Christensen Center for Vocation Archives - Page 11 of 13 - Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation

Reflections on Antidotes to White Supremacy Culture

Posted on August 19, 2021October 29, 2021

This reflection has been written by Amanda Vetsch who works as the Congregational Coordinator and Facilitator of the Riverside Innovation Hub and has recently completed her Master’s theses which focused on dismantling white supremacy, the church, and Lutheran theology [1,2].

Many of the staff in the Christensen Center for Vocation have used the list of White Supremacy Culture Characteristics by Tema Okun to examine, name and begin to dismantle the ways in which white supremacy shows up in the work we do as a Center [3]. See this previous blog or website to learn more about White Supremacy Culture Characteristics.

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Celebrating Young Theologians

Posted on July 21, 2021October 29, 2021

The Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI) is one of the many initiatives of the Christensen Center for Vocation. AYTI inspires emerging high school theologians to observe, interpret, and engage their world through Christ for the sake of their neighbor. Our participants learn how to reflect theologically on culture and find meaningful ways to respond to the call from God that happens in this process of reflection. Following their week at the institute, students write a theological paper on the theme that is compiled into a journal and shared with congregations and the wider community.

At the end of June we wrapped up the 2021 institute, and it was incredible! So many amazing young people were excited about our theme, And It Was Very Good: Affirming and Advocating for Gender and Sexual Diversity in God’s Creation. We welcomed instructor Deacon Ross Murray to guide us through a week of curriculum that focused on faithful advocacy that allows LGBTQ people to be full members of society, reading the bible through a queer lens, assessing our congregations using the Reconciling Works Building an Inclusive Church tools, and telling compelling personal stories rooted in theology. Our young people engaged in deep discussion, thoughtful reflection, and learned what it means to be a young theologian.

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Meet our RIH Congregational Facilitators

Posted on July 19, 2021February 7, 2023

The Riverside Innovation Hub is excited to introduce our Congregational Facilitators who will be working directly with our 12 new partner congregations over the next two years. You can read more about each of them below.

Geoffrey Gill

Geoffrey Gill began his ministry to youth as a youth leader for Faith Tabernacle Church, in Minneapolis. From there, he has worked with youth within the community in a variety of capacities, including working with the Youth Advisory Council for National Youth Leadership, and starting “Helping Young Men” a nonprofit mentorship group at Central High School in St. Paul.

Geoffrey is a graduate of Augsburg University in Minneapolis, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth and Family Ministry. He is a certified Master Life Coach from the Best Life Coaching Society, in Fargo, ND.

Along with private coaching clients, a consulting partnership, healing and restorative justice circles, Geoffrey also works with teenage boys, who are in recovery for substance abuse.

Geoffrey is a man of God, a mentor, coach, educator and father of a wonderful son, whom he considers his number one investment, and the fire of his legacy.

Jennifer Starr Dodd

For over twenty years, Jennifer Starr Dodd has been committed to building community vitality by connecting with and empowering others to be the change that they would like to see around them. Through relationship, Jennifer has been successful in this goal by turning ideas into attainable goals for the populations she is serving.

Having worked with at-risk children, youth, and young adults for 15 years, Jennifer masterfully intersects education, experience, and environment to promote awareness, understanding, and opportunity.

Jennifer shared her expertise in curriculum development and implementation when she served as a Teacher’s Assistant at Saint Paul Public Schools, and when she facilitated a wide range of academic and enrichment classes for school districts located in Apple Valley, Rosemount, Eagan, Farmington, Lakeville, Hastings, and Washington County for REACH With Me, an educational company that merged education with enrichment to help students develop a passion for learning.

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Meet Our Newest Team Members!

Posted on May 30, 2021October 13, 2021

Meet Danielle!

She is the new Program Coordinator for Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI). She was born in Minneapolis and has spent most of her life here.
In 2014, she graduated from Augsburg University with a degree in Educational Studies. She also holds an Associate of Liberal Arts from Minneapolis Community & Technical College.

“I love Jesus and engaging with youth and young adults for his purposes on this side of heaven. I am an active member of my home church, New Salem Missionary Baptist Church where I serve as a Youth Bible Study teacher and for Lead our Youth/Young Adult Mentorship Initiative. I believe we were created to live relationally and hold sacred the relationships I have been blessed to experience in my youth servant leader role both in the church and in my community as well as where they intersect. When I am not with my family or serving Gods’ people, I enjoy crafting, curating, creating for my business “Created to Create” and listening to audiobooks.”

Meet Lara!

She was hired in January as the Communications Coordinator for the Hub. Her primary responsibilities include running social media, developing storytelling platforms, and updating the blogs and websites as we begin accompanying the next wave of congregations.

Lara graduated with her B.A from Concordia College in 2019 with a double major in theatre art and communication studies. In June, she will be graduating with her M.A from Luther Seminary in Children, Youth and Family Studies. In her free time, she is an editor for Working Preacher podcasts, a director/choreographer for children’s theatre, and a very involved dog mom to her best boy, Winston.

“Since joining the team, I’ve seen passion, patience and a push toward the public church framework. This Hub is doing incredible work to accompany congregations as they learn to thrive beyond the walls of their buildings. I look forward to sharing their stories in unique ways that showcase their transformations since we started our walk together.”

