Hungry for Hope: Letters to the Church from Young Adults invites readers to the table for an honest, hopeful, and transformative exploration of the pressing challenges and opportunities facing the church today. With voices rooted in the lived experiences of young adults across the United States, this book addresses topics such as climate catastrophe, mental health, marginalization, and more, offering actionable insights for the church’s journey toward renewal and relevance.

Above images from our Panel Discussion at the ELCA’s Extravaganza 2025 featuring our illustrator Lindsay Fertig-Johnson, authors Amber Kalina and Catalina Morales Bahena hosted by Kristina Frugé.

The post Exciting News! Hungry for Hope is Available for Preorder! appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

When teaching college students how to think theologically, I often hear them say, “I don’t know if I can think theologically because I’m not really even sure what my key beliefs are.” What follows is a process I have used many times when helping high school students, college students, and adults become more aware of the key theological claims that shape how they understand and interpret life. You can go through this process on your own, with a partner, or with a group. If doing with others, find moments when you can share what you are writing with one another and offer feedback to each other.��

Brainstorming Your Core Beliefs

1. Using index cards, post-its, or small slips of paper, write down all the biblical stories and lessons that are important to you. Write one per piece of paper. Leave room on each piece of paper to add more later.
2. Continue to use index cards, post-its, or slips of paper and now write all the things you have been taught about God that are most important to you – attributes of God, things God does, things God doesn’t do, how God does things, why God does things, etc. Again, write only one on each piece of paper and leave room on each piece for more writing later.
3. On each piece of paper write a brief description of why that particular biblical story, biblical lesson, or belief about God is important to you.

Organizing Your Core Beliefs into Themes

1. Organize your individual pieces of paper into clusters with others that are similar.
2. After you have clustered similar ones together, write a one-word title for the shared theme of those cards and brief description of that theme. These themes are your key theological claims. The individual cards under each theme are specific examples of your core theological claims.

Interrogating Your Core Theological Claims

1. Reflect on this definition of theology by theologian Douglas John Hall (from “What is Theology? in Crosscurrents, 2003): “Theology is what occurs when the Christian community knows itself to be living between text and context . . . between the tradition bequeathed to it from those who have gone before and the unfinished book of time present and future. Or perhaps we could put it even more simply: Theology is that ongoing activity of the whole church that aims at clarifying what “gospel” must mean here and now. . . The [gospel] is good [news] because it challenges and displaces bad news. Gospel addresses us at the place where we are overwhelmed by an awareness . . . of what is wrong with the world and with ourselves in it. It is good news because it engages, takes on and does battle with the bad news, offering another alternative, another vision of what could be, another way into the future.”

2. Spend some time thinking about each of your key theological claims in light of Hall’s definition of theology and gospel above.

• When has this claim been good news for you? How? Why?
• When has this claim been good news for your neighbor? How? Why?
• Has this claim ever been bad news for you or your neighbor? When? How? Why? If so, do you think this claim might need to be reevaluated or let go?

Practicing Using Your Core Theological Claims

1. Pick a controversial issue or a current local or global crisis. Examine that issue or crisis through the lens of your key theological claims.
   1. How do your theological claims inform how you think and feel about this issue?
   2. Do they change your perspective? How? Why?
   3. Are they helpful? Problematic? How? Why?

Next Steps

1. Now that you have gained more insight into your key theological claims, it is important to be honest about how they might be helpful and how they might be harmful.
   1. How do you see your key theological claims being helpful?
   2. How do you see your key theological claims being potentially harmful?
2. Who can you share these key theological claims with for feedback and conversation?

As you move forward from this exercise, remember the words of Douglas John Hall, “Theology is that ongoing activity of the whole church that aims at clarifying what [good news] must mean here and now.”

The post Identifying Your Key Theological Claims appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Brenna’s Reflection

As we journey together through our season of accompaniment, our teams are learning a lot about their neighbors and what it means to be a public church. In our March cohort meeting we heard stories of engaging with schools, local police, members in our congregations, and local pastors from other churches. Our teams have begun to explore their neighborhoods on prayer walks and they’ve been meeting in local coffee shops and restaurants to listen and learn. They’ve engaged in public forums and local events and even attended Iftar dinners with their Muslim neighbors. Their curiosity and love for their neighbors is growing and it culminated in an exciting moment at our March cohort meeting where one of our team members interrupted the sharing time with an epiphany, “I have been trying to figure out this whole time what out project would be at the end of this, but I’m realizing…Relationships Are The Project”. They’re starting to catch it, knowing and loving your neighbor is the whole goal.

