WEBVTT 1 00:00:23.300 --> 00:00:27.000 Hello and welcome to Word and Work an Intersection. 2 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.200 I'm your host Dale Mayer. 3 00:00:30.400 --> 00:00:34.600 On this episode, we will talk about Call Day. Something 4 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:39.200 that is very special here at Concordia Seminary and at Concordia 5 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.800 Theological Seminary as well. Joining us will be Dr. 6 00:00:42.800 --> 00:00:46.900 Glenn Nielsen, who is our seminaries Director of Placement. 7 00:00:46.900 --> 00:00:51.100 And later in today's program will visit with two students who are 8 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:55.300 anxiously, anxiously awaiting, their calls. 9 00:00:55.300 --> 00:00:56.300 Welcome Glen 10 00:00:56.300 --> 00:00:57.500 thanks for being with us. 11 00:00:57.500 --> 00:00:59.700 This is a busy time for you. 12 00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:02.800 It has been ever since about last December. 13 00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:07.700 It takes quite a bit of time to get things ready, but things are 14 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:11.000 pretty much in place and now it's a final checking last couple 15 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:12.100 students putting in place. 16 00:01:12.100 --> 00:01:16.100 But yeah, it's it's a busy time all the way for these four months. 17 00:01:16.100 --> 00:01:18.600 You've been through this before. Right. 18 00:01:18.600 --> 00:01:23.900 How many Call Day Services have you done? Well for actual Call Day for a 19 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:24.400 placement 20 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.000 this will be my fourth one. 21 00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:33.500 For placement of graduates. Fellows, who are entering pastoral 22 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:36.900 Ministry or for women entering a diaconal Ministry. 23 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:39.000 So that's what you mean by placement. Okay. 24 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:43.100 For vicarage and Deaconess internships, this will be number 32. 25 00:01:43.100 --> 00:01:43.700 Wow. 26 00:01:43.700 --> 00:01:48.000 32. Were you confirmed when you started do it? 27 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:49.000 I was young but 28 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:50.100 not quite that young. 29 00:01:50.100 --> 00:01:54.900 Do you have any idea over those many years of how many people you have 30 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:58.200 placed, either as pastors deaconesses or vicars? 31 00:01:58.200 --> 00:01:59.500 Well the last 4 years 32 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:04.200 it's about 200 in terms of pastors and deaconesses. 33 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:10.500 In terms of all the programs for vicarage and internships, it's about 34 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:16.300 3750 students that I've worked with vicarage and placement. Not 35 00:02:16.300 --> 00:02:19.600 all of them directly because some of the distance students are worked by 36 00:02:19.600 --> 00:02:25.500 program directors Center for Hispanic Studies, EIIT, but for all the 37 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:26.400 residential student 38 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:29.000 and the number of the SMP students. 39 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:33.500 So I probably worked with the students of those students maybe 3200 to 40 00:02:33.500 --> 00:02:35.500 3300 students. Well 41 00:02:35.500 --> 00:02:37.100 could we unpack that a little bit? 42 00:02:37.100 --> 00:02:41.800 First of all 3300 students either for vicarage or for final placement. 43 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.200 I mean that's like a third of our clergy. 44 00:02:44.200 --> 00:02:45.000 Yeah. 45 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.700 And then you can add all the vicarage supervisors. 46 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:52.100 So pastors that I met over the years and worked with church, officials 47 00:02:52.100 --> 00:02:57.300 District presidents and 48 00:02:58.700 --> 00:03:01.300 so it adds up to be quite a few. 49 00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:06.700 So in view of that and the significance of the ministry and therefore 50 00:03:06.700 --> 00:03:10.600 the placement to our congregations, the previous president should've 51 00:03:10.600 --> 00:03:12.000 given you a big pay raise. 52 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.300 I don't think he did. Well, a small one or when I took on placement. 53 00:03:17.300 --> 00:03:24.100 No, Glenn has been super dedicated to placement and he does a great 54 00:03:24.100 --> 00:03:24.600 job. 55 00:03:24.600 --> 00:03:26.800 Let me back up a little bit. 56 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:32.300 You talked about the, the certificate programs and how they get placed 57 00:03:32.300 --> 00:03:38.600 CHS, EIIT and so on, could you explain that for our audience a little 58 00:03:38.600 --> 00:03:38.800 bit? 59 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:41.300 Because I think a lot of people still think everybody comes here 60 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:46.600 residentially and they don't and those are distance contextual 61 00:03:46.600 --> 00:03:48.800 programs and their placement 62 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:52.700 it's a little bit different, but could you explain that to us? Yeah. 63 00:03:52.700 --> 00:03:56.800 So when it comes to the vicarage and placement office, vicarage office 64 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:58.200 is far more integral 65 00:03:58.700 --> 00:04:03.300 then placement for the distance program, so Specific Ministry 66 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:14.500 Pastor program. The new online, Deaconess program. EIIT's, CHS the 67 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:16.500 cross-cultural ministry program in Irvine. 68 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:22.700 So when they're doing their vicarages they start as a vicar right 69 00:04:22.700 --> 00:04:26.700 from the beginning rather than a residential vicar who go out after 2 70 00:04:26.700 --> 00:04:27.100 years. 71 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:32.600 So their whole program there in the vicarage program and then 72 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.700 placement takes place in the congregation where they're already at 73 00:04:36.700 --> 00:04:38.300 most of the time. 74 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:42.200 So they begin the program in their context, in their Ministry 75 00:04:42.200 --> 00:04:47.000 situation and then at the end of it or for the SMP program after 2 76 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:52.500 years and they are called by the congregation where they're at. 77 00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:58.200 So placement is more to signing off on what is already been in place. 78 00:04:58.700 --> 00:05:02.800 Residential, however, that is a different, 79 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.900 that's a different animal. For residential 80 00:05:05.900 --> 00:05:09.400 students are here, waiting to find out where they are going. 81 00:05:09.400 --> 00:05:17.000 We get congregations that send in applications for vicarage, they send 82 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.700 in calls for candidates and we work with Fort Wayne then to place 83 00:05:20.700 --> 00:05:21.600 those students. 84 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:26.500 And until the Council Presidents votes on them, right before Call Day 85 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:30.100 nothing is it for sure in place. 86 00:05:30.100 --> 00:05:35.000 Although my recommendations are pretty much accepted by the district 87 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:35.500 presidents. 88 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:40.600 Your explanation is helpful and I think it demonstrates to us that. 89 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.700 Yes, the old residential program is still in place and that's the 90 00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:49.400 backbone of of our formation here at Concordia Seminary. 91 00:05:49.400 --> 00:05:54.700 But also in this day and age, we produce at the request of the Synod 92 00:05:54.700 --> 00:05:58.700 pastors and deaconesses through other programs distance 93 00:05:58.700 --> 00:05:59.400 contextual programs. 