We have just completed a wonderful first year of internship and now it is time to prepare to welcome Scott and his wife Kara.  I would like to quote Katie’s sermon from June 27 where she said it very well:

“This congregation and each of you have been so spectacular and have loved me so well.  You let me into your lives, you took care of me and looked after me, you let me lead you and helped me grow.  I can’t even begin to express the impact you have had on me.  I have developed and grown stronger and more confident, all under your love and care.  Now my time here, and your mission with me, are complete.  The time is coming for me to move on….You are being called to move on too.  You have a wonderful capable new intern coming with amazing gifts.  You are charged to honor those gifts, to love and nurture them just as you have me, and I need to step back and let you do that.  This transition is going to be hard, but it’s part of this whole process that we are called to, so that you can give Scott your full devotion, because if you do you will have another fantastic year and he will blossom like I did.”

The intern committee has really appreciated the congregation’s outstanding response to our internship ministry this past year.  We are now looking forward to Scott and Kara’s first Sunday with us on August 29.  Scott and Kara will be living in a different house than Katie and we will have a few things that we need for that house.  We know for sure we will need a couple of sets of queen size sheets & a couple of sets of twin size sheets for the beds.  We will also need some blankets for the beds as well as a couple of sets of towels for the bathroom and an ironing board.  We will plan to post a sign-up sheet for these and any other items we come up with in the near future.  As we did for Katie, we will plan to have a pantry shower of consumable items the first Sunday that Scott and Kara are with us.  I know the pantry shower really meant a lot to Katie and it is a great way to welcome a new intern.  We will post a list of the types of items you may want to consider bringing for that and as we said last year “gift cards” to places like Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, Bi-Mart, etc. would always be welcome.

Scott grew up in a small town in Minnesota and has two brothers---one older and one younger.   Scott spent a couple of summers during college working as a camp counselor.  He has been a part of the military reserves and has served a short deployment to Iraq.  Regarding his “call to ministry”, Scott states in his paperwork:  “For me, the call to ministry for all Christians is a call to become part of Christ’s body, to be Christ for others through compassion and love, especially for those who are suffering.  It is a call to follow Christ’s example of meeting the needs of others by meeting them where they are at in their own realities.  My faith in Christ is not something that separates me from others; it is a faith that draws me into communion not only with Christians, but with all people.”

Scott’s wife, Kara, is studying to be a Physician’s Assistant.

Please keep Scott, Kara and Gloria Dei’s Intern Ministry in your prayers.

-- Marilyn Halvor, Internship Lay Committee Chairman

It is hard to believe that just two months ago at our Annual Congregational Meeting we voted to pursue hosting an intern. At that time the congregation members understood that, if successful, we would need to raise an additional $35,000 by mid 2010 to pay for this. The congregation's vote was unanimous. Since then, an Internship Lay Committee (all volunteers) was formed, and they completed and submitted the "Application for an Intern" forms.

Housing for the intern could be a major challenge, but we have an anonymous member in our congregation who is offering a two-bedroom house for monthly rent significantly below market price. On March 12, a letter requesting pledges of financial support was mailed to the membership. As of Monday, March 22 we have already received 17 pledges for $12,616. We thank you for your financial support. Gold colored envelopes marked "Internship Program" have been placed in the pew racks for donations.

On Sunday, March 15, it was announced that Wartburg Seminary has assigned us an intern. She is a 24-year-old single woman from Iowa named Katie Pals.

Pastor Jon will travel to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa the week of April 20, to meet Katie and receive training to be an intern supervising pastor. At least one additional fund raising program is being planned. A new pod, Logos Players, is working on a dinner theater scheduled for the weekend of May 15-16. A portion of the money brought in from this event will be given to the internship fund. Be sure to mark your calendar and look for more information.

Someone from the congregation turned in a question asking about the safeguards in place to protect the money for this project. This is a good question. Internship became a budgeted item by the vote at the annual meeting. Monies for the internship program will be treated like other church receipts going through the church books. All checks require two signatures. The finance committee and church council review receipts and expenses every month. At the end of each year there is an annual audit of the church books.

We appreciate your continued interest, questions and support.

In the March newsletter a general overview of the internship program was included. The Intern Committee realizes that not everyone will have read it. During the next several weeks, inserts will be placed in the church bulletins with more messages about the internship and answers to your questions on the goldenrod sheets found in the back of the church.