Geoffrey’s Reflection

Many teams are slowly and steadily unfolding how to express the purpose of this work. In a meaningful conversation, Pastor Andrea, from Diamond Lake Lutheran, one of our mentor congregations, asked team member Kurt, why does this work matter? Remembering what Jeremy Myers said, at the accompaniment learning event, Kurt emphasized that our mission aligns with the biblical narrative of accompaniment—God is a relational God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This insight compels us to genuinely live out our faith, walking with and being in trustworthy relationships with our neighbors just as Christ did.

A thread that underlies every team is embracing change, everybody is moving at their own pace but all reimagining their role as the church in today’s world. This shift has been deeply emotional, bringing up forgotten and unforgiven threads that were swept under the rug. Walking through this shift, we are carefully tending and deadheading our spiritual gardens, and we are encountering a mix of grief and opportunity. Clearing the debris; composting and making space for new growth and blooming.

Alas, all this work brings up feelings of loss and hope. Grieving has been a recurring theme and an integral part of our conversations, it reminds me of a kind of enduring, like a mother pregnant with new life and physically going through a transformation to welcome and raise a new being into the world. This process as we learn or more accepting requires us to slow down and break the agenda, to pause and deeply reflect, making space for both lamenting what was and anticipating what will be.

As we adapt, it’s clear that many teams are ready to step into this new path and some of us are struggling forward into a new possibility of a deeper and more profound relationship with God, church, and neighbor.

The post Faith in Action: Reflecting God’s Relational Essence appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Uncovering Vocation is a partnership between Campus Ministry and the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University. Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, a member of the Augsburg community is invited to share a component of their vocation story. It has become a way of building community, becoming reacquainted with one another, and celebrating the diversity of people and vocations that make Augsburg University the beautiful place it is.

Our most recent Uncovering Vocation talk was given on Tuesday April 9, 2024 by Dr. Kristen Chamberlain from our department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media. Kristen earned her PhD in Communication Studies from North Dakota State University in 2007. She has been teaching a variety of classes as part of the Department of Communication Studies, Film, and New Media since the fall of 2007. Kristen is particularly passionate about environmental communication and has identified as an environmentalist since 9th grade. She is also always ready to talk about the media, favorite books, and cats.

The post Look Around! appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Uncovering Vocation is a partnership between Campus Ministry and the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University. Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, a member of the Augsburg community is invited to share a component of their vocation story. It has become a way of building community, becoming reacquainted with one another, and celebrating the diversity of people and vocations that make Augsburg University the beautiful place it is.

This week’s Uncovering Vocation talk is given by Jennifer Butler, Augsburg University’s Director of Multicultural Life. Jennifer is a lifelong collector of stories, an advocate for inclusive excellence and equity, and an educator. For years, Jennifer has worked with students to help sharpen their ideas and advocacy skills. Jennifer recognizes that success as a student comes both inside and outside of the classroom and purposefully works to support underrepresented communities as they navigate higher education. Trained as a social scientist, Jennifer strongly believes in empowering through the framework of self-efficacy and hopes to instill in those around her a steadfast belief in their capability to succeed. She is committed to practicing humility, developing understanding, and promoting an inclusive campus. She received her Ph.D. in Asia Pacific Studies from National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, where she focused on financial behaviors, financial literacy, and self-efficacy. Jennifer is passionate about the role of student services and the unique levels and layers of support students need.

Good morning, when I was emailed about potentially speaking in one of Jeremy’s vocation chapels, I thought there were so many unique and great stories to share here at Augsburg that the odds of me speaking anytime soon were quite slim.

Jokes on me, he asked in December and here we are in March!
I’ll be honest, when I started thinking about this chapel, I googled “what is vocation”

And while the results of my Google search didn’t really clarify things, I remembered from my time working at the College of Business and Analytics at Southern Illinois University this concept of “ikigai” that expresses

1. Find what you’re good at.
2. Find what you love to do.
3. Find what you can get paid for.
4. Find what the world needs.

So today, I’m going to hurry us through my journey of finding.

For those who don’t know, I’m a transracial adoptee. When I was a few months shy of my 2nd birthday, I was adopted by these 2 loving individuals. I spent a lot of my early days watching and taking in the sights of what was happening around me. I was in an unfamiliar place. I was with unfamiliar people. I was surrounded by unfamiliar practices. And I felt alone. But to say I felt alone might be confusing to some because I was constantly surrounded by my new doting parents, their excited families, their happy friend group, and a family pet or two. Being adopted makes me sensitive to and aware of the importance of belonging. The importance of having support. The importance of a community or family or support system. It makes me aware that when life and personal stuff occur, it can fully impact your ability to thrive and succeed.

So fast forward to me graduating high school.

When I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to major in… I just knew that I was off to college. I started at my local community college and there, I had a professor who encouraged me to look into the exciting field of actuarial science. Not wanting to be a teacher like my mother, not really being passionate about anything other than the fact that I did not like chemistry, I decided to give it a go.

I transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio. This was a huge change. I had to live on campus. I was away from my family. I didn’t know anyone. And I had to take Calculus 2 and Accounting. I ended up getting an F in Accounting, a D in Cal 2, and a couple of other sad or bad grades. That coupled with the experience of feeling so alone, disconnected from friends and family, and receiving all the scary emails about needing to turn things around because the next semester I would be on probation…really made me question whether or not college was for me.

Aware of the fact that I was not thriving academically or personally my family and I decided it would be best for me to move back home. I took a summer course or 2 and got my GPA back to non-probationary status and I transferred to the 4-year university in my hometown. I decided to major in pollical science because those were classes I always did well in and it also meant I didn’t have to be a teacher like my mother. I was back with friends, I made new friends at my new university, and my friends were now talking about this cool new thing called graduate school.

Now during my time in college, my mother started a speech and debate club for students 12-18 years old. My younger brother was learning how to be a competitive debater and as one who lives at home often does, I got sucked into this family project. But it turns out I was actually really good at teaching young novice debaters who were debating policy. I know I said I didn’t want to be a teacher, but it was interesting teaching 12-year-olds how to be effective communicators. I loved the moments when it all clicked and came together. When they realized how to defend their debate cases. When they learned that listening is just as important as speaking during a debate round. When they learned just how powerful their voices were as they shared their ideas on topics most 12-year-olds aren’t talking about…like dependency on foreign oil or African trade policies.

But what stood out to me the most was this one young newbie. He and his debate partner were energetic pre-teen boys who probably wanted to be doing anything except debate. But shortly into the experience of learning how to debate and practicing being an effective communicator, this young student of mine, was tasked with giving the eulogy at his father’s funeral. Forget the rules of debate, forget the implication of US foreign policy, he was learning to communicate and be a communicator for this and so many other moments in his life. And that’s when it dawned on me that I valued helping people find their voices. I am passionate about equipping people with the skills needed to speak and advocate for themselves.

Still thinking that teaching was not for me, I poured myself into my poli sci classes and I graduated with a rehabilitated GPA and professors who were happy to write me letters of recommendation. So now I’ve found something I’m good at so off to grad school I go.

I found a small private liberal arts university that had a graduate degree in International Relations where I could specialize in international development and learn about theories such as the capabilities approach or self-efficacy which really resonated and meshed with my newfound passion for equipping people with the tools they need to succeed. So in grad school, I continued to explore themes of advocacy, empowerment, self-efficacy, and yes, education.

When I say I took that campus by storm, I mean I was everywhere. I was in so many student orgs. I served as the student representative on university committees. I worked for the ambassador in residence (the former US Ambassador to Belize). And I decided to write a master’s thesis so I spent a lot of time with my thesis supervisor, the grad IR faculty, and the amazing research librarians. My experience at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio was unlike any other. It was a small enough campus that everyone knew everyone and anyone who stepped foot on the campus could sense the Marianist commitment to belonging, community, service, and justice.

While at St. Mary’s, I got the opportunity to work as the Director of Forensics, teaching and coaching the competition speech and debate students. My students would go on to compete in regional and national competitions and while I could talk of their many awards and accolades, I simply want to put it out there that these former students who were honing their communication skills then are all now in roles of advocacy. They are using their voices to advocate and empower others. So, things are starting to come together. I found something I was good at. I found something I loved to do. And somehow, I had found a way to get paid a little for doing it.

So, as I was starting to wrap up my grad program, the dreadful what’s next questions re-surfaced. I had a few opportunities popping up here and there but nothing felt exactly right. My grad school mentor suggested I apply to this new and experimental PhD program in Taiwan. I kind of was like well what’s the worst that could happen. I applied, got accepted, bought a 1 way ticket to Taiwan, wedged what I thought I might need into 2 suitcases, and hugged my family goodbye.

At this point, I had attended a community college, a couple of 4-year universities, and a private graduate school so I felt like I kind of knew how to navigate higher ed. Wow, nope…I was now in a new country, a new culture, with a new way of doing things. Having come off of a really amazing experience in grad school, and now knowing the importance of having that sense of belonging, having a strong support system, and having that community, I immediately started building and finding it. I cobbled together a community of friends, kindred spirits, and quickly regained that sense of belonging I had become accustomed to before leaving for Taiwan.

Fast forward through my adventures abroad, I came back to the US in February of 2020. Just at the start of something big. Yes, COVID. I managed to catch one of the last flights out of Taipei before much stricter protocols and widespread cancellations of flights occurred. I moved back to the States to be closer to my parents and family but also to put my shiny new PhD to good use. I had gotten a job at Southern Illinois University in a town called Carbondale where I had never visited and knew no one. I was hired to lead the equivalent of the Multicultural Life office for SIU’s College of Business and Analytics.