94 00:05:59.400 --> 00:06:00.800 The last thing you said though 95 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:06.100 is the the Capstone, the church through the Council of 96 00:06:06.100 --> 00:06:06.300 Presidents 97 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:10.800 finally says, yes, this person is entering the ministry. 98 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:15.200 It's kind of like I've explained it this way you can, you can critique 99 00:06:15.200 --> 00:06:16.200 what I'm saying. 100 00:06:16.200 --> 00:06:22.200 We try with the aid of many people, and the spirit of God, to form 101 00:06:22.200 --> 00:06:23.200 students for the Ministry. 102 00:06:23.200 --> 00:06:28.800 And after the faculty certifies says, okay, this person is ready for a 103 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:29.600 first call. 104 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.100 That person that is kind of like handed off to the church. Right. 105 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:38.400 Becomes of the responsibility of the church at large and Call Day 106 00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:39.600 begins that hand off. 107 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:40.300 Is that correct? 108 00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:42.300 Right. So for 109 00:06:42.300 --> 00:06:46.500 vicarage, the Council Presidents will approve a vicarage and then I 110 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:52.400 will follow that through the whole vicarage and read reports and give 111 00:06:52.400 --> 00:06:55.900 credit for the vicarage year. For placement 112 00:06:55.900 --> 00:07:01.600 I work with the students up until the Council President says yes. 113 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:06.300 And then on Call Day, my recommendations, notice, I use the word 114 00:07:06.300 --> 00:07:07.200 recommendations. 115 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:11.900 My recommendations are then accepted and approved by the Council of 116 00:07:11.900 --> 00:07:13.900 Presidents for where students are to go. 117 00:07:13.900 --> 00:07:19.400 And then the day after Call Day a I smile and tell the students, you 118 00:07:19.400 --> 00:07:19.700 are now 119 00:07:19.700 --> 00:07:22.000 the responsibility of a district president. 120 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:27.500 My role with you is over. And the day after Call Day you and your, 121 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:30.500 your faithful assistance Cathy Whitcomb take a 122 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:40.600 few days off cause you really worked hard. Except the last two years. Last year, because it was a 123 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:44.900 COVID year and nobody can come to the Call Day service. 124 00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:51.800 I handed out the original documents a day after that in the chapel and 125 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:52.700 we are going to do that again 126 00:07:52.700 --> 00:07:57.200 this year only with gifts from various organizations, so I get to meet 127 00:07:57.200 --> 00:07:58.700 the students today after Call Day. 128 00:07:58.700 --> 00:08:05.200 Do you have special memories looking back at Virtual Call Day last year 129 00:08:05.200 --> 00:08:06.900 thinks it's that stood out for you 130 00:08:06.900 --> 00:08:10.800 besides the procedures of how it was handled? Yeah. Here are some of the 131 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.400 things that stand out from last year. 132 00:08:12.400 --> 00:08:21.300 First of all, everybody transitioned to Zoom or online meetings and all 133 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:24.800 of us were trying to learn how to do the online meetings to get ready 134 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:30.400 for Call Day and the people that just transitioned to that were 135 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:37.400 incredibly valuable, helpful and dedicated. The staff here for a major events 136 00:08:37.400 --> 00:08:38.290 in Communications. 137 00:08:38.290 --> 00:08:42.000 They did an incredible job getting Call Day ready. 138 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:47.900 I remember the two of us going into chapel to record your sermon and 139 00:08:47.900 --> 00:08:52.800 the parts of the worship service liturgy and I'm reading out all the 140 00:08:52.800 --> 00:08:58.500 names for vicarages and internships and placements to an empty chapel. 141 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:03.600 And so that was that was quite a unique experience. 142 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:05.500 I saw what our 143 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:12.800 technology department was able to do with that afterwards and how I'd 144 00:09:12.800 --> 00:09:15.600 read a name and next to it that have the picture of the student 145 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.400 there, just wonderfully done. 146 00:09:17.400 --> 00:09:22.100 One of the neat, things that happened last year, was each faculty 147 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:25.700 member took a student know, most of the faculty members would take a 148 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:27.700 student and write a short comment. 149 00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:32.300 So that not only were they to get their call, but a faculty member 150 00:09:32.300 --> 00:09:36.200 would then say something about them so that everybody could hear it 151 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:39.200 because they couldn't greet them after the service. 152 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:44.600 And I do remember that day afterwards, they came in one by one to 153 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:48.500 the chapel, and I was able to give them their call documents by hand 154 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:52.100 socially distance, and all that. 155 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:57.500 And some gifts from Concordia Publishing House and Creative Worship. 156 00:09:57.500 --> 00:10:00.700 I mean, Creative Communications and Lutheran Hour Ministries. 157 00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:04.700 And then, we had everyone one of them stand by the new Resurrection window 158 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:07.400 behind the altar. Yeah, the Resurrection window was brand new. 159 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:08.200 Yep. 160 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:12.800 And everybody got their picture taken and by professional 161 00:10:12.800 --> 00:10:13.500 photographer. 162 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:16.700 And so those are some of the memories from last year. 163 00:10:16.700 --> 00:10:24.800 But it was, it was a challenging year, but at the end we had, we had a 164 00:10:24.800 --> 00:10:31.000 song that was sung, everybody recorded at their home, and then it was 165 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:36.900 put together, and they show the pictures of people singing 166 00:10:36.900 --> 00:10:38.600 it beautiful, hymns picked 167 00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:39.800 I think by Jim Marriott. 168 00:10:39.800 --> 00:10:45.300 I remember, first of all, the, the, the expertise of our faculty and 169 00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:47.600 staff, especially our IT people 170 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:50.100 in pulling that off. Amazing. 171 00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:54.800 And and I mean, we were starting from scratch and because of the 172 00:10:54.800 --> 00:11:00.300 support so many people throughout the church donors, we were ready 173 00:11:00.300 --> 00:11:00.900 to do it. 174 00:11:00.900 --> 00:11:02.000 I mean not with doing it 175 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.200 we had to learn a few things here there, whatever. 176 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:07.300 But but that was that was a powerful 177 00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:09.800 impression made made on me. 178 00:11:09.800 --> 00:11:16.100 But the second thing is man every Call Day that I've been through 179 00:11:16.100 --> 00:11:17.700 well 180 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:19.300 16 as President. 