Today's installment, however, since the internship program is a part of the preparation for becoming a Pastor, I will try to answer the question "What is required to be an ordained Pastor?"

Being a "PK" (that is a Preacher's Kid), and also a "PB" (that is a Preacher's Brother), I have some insight into what a pastor's life is like. It is more than an 8-hour job, much like that of a physician. Sometimes counseling requires immediate response at any hour, as does many times a death in the family. Sermons must be prepared, home visits made, committee meetings attended, etc. An intern is given the opportunity in the same degree to experience pastoral life and ensure the desire to become an ordained pastor.

Following a four-year college degree requirement and fulfilling synod and seminary interviews, the student begins another four-year preparation to receive a Master's of Divinity Degree on the journey to become an ordained Pastor. The first two years are filled with studies and other "hands on" activities like CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), which is a term of chaplaincy in a hospital, nursing home or prison. The third year is spent as an intern in a program such as the one that Gloria Dei is now preparing to provide. The fourth year is back at the seminary for more advanced studies. Having now completed the program, recommendation for accepting a call can now be made for the student. It is worthy of note that significant weight is given to the report and performance during the intern experience.

We should also be aware that the cost of all this training for a pastor is significant. Many seminary students graduate with large debts. There are tuition fees, room and board, health insurance and books. Altogether, much effort and sacrifice has gone into the preparation for ordainment.

Having the opportunity to participate in the preparation for a pastor's lifetime ministry is a privilege for Gloria Dei to enjoy.

TO: MEMBERS & FRIENDS OF GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH

DATE: MARCH 10, 2009

RE: YOUR PLEDGE FOR THE INTERN PROGRAM

At the annual meeting in January, the congregation voted unanimously to participate in an intern program. We committed to spending up to $35,000 over our regular budget to cover the costs of having an intern for the 2009-2010 intern year. There will be many opportunities for participation and supporting activities for the intern and the program throughout the year. Now is the time for you to consider and commit your financial support.

Please complete the Intern Pledge Form at the bottom of this page and put it in the offering plate or turn it into the church office by March 31, 2009. This pledge is in addition to any pledge you made to fund our annual 2009 budget.

Your support of this intern ministry to help form valued leaders for God's mission is greatly appreciated.

MY/OUR PLEDGE FOR THE GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH INTERN PROGRAM COOS BAY, OREGON 2009-2010

Name(s): _________________________________ Date:___________

Please select one option: $ ____________ per week

$ ____________ per month

$ ____________ per year

Forming Valued Leaders for God's Mission A 2009-2010 Ministry of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Coos Bay, Oregon

At the Annual Congregational Meeting in January, the congregation voted unanimously to request an intern to serve in our congregation. Following the vote, and at the next worship service, Pastor Jon asked for people interested in working with the internship program to talk to him. The following persons expressed an interest and now make up your Intern Lay Committee: Phil Bowman, Marilyn & Paul Halvor, Monita Johnson, Tammy Northcutt, Becca Ruley, Paul Starkey, Katie Vandersall & Pastor Jon. Please feel free to talk to any of these people about the internship program. It is our desire to keep you informed of what is happening on a regular basis. In the hopes of having an intern for the 2009-2010 school year, the committee worked very quickly to get the Internship Application filled out and turned in to Wartburg Theological Seminary. Although we could ask for an intern from any of our seminaries, Pastor Jon was aware that Wartburg Theological Seminary had a need for placement congregations and having recently attended Wartburg Theological Seminary, he knew he would be most comfortable working with that seminary for our first intern experience. If this program works out as we hope it will, we may ask for candidates in the future from our West Coast seminary, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

In this newsletter, we want to tell you a little about the Internship Program and its purpose.

What is the purpose of Internship? The purpose of internship is to provide pastoral candidates a learning environment in which they can both engage in the practice of ministry and reflect on the quality of their involvements under the direction of a supervising pastor and intern lay committee. An internship year is a required part of the normal course sequence for becoming a pastor and usually takes place during the third year of seminary. Internship provides congregations a way to enhance and extend their ministries through the gifts of an intern. At the same time, internship brings the additional responsibility of providing honest and compassionate evaluation of an intern's abilities.

