1) Where are you currently serving? Please share a bit about the work/ministry in which you are involved.
I have been in my current call at Vine Street Christian Church in Nashville, Tennessee for a little over a year and a half. My primary focus is on ministries for children, youth, and families, with a focus on programming and developing intentionally intergenerational relationships and worship leadership. In the COVID era, it has taken some reimagining to see new possibilities for these types of ministries.
2) What are some of your memories from your time in the LF program?
While I enjoyed the themes and speakers each week, I most enjoyed building relationships with my fellow Fellows. They continue to be folks who have walked alongside me as I discerned a call to seminary and which seminary to attend, invited me into exciting projects (like the Constructive Theologies Project), and are the people I am most excited to see at Disciples gatherings like General Assembly.
Specific memories include visiting the arch during our retreat in St. Louis (2008), exploring the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (2007), and working with Caroline Hamilton-Arnold in Dallas (2009) to lead worship services for the group. Other memories include also nearly missing my flight for my first retreat and making the entire bus stop at a Target so I could get toiletries.
3) What skills, experiences and/or knowledge did you gain by participating in the LF program?
It is explicitly because of the LF program that I remain invested and committed to the work of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as a denomination and movement. I took seriously the covenant to be involved in a Disciples congregation in college and because of the generosity of members, I attended church every Sunday class was in session. Because of that continued commitment and the relationships built, I felt empowered to lead, first by helping with music during Sunday morning worship and later, on campus, through two student groups of which I had spent the most time.
Because of my time in the LF program, I was introduced to denominational leaders who encouraged and empowered me to continue to lead by doing and learning, listening and being.
4) In what ways has this participation shaped your understanding of ministry and, in particular, what it means to be a leader?
Ministry and leadership begin with relationships. By leaning into relationships and interdependency, you can go much further than by yourself.