181 00:11:19.300 --> 00:11:22.000 16 as President sometime or other 182 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:27.300 I would tear up now and there be some hugs still gets to me. 183 00:11:27.300 --> 00:11:30.200 Couldn't do that but I couldn't do that. 184 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:32.100 So what are the plans for this year? 185 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:38.100 April 28th, April 28th, April 28th. What are the plans? Yeah people want to watch the livestream 186 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:43.200 they can certainly do so they can go to the CSL webpage and there's 187 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.900 links to the, to the livestream. 188 00:11:46.900 --> 00:11:51.000 We will have the students present this year in person. 189 00:11:51.900 --> 00:11:59.700 And every student is allowed one guest which is disappointing in some 190 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:04.600 way. Sure. So Mom and Dad helped support 191 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:09.000 someone all the way through the Seminary and if it's a single student, 192 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.700 well you got to choose mom or dad at this point. 193 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:18.300 I choose. Or maybe a brother or something. I choose 194 00:12:19.500 --> 00:12:27.100 the Paperboy. And that's of course COVID restrictions. Sure. In St. 195 00:12:27.100 --> 00:12:28.900 Louis County. It won't be next year. Won't be next year. 196 00:12:28.900 --> 00:12:37.200 We really are restricted to about 165 people in Chapel for the Call 197 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:40.400 Service in the evening, for the placement of students to their first 198 00:12:40.400 --> 00:12:48.500 call we are going to have like 55 people there students, deaconesses and then so 199 00:12:48.500 --> 00:12:52.000 they all bring one that put you at a hundred and ten. And we're going to 200 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:57.500 have 25 faculty there and then the President and Vice President of the 201 00:12:57.500 --> 00:13:00.300 Synod and about 15 District Presidents are going to be there. 202 00:13:00.300 --> 00:13:02.900 So that's another 22 -23 and a photographer. 203 00:13:02.900 --> 00:13:06.500 So we're going to be up to about a hundred and sixty people. 204 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:11.000 So you're saying, there are on, there are two services on April 28th, 205 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:17.500 the vicarage in the afternoon. 3 o'clock. And then the placement service at. 7 o'clock. And 206 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:19.100 both are going to be live streamed. Yep. 207 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:22.500 Csl.edu. Right. 208 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:26.300 It's exciting and again next year 209 00:13:26.300 --> 00:13:32.800 God willing and as science seems to be suggesting will be able to do 210 00:13:32.800 --> 00:13:33.600 it the old way. 211 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.100 Would you talk about the process? 212 00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:39.400 Because, you know the joke is that 213 00:13:41.100 --> 00:13:42.300 someone Dr. 214 00:13:42.300 --> 00:13:48.600 Nielsen gets the dartboard out and throws the dart 215 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:51.200 and hey, you're going to Venity Illinois. You know 216 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:53.700 that's not the way it happens. 217 00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:55.700 Would you explain the process? 218 00:13:55.700 --> 00:14:00.100 Because what I want a front load, your answer by saying, I was on the 219 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:04.000 placement committee the first time as a professor here and and and I 220 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.800 know how it works and it is really a very careful 221 00:14:07.800 --> 00:14:10.400 process. So could you tell us how it actually works? 222 00:14:10.400 --> 00:14:15.000 Right. I have one advantage as the Director of Vicarage 223 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.800 so I know these students coming through the vicarage year and it 224 00:14:19.800 --> 00:14:20.900 begins for me. No down. Who do 225 00:14:20.900 --> 00:14:30.800 we have here, Noah. He was supposed to do that quite yet. 226 00:14:30.800 --> 00:14:36.700 He wasn't quite on cue but. Noah is our comfort dog. Tells us why he is important to placement. 227 00:14:41.100 --> 00:14:48.600 So, I walk Noah in the morning and so it's a, it's a quiet and our 228 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:53.400 neighborhood and, as it's part of my prayer life is when I'm walking, 229 00:14:53.400 --> 00:15:00.700 our two, dogs walking Noah, I have an opportunity then have a simple 230 00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:07.800 prayer for the Lord's guidance and direction in all my work with the 231 00:15:07.800 --> 00:15:08.400 placement process. 232 00:15:08.400 --> 00:15:14.500 So Noah has heard a lot of prayers about where men and women are 233 00:15:14.500 --> 00:15:15.200 supposed to go. 234 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:20.200 And so it is a combination a tension point there, where we're really 235 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:22.800 trusting the spirit to guide us through a lot of prayer. 236 00:15:22.800 --> 00:15:28.000 And at the same time, a lot of work goes into it because the church 237 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:34.100 has has its called me as the means by which these assignments and 238 00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:35.700 placements are going to take place. 239 00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:38.400 Give us the skinny on, on how it happens. 240 00:15:38.400 --> 00:15:40.100 So is it Fall and you have 241 00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:42.700 First meeting this is placement 242 00:15:42.700 --> 00:15:43.500 now not vicarage placement. 243 00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:47.300 So at the end vicarage, I meet with every one of the students and 244 00:15:47.300 --> 00:15:50.400 debrief their vicarage and begin to talk about what they looking for 245 00:15:50.400 --> 00:15:54.600 a call. Then we have class meetings throughout the year once a month. 246 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.500 We have class meetings once a month throughout the year. 247 00:15:57.500 --> 00:16:02.300 And so we have interview, I interview all the students with their 248 00:16:02.300 --> 00:16:05.200 wives in October, September, 249 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:11.600 October, November. In December congregations who want team Ministries 250 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:20.300 produce documents. Congregational profile position description description of the 251 00:16:20.300 --> 00:16:24.900 congregation and they send those to me and January and February are 252 00:16:24.900 --> 00:16:29.200 what we call the interview months for congregations, who want an associate 253 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:29.400 pastor. 254 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:36.100 I pick four or five students who will do those interviews and they 255 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:42.400 come in on campus and or by Zoom and they interview the students 256 00:16:42.400 --> 00:16:45.700 and the students tell me, well, that was a good interview. 257 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.700 I prefer to go there. 258 00:16:46.700 --> 00:16:49.900 I'm open to it. The congregations will say they saw the two students who 259 00:16:49.900 --> 00:16:54.900 really liked and so that's that's the very intensive period 260 00:16:54.900 --> 00:17:00.200 where Cathy my Administrative Assistant really organizes those. But 261 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:02.600 that's that's where it stops. A student 262 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.000 does not negotiate a call. 263 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:08.000 A student does not know until you call it out in the service correct? 264 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:08.300 Right. 265 00:17:08.300 --> 00:17:08.700 That's right. 266 00:17:08.700 --> 00:17:11.900 So, a student will know that there were three or four other students 267 00:17:11.900 --> 00:17:12.400 in this interview. 