Until then, please pray for them and for all of us, too, as we go forward in faith.