Four learners reflect on how Faith+Lead has supported their journeys into lay ministry.

Like the church itself, one approach to lay ministry does not fit all.

By day, Andrew Kingsriter serves as co-owner and lead carpenter for a building and remodeling co-op in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s a role that he fell into, working in Twin Cities single-family homes. But his clients aren’t the only ones making moves; through Faith+Lead, Kingsriter is beginning to explore a sense of call he’s felt for over a decade.

Not long ago, Amy Mohr ’25 M.A. was searching for community. As a stay-at-home parent, she discovered an outlet to others through her increased involvement at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota. Eventually, she found Luther Seminary, pursuing the second career she never anticipated, with free access to Faith+Lead offerings as a degree-seeking student.

Vicki Elfers is no stranger to Ascension Lutheran Church in Deer Park, New York. A church secretary and parish administrator for 23 years, she had leadership gifts that were recognized by her senior pastor. She credits Faith+Lead’s School for Lay Ministry for giving her the confidence needed to say yes to the leadership opportunities that came her way.

When she first moved back to her hometown of Trimont, Minnesota, 24 years ago, Karen Koeder had retired for the first time. Two additional retirements later, Koeder says she’s as busy as ever with work thanks to the framework she’s been given through Faith+Lead and her service at four area churches.

Driven by Luther Seminary’s commitment to broadening access to theological education, Faith+Lead is helping churches pivot, deepening their identity in Christ and witnessing faithfully to the gospel in a rapidly changing world. As increasing numbers of local churches each year become lay-led, the opportunity to reimagine leadership has shaped Faith+Lead’s suite of digital offerings that are available to learners everywhere, including on-demand courses, virtual workshops, and learning communities. Kingsriter, Mohr, Elfers, and Koeder agree—Faith+Lead has ignited a spark to pursue the work they feel called to.

How did you first learn about Faith+Lead?

Kingsriter: A friend of my parents contacted me. He was interested in recruiting people to join as a group to take “Faith, Lies, and Spies: Bonhoeffer’s Life and You.” I didn’t know that was an offering Luther Seminary had, that there were classes available for the general public for a small fee. It was interesting and exciting to discover that was out there.

Elfers: I found it myself. I was doing research one day on the internet looking for faith-based courses and was excited to find an online program that was Lutheran- based. Since taking the Diakonia Program, I had been taking classes with other denominations.

Mohr: My adviser recommended I take a class on sustainable financial models for ministry from Grace Pomroy ’12 M.A., director of the Stewardship Leaders Program, to fulfill elective requirements. I think I knew Grace was involved in Faith+Lead, but I didn’t have a lot of familiarity with Faith+Lead before I started taking the class.

Koeder: When the Southwestern Minnesota Synod introduced their lay ministry program, I got really excited about leading worship and being more involved in church. Jon Anderson ’85 M.Div., director of rural ministry, was bishop at that time and partly responsible for creating that program. Going from there, I learned of and began taking Faith+Lead courses. I’ve been taking classes for years because they are offered online. Living in rural Minnesota, driving to a course was never possible.

When did you first feel a sense of invitation into the important work of lay ministry?

Elfers: Shortly after I finished the School for Lay Ministry course, our associate pastor announced her retirement. At that point, I had been the church secretary and parish administrator for 23 years. The senior pastor and I started discussing how my gifts could be used to benefit the congregation in the context of lay ministry. Between his encouragement and my interactions within my cohort, I was given the confidence to work alongside him. I’m blessed to have a senior pastor who’s 100% behind lay ministry and treats me like an equal.

Mohr: I had the opportunity to participate in the first cohort of the ELCA Congregations Lead Initiative with a small group at my church. Learning about how innovation applies to ministry really opened my eyes to an area of ministry I didn’t even know existed. For me, as a lay leader, that consistent encouragement from all the members of our congregation, the church council, and the pastors has empowered me to take that big step of going to seminary. To see that Luther had a Master of Arts in Leadership and Innovation, I was like, “This is it. This is the next step of my life journey.”

Koeder: I sort of just fell into lay ministry. But I think it is so important that we identify people that might be interested or good at this. They may not have ever thought of it themselves. Lay ministry, to me, is the way we are going to be able to provide leadership for our churches. In addition to recruiting, I think we need to help our churches understand they have a responsibility to financially help someone who’s going into lay ministry, support them through that process, and be ready to welcome them into their congregation as a lay minister.

Faith+Lead courses incorporate a pedagogical model called “know, be, do.” How did your learning experience deepen your relationship with God and also your relationships with others?

Kingsriter: Taking the Bonhoeffer class with a group was what convinced me to enroll. About a dozen of us would meet in person every other week. We set it up so one person within our group would take the lead, prompting discussion within the group. We’d come to those discussions having watched all the videos and read the relevant texts provided.

Elfers: During the course, I found myself building a bond with the other 17 people who showed up every month, and it amazed me that more than half of them preached on a regular basis. Others were youth leaders or led other ministries within their churches, and they had been encouraged by their pastors or the bishop of their synod to take this course. We all seemed to share one common goal, to be able to bring the message of the gospel to our congregations through our words and through our deeds.

Koeder: The small groups within the School for Lay Ministry give us an opportunity to talk and learn from others. I find it absolutely fascinating to be able to talk to people from Ohio to the Virgin Islands to California. It’s nationwide now.

Much of Faith+Lead’s coursework is self-directed, which invites learners to be hands-on with their own learning. What practical lessons or contextualization did you take from your course?

Koeder: I’m 85, and balance is becoming more important in my life as I go along. When we’re in our small groups during class, I always get an idea, because we are all sharing what we’re doing. That’s one of the things Luther is providing— the opportunity to learn not only from professors but from other lay leaders, too. The conversations you have with people along the way are so important to open up different ideas, different doors. The conversations, almost as much as the content, help me in what I’m doing.

Mohr: The content within the Funding Forward course is really practical and data-driven. At the same time, it’s firmly rooted in scripture. Grace Pomroy does a wonderful job of presenting examples and useful tools for funding ministries while also bringing the “how to fund ministry” back to the “why to fund ministry.” She interviewed a grant writer who went through the steps and spoke to what makes a great application. She talks a lot about church property and how that can be used to generate income. The class gave me a new lens to view funding ministry in a self-sustaining way.

Kingsriter: Professor Andy Root is clearly an expert in this field. He shared videos of him giving presentations in locations throughout Germany: Bonhoeffer’s childhood home, a church Bonhoeffer had worked at as a youth pastor, the seat of federal government in Germany. There were so many things I didn’t even know about him. There’s so much to learn. I feel like I just scratched the surface.

Elfers: The preaching component of the course really gave me confidence I was doing it the right way. In the very beginning when I started preaching, I thought I had to fit into a mold. I thought I had to preach like Pastor- So-and-So. The course gave me the confidence to say, “I can preach a sermon like Vicki would.” I will never forget how much Marianne Ell, facilitator for the School for Lay

Ministry, supported lay ministry and how much she thought it was the future of the church. I think that has had the biggest impact on my leadership—knowing there are people out there that support the work that I’m doing.

From the beginning, Faith+Lead has particularly connected with three distinct audiences: lay leaders, rural leaders, and communities lacking access to degree programs. How have Faith+Lead courses aided you in overcoming barriers and left you feeling equipped without a seminary degree?

Koeder: When I was in high school, I thought I would like to be a minister. But at the time and in the church I belonged to, it was not an option. Lay ministry has taken off the last couple of years in southwest Minnesota, and I grew into it as the program grew within our synod. I never thought I would be involved in a seminary program of any kind—it’s a gift from God. There are so many things that we all can do if we just knew how or knew what it was all about. That’s what I see Faith+Lead doing— opening up a whole world to people.

Elfers: My biggest stumbling block to seeking ordained ministry was that I had no bachelor’s degree. Spending all those years in school to then be ordained in my early sixties didn’t really sound like something I wanted to do. It seemed that every time I thought of ordained ministry, there appeared to be many roadblocks in front of me. But it always seemed that when I sought something in lay ministry, doors were opened wide for me and I was invited in. I kept feeling like this must be where God wants me to be.

What has changed for you since becoming involved with Faith+Lead?

Kingsriter: Dipping my toe in the water with the Bonhoeffer course made it feel easier to take on another one. I am currently enrolled in the School for Lay Ministry, a year-long program that meets online once a month. I personally don’t have a clear vision of what this is leading towards. But this thought about seminary hasn’t gone away; I’ve had it for over a decade, and I keep going back to it. I take that as an indication of the Spirit moving to some degree.

Koeder: Right now, I serve four churches. I lead worship three times a month, sometimes four. I also teach confirmation and first communion and lead three Bible studies.

Mohr: I’ve been focused on getting through my last semester before I graduate. I plan to take more courses through Faith+Lead after graduation. The seminary degree is just the beginning of all my learning about faith and ministry. I have a lot of interests, but faith formation and discipleship are things I would like to continue exploring.

Elfers: I have been given the title of lay assistant to the pastor. Part of my responsibilities include preaching once a month, bringing communion to homebound members, and conducting funerals when the senior pastor is not available or at funeral homes for non-members. I assist with a twice-a-month Saturday morning Bible study and lead an online Bible study every Wednesday night. I also co-lead our adult retreat in the spring and fall with the senior pastor. I truly give credit to Faith+Lead for giving me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone and believe that I could do this.