In that role, at the beginning of the pandemic, I was tasked with making sure that the college’s students felt engaged, like they had a community, and that even though things were remote that they had a sense of belonging. Not exactly the easiest task when people weren’t in a face-to-face capacity. I threw myself into earning the trust of the students, building relationships with the staff and faculty, and understanding the geographical community I had just joined.

Southern Illinois was good to me. I was able to do some amazing firsts for SIU and the students I served. I had excellent relationships with campus partners and I was really happy with the job I had and I wasn’t really looking to move when here comes Augsburg.

One of my mentors told me that after 2-3 years in role, I should take a look at the job postings of jobs being offered in the area I’m in and the areas I’m interested in growing into. That way I am seeing the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities that are part of these roles and can find ways or opportunities to incorporate some of them into the role I currently have. So toward the mid to end of the spring semester of my 3rd year at SIU, I was lightly doing some searches while planning awesomeness for my office and the Fall 2023 semester when I ran across the Augsburg job posting.

I was curious and I hopped on the website to see a little more about Augsburg and I was like, oh hey…y’all potentially are kind of like the Lutheran version of my grad school but didn’t really think much of it until l I started creeping on the social media of the student orgs. Augsburg students were doing so much. I was like wait, what…how…how are they so engaged. So y’all should thank my mother, she encouraged me to apply so I could talk to the interviewer and get a sense of what was going on with this campus.

So poor Joanne and Taylor. I had a 30 mins screener with them wedged between a whole bunch of craziness on my end because at the time I was in the middle of a high school summer camp college takeover with high school students from all over Illinois. I slid into Zoom scattered but excited to ask questions. All I had to do was get to the part where they asked “so what questions do you have for us” And then I could pounce. I could ask about their student involvement. I could get a sense of what specialness was going on with their campus to bring back to mine. Joanne and Taylor were so nice and Joanne went on and on about Augsburg answering my questions and I left the interview with new thoughts for my office and went back to my chaotic summer camp experience.

When I got the email later saying that Augsburg would like to invite me for another round of interviews, I went uh oh. The thought really hadn’t crossed my mind that I could work at Augsburg. I had been on a fact-finding mission. And now I have a full-fledged multi-interview opportunity in a state I’d never been to. Once again, y’all should thank my mother…she encouraged me to do it for the experience. I’m sorry, but who does 4 interviews back-to-back to back for the experience?! And as they say, the rest is history. I packed up my stuff in Carbondale and once again moved to a place I had never visited, a place where I had 0 friends, all to start a new job.

So why do that? It’s because, through the interview process, I saw Augsburg’s intentionality. I saw its dedication to community, to supporting students, and how it valued belonging. I saw students who were learning to use their voices. Who were being empowered to advocate for themselves, their communities, and others. And I saw things I valued and had sought after.
As a transracial adoptee, I found myself searching for community and belonging. As a college student, I was academically more successful when I found a sense of belonging and community and leaned into the support resources available on my campuses.

So now as a person working in higher ed, I look for places where I can serve and hopefully give students that same experience. The experience I had where I felt supported, where I felt like a valued member of the community, where I felt that I belonged, and where I learned my voice mattered.

So going back to the concept of “ikigai”

1. Find what you’re good at.
2. Find what you love to do.
3. Find what you can get paid for.
4. Find what the world needs.

Currently, my role at Augsburg allows me to do exactly that: I can use my talents and skills to serve our campus community. Augsburg values things I love and I’m passionate about. Strangely enough, this is an actual job…Augsburg pays me to do this. And the students we are equipping here at Augsburg are exactly who I think the world needs as future leaders and informed citizens.

The post The Intersection of Passion and Purpose: A Vocation Story appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Accompaniment is the first artform of the Public Church Framework. It is the movement out into the neighborhood to hear the neighbors’ stories. In this movement, we learn to engage and listen to the neighbor for the neighbor’s sake. We’ve simplified and categorized accompaniment into four different practices that help us hear our neighbors’ stories. This blog post dives into the third layer accompaniment, engaging listening posts.��

You can also read more about the other three layers – Understanding Demographic Data and Prayer Walks in the Neighborhood.��

Listening Posts

Written by Kristina Fruge

Listening posts might just be my favorite element of accompaniment. As someone who is an introvert at heart, but who also prefers to spend the energy I do have on relationships, listening posts offer a soft landing for accompaniment to begin. Listening posts provide an invitation to be fully present and curious about new surroundings while also creating the potential of connections with neighbors in big and small ways.��

A listening post is the term we use to describe the locations that people naturally convene or gather in a neighborhood. This might include the local coffee shop, the ball fields during the summer, a local YMCA, neighborhood association meetings, the local community garden, the town grocery store, the dog park, or even a neighborhood gas station. Your particular context likely has other types of listening posts not on this list, but the common thread is that they function as a sort of hub for people who live, work, worship, pass through or play in that neighborhood to gather and connect. AND, they are great places for listening. Listening posts blend together opportunities for noticing desolation and consolation, as we do in the prayer walks, but also can open doors for one-to-one conversations with neighbors.��

Here is some advice to help you explore the listening posts in your neighborhood. that you can print out to share!��

Identify local listening posts.��

Your prayer walk will help you identify possible listening posts! You can read all about prayer walks in our other blog here. Not only can a prayer walk help you locate possible listening posts, but based on your other observations as you pay close attention to desolation and consolation in the neighborhood, you may discover things that you want to learn more about. That curiosity could lead you to a more focused approach in your search for listening posts.��

You also can ask local leaders, business owners or other neighbors who live in the community where they gather. The local librarian may also be a good resource to talk to. One RIH congregation discovered that another community group was facilitating something called Circle Groups in their neighborhood. These circle groups were gatherings where leaders intentionally invited people from different backgrounds into vulnerable conversations about the things that mattered most to them in the neighborhood. The team members from this congregation were invited to participate and were amazed and humbled to be in a place with neighbors sharing from the heart and in a safe place.��

Finally, feel free to use our list as a jumping off point to imagine possible listening posts in your neighborhood.��

Prepare to visit the listening posts and to be a good guest.

Accompaniment in our neighborhoods is an invitation to flip the script on radical hospitality. A young leader we worked with was a part of an RIH congregation that highly valued offering radical hospitality in their space. He wisely challenged his team to explore this question – What does it mean to extend radical hospitality when we are the guest? They took this imagination with them out into their neighborhood, attempting to apply their core value of radical hospitality from the position of guest, rather than host. And we invite your congregation to do likewise as you visit the listening posts of your neighborhood.��

What does it mean to extend radical hospitality when you are the guest in the listening posts of your neighborhood? The answer to this question will vary depending on your particular context and the particular listening post you are visiting. However, humility, curiosity and compassion again become important values to hold on to. The importance of these values was explored in an earlier post on prayer walks which we encourage you to read, especially since participating in prayer walks in the neighborhood will help you discover the neighborhoods’ listening posts!��

However, the summarized explanation is that in all of our efforts to become vital neighbors, we will find ourselves encountering people and places we don’t know or don’t know very well. We will encounter differences between ourselves and others – whether it be racially, religiously, socio-economically, generationally, or across so many other distinctions. We also expect to experience connection as we discover similarities – love of the same local business, or our pets, or our children, or perhaps share similar fears or longings for ourselves and our neighborhoods. Our differences and our similarities are beautiful gifts – they are what makes up a community and can contribute to the mutual flourishing of its members. However, when ignored, dismissed, threatened or undervalued, these similarities and differences can contribute to harm and heartache in our neighborhoods.��

Imagine a time when you have been a guest in someone else’s home or in a context different than your own. How did humility, curiosity and compassion factor into your efforts to be a good guest in those places? Spend time with others in your congregation wondering about how these values help us be radically hospitable guests as you prepare to visit some of the listening posts in your neighborhood.��

Bring some good questions and a goal.

Listening posts are great places to observe and take a pulse on the neighborhood. But hopefully, an opportunity to interact with neighbors as well. If you’re an extrovert, this may be a fun challenge to meet new people but you’ll want to have some questions in your back pocket to help you be a good listener. We’ve shared some of our favorites below, but get creative.��

• What’s your history with this neighborhood (or this listening post?) 
• What do you love about this neighborhood? What concerns do you have about this neighborhood?
• What’s your favorite place in this neighborhood?
• If I wanted to get to know more about this neighborhood, who would you suggest I talk to? 
• What is one wish you have for this neighborhood? 

And if you’re an introvert, you may want to consider setting a goal for yourself. Here are some examples:

• I want to meet three new people, learn their names and one thing they like about this neighborhood.��
• I want to learn about the history of this listening post.
• I want to find one person who I can invite for coffee for a one-to-one conversation at a later time.��

One RIH congregation spent several afternoons at a local park that was a listening post near their church. They set up a table with some simple kids games and prizes and had a sign up that simply said, “What are your hopes for this community?” They were truly surprised how many people stopped and visited their table, many sharing their thoughts on this question. And a small number of their interactions went from small talk to strangers sharing stories and opening up about some of their heartaches. The church members reflected afterward about how real the presence of God’s love was in these interactions, despite no talk of God, Jesus or church. It left them wondering about the countless stories they didn’t yet hear in the lives of their neighbors.��

Share, reflect and identify next steps as a team after your visits.��

Finally, after you’ve made some visits with other members of your congregation to local listening posts, plan a time to share about your experiences together. Compare your experiences. Listen for any common themes or surprises that come up across your different experiences. Discuss how these encounters are shaping your next steps, especially as you make plans to do one-to-one conversations with neighbors.��

We often talk about “pulling the thread” in this work, which is a way of talking about how we follow the energy and curiosity this exploration of our neighborhoods sparks. As you think about next steps, specifically potential one-to-one conversations you may want to have, reflect on the threads that are starting to poke through. Maybe it was a surprising encounter or discovery in the neighborhood. Maybe it was a theme you noticed. Maybe someone suggested an organization or local leader to connect with. Allow your reflections as a team to surface the threads you want to pull on as you develop your plans for deeper, one-to-one conversations with neighbors.��

The post Accompaniment – Listening Posts appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

Apply Now! Invite your youth to join us at The Confluence, June 23rd-28th, 2024

Written by Gretchen Roeck

Do you know a high school student who is trying to figure out who they are and what kind of life they want to live? Invite them to attend The Confluence!��

The Confluence at Augsburg University is a week where high schoolers are invited to explore their vocation — that space where their personal story, God’s story and the world’s story converge.��

Invite the youth you know to our weeklong, on-campus, summer program for high school students who have completed 9th-12th grades.��

Students will learn through:

– vocational discernment

– meaningful peer relationships  

– experiential learning with local leaders and organizations in the TwinCities

– personal reflection and discernment

– small group conversation led by current Augsburg student mentors

– spiritual practices and daily worship

– theological inquiry and study with Augsburg professor, Dr. Jeremy Myers.��

We hope to reach curious youth who want to live purposefully in relationship with their neighbors, orientated to God’s vision of a just and sustainable world for all. Questions and doubts are welcome.��

Cost: $400/participant. Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Augsburg University.��

Apply now at: /confluence/join-us-this-summer/

Application Deadline: May 15th

Augsburg Scholarship Opportunity:  Students who attend The Confluence and decide to attend Augsburg University as a full-time student will receive a minimum of $20,000 applied to their financial aid package for up to four years.

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Please contact Gretchen Roeck, Program Director

roeck@augsburg.edu

612-330-1412

augsburg.edu/confluence

The post Apply Now! Invite Your Youth to Join Us at The Confluence, June 23rd-28th, 2024 appeared first on Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

In late January we hosted our learning event focused on the Artform of Accompaniment. Brenna and Geoffrey reflect below on lessons and learnings from that event.��

Trust the Process: A Journey of Connection and Transformation

This past January, a gathering took place at Augsburg University, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey for our congregations. We embarked on a path to explore and embody the art of accompaniment, a journey aimed at not just knowing about the neighbor, actually knowing the neighbor, and unraveling a new way of being church in the world.

The Essence of Accompaniment

Accompaniment, the first of four art forms we dive into, challenges us to not just know about our neighbors but to actually really know them—to see their essence. This deep understanding is fundamental, setting the stage for the upcoming art forms of interpretation, discernment, and proclamation. Our learning event was more than an educational endeavor; it was an invitation to transform how we interact and perceive the people around us.

The Power of Practice

A pivotal aspect of our gathering was the emphasis on practicing accompaniment through one-to-ones. That’s when I really saw the importance of cultivating these connections and practice among ourselves.

During a lunchtime exercise, participants paired up with someone from a different congregation, someone they didn’t know, and then embark on a journey of discovering the essence of each other. The simple act of asking questions and just listening unveiled the profound impact of hearing and sharing stories. Returning from the exercise, the air was filled with laughter, smiles, and a sense of connection. This practice, as many reflected, was the highlight of the day, underscoring the simplicity and inspiration found in truly meeting someone new and authentically connecting.

Creating a New World Together

This event was not just about learning; it was about preparing to build a new world together. The question, “when my world and your world collide, what happens now?” captures the essence of our mission. We are preparing to step out of our comfort zones, to listen and share stories, to connect our narratives with those of our neighbors. This is the groundwork for a new world—a world as intended by God.

The overarching vision of our journey is rooted in the belief that we are created for connection. It’s our stories with those of our neighbors that we find the blueprint for this new world. Through connecting, listening, and truly hearing, we step into a realm of mutual understanding and empathy. This connection goes beyond mere interaction; it’s about engaging with stories on a deeper, heart level, being with and allowing the stories to move and transform us from within.

A Transformed Perspective

The learning event taught us that true connection involves more than just knowing each other’s stories; it’s about letting those stories resonate within us, altering our worldview, our thinking, and how we engage with the world. This process of connection with others, leaning into their story, and allowing it to transform our mind and heart is what prepares us to embrace a new perspective, living in a world that we’ve collectively reimagined.

As we continue on this journey, we continue leaning into the knowledge that our shared stories and connections are not just pathways to understanding but the very fabric of the new world we seek to create together

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Uncovering Vocation is a partnership between Campus Ministry and the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University. Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, a member of the Augsburg community is invited to share a component of their vocation story. It has become a way of building community, becoming reacquainted with one another, and celebrating the diversity of people and vocations that make Augsburg University the beautiful place it is.