268 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.300 And they will say, I would like to go there or not, but they have no 269 00:17:16.300 --> 00:17:16.400 idea 270 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.200 if they if that's the one they're going through, some of the students 271 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.900 will have five or six interviews. 272 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:26.090 So now they are not sure, they're still, not sure until I call it out. 273 00:17:26.090 --> 00:17:29.100 Some of them might do Team Ministry interviews, and end up in the sole 274 00:17:29.100 --> 00:17:34.100 Pastor, anyway. In March, I'm really working on the sole Pastor 275 00:17:34.100 --> 00:17:38.300 calls, although I've been doing that in February as well, in 276 00:17:38.300 --> 00:17:41.600 consultation with District presidents. At the beginning of April 277 00:17:41.600 --> 00:17:46.500 we have a meeting with five district presidents minister of placement 278 00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:49.800 Committee of the Council of presidents and my counterpart in Fort 279 00:17:49.800 --> 00:17:51.500 Wayne its called free slotting. 280 00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:56.000 And we say I'm going to put my candidates here and Fort Wayne. 281 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:59.900 Jeff Pulse will say, I'm going to put my candidates here, there's any 282 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:04.800 conflicts, the district presidents, are the ones that will sort that 283 00:18:04.800 --> 00:18:04.900 out. 284 00:18:04.900 --> 00:18:07.500 And I know from experience you sometimes trade. 285 00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:13.200 So the Doctor Pulse will say, you know, I could move this guy if you. 286 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:13.900 Dr. 287 00:18:13.900 --> 00:18:17.000 Nielsen really need that spot and of course the District 288 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:21.900 President, has the final say. Has the final say so yeah, like two 289 00:18:21.900 --> 00:18:26.100 years ago, we both had candidates that could have went to a 290 00:18:26.100 --> 00:18:29.800 congregation in Fort Wayne and 291 00:18:29.800 --> 00:18:34.200 actually our candidate was ranked a little bit higher by the 292 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:34.600 congregation. 293 00:18:34.600 --> 00:18:36.100 But Dr. 294 00:18:36.100 --> 00:18:40.200 Pulse said I have a student here that really could stay and they got a 295 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:41.700 family set up here in Fort Wayne. 296 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:45.800 And I said, okay, so I moved our student to another spot and they can 297 00:18:45.800 --> 00:18:47.600 work back the other way as well. 298 00:18:47.600 --> 00:18:52.400 So, pre-slotting has taken place and this year and 299 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:56.900 most of the students have their names on places but I'm still working 300 00:18:56.900 --> 00:19:01.700 out one or two or three that where I want to put them where I'm going 301 00:19:01.700 --> 00:19:05.100 to recommend them. Yesterday I got a text message in a phone 302 00:19:05.100 --> 00:19:09.200 call from a vicarage supervisor saying we didn't get a DCE 303 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:11.000 so can you send us a vicar 304 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:13.200 that might help us a little bit more with youth ministry. 305 00:19:13.300 --> 00:19:17.500 Well, then I'll go back and see if that's really the best place for a 306 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:19.600 student, or not. So pre-slotting has happened and 307 00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:20.700 you're doing some fine-tuning 308 00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:24.300 now, what's next? Waiting for the District 309 00:19:24.300 --> 00:19:29.400 President's Council of Presidents meeting on that Saturday, April 24th, 310 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:33.600 where they read the names off, say a prayer and vote to place the 311 00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:38.500 students. Wow. And so on that Saturday and I know where everybody's going. 312 00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:42.100 But in the student asks can you tell me where I'm going? 313 00:19:42.100 --> 00:19:45.700 I'm going to say, no, you waited this long, you can wait another 314 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:46.400 couple of days. 315 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:52.100 I remember, from all these last years that students might assume that 316 00:19:52.100 --> 00:19:52.500 I knew. 317 00:19:52.500 --> 00:20:00.300 I almost never made it my business to ask where a student was going once in 318 00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:04.600 a while, we had a conversation about a certain situation, but 99% of 319 00:20:04.600 --> 00:20:05.800 the times, I didn't know. 320 00:20:05.800 --> 00:20:09.500 So I was glad to shake hands and here where they're going as well. 321 00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:12.900 Let me, we're going to wrap this segment up this has been fascinating and 322 00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:13.200 I hope you 323 00:20:13.300 --> 00:20:19.000 enjoyed and learned from how this process works because it's a, it's an 324 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:21.600 Earthly process. But when Dr. 325 00:20:21.600 --> 00:20:25.100 Nielsen, prays and we all pray about the placement and vicarages too, 326 00:20:25.100 --> 00:20:29.100 we know that the spirit is is working through us. So my last 327 00:20:29.100 --> 00:20:34.000 question, is there were times when we had more candidates than calls? 328 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.600 How is it this year? 329 00:20:35.600 --> 00:20:40.500 This year, we'll have more calls than candidates our classes are a 330 00:20:40.500 --> 00:20:43.500 little bit smaller. Just to give you a little idea. 331 00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:48.500 We have a 47 MDiv students going out in their first call. 332 00:20:48.500 --> 00:20:49.200 This is from St. 333 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:49.400 Louis, 334 00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:50.600 47. St. Louis. I don't have 335 00:20:50.600 --> 00:20:55.800 Fort Wayne's numbers are lower, probably in the mid-30s for calls. 336 00:20:55.800 --> 00:20:59.700 But we have seven, alternate route students who are already on their 337 00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:01.200 vicarages and they will 338 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:05.200 most of them will convert into a call. Two students from the Center for 339 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.500 Hispanic Studies. Two EIIT, the Ethnic Immigrant. 340 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:13.200 We have three from the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center in 341 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:18.300 Irvine and six deaconesses and. 67 placements. 342 00:21:18.300 --> 00:21:20.400 67, students are going to be placed. 343 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:28.100 I think we have places for all of them except for two deaconesses and 344 00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:29.000 I'll smile 345 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:33.700 because the two deaconesses are married to Seminary graduates 346 00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:36.600 so I have to get their call in place first. 347 00:21:36.600 --> 00:21:39.600 It's pretty rare that I can get a call that would call a Deaconess at 348 00:21:39.600 --> 00:21:40.400 the same time. 349 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:45.500 This is a complicating factor that we didn't have. 30 years ago. Thirty 350 00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:45.800 years ago. 351 00:21:45.800 --> 00:21:46.200 Yeah. 352 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:46.300 Yeah. 353 00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:52.300 Do you know how many congregations will come up 354 00:21:52.300 --> 00:21:54.100 empty? About 20. 355 00:21:54.100 --> 00:21:58.200 Okay and what does that say audience? 356 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:01.500 Let's encourage recruitment for the ministry 357 00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:04.000 in our families, and our congregations. 358 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.700 Ask your pastor to preach about it, to encourage encourage the 359 00:22:08.700 --> 00:22:12.900 recruitment because when a congregation doesn't have a pastor. 