Some Personal News

Dear Friends, Jesus' grace!

Usually the Friday Blast, Trinity's weekly devotional and news source, doesn't cover much personal news. But I do have some news that is important to share with you--the beloved community of the Trinity.

1. Engagement of Molly Johnsen and Christian Hoff

Easter was already the greatest day in history! Our HALLELUJAHS were multiplied on Sunday when Christian got down on one knee at the South Coast Botanical Gardens and asked Molly to marry him. She said YES, and Joy and I, and Annika, Samuel, and Peter for that matter, couldn't be happier. We love Molly! We know you do too, as you've met her this year on her internship here at Trinity. Christian and Molly met while students at the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute outside of Edmonton, Alberta. CLBI suggests students refrain from dating relationships during the first term. So, Molly and Christian started dating the first day of the second term :)

What do we love about Molly? Where do we begin? The joy and the freedom of the Gospel of Jesus abides deeply in her. We share the most important stuff in common with her and her dear family. We also love some things that will be new to our family! She is a dancer (not much of that gift in our DNA). She is comfortable in the dance studio, but even more so at a barn dance. Cowboy boots and a hat belong on this Alberta girl. Molly plans to continue her education in the medical field. 

What do I love about them together? Christian is more himself around Molly. He doesn't have to be someone else, and it doesn't seem like she does either. I love that they go to Jesus for grace. They will need that individually and as a couple until death parts them. I love that they go for a walk in the evening or sit on the church steps and listen to the Moravian Daily Texts and the Ground Up Grace podcast. This has been a blessing to Joy and me too, but I think they are more faithful at it than we are.

We will hear more about their plans soon. Dates and locations. We look forward to celebrating this with you, Trinity! Christian came to Trinity in Kindergarten. You are family!

2. Summer Plans

This has been a challenging year for everyone. We are not the exception. I asked the Elders and Church Council a few months ago if they would consider giving our family some extra time off this Summer. They agreed. I am deeply grateful. We will be taking some of that time for rest, renewal, and rejuvenation! Some of it might also be celebrating a couple we know who are gettin' hitched!

You are going to be in great hands this Summer--the Lord's! The Trinity Elders will give good coverage for pastoral care. Pastor Johan and Sonja Hinderlie will be here most of the month of July. Along with covering preaching and worship leadership, they will be available for care and counsel. Our seminarians (Matt Kolden, Per Anderson and Ben Sides) will also be covering some aspects of the ministry.

3. Further Education

Feeling the need for some refreshment, I started looking for a coach or some continuing education program that could help me reflect on ministry where I'm at--here at Trinity and now in this season. My letter of Call provides 2 weeks a year for continuing education. I confess I haven't used much. I have done far more output (teaching at CLBI, conferences, and Mount Carmel), then tending to my own growth and development. 

After Eugene Peterson, a pastor and author I have long admired, died in 2018, he left his intellectual property and legacy to Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. Western is a seminary of the Reformed Church in America, which is the body that originally sent Vivian Churness to India as a missionary nurse. This year they opened the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination, led by Peterson's authorized biographer, Winn Collier. When they announced they were offering a 3 year cohort-based graduate program called Holy Presence: Eugene Peterson and Pastoral Imagination, I knew this is what I had been looking for. After counsel with Joy and the Elders, I applied. I also told 3 close friends that they should apply. Then I regretted telling them, because I found out they were only accepting 12 into the program! Good news--all four of us were accepted and have already begun our preliminary reading. Our first in-person intensive will be at the end of May. 

The program is called a Doctor of Ministry, which is a practical degree--a program for practitioners. The goal is to give the student (me :) a chance to pause and reflect deeply on the ministry they are currently engaged--Blessed Trinity! It is not meant to be a stepping stone to academia--that degree would be a PhD or DTheo. Mine is a three-year long program. It will take me away from Trinity for two-1 week sessions a year--one session in May and one in January. It is meant to be refreshing for me, and a blessing to you. I hope it is. 

What can you do? Pray that the Lord would refresh me and renew us through this process. Some have asked about giving to help defray the costs. A kind donor has already given $1,000--wow! Thank you. If you would like to help cover the tuition or travel costs related, you can always give to Trinity and put "Pastor's discretionary fund" in the memo.