One morning about a month ago, as I was running around the house, getting everyone ready for school, when my 3.5 year old son drew an almost perfect circle on a leather stool with a bright red, permanent marker. When I came in the room he pointed to it with the marker and said, “I did not do this.” I frantically told him: We only draw on paper. And asked him repeatedly, “why did you do that?” He responded with tears, apologies, and a smirky 3 year old smile that told me he was both sorry and not sorry. I don’t think I will ever know “why” he did it but I imagine he got the idea and he couldn’t NOT draw the bright red circle while no one was looking. It was a little bit brave and I think he knew it. He definitely took a risk with his selection of media. But he went for it.��

After scrubbing the chair with nail polish remover, I crouched down next to him and said, “That was a very beautiful circle. Next time, please draw it on paper”.��

I tell this story because I believe in the idea that everyone and everything is a teacher. The story of the red circle is funny and playful (in hindsight of course) and it is also a statement about how I try to understand what each moment is teaching me. And what I am teaching others through my life and work.��

I have been called to be a professional educator, to study the arts and sciences of teaching and learning. In this life’s work, I have been a first and second grade teacher in multilingual and multi age classrooms. I have also been a teacher educator for almost 15 years. As my vocation, I do this work on purpose and with intention.

My vocation story doesn’t start with, “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.” Actually, I have a story that involves dropping all of my classes the night before the deadline, self-advising with a giant undergraduate catalog in hand, and changing my major to Elementary Education with equal parts excitement and anxiety. On the day I graduated three years later, a former teacher of mine gave me a card that reads, “Give your gifts freely to the world, expecting nothing in return. Someday the world will surprise you.” My vocation story is about how I came to hear my calling by listening to what my gifts are, finding a way to freely give them to the world, and being surprised.

I have memories of a time in 3rd grade when my parents were encouraged to move me ahead a grade. But what I had in school smarts I lacked in social skills. So my parents were cautious of setting me up to fail in learning how to be a friend. I remember my first real friends stood out from the crowd in some way; Maria was adopted, Richelle was one of few students of color in our school, Noah’s gold stars on a class behavior chart didn’t quite line up with everyone else’s; and Jessie spoke Japanese at home and English at school. These friends were among my first teachers and I know they taught me to see one of my gifts: Acceptance. When I am with others, I try to see people for who they are. When people are with me, I want them to know that they can be their whole, true self, without judgment.��

In my first year of teaching second grade, the world brought me Aaron. He had quite a few adventures in my classroom, including one in which he stood in front of me during a spelling test, publicly and loudly declaring his hate for me. Instead of trying to fight against him, tell him to stop, or make him into something he couldn’t be right then, I gave Aaron acceptance. Perhaps that gift, which likely appeared as a lack of response, surprised Aaron because he did eventually stop yelling in my face while I gave a spelling test over him.��

When giving acceptance, I have found it can be difficult to establish and express boundaries. Am I ok with someone yelling in my face that they hate me? As a general rule, no. Aaron and I talked about that later and I advocated for myself and for him. Throughout that first year of second grade for both of us, my students and I learned each other’s boundaries, what is acceptable, and what needed to shift as we learned and grew together. That year, Aaron was the student that gave the most hugs, likely because he needed them and saw that I did too.

In any learning experience, there are growing pains. I learned a lot about growing up as the fourth child wedged between 3 older and 2 younger brothers and sisters. In the midst of the chaos we called family, I learned to see another one of my gifts: Calm. My family still jokes that we didn’t need pets because we had so many kids. We tried to have a pet once. Her name was KC, a new cocker spaniel puppy that ran away; probably on the hunt for some peace and quiet! Like KC, I often found myself looking for a calm escape – making art, reading, packing a bag and ‘running away’ up the street to sit under a tree.��

Over time, as I sought out calm I also realized I could bring it back into spaces with me to provide a different kind of energy. Whether in classrooms full of students or in my own home now with 3 children, a husband, a dog, and a cat, I try to give calm as part of my presence. As a young teacher, I remember giving calm to Alex. For Alex, it seemed as though everything was too difficult, too loud, and too bright. Except when he was writing poetry. As an 8 year old, he was the best poet I have ever known. I think he liked the spaces we created in our classroom with quiet music and dimmed lights where he could write and become sure of himself without the pressure of rules.��

One of the dangers of giving calmness is that it can be read as apathy or not caring. Whereas some people give care by worrying, giving calm is the way I care about others and myself. In this, I acknowledge the tensions, stress, and contradictions that are a part of any life.�� Rather than trying to fight them, with the gift of calm I manage my expectations that I am not always in control. I can plan and must be flexible. I can be excited and patient. I can be passionate and steady. I can be quiet and lead. I find and bring calm to the spaces in between extremes.��

Not all of my teachers have been people. I grew up in a place where I didn’t have a choice about the form of religion that I grew up around. As a young child, I went along with the teachings, rituals, and unspoken rules. Yet, over time I understood less and questioned more. I argued with the logic and pushed back on the hypocrisy and injustices that I read in the teachings and ways of living that I was born into. My religious upbringing revealed for me another gift: curiosity.��

I have always loved school and learning. That is one of the ways I get to give and express my curiosity. And yet, I know that I am the kind of person that school was made for. I was set up to be successful in learning. As a teacher in my first few years, I met Sydney, Emmanuel, Jibril, and Jared. These four were among my hardest and my most favorite. They were difficult not because of who they were. They were difficult because school was not set up for them to be successful. As their teacher, I got to give them my curiosity and try to create new spaces where they could be seen as something other than kids who didn’t care, couldn’t get it, or would always be in trouble.�� 

Giving curiosity can often be read as being contrary. I am ok with being a contrarian. In fact, my parents always thought I would be a lawyer because of my ability to argue. When I ask, “Why does it have to be that way?” I won’t accept, “Because that’s how it has always been done,” as an answer. I know that curiosity is a privilege. That’s why I consider it one of the most important gifts I have received and can give. And I know I must give it carefully so the consequences of my wonderings are not destructive or harmful.��

As a teacher and teacher educator, I get to give acceptance, calm, and curiosity every day. And I have been surprised on the paths that I have taken. I have been able to take risks, make mistakes, and trust that everything that happens in life is teaching me something. Even a red circle in permanent marker, not on paper.��

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Dr. Patrick Reyes, Dean of Auburn Seminary

The Christensen Symposium

The Christensen Symposium and the Christensen Center for Vocation were both established to honor the legacy of Dr. Christensen, the 8^th president of Augsburg University who served from 1938-1962. His legacy was one of critical inquiry and genuine hospitality. We have drawn these lessons from that legacy which still shape our work.

• Christian faith liberates minds and lives
• Diversity strengthens vital communities
• Inter-faith friendships enrich learning
• The love of Christ draws us to God
• We are called to service in the world

It is my hope that you will hear echoes of Dr. Christensen’s lessons in Dr. Reyes’ presentation.

Dr. Patrick Reyes

Dr. Patrick Reyes currently serves as the Dean of Auburn Seminary in New York City.

He is a Chicano writer, theologian, and executive leader and the award-winning author of The Purpose Gap and Nobody Cries When We Die. Prior to his current position he was the Senior Director of Learning Design for the Lilly Endowment’s Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) where he provided strategy and direction for their diverse programs, grants, and teams supporting the next generation of leaders. In addition, he led the historic fellowships supporting scholars of color, the Institutional Doctoral Network, and partnerships in theological and higher education.

He is a peer among public theologians and deeply respected among faith and justice leaders and funders. He is the current Board President of the Religious Education Association and serves as the Co-Dean of the Freedom Seminary for the Children’s Defense Fund, offering an immersive experience for diverse seminary students from across the country to engage and cultivate prophetic voices with communities on the margins.

Patrick provides leadership on several boards in theological and higher education, publications, and the nonprofit sector, supporting the next generation of Black, Indigenous, and Chicano spiritual and cultural leaders. In the last decade, he has been recognized for his service and scholarship by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Boston University, Claremont School of Theology, Drew University, Children’s Defense Fund, Hispanic Theological Initiative, Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy, and others.

Patrick was also recently inducted into the Morehouse College MLK Jr. Collegium of Scholars. He lives in New Mexico, where he and his family embrace the cultural and religious traditions and communities they have inherited.

The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive

“In The Purpose Gap, Patrick Reyes reflects on a family member’s death after a long struggle with incarceration and homelessness. As he asks himself why his cousin’s life had turned out so differently from his own, he realizes that it was a matter of conditions. While they both grew up in the same marginalized Chicano community in central California, Patrick found himself surrounded by a host of family, friends, and supporters. They created a different narrative for him than the one the rest of the world had succeeded in imposing on his cousin. In short, they created the conditions in which Patrick could not only survive but thrive.

Far too much of the literature on leadership tells the story of heroic individuals creating their success by their own efforts. Such stories fail to recognize the structural obstacles to thriving faced by those in marginalized communities. If young people in these communities are to grow up to lives of purpose, others must help create the conditions to make that happen. Pastors, organizational leaders, educators, family, and friends must all perceive their calling to create new stories and new conditions of thriving for those most marginalized. This book offers both inspiration and practical guidance for how to do that. It offers advice on creating safe space for failure, nurturing networks that support young people of color, and professional guidance for how to implement these strategies in one’s congregation, school, or community organization.”

(Description from Bookshop.org)

Recording of 2023 Christensen Symposium

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