360 00:22:12.900 --> 00:22:14.700 They stayed faithful. 361 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:19.800 They do their best our lay, people are wonderful, but if you need the 362 00:22:19.800 --> 00:22:23.700 shepherd, you need the shepherd and some people without a Shepherd 363 00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:25.100 fall away from our Lord, Jesus. 364 00:22:25.100 --> 00:22:26.700 So I want to thank Dr. 365 00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:27.700 Nielsen, this has been fascinating. 366 00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:32.100 Now in our second segment, I understand that we're going to have to 367 00:22:32.100 --> 00:22:34.800 anxious students. 368 00:22:34.800 --> 00:22:36.000 Let's use the word eager. 369 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:38.200 Eager eager, not anxious. 370 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:39.900 Is this why we have the Comfort dog? 371 00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:40.300 Oh yeah, yeah. So stay with us we will be talking to 2 eager students 372 00:22:40.300 --> 00:22:47.700 after this break. 373 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.800 Concordia Seminary S t. 374 00:22:50.800 --> 00:22:55.600 Louis provides continuing education resources for pastors and lay 375 00:22:55.600 --> 00:22:59.200 people to discover all the Concordia Seminary has for you. 376 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.200 Visit us on the web at CSL. 377 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:04.000 EDU. 378 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:09.300 Welcome back to Word and Work an Intersection. 379 00:23:09.300 --> 00:23:12.000 I'm your host Dale Meyer. Today 380 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:16.400 we're discussing Call Day at Concordia Seminary and with us now are two 381 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:21.000 students who will be receiving their calls at the 2021 service. 382 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:25.600 That's April 28th. April 28th and you can follow it 383 00:23:25.600 --> 00:23:31.200 Csl.edu. Joining are Mason Veith who is a Student Association 384 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:37.000 president and Nathaniel Brown, the Student Association Spiritual Life 385 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.200 Chairman. Gentlemen, welcome. 386 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:42.900 I should call you candidates because the faculty has certified 387 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:46.100 you as ready for your first call. 388 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.800 How does that go Nathaniel pending completion of all academic 389 00:23:50.800 --> 00:23:51.400 requirements. 390 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:54.200 In other words, you still have to pass your classes, but they don't 391 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:57.800 then you'll April 28th, you'll receive your calls. 392 00:23:57.800 --> 00:24:04.000 You finish the semesters work and and then you get out into the into 393 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.100 the real Ministry. 394 00:24:05.100 --> 00:24:07.400 So are you feeling the excitement? 395 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:08.400 Yeah. 396 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:08.500 Yeah. 397 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:14.800 I think I am because you know, after going through vicarage my class, 398 00:24:14.800 --> 00:24:18.800 you know, being on vicarage when the pandemic hit you know, it 399 00:24:18.800 --> 00:24:20.100 changed the way we live our life. 400 00:24:20.100 --> 00:24:21.200 you know secluded. 401 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:25.300 And so being able to have something in this year so I have nothing to 402 00:24:25.300 --> 00:24:28.400 look forward to is even building the excitement more. 403 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:32.000 So my classmates and I we are ready to hear where we're going. 404 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:33.700 Nathaniel you excited? 405 00:24:33.700 --> 00:24:34.900 Are you also a little anxious? 406 00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:40.300 There's a little bit of anxiety for sure, but as Mason said, it's 407 00:24:40.300 --> 00:24:44.700 definitely excitement because not just are we having nothing this 408 00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:45.000 year. 409 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:46.900 We are hopefully God 410 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:50.300 willing seeing the end of this pandemic and we will be going into 411 00:24:50.300 --> 00:24:54.900 Ministry at the end of this and getting people back into worship is a 412 00:24:54.900 --> 00:24:56.300 huge excitement for me, as well. 413 00:24:56.300 --> 00:24:59.100 I remember, last year, at Call Day the students were 414 00:24:59.100 --> 00:25:04.700 disappointed that it had to be totally virtual but hey, 5 10, 15 years 415 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.200 from 416 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:11.000 now in the ministry, you'll see ya, when I got my call it in and 417 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:14.000 you'll have the call and then and that's finally what it was all 418 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:14.100 about. 419 00:25:14.100 --> 00:25:17.900 So in our previous segment, Dr. 420 00:25:17.900 --> 00:25:19.900 Nielsen explained the process. 421 00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:22.500 Would you tell us Nathaniel 422 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:24.600 how do you experienced the process? 423 00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:27.700 So what I asked Dr. 424 00:25:27.700 --> 00:25:32.400 Nelson was first sole Ministry or maybe the possibility of being in a 425 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:35.400 duel Parish where you have one pastor with two congregations. 426 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:39.900 And because I was firmly committed to being a sole Pastor 427 00:25:39.900 --> 00:25:45.200 I had no interviews that some of my classmates had of becoming an 428 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:45.900 associate pastor. 429 00:25:45.900 --> 00:25:46.600 So, 430 00:25:46.900 --> 00:25:47.500 I told Dr. 431 00:25:47.500 --> 00:25:52.500 Nielsen, my preferences of congregation size, size of the town that 432 00:25:52.500 --> 00:26:00.400 the congregation is held in geography, worship style, etc. and Dr. 433 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:06.100 Nielsen said duly noted and waited for the calls to come in and I 434 00:26:06.100 --> 00:26:12.700 still have no idea where I'm going to be ending up. It is interesting that Concordia 435 00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:13.400 Seminary St. 436 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:17.300 Louis also Fort Wayne, we Do It the old-fashioned way. 437 00:26:17.300 --> 00:26:21.700 Many seminaries today in North America, there are 280, accredited 438 00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:23.200 seminaries in North America. 439 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:27.700 Not too many do it this way where the student comes up and finds out 440 00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:28.300 where you're going. 441 00:26:29.500 --> 00:26:33.600 There are reasons why some seminaries, don't do it that way, but we do 442 00:26:33.600 --> 00:26:37.600 it the old way because the church needs you and the church makes the 443 00:26:37.600 --> 00:26:40.400 determination where Earthly wise 444 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.200 we think you can serve best. 445 00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:44.200 So how is the process for you Mason? 446 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:46.400 My process was a little bit different. 447 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:51.900 I was originally going to defer a call to continue studies but what I think 448 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:53.700 is really interesting about Dr. 449 00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:57.100 Nielsen being here is that he was my vicarage placement 450 00:26:57.100 --> 00:27:03.200 supervisor and he knew, you know, some of my skills and my abilities. 