Stay in Touch
Sign-up if you want to receive our monthly e-newsletter for recent news, exciting events & updates!
Faith Reflections
Join us on our journey of faith as we explore, discuss and reflect on shared insights from our community. Scripture and reflections written by young women in ministry that relate to the main article are offered here.
New
by Josh Kestner I’m holding on for as long as I can before I buy new tires. My tires are just old. My rear passenger-side tire is slowly leaking air. Every week or so, I have to fill up the tire to get it back to its baseline pressure. It’s cumbersome, but it’s easier...
Communion and Dinner Church
by Melissa Woeppel A communal worship experience that has been important in my life of faith is the practice of dinner church. Dinner Church is a pattern of worship set around the place of eating, like a dinner table. Worship happens as those gather to eat, share,...
Stories that feel
by Sarah Carson There is a wealth of scientific data in support of the power of a story to make a difference. Storytelling has demonstrated benefits across disciplines—from treating survivors of abuse and trauma to helping students learn more effectively to selling us...
Faith Reflection: From tension to transformation
by Emily Carson Jesus consistently stepped into tense situations rather than tiptoeing around them. He didn’t avoid difficult interpersonal dynamics; he embraced them and recognized that tension is often a catalyst for transformation (of people and systems). Tension...
The spiritual work of transition
by Jennifer Hackbarth Our bodies work hard to maintain homeostasis, a state when all bodily systems are functioning in balance. No matter the temperature of our environment, our internal body temperature needs to stay within a fairly narrow range; if it goes too high...
Faith Reflection: Art activism
by Susan Schneider “If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The...
On 1 Corinthians 13
by Mary Button You know those songs everybody knows, but everybody knows only about 80% of the lyrics? Maybe you’ve been that person belting out the words to a song, up to that point where you just kind of hum or mumble along with the tune. For me, it happens even...
Faith reflections: God names us
by Jeanette Bidne As followers of Jesus, each of us has many names. Child of God. A sheep of Christ’s flock. Disciple of the way. Our baptismal promises call us to “work for justice and peace.” Do we think of ourselves as peace bearers? How about followers of the way?...
Blessed are those who grieve
by Collette Broady Grund Though I never would’ve believed it when my 46-year-old husband died suddenly three years ago, grief has blessings to offer. This is not to say that the things we grieve are necessary to our spiritual growth, that everything happens for a...
Hear me roar
by Ralen M. Robinson "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. (Psalm 139:14) "When did you become Lutheran?" "Will you leave the ministry after you have children so you can be a mom?" "How do you expect...