Why Should Gloria Dei Want to Sponsor an Intern? As we stated in our Internship Application: …"We want to bring an intern to Gloria Dei because we can. We see it as a mission to the larger Church. This is also a matter of stewardship for us. We have been blessed with sound finances even during an economic downturn. Therefore, we want to give back. We have excited lay people. We are slightly bigger than a one-pastor congregation. We are excited to see what gifts God will bring to Gloria Dei in an intern." In their information Wartburg Theological Seminary states that they want our congregation to see ourselves as partners with them in providing excellent theological education for our church and its future pastors.

What is the Process for Bringing an Intern to Gloria Dei? We filled out an application, telling about our congregation and the activities that we have in place. Pastor Jon answered questions regarding his style of Pastoral Ministry and we sent that back to Wartburg. They will look over our application and assign a student that they feel will work well in our congregation---we have no choice in this part of the process.

What Will be Pastor Jon's Role in Having an Intern? Pastor Jon will be the main supervisor and evaluator of the intern assigned to our congregation. In the first weeks of the internship, the supervisor and intern will spend a good deal of time together so the intern can become oriented to the church and the community. This is also a time to develop a trusting relationship and methods for communication. During this initial period, we as a congregation, will need to give Pastor Jon additional support as his time will be more highly impacted. As the weeks go by, having an intern will actually free up some of Pastor Jon's time and he and the intern may not see as much of each other except for regular planning sessions and weekly supervision sessions. In many ways they will be functioning as a team, concentrating on the ministry to and with God's people in our congregation.

What is the Role of the Internship Lay Committee? The purpose of the committee is to provide special feedback and encouragement to the student in the learning process of internship. The committee is like a mirror to reflect back to the intern a clear image of his/her ministry through monthly meetings in which they will be giving feedback, evaluation, and support.

What is the Role of Our Congregation in Having an Intern? We provide the setting in which the above can take place as well as housing, a financial stipend, travel costs, etc. Most of all we are here to care for and nurture the intern with our loyalty, cooperation, understanding and prayers.

What Will be the Role of the Intern in Our Congregation? The intern is not an assistant pastor and is not to assume all the work and responsibility of a full-time ministry. The intern is coming here to learn, to grow, to feel and understand what it means to become a pastor, a minister of Word and Sacrament. The intern cannot officiate at confirmations, ordinations, installations of pastors, serve as a full-time teacher in Christian day school, or solemnize marriages. The intern may administer Holy Baptism in emergencies and conduct funerals when requested by the pastor and in agreement with the parties involved. The intern may assist the pastor in all of these areas of ministry. The intern's participation in the Eucharist will be similar to other non-ordained persons assisting in the distribution of the elements---exceptions may be considered only upon the approval of the respective Bishop. During the year, the intern needs exposure to a full range of congregational involvements i.e. preaching, worship, pastoral visitation, stewardship, education, pastor counseling, administration, evangelism, youth, social ministry, synodical and ecumenical connections, etc., without an overemphasis on any single aspect of ministry.

What are the Next Steps for Our Congregation in This Process? The next two big areas of concern are housing and finances. Housing: At this point we have some leads on possible housing for an intern but until we know who we are getting (single person, couple, or family) we will not be making any decisions in this area. Finances: At the Annual Meeting, the congregation agreed to spend up to $35,000 over our current budget to support the internship program. We do not need all of the money in hand by the end of 2009 but we would like to know how it is going to come in. The Intern Lay Committee plans to start fund raising with a pledge drive. Please think about what you might be able to contribute this year and next. At this point, we have $6500 in the internship fund plus one pledge of $4000. We are also coming up with some ideas for additional ways to raise funds.

Some Important Upcoming Dates:

• March 11 Interns receive their assignments

• March 20 Congregational Placement sent to congregation (this is a tentative date)

• April 21-23 Pastor Jon travels to Wartburg Theological Seminary for the Internship Supervisor Conference

Your Intern Lay Committee is very excited about this whole process and will be happy to talk with you about it. We will be passing on additional information in temple talks and the monthly newsletters. This is a very exciting time for our congregation. We ask that you keep the Intern Lay Committee, Wartburg Theological Seminary, and the intern process in your prayers. In the weeks and months to come, you will be hearing about various ways you can each become involved in the internship program. We see Gloria Dei's involvement in the internship program as furthering our mission statement:

"Gathered in Christ, we are called to bring light to our community"