451 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:06.100 And then contacted me and said, you know, we have a couple churches 452 00:27:06.100 --> 00:27:08.100 that I would like you to interview with. 453 00:27:08.100 --> 00:27:11.200 I think that you would, you would fit well there, and so Dr. 454 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:12.400 Nielsen knows his students 455 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:13.200 and so that really works out. 456 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:17.200 So I actually went through the interview process, thankfully, I got to 457 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:19.900 do it in person, a lot of my classmates had to do it on Zoom just 458 00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:21.200 because of Covid protocol. 459 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:26.100 But I was interviewing for associate pastor positions, where I will 460 00:27:26.100 --> 00:27:29.200 work in a team Ministry with another pastor 461 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:33.700 or another pastor and Deaconess or DCE which it was, it was a good process. 462 00:27:34.700 --> 00:27:38.400 Tell me a little bit about the interviews and, and I want to stress 463 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:41.400 that you have X number of interviews. 464 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:44.800 You don't know where you're going to be sent, okay. 465 00:27:44.800 --> 00:27:50.400 If it's just a try and find a good fit, so what was that interview 466 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:51.600 process like, for you? 467 00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:56.600 Yeah, I definitely think there was there was some anxiety along with 468 00:27:56.600 --> 00:28:00.100 it just because, you know, it's an interview for your for 469 00:28:00.100 --> 00:28:04.800 many of us, our first job and we've been in school for our entire lives 470 00:28:04.800 --> 00:28:09.000 and now he's right, you know, forever. And so, but you know, that the 471 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:13.000 people that I got to interview with, you know, the people coming to 472 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:15.400 interview or, very, kind, very welcoming. 473 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:19.300 So, I mean, the processes is Kathy and Dr. 474 00:28:19.300 --> 00:28:22.400 Nielsen send you information on the church so you can get acquainted 475 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:25.700 with the town to church size their Ministry, and then and you actually 476 00:28:25.700 --> 00:28:29.600 go in an interview with a handful of people, the pastor 477 00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:33.000 maybe his wife are the call, committee may be the Principal, the 478 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:37.200 school, if there's one. And the beginning of it's just sort of, I get to 479 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:39.400 know you, you know, who are you, where you from, what's your 480 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:39.800 background? 481 00:28:39.800 --> 00:28:43.200 And then really the second part of the interview is where you break 482 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:44.200 into the nitty-gritty of 483 00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:46.100 this is what we're looking for. 484 00:28:46.100 --> 00:28:50.200 How do your skills and abilities sort of line up with those 485 00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:50.500 things. 486 00:28:50.500 --> 00:28:52.500 And so definitely is, you know, it. 487 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:54.100 The interviews 488 00:28:54.100 --> 00:28:55.800 I went through it very much 489 00:28:55.800 --> 00:28:58.700 sort of calmed anxieties when they were just wanting to get to know 490 00:28:58.700 --> 00:29:02.100 you as a person but then, you know, just being very honest and 491 00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:03.200 truthful about this. 492 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:05.600 These are the skills and abilities that I have and 493 00:29:05.600 --> 00:29:07.800 this is what I'm excited to do in Ministry to see. 494 00:29:07.800 --> 00:29:11.900 If those two. One of my favorite times over the years is January and 495 00:29:11.900 --> 00:29:15.700 February, when when congregations are on campus for these team 496 00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:18.900 interviews, it's not done for sole pastor it's done for team 497 00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:20.000 interviews again. 498 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.600 So it earthly wise, we can get a good fit and all the time when I would 499 00:29:24.600 --> 00:29:29.900 greet the congregational representatives and the pastor, they say we 500 00:29:29.900 --> 00:29:31.300 could take any one of these graduates. 501 00:29:31.300 --> 00:29:36.700 And and I take that as a compliment to all of you to our faculty 502 00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:41.100 our recruitment staff and with the Seminary is doing. 503 00:29:41.100 --> 00:29:44.900 So I was always proud went when they said that and I trust, they said 504 00:29:44.900 --> 00:29:46.300 it about about both of you. 505 00:29:46.300 --> 00:29:52.600 So now this year we are having a quasi in person Call Day. Nathaniel 506 00:29:52.600 --> 00:29:56.900 is somebody going to come in person for your call? 507 00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:59.700 Both of my parents are going to be coming into St. 508 00:29:59.700 --> 00:30:05.200 Louis, and I think it'll be my mom, that'll be in the chapel watching 509 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:06.400 in person live. 510 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:10.100 And then my dad will be on campus elsewhere, watching the livestream. 511 00:30:10.100 --> 00:30:14.000 Yeah, I'm originally from the St. 512 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.000 Louis area, as all my family is here. 513 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:19.900 So what I, what I heard but we, we could only have a plus one. 514 00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:24.800 I tried to auction off the spot in my family, just so, you know, I don't 515 00:30:24.800 --> 00:30:31.500 know, make it fun. He's going to be a great stewardship pastor. But you know, of course, your mother always wins 516 00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:31.500 out. 517 00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:35.400 So my mother is going to put this my plus-one and the rest of my 518 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:38.700 family will eagerly watch from wherever they're at. 519 00:30:38.700 --> 00:30:41.300 Do you know of others who are going to be watching online? 520 00:30:41.300 --> 00:30:45.200 You know it your friends your home congregation obviously 521 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:48.300 congregations who know that they are getting someone are going to be 522 00:30:48.300 --> 00:30:48.900 watching. 523 00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:51.700 Who is this guy know anything about that? 524 00:30:52.200 --> 00:30:59.000 I like for my my home congregation is definitely going to be watching 525 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:03.100 and they put in the bulletin that they are going to be setting up the 526 00:31:03.100 --> 00:31:05.100 camera in their congregation. 527 00:31:05.100 --> 00:31:08.800 So that way the whole congregation can meet and watch. 528 00:31:08.800 --> 00:31:12.800 And I've also asked all of my adoptive student sponsors to watch 529 00:31:12.800 --> 00:31:13.500 online as well. 530 00:31:13.500 --> 00:31:15.000 Okay, that's great. 531 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.400 Yeah, you know people have asked me that the information of 532 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:20.500 is it going to be live streamed 533 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:21.100 and of course 534 00:31:21.100 --> 00:31:28.290 I tell him to csl.edu. But I think in the era of social media and all 535 00:31:28.290 --> 00:31:32.290 our classmates who have social media going to post online and it's 536 00:31:32.290 --> 00:31:36.200 going to be nice to sort of have that, you know, friends from 537 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:39.900 different countries even being able to to watch on this momentous day 538 00:31:39.900 --> 00:31:40.100 here. 539 00:31:40.100 --> 00:31:45.300 I know on social media Concordia, Seminary trends on Call Day. 540 00:31:45.300 --> 00:31:46.800 We're right up there. 