Reflections on White Supremacy Culture Characteristics

Posted on May 20, 2021October 29, 2021

This reflection has been written by Amanda Vetsch who works as the Congregational Coordinator of the Riverside Innovation Hub and has recently completed her Master’s theses which focused on dismantling white supremacy, the church, and Lutheran theology.

The staff of the Riverside Innovation Hub have recently spent time reflecting on the list of “White Supremacy Culture Characteristics” written by Tema Okun to better understand how the characteristics of White Supremacy show up in ourselves, our initiatives, communities, and institutions. Some of the staff attended a webinar co-hosted by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) and Tema Okun to mark the 20th anniversary of this list and to begin the launch of new website and updates to the list of characteristics of white supremacy.

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Meet the 2021 Youth Theology Institute Mentors

Posted on April 30, 2021October 29, 2021

Each year the Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI) hires a handful of college students to be leaders for the upcoming summer institute. With the goal of developing a campus wide student leadership culture, AYTI collaborated with other organizations on campus to develop an application, interview, and training process for students interested in working leadership positions on campus. This was such a powerful witness to the ways in which Augsburg’s mission is lived out in our community.

AYTI Mentors joined Orientation Leaders, Strommen Center Peer Advisors, AugSem Leaders, and more in a semester long class for credit that served as their leadership training for their job as AYTI Mentors. In this course all students worked to develop knowledge and skills utilizing the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. This model helps students understand their individual values (consciousness of self, congruence, and commitment), the values of the group (collaboration, common purpose, and controversy with civility), and societal and community values. The class training also focused on topics such as identity, intersectionality, anti-racism and dismantling white supremacy, brave space, disability as difference, and becoming interfaith allies. All students were able to complete the Intercultural Development Inventory and reflect on the ways in which they show up as leaders in all spaces and places.

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Augsburg Student Reflects on the Youth Theology Institute

Posted on April 27, 2021January 10, 2024

Grace’s Journey

Augsburg student Grace smiling in a field — Grace Porter, 4th year Augsburg student

This story has been written by Grace Porter, a 4th year Augsburg student studying Theology & Public Leadership with a concentration in Youth Studies and a minor in Music. Grace will graduate in December 2021.

I had just finished my junior year in high school, and I was starting to think about my future when I discovered that my love for God and my passion for working with young people could be an actual job! My youth pastor at the time said to me, “I have a friend at Augsburg College who runs a summer theology program for high schoolers, you should check that out!” From the moment I stepped foot onto the Augsburg campus, I knew that this place was special.

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Book Launch: Made, Known, Loved by Ross Murray

Posted on April 20, 2021February 14, 2023

CCV Endorsement for Author and Alumni Ross Murray

We are thrilled to endorse Ross Murray’s brand new book, Made, Known, Loved: developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry, available on April 20th on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble.

cover of the book Made, Known, Loved by Ross Murray — Made, Known, Loved book cover by Ross Murray

Made, Known, Loved shows congregations how to create a program that affirms LGBTQ youth in their faith and their identity, accepts and welcomes diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, and equips future leaders for the church and the LGBTQ community. This book is filled with personal anecdotes of successes, failures, and important learnings. You will learn from Murray’s twenty years of experience doing ministry with LGBTQ youth through The Naming Project.

This book is not LGBTQ apologetics for the Christian crowd. You won’t hear an explanation of Leviticus 18. Instead, you will read scripture passages as it supports a new way to view and include LGBTQ youth in your youth ministry.

This book is not for you if you are still deciding if LGBTQ people are made, known, and loved by God, just as they are. This is for those who recognize the beautiful creation LGBTQ people and how best to minister to them while they are still in the identity-formation stage.

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Lord In Your Mercy, Hear Our Prayer

Posted on April 14, 2021October 29, 2021

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We invite you to pause. Gently hold space for the hurt and pain at work in our lives and that of our neighbors, including the news of another tragedy that another young black man’s life has been cut short at the hand of a police officer in Brooklyn Center, MN. Kristina Fruge, Managing Director of the Christensen Center for Vocation, preaches the gospel in the midst of the bad news. Preaching is a call to proclaim the gospel, good news. And Kristina shares in community struggle to begin to imagine what word of good news can be offered in the midst of bad news.

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Introducing Danielle

Posted on April 1, 2021October 12, 2021

Danielle Tucker joined the CCV staff in late March 2021 as the Program Coordinator for Augsburg Youth Theology Institute (AYTI). She was born in Minneapolis and has spent most of her life here. In 2014, she graduated from Augsburg University with a degree in Educational Studies. She also holds an Associate of Liberal Arts from Minneapolis Community & Technical College. “I love Jesus and engaging with youth and young adults for his purposes on this side of heaven. I am an active member of my home church, New Salem Missionary Baptist Church where I serve as a Youth Bible Study teacher and for Lead our Youth/Young Adult Mentorship Initiative. I believe we were created to live relationally and hold sacred the relationships I have been blessed to experience in my youth servant leader role both in the church and in my community as well as where they intersect. When I am not with my family or serving Gods’ people, I enjoy crafting, curating, creating for my business “Created to Create” and listening to audio books.”