Pastor Paul Youngdahl of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minn., received the first Good Shepherd Award during this year’s commencement.
The honor awarded his deep commitment to the vocations of young people. Ministry to children and young people has been at the heart of his pastoral work. He has mentored thousands of youth during summers spent at Mount Olivet’s summer camp, Cathedral of the Pines. Youngdahl, along with Pastor Steve Cornils and Pastor Mary Brown,’91, began Previews at Luther Seminary in 1992. The Previews program invites pastors from around the state of Minnesota to bring select high school youth to Luther Seminary to explore church vocation and attending seminary. In the 13 years Previews has been held, approximately 2,500 students and pastors have taken part, and congregations throughout the Midwest have been represented. Many students enrolled at Luther Seminary today had their first seminary experience as a part of Previews.