541 00:31:46.800 --> 00:31:47.700 Now. 542 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:52.000 Let me ask you this and and and I bear some responsibility 543 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:54.400 for whatever you're going to answer. 544 00:31:56.500 --> 00:32:00.100 How was Concordia Seminary for you setting, aside covid-19. 545 00:32:00.100 --> 00:32:36.030 And you had 2 regular years on campus. What was the Seminary experience like.? What turned out the way expected? What was different? What was good and what was bad too? 546 00:32:36.030 --> 00:32:44.430 What we had for our year was the first year of the new curriculum. We had a curriculum change for the first time in 40 years. And so we got see all the new classes and all the new curriculum coming from that. 547 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:57.100 And that was an incredible blessing. There were some definite difficulties in swapping to the new curriculum but it overall went very well and one of the best things that I have from Concordia Seminary is the group and the community that was built around it. And being able to talk to first years when I'm a fourth year and find out where they're going and what they are interested in. Has been an incredible blessing to me. 548 00:32:57.100 --> 00:33:02.000 Mason. Yeah. I think about the new curriculum with definitely a blessing here. 549 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:06.500 But I think, you know, when I was I wanted to be a pastor for 22 550 00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:06.800 years. 551 00:33:06.800 --> 00:33:10.500 I can still remember preaching to my stuffed animals, at 4 years old. 552 00:33:10.500 --> 00:33:12.700 And growing up 553 00:33:12.700 --> 00:33:15.900 my pastors always told me the best friends you'll ever meet in your 554 00:33:15.900 --> 00:33:16.000 life 555 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:18.800 you will meet at Seminary and I think that's true. 556 00:33:18.800 --> 00:33:21.900 You know, my my pastor in college said, when you can find a group of 557 00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:25.000 guys that you can tell anything to and they'll love you just the same 558 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:27.700 continue to point you to Jesus latch onto them 559 00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:28.200 and don't let go. 560 00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:29.800 And those are the relationships 561 00:33:29.800 --> 00:33:32.800 I met here and it says it's going to be difficult. 562 00:33:32.800 --> 00:33:34.300 You know, we're all going to be going. 563 00:33:34.300 --> 00:33:36.400 I mean, I've been talking to my group of friends and 564 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:40.800 we've all interviewed at places all across the United States and so 565 00:33:40.800 --> 00:33:44.200 thanks be to God, that we have the technology to stay connected but 566 00:33:44.200 --> 00:33:47.500 it's a lot of the informal gatherings. I can 567 00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:51.100 remember one night just sitting out by the fire pit at it when you 568 00:33:51.100 --> 00:33:53.900 live in the President's Residence and just having that camaraderie 569 00:33:53.900 --> 00:33:56.400 there with people from all different classes and all 570 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:57.300 different walks of life. 571 00:33:57.300 --> 00:34:02.200 That's really, I think the diamond of Concordia. 572 00:34:02.200 --> 00:34:03.200 Seminary. Thanks. 573 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:08.200 I want our audience to know that I came to the Seminary over 50 years 574 00:34:08.200 --> 00:34:08.400 ago 575 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:13.300 as a student and many of us have been together for eight some even 576 00:34:13.300 --> 00:34:14.200 twelve years. 577 00:34:14.200 --> 00:34:19.500 We knew one another community had formed naturally so as you know very 578 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:24.500 well we have stressed community because you come together without 579 00:34:24.500 --> 00:34:27.500 knowing one another by and large. 580 00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:32.000 And the response of all of you to community, forming has been 581 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:33.600 positive. Today 582 00:34:33.600 --> 00:34:38.100 I can call up a classmate who I may not to talk to for a couple years 583 00:34:38.100 --> 00:34:43.100 but because we are classmates and were formed together, it's just 584 00:34:43.100 --> 00:34:47.200 like, you know, yesterday. And I know that, even though you're going to 585 00:34:47.200 --> 00:34:49.000 be scattered all over kingdom come 586 00:34:50.600 --> 00:34:51.900 that's also an expression with it 587 00:34:51.900 --> 00:34:54.200 also through your ministry, the kingdom will come. 588 00:34:54.200 --> 00:34:56.100 You going to be scattered all over. 589 00:34:56.100 --> 00:35:01.200 You're going to have that that bond that even if you're not together 590 00:35:01.200 --> 00:35:07.600 at the fire pit or sports, whatever happens to be. That's 591 00:35:07.600 --> 00:35:12.200 key and that is that is so important. Talking about community, the Student 592 00:35:12.200 --> 00:35:16.300 Association Mason, you were the president of the Student Association, 593 00:35:16.300 --> 00:35:17.700 tell us what it is? 594 00:35:17.700 --> 00:35:23.400 So the Student Association as simply put just students serving students. 595 00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:27.700 So you know, we have classes, we have Chapel as, you know, as the heart 596 00:35:27.700 --> 00:35:32.200 of our community, but the Student Association is tasked with doing other 597 00:35:32.200 --> 00:35:34.500 things to build community to serve the students. 598 00:35:34.500 --> 00:35:38.000 It looks and looks very different this year because of just 599 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.700 Covid and restrictions. 600 00:35:38.700 --> 00:35:43.100 So I take my role as president has changed from presidents before me, 601 00:35:43.100 --> 00:35:45.900 I just been very intentional about 602 00:35:45.900 --> 00:35:49.600 reaching out to especially the first year students who are coming on 603 00:35:49.600 --> 00:35:50.500 the campus and don't get 604 00:35:50.600 --> 00:35:54.000 to experience the fullness of what Concordia Seminary campus feels 605 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:55.600 like the community of that. 606 00:35:55.600 --> 00:35:59.300 So making those one-on-one connections and do you know, telling you 607 00:35:59.300 --> 00:36:01.800 about this will happen during your time here 608 00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:02.400 don't worry. 609 00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:06.400 It's something. Just also taking on just, you know, issues that 610 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:10.400 come up around campus for students and being the students voice to he 611 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:11.700 Faculty the staff. 612 00:36:11.700 --> 00:36:13.900 And just looking for the Seminary community-at-large. 613 00:36:13.900 --> 00:36:16.300 I remember when I started as president 614 00:36:16.300 --> 00:36:21.000 16 years ago, Student Association just did a few social things and 615 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:24.100 over the years, you've grown to be an integral part of the of the 616 00:36:24.100 --> 00:36:25.400 total life of the campus. 617 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:29.400 Nathaniel your, the Spiritual Life was a Coordinator with the 618 00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:31.000 Chairman. 619 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:32.100 So what is it? 620 00:36:32.100 --> 00:36:33.200 What is that mean? 621 00:36:33.200 --> 00:36:38.500 The Spiritual Life works with the Student Association, but as Mason 622 00:36:38.500 --> 00:36:40.800 said, it's kind of a voice for campus. 623 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:46.900 And this year, I was in charge of coordinating our Seminary Advent 624 00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:49.800 and Lenten devotions that go out to the Seminary community. 625 00:36:49.800 --> 00:36:50.500 That way 626 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:54.300 they can continue to be strengthened during the Advent and Lenten 627 00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:56.500 seasons in preparation for Christmas and Easter. 