Transformation abounds in the natural world around us as spring takes hold, especially in these last few days as trees explode with new leaves. We bid winter goodbye, grateful that it was nothing like the one before. We welcome all the warmer, brighter and greener changes that come with spring in New England. Late April and early May visibly mark the transition from one season to another.
Transitions and transformations are also happening now at Saint Paul, particularly among our staff and interns.
I’m sad to share the news that Megan Getman is leaving our congregation after three wonderful years as our Director of Children, Youth and Families and as our parish administrator. She has accepted a full time position as Director of Children's Ministry at Westlake United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas and joins her friend and seminary classmate, Lisa Straus, who is the associate pastor there. Westlake is a large, thriving congregation and Megan will join a staff of 15! Her last Sunday here comes soon on May 22 when we will give thanks for her ministry among us and pray for her new life in Austin.
We are grateful for Megan’s ministry which has encompassed much of the life of the congregation in two jobs. Her care and competencies have ranged from overseeing the Christian education of our children and youth to the administrative tasks of preparing Sunday worship bulletins, publishing the weekly E-news, and most recently creating a new picture directory. Her love for children and her contributions to the life of our congregation have manifested themselves in countless ways over the last three years.
Megan’s good work here has also brought much learning so that she is well prepared to move into full-time ministry with children in a congregation blessed to receiver her.
The personnel committee in consultation with the church council will plan for a time of transition and begin a search for new candidates.
I am happy to share the news that our internship ministry is going strong.
Vicar Alissa was at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago last week and received a recommendation for faculty approval, one of the last couple of steps toward ordination. In addition to submitting her approval essays to the seminary, all her evaluations from St. Paul have been sent with the highest recommendations. She came as an intern and leaves as a pastor.
I am also happy to share the news that a new intern has been assigned to us in Alex Clark, also from the seminary in Chicago and a native of South Dakota. As seminary enrollment is down and interns harder to get, we are blessed to receive Alex at the end of August.
Almost all seminaries, particularly our Lutheran ones, are in a time of transition and transformation which will have significant implications for the church. Here is Bishop Hazelwood’s Easter letter to our synod with his pastoral concerns accompanied by sobering charts and graphs.
I believe that transitions of all kinds are ripe for sensing the transforming work and presence of God.
Faithfully,
Ross