‘Thanks, bishop.’ A gift officer reflects on a lifelong ministry and a pastor’s legacy
“No need to take me up to the apartment,” he said. “I’ll wait here for my group. As I do, I pray for everyone who passes by here. Once a pastor, always a pastor,” he said, smiling. I nodded, thanked him for a lovely visit, and said I looked forward to the next time... And in that moment I thanked God for him, too, and his lifelong ministry, and for his enduring legacy.
(Summer 2020 Epistle magazine)
MDiv student Julie Grafe is ready for what comes next
“I am so grateful for the time at LSTC. I’m glad to be done with this and sad to be done with this. . . and I didn’t do it. It was God working through me. I’m not sure what comes next but I’m ready.”
(Summer 2020 Epistle magazine)
Pandemic has profound impact on Dalton Ruggieri’s internships
“I witnessed things that were good and weren’t so good, and how we responded. But I found that to be where I grew the most. It pushed me to grow into my pastoral identity, acting in ways that I didn’t have to in the past…"
(September 2020)
Troy Medlin & Ole Schenk: ‘Mutual flourishing’
“We’re committed to each other’s ministry that will likely be shared yet different,” Troy said. “We’ll let the other explore their vocation, and have one another to help us when we’re navigating uncertain challenges that will surely come up in ministry.”
(Summer 2020 Epistle magazine)
Ian and Sarah Coen-Frei: Refectory proposal
" So many meaningful, long-lasting, and valuable relationships are formed at seminary. For us, that’s been structured as a marriage. We are continuing to nurture the friendships, mentorships, and other relationships that have come from our seminary community. They bring us so much joy and enrich our lives.”
(Summer 2020 Epistle magazine)
Kelsey Fauser experiences furthest & shortest internships
“It was a fantastic balance of teaching and learning and basic concepts that were stuck in my head,” she said, thankful that she had been paying attention in seminary classes. “I kept going to my Google docs class notes and saying ‘thank goodness I took notes on this!’ ”
(September 2020)
Horseback riding provides self care during internship marked by Covid-19
Seminarians are like thoroughbreds—known for their agility, speed and spirit on a racetrack.
Stephani Shumaker: “What a gift it is to be a thoroughbred, leading the pack, and challenged to have and give what is required."
(September 2020)
Kara Baylor: channeling her anger for change
“I’m not the first to have this hashtag, but I might be the first to sell t-shirts. In this day and age, people of faith should be angry; righteous anger.”
(August 2020)
Togu Sihite: In the U.S. seminary classes ‘go deeper’
He calls LSTC a “small world,” because it is a small school with so much diversity, especially global students. He’s gotten to know lots of people from other countries, learn from them and get new perspectives. He believes God has things in store for him that he’s never even dreamed about.
(February 2020 FB student profile)