628 00:36:56.500 --> 00:37:01.800 But this year with Covid, social isolation and all of these things 629 00:37:01.800 --> 00:37:02.800 kind of going on. 630 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:07.400 It was one of those things of how do we actually form that community 631 00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:12.400 so we can continue to grow spiritually together and not have people 632 00:37:12.400 --> 00:37:16.700 despairing because they are alone in their dorm room and they have 633 00:37:16.700 --> 00:37:18.700 nowhere to go nowhere to talk to. 634 00:37:18.700 --> 00:37:24.200 So talking with people and saying, here's what we can do to have 635 00:37:24.200 --> 00:37:28.400 people together, Covid protocols in place mask, 636 00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:32.100 social distancing, but get people to still meet and talk with one 637 00:37:32.100 --> 00:37:32.200 another. 638 00:37:32.200 --> 00:37:32.900 That's great 639 00:37:32.900 --> 00:37:36.500 you're not only in the classroom or in the library reading a book. 640 00:37:36.500 --> 00:37:40.100 But you're, you're, you're doing these forms of Ministry 641 00:37:40.100 --> 00:37:41.400 that's going to be the rest of your life. 642 00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:45.200 One of the things, I think our audience would appreciate knowing is 643 00:37:45.200 --> 00:37:50.000 your connection and relationship with a Student Association at Fort 644 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:50.200 Wayne 645 00:37:50.500 --> 00:37:51.900 Concordia Theological Seminary. 646 00:37:51.900 --> 00:37:53.400 Tell us about that Mason. 647 00:37:53.400 --> 00:37:57.300 Yeah, so again, because of the strange year, it looks different. 648 00:37:57.300 --> 00:38:02.700 So normally in years, we meet the whole Student Association of Concordia 649 00:38:02.700 --> 00:38:06.000 Seminary, the whole Student Association of Concordia Fort Wayne. We meet 650 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:08.600 two times a year together once here down in St. 651 00:38:08.600 --> 00:38:14.900 Louis. Physically together. Physically together, yeah. It is usually around the basketball games and tournaments 652 00:38:14.900 --> 00:38:16.300 that the Seminaries host. 653 00:38:16.300 --> 00:38:20.300 And so it's the time just to gather and to talk about issues that are 654 00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:23.100 maybe specific to our to our institution. 655 00:38:23.100 --> 00:38:26.200 But then also things that we can collaborate on in the past, we have 656 00:38:26.200 --> 00:38:29.600 collaborated, collaborated on devotions, and those sorts of things. 657 00:38:29.600 --> 00:38:33.800 But mostly, it's just a time to, to get together and to have 658 00:38:33.800 --> 00:38:38.000 camaraderie. I mean, yes, we are two different institutions, right. 659 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:40.000 But we're serving the same 660 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:41.300 Lord, the same church. 661 00:38:41.300 --> 00:38:45.700 And so, to be able to have that time to say, hey, you're my brother 662 00:38:45.700 --> 00:38:50.100 and Ministry no matter what, you know, we're on the line together is a 663 00:38:50.100 --> 00:38:50.400 really 664 00:38:50.500 --> 00:38:52.600 awesome experience to have. And the reason 665 00:38:52.600 --> 00:38:56.000 I'm glad to hear that and I hope you're glad to hear that is that this 666 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:59.400 is another demonstration that are two Seminaries work very closely 667 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:00.100 together. 668 00:39:00.100 --> 00:39:04.400 Placement is one place where we work closely together the student 669 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:06.400 associations as well. 670 00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:07.600 Last question. 671 00:39:09.200 --> 00:39:10.600 A young person 672 00:39:11.500 --> 00:39:17.900 is considering pastoral Ministry or maybe an older person, says, you 673 00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:23.200 know, John, Fred, Richard should become a pastor. At your stage 674 00:39:23.200 --> 00:39:28.700 what would you say to encourage that young person or the adult, who is 675 00:39:28.700 --> 00:39:32.900 encouraging that young person? Nathanial. What I would do is, I 676 00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:37.200 would encourage that person to when it is available to come onto 677 00:39:37.200 --> 00:39:41.500 campus either St, Louis, or to Fort Wayne, and to visit some of the 678 00:39:41.500 --> 00:39:44.600 classes talk with some of the profs, because it was, one of the 679 00:39:44.600 --> 00:39:46.800 things that had me decide to come to St. 680 00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:51.100 Louis was coming on campus, and actually seeing all this is what the 681 00:39:51.100 --> 00:39:51.700 Sem entails. 682 00:39:51.700 --> 00:39:56.700 And another thing that I would recommend is no one can pray or read 683 00:39:56.700 --> 00:40:01.900 the Bible enough, even before going into the Pastoral office, read 684 00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:10.000 your Bible continue praying. And even after retirement you can't do it enough. Mason your 685 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:11.500 experience as a seminarian 686 00:40:11.500 --> 00:40:15.590 a human being and advice to a young person. 687 00:40:15.590 --> 00:40:19.200 I think the first thing is just for them to know that it is the Lord's 688 00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:20.100 church, right. 689 00:40:20.100 --> 00:40:21.800 So it's he's got it under control. 690 00:40:21.800 --> 00:40:23.900 No matter what happens. 691 00:40:23.900 --> 00:40:28.200 Second thing is that the Lord works through broken people to minister 692 00:40:28.200 --> 00:40:32.000 to his church and so you don't think of to broken or don't have 693 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:32.700 enough skills. 694 00:40:32.700 --> 00:40:37.700 But I would, when I would say to the person considering would be to 695 00:40:37.700 --> 00:40:38.700 ask people, that know them 696 00:40:38.700 --> 00:40:41.700 well, do you think I have the skills and abilities to be a pastor? 697 00:40:41.700 --> 00:40:44.400 Because I think those are the people that will tell you that the God's 698 00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:44.700 honest truth. 699 00:40:44.700 --> 00:40:49.900 But also to the people who maybe might see something in the, in a, in 700 00:40:49.900 --> 00:40:57.900 a young boy, to continue to encourage him because the culture that 701 00:40:57.900 --> 00:41:02.800 we live in, obviously is just ever-changing more secular and so to 702 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:05.600 continue to, to share Christ, love with that person. 703 00:41:05.600 --> 00:41:10.700 And to show them that that I've sort of have been a spiritual father, or 704 00:41:10.700 --> 00:41:11.400 mother to you. 705 00:41:11.600 --> 00:41:15.500 I think that you would be a great spiritual father to generations, 706 00:41:15.500 --> 00:41:19.400 to come and to show the impact of that. That's great advice from 707 00:41:19.400 --> 00:41:21.300 both of you really great advice. 708 00:41:21.300 --> 00:41:25.700 I think, at least, I certainly hope that you can sense 709 00:41:25.700 --> 00:41:31.100 why I am so proud of our students are at Concordia Seminary. It's one of the 710 00:41:31.100 --> 00:41:33.200 sad things about retirement, is that 711 00:41:33.200 --> 00:41:35.600 I'm not mingling with you every day. 712 00:41:35.600 --> 00:41:38.600 So thanks Mason and Nathaniel for being with us. 713 00:41:38.600 --> 00:41:42.300 And I want to thank you for joining us for Word and Work today. 714 00:41:42.300 --> 00:41:45.100 May we close with a prayer. 715 00:41:46.700 --> 00:41:47.600 Oh, Lord, Jesus 716 00:41:47.600 --> 00:41:50.200 send your spirit upon us 717 00:41:50.200 --> 00:41:50.300 all. 718 00:41:51.500 --> 00:41:55.900 Especially these days, we pray that your spirit would continue to work 719 00:41:55.900 --> 00:41:58.500 through all the call process details. 720 00:41:58.500 --> 00:42:03.800 So that our students like, Mason and Nathaniel and all those, who are 721 00:42:03.800 --> 00:42:09.300 receiving calls will go out to their assignments, with joy and 722 00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:13.800 optimism and confidence in your great gospel, and that the church will 723 00:42:13.800 --> 00:42:20.200 be edified and optimism based in you and faith will ever increase. 724 00:42:20.200 --> 00:42:24.500 We ask this in your name and for your sake. Amen. Thanks for being 725 00:42:24.500 --> 00:42:24.900 with us. 726 00:42:24.900 --> 00:42:29.200 I pray that the intersection of Word and Work will be busy, and the 727 00:42:29.200 --> 00:42:30.900 blessing on your corner.