By Bob Hulteen I remember sitting at a retreat center the first time I went through a training on crisis communications. I remember worrying that just using the word “crisis” would stir a whole bunch of emotions. Weeks like the last one can put a communicator on edge. How do you respond when you find [...]
By Pr. Craig Pederson It’s Monday afternoon, and the last thing I thought I’d be doing right now is writing a blog entry. I expected to be packing and preparing for my family’s Spring Break vacation that was to start tomorrow. Our destination: Los Angeles and San Francisco for 10 days of fun in the [...]
By Emilie Bouvier Looking back, I can point to the moment I first demonstrated that I’m a community organizer at heart – and a church organizer at that. I was in first grade. I was a pastor’s kid in a small town church in rural Nebraska. As most pastor’s kids can relate, I spent a [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Church nerds often find many things to disagree about. But, I think most church health experts would agree on some basic truisms about “vital congregations.” Most would probably name the following: Be clear about your mission. Why are you here? Why, specifically, is your congregation (not just any congregation) here? Engage [...]
By Brenda Blackhawk I just returned from Bogotá, Colombia, where I attended the first Inter-American Lutheran Encounter: AYNI. The word “Ayni” comes from the Indigenous communities of Bolivia and its meaning is multi-layered; I’m not sure there is an exact translation into English. Ayni is a reciprocal understanding of the world and a specific way [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen Throughout my life I’ve worked hard to avoid claiming that any particular political party is the closest reflection of God’s will. I believe that Christian people can live out their values in whatever party they choose; that the two-party system has given this country an important history of checks and balances. [...]
By Pastor Craig Pederson A week has passed since the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others who were on their way to a youth basketball game. As the tributes and memorials continue to accumulate in the media and online, it’s hard to [...]
By Pastor Deb Stehlin On Sunday, the people of Grace Lutheran Church in Apple Valley voted to call me as their senior pastor. They did this even though I warned them that choosing me means they’re getting an evangelist. As I begin the spiritual work of letting go of my current platform for evangelism, it [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen I was privileged to meet Drew Hart, religion professor at Messiah College, when I sat next to him at dinner last Tuesday before his lecture at Luther Seminary. Impressed with his grace and approachability, I wasn’t exactly expecting the challenge his lecture would bring. Oh, his words came with that same [...]
By Pastor John Hulden Pictures tell stories. Take a look at this photograph (on the right) from May 1919. These are St. Olaf College students, canoeing down the Cannon River to Red Wing, Minnesota, to attend ... (take a deep breath and say out loud): “The First National Convention of the Young People